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Hello RotoBallers and welcome back to Break The Slate! A huge word of thanks to my good friend "Thunder" Dan Palyo for covering for me in Week 1. It's no surprise that Dan knocked it out of the park with his selections in the season-opening slate.
So, the pressure has been firmly applied as we head into Week 2, a slate that is light on both marquee matchups and high point totals. Of the 12 games on the DraftKings Main Slate, just one is currently tabbed with an O/U of more than 50 points (Las Vegas vs Arizona). It means that we're dealing with a slate that is light on obvious decisions and will force us to dig into the research process in an attempt to locate solid DFS plays.
These DraftKings lineup recommendations are based on matchups, projected ownership, overall upside/talent levels, opportunity, and other factors such as Vegas odds, home-field advantage, and more. There are quite a few great plays available, especially with the extra soft pricing on DK for Week 2. Also be sure to also check out our weekly FanDuel DFS lineup picks and lots of other great NFL DFS articles and NFL DFS tools to help you win big! Good luck with your DraftKings DFS lineups - let's Break The Slate together!
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DraftKings Quarterbacks - Week 2 DFS Picks
Kyler Murray - ARI @ LV ($7,500)
On a Week 2 that's dotted with less-than-stellar DFS environments, this matchup stands as the lone game on the DraftKings Main Slate with a projected point total of over 50 points (51.5). As one of the few legitimate "pace-up" spots on the slate, this is a matchup with the type of elevated fantasy ceiling that few games on this week's slate offer.
A Week 1 matchup against Kansas City resulted in a floor performance for Arizona QB Kyler Murray, as the 25-year-old kicked off his fourth NFL season with a rather forgettable outing in a loss to the Chiefs. On the bright side, Murray managed a solid, if unspectacular 20.6 DK points, despite the Cards' offensive unit never really getting untracked in Week 1.
Murray and this fast-moving AZ offense should find their groove a bit easier this week in a domed environment against the Raiders. Las Vegas relinquished the sixth-most DK points to the QB position in Week 1, allowing L.A.'s Justin Herbert to amass 23.26 fantasy points while averaging over 8.2 yards per attempt. Murray should find this Vegas unit beatable both through the air and on the ground and possesses both a rock-solid DFS floor and the type of scoring upside that makes him a possible slate winner for us.
Carson Wentz - WAS @ DET ($5,800)
I'm nowhere near prepared to make the argument that Carson Wentz is actually good at football, but I'm allowing myself to come around to the notion that he's actually a viable DFS option on this Week 2 slate.
Surprising though it may be, the Washington Commanders have repeatedly demonstrated levels of faith in Wentz, first by pulling the trigger on a trade for the now-twice-spurned signal caller during the offseason and then allowing him to put the ball in the air 41 times against Jacksonville in Week 1, which placed Washington at fourth in the NFL in Pass Rate Over Expectation.
In addition to that large amount of pass volume in the season opener, Wentz and the Commanders draw what might ultimately prove to be one of the league's best fantasy matchups this year in the Detroit Lions. While Dan Campbell's group will once again be feisty this season, they are more likely to actually bite someone's kneecaps than consistently slow down opposing offenses. Detroit was gashed for 330 total yards by Philly's Jalen Hurts in Week 1 and allowed the fifth-most DK points in the NFL to the QB position in the season opener.
DraftKings Running Backs - Week 2 DFS Picks
Saquon Barkley - CAR vs. NYG ($7,300)
Saquon Barkley was a trendy salary saver on last week's slate and he paid off his DFS backers in a huge way, putting forth the biggest RB performance of Week 1 by amassing 36.4 DK points on 194 total yards and a score against the Tennessee Titans.
Barkley was a usage monster in the opener, not only leading the Giants in rushing attempts (18) but also topping the G-Men in targets with seven. He was on the field for 82.8% of New York's offensive snaps, which was the most for any RB in Week 1. Basically, new HC Brian Daboll is not going to be afraid to ride Barkley early and often.
Barkley's talent and opportunity should once again serve him well in Week 2 against a Carolina Panthers unit that was destroyed in Week 1 by the Cleveland Browns' well-regarded rushing attack. The combination of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt accumulated 211 total yards and two TDs against a sieve-like Panthers run defense in the opener. Carolina relinquished the second-most rushing yards in the NFL last week and should provide little resistance to a rejuvenated Barkley in this matchup.
Darrell Henderson Jr. - ATL @ LAR ($5,700)
Week 1 is often full of surprises and this year was no different, with the Rams' backfield usage serving as one of the most "make you say, hmmm" storylines of the NFL's opening week. Most expected a recuperated Cam Akers to shoulder the load for the defending Super Bowl champs in 2022, but it was Darrell Henderson Jr. that outsnapped Akers by a wide margin (55 vs 12) last Thursday against Buffalo.
Henderson's usage was downright elite, as he played just over 82% of L.A.'s offensive snaps and ran routes on 40 of 55 Matt Stafford dropbacks. While Hendo's final stat line (73 total yards on 18 touches) from Week 1 doesn't exactly blow us away, we can expect the usage to remain elite for him this week against Atlanta in a spot where the Rams are double-digit favorites (-10.5) with the highest implied team point total on the slate (28.5).
DraftKings Wide Receivers - Week 2 DFS Picks
Davante Adams - ARI @ LV ($8,600)
It's fair to wonder about/expect some regression following Davante Adams' departure from Green Bay, but Adams looked right at home in this new Raiders offense in Week 1, soaking up 17 targets - the most in the NFL last week - and earning a massive 58% share of Las Vegas' Air Yards in a tough opening matchup against the Chargers.
New HC Josh McDaniels appears content to force-feed Adams the football in an attempt to recreate his old Packers role. That elite volume makes him uniquely underpriced at $8.6k and a bet-on-talent-and-usage option until further notice.
In addition to the superhuman usage levels, Adams squares off against a Cardinals defense that looked pathetic in almost every area against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1. Arizona sacked Mahomes zero times, while also looking indifferent against both the run and the pass. The Cards were dosed to the tune of 350 yards and 5 TDs in the opener, and while Carr is no Mahomes, he is capable of taking advantage of this bottom-tier secondary with a receiver of Adams' talents and a coach of McDaniels' capabilities.
Michael Pittman Jr. - IND @ JAX ($6,700) UPDATE 9/17: MICHAEL PITTMAN JR. HAS OFFICIALLY BEEN RULED OUT FOR WEEK 2
Despite receiving a $1.2k price bump for Week 2, Indy's Michael Pittman Jr. is arguably still underpriced when considering his role in this Colts passing attack. That role? It basically means that this offense consists of "Pittman and everyone else" as far as the passing game goes.
Pittman kicked off his third season as a pro - and first with new signal-caller Matt Ryan - in style last week, grabbing nine of 13 targets for 121 yards and a score against division rival Houston. The USC alum should once again dominate usage - he was on the field for 81 of Indy's 83 offensive snaps in the opener - and demand the football in this cake matchup against another division foe in the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jags were toasted for four TDs by Washington wideouts last week, which was the most scores allowed to opposing WRs in the NFL for Week 1. Pittman's combination of talent, volume, and matchup make him one of the top overall options on the slate.
DraftKings Tight Ends - Week 2 DFS Picks
Darren Waller - ARI @ LV ($5,600)
After what many described as a "Hold In" during preseason camp, Darren Waller inked a shiny-new contract extension just before last week's season opener. Magically, the hamstring issues that slowed him throughout the offseason weren't an issue in Week 1, as Waller caught four of six targets for 79 yards in his 2022 debut.
There will likely be something of an adjustment period for this Raiders offense with new coach Josh McDaniels and newly-acquired receiver Davante Adams, but Waller will undoubtedly be a key cog in this passing attack going forward. That should especially be the case this week against a Cardinals defense that was shredded by the TE position last week. Waller is one of the few tight ends on the slate that possesses true tournament-winning scoring upside.
Kyle Pitts - ATL @ LAR ($5,400)
Many of us rode the Kyle Pitts merry-go-round all year during Pitts' rookie campaign, often to frustrating effect. Last week's opener proved to be another bittersweet ride, as the second-year unicorn's final stat line - 2/19/0 - failed to reflect his elite underlying usage - his seven targets tied for the team high, while his aDOT of 11.9 yards was as impressive as his 93 Air Yards, a mark that ranked third among TEs in Week 1.
It all adds up to usage that will eventually lead to a spike in production for Atlanta's phenom, but as DFS players we must be willing to embrace the volatility - and live with some duds - no matter how frustrating it may be.
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