RADIO
The USFL is back, y'all! Last week, we officially saw the start of season two for the league. We also got to see McLeod Bethel-Thompson show off why he was a fixture in the CFL for so long, as he threw for 302 yards, the most of any QB last weekend. It was part of a exciting first week of action in the USFL, which included last year's champions, Birmingham, picking up where they left off with a 27-10 win over New Jersey.
With DraftKings offering USFL contests again this year, I'll be here every week with lineup picks for the league. It looks like the plan at DraftKings is to do one four-game slate each weekend, so that's what we'll cover here.
Below, you'll find my thoughts on the Week 2 DFS slate of USFL contests on DraftKings, which goes live on 4/22/2023 at 12:30 p.m. ET. Be sure to also read all our other weekly XFL fantasy football articles. Let's get to it, and good luck RotoBallers!
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DraftKings Quarterbacks - Week 2 USFL DFS Picks
Case Cookus - Philadelphia Stars - vs Michigan Panthers - $10,600
Cookus entered the season projected to be the top fantasy passer in the USFL. And while he was only third in the league in passing yards last week, he definitely feels like he's right in line to do what we thought he'd do.
Cookus was 20-for-29 in his season debut, throwing for 212 yards and three touchdowns. He was second to Josh Love in touchdown percentage. (Love, by the way, completed 90% of his passes and threw three touchdowns. If I had three QB slots in this article, he'd get a write-up too.)
With a strong group of pass catchers around here and the trust of the coaching staff, I expect Cookus to be a near-weekly presence in this DFS column.
(Cookus also added 31 rushing yards, a team-high.)
McLeod Bethel-Thompson - New Orleans Breakers - vs Houston Gamblers - $9,700
I wrote about McLeod Bethel-Thompson last week, where I posited that a player as decorated as he is in the CFL isn't coming to the USLF unless he knows it's the right situation for him. And, well...it looks like that was correct.
Bethel-Thompson threw for a league-high 302 yards in last week's contest, going 23-for-41 and throwing one touchdown. Maybe you'd like the completion percentage and yards per attempt to be better. Maybe you'd like more than one touchdown. Those are fine things to want! But in a league like this, volume is what matters most to me in the early going. Is a guy getting opportunities? And Bethel-Thompson sure got those last week. He attempted every pass for the Breakers, something only true of him, Philadelphia's Case Cookus and Houston's Kenji Bahar,
DraftKings Running Backs - Week 2 USFL DFS Picks
Alex Collins - Memphis Showboats - vs Birmingham Stallions - $8,500
Incredibly productive Week 1 for Alex Collins. On the ground, the NFL veteran ran the ball 14 times for 63 yards, the second-highest yardage total in the league. He also found the end zone. But that wasn't all! In the passing game, Collins caught five passes for 25 yards. Not a lot of production from a yardage perspective there, but those five receptions really help in DFS. I expect him to continue getting fed the football. Think of him as the Abram Smith of the USFL, which is a reference that only works if you're also watching the XFL this season. (I assume you are, though, if you're watching the USFL.)
T.J. Pledger - Houston Gamblers - vs New Orleans Breakers - $8,000
Pledger only had 41 yards in Week 1, but he had two things happen that make him really appealing in DFS. First, he had 16 carries, second only to Anthony Jones. And second, he found the end zone twice.
If Houston's going to give Pledger the ball in high-leverage situations, then he'll be a valuable DFS option this season. I am a little wary of this price because I'm not totally sold on him being viable without the touchdowns, but it's a risk I'll take for now, even if 2.56 yards per carry is worrisome.
DraftKings Wide Receivers and Tight Ends - Week 2 USFL DFS Picks
Devin Gray - Philadelphia Stars - vs Michigan Panthers - $6,800
First—if you read last week's column, I took a big risk recommending Philadelphia's Chris Rowland. He had three catches for 31 yards and a touchdown, and his salary this week is only $3,700. I decided not to write a whole section on him, but I do still like him a lot as a value play.
Now, onto Devin Gray. His nine targets were the most on the Stars roster, and he caught seven of them for 77 yards and a score. He appears to be quarterback Case Cookus' top option, and he's only priced at $6,800 this week. This is a steal to get the best weapon in an offense for just $6,800.
Cameron Echols-Luper - New Jersey Generals - vs Pittsburgh Maulers - $5,400
Echols-Luper was a surprise last week, as he was targeted a team-high eight times, tied for the fifth-most targets in the league. He caught five of those for 55 yards. He was the only Generals player to catch more than three passes and looked to pretty solidly be the No. 1 option in this pass game. And it's a decent pass game, as J'mar Smith and Alex McGough combined to throw for 228 yards.
This week, they play Pittsburgh, which allowed 302 passing yards last week. Part of that was by design, as the Breakers threw 41 passes. But still, it feels like this could be a good week for the Generals passing attack, so grabbing the top option in it for $5,400 is a good steal.
Sage Surratt - New Orleans Breakers - vs Houston Gamblers - $4,200
The Breakers attempted 41 passes last week, the most in the league. It's clear the game plan for this team is to let McLeod Bethel-Thompson just fire away with the football.
And hey—good! In a league like this, it's great to know there's a team that'll throw a lot, like the Seattle Sea Dragons do over in the XFL. It gives us some good DFS options.
Teammate Johnnie Dixon was targeted 11 times, making him the most targeted player in the league. But he costs a LOT still, and the production wasn't necessarily there. That's why I'm going value in this attack and grabbing Surratt.
The former Wake Forest quarterback was targeted nine times, catching five passes for 85 yards. He's a dynamic player and a mismatch when playing inside at tight end.
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