X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

XFL DFS Lineup Picks: DraftKings Daily Fantasy Fantasy Advice for Week 2

The top daily fantasy XFL lineup picks for DraftKings for Week 2 (2023). Justin provides XFL DFS analysis and sleeper picks for building optimal DFS rosters.

So, how'd you like that first week of XFL football? Personally, I think it was among the best weeks of spring football I've seen since the concept of spring football leagues returned in 2019 with the AAF. We had some good games. Exciting endings. And we got to remember some names, like Kalen Ballage, who I mentioned last week as a top DFS play.

With DraftKings offering XFL 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, even when there's a game on Thursday.

Below, you'll find my thoughts on the Week 2 DFS slate of XFL contests on DraftKings, which goes live on 2/23/2023 at 9:00 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!

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

DraftKings Quarterbacks - Week 2 XFL DFS Picks

Ben DiNucci - Seattle Sea Dragons, $10,200

Ben DiNucci wasn't the most effective quarterback in the XFL during Week 1. He was only eighth in yards per attempt, and he threw a pair of interceptions. But while those things are discouraging, what makes him my top pick this week is that DiNucci had the volume—a whole lot of it. He led the XFL in Week 1 with 282 passing yards, largely because he attempted 54 passes, the most in the league. Houston's Brandon Silvers was second with 42 pass attempts.

It wasn't that long ago that DiNucci was in the NFL, and of all the quarterbacks in this league, he's the most likely to end up using the XFL as a springboard back into the NFL. Because of that, I expect Seattle to keep letting him throw; they've got to know they have a potential positional advantage over most other teams, though it's fair to value A.J. McCarron's veteran know-how in St. Louis over what DiNucci brings.

St. Louis and Seattle meet this week in what should be a great Thursday night game. Last week, the Battlehawks allowed San Antonio quarterback Jack Coan to throw for over 200 yards.

Luis Perez - Vegas Vipers, $9,300

The name Luis Perez should be seared into your brain if you watch spring football. The former Texas A&M-Commerce quarterback, who led the Lions to a Division II title in 2017, spent 2019 in the AAF with the Birmingham Iron, then 2020 in the XFL with the New York Guardians, 2021 with the Jousters of The Spring League, and 2022 in the USFL with the New Jersey Generals, where he threw the first touchdown pass in the revamped league.

The point is: Perez has a lot of experience doing this thing where he comes in and quarterbacks a group of guys who he barely knows. I think that's a skill. Last week, Perez was third in the XFL in pass attempts and yards, and his three touchdown passes led the league. Yes, he was picked off twice, but I think in a league like this, we have to expect most quarterbacks will turn the ball over. Perez is a solid fantasy option against a Defenders team that allowed a league-high 282 passing yards last week.

 

DraftKings Running Backs - Week 2 XFL DFS Picks

Max Borghi - Houston Roughnecks, $8,000

The Roughnecks ran the football 20 times in Week 1, with eight of those carries going to Max Borghi. Not great volume, but he made the most of those chances, gaining 42 yards on the ground, an average of 5.3 yards per carry, making him one of just three players to average over five yards per carry with at least five touches in the run game.

Borghi also made an impact in the receiving game, as he was targeted four times, catching all four of them for 32 yards. Overall, that's 12 touches for Borghi. You might prefer that number go up to the 15 range to raise his floor.

One potential issue is that Vegas saw its run game shut down by the Renegades last week, and Houston plays Arlington on Sunday. But Vegas also ran the ball just 15 times, and they also don't have the same talent at running back that some other teams have.

Kalen Ballage - San Antonio Brahmas, $7,100

Ballage's salary almost doubled this week, which makes sense because of how his usage went last weekend. His numbers make the rest of the league look like it didn't run the ball at all. He had 24 carries; Deveon Smith was second with 15 carries. He also had 84 rushing yards; Brian Hill was second with 55. He also added three catches for 13 yards and was targeted four times.

It wasn't all great, though. His 3.5 yards per carry rank eighth among players with at least five carries. Still, volume matters, and the volume was there for Ballage. We might see a drop in volume this week, but Brahmas ran the ball a lot, ranking third in run percentage per DK Nation. While a lot of other teams spread their carries out, San Antonio just trusted Ballage to tote it. Bet on that continuing.

 

DraftKings Wide Receivers and Tight Ends - Week 2 XFL DFS Picks

Josh Gordon - Seattle Sea Dragons, $10,100

It was clear in Week 1 that the Sea Dragons are the best passing offense in the XFL. Seven XFL players were targeted at least nine times, and three of those seven played for Seattle.

NFL veteran (and former fantasy hype train) Josh Gordon was only third on Seattle's team in targets with nine, behind Jahcour Pearson's 14 and Blake Jackson's 11. He finished the game with six catches for 74 yards and a touchdown.

Gordon's the most talented of the three main receivers in Seattle, which is why I prefer him to the other two this week. But really, I think my point here is that until something changes, I want to have exposure to at least one Seattle receiver in every lineup I make.

Deontay Burnett - Houston Roughnecks, $8,500

Houston threw the ball the second-most times of any team in Week 1, and at the third-highest rate. While I'm not treating Houston like Seattle in a "you have to play a receiver from their team" sense, I am high on this Roughneck offense, especially since they face the Renegades this week, who let Luis Perez throw for 249 yards and three touchdowns last week.

Deontay Burnett was tied for second in the league last week in receptions, hauling in eight passes for 90 yards and a touchdown. His 12 targets ranked only behind Seattle's Jahcour Pearson. And despite that, Burnett is on the sixth-most expensive play at WR/TE. There's some value here.

Sal Cannella - Arlington Renegades, $6,500

You know what? Let's talk about a tight end. DraftKings combining WR and TE into one position probably means a lot of lineups will be played with no tight ends, but I think there's some value available at the position. Sal Cannella is the most expensive tight end, and he's $6,500, which ranks 16th in salary at the WR/TE position.

Cannella's eight targets tied him for eighth in the XFL last week, while his 70 receiving yards ranked seventh and his seven catches tied him for fourth. He's a reliable option for Arlington who can move the chains, and while he doesn't have the same ceiling as a wide receiver, he's a really safe floor play.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More XFL Coverage




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Justin Verlander

Plans to Pitch in 2026
Junior Caminero

Day-to-Day With Back Tightness
Will Smith

Won't Return When First Eligible
Tyler Soderstrom

Returns to A's Lineup
Tyler Warren

Sidelined on Wednesday with Toe Injury
Jaylen Waddle

Questionable for Week 3 Against Buffalo
Joe Burrow

Bengals Not Closing the Door on Joe Burrow Returning This Year
CFB

LaNorris Sellers to Play Against Missouri?
Kyle Tucker

Progress has "Plateaued"
Isaac Paredes

has "Outside Chance" to Return This Weekend
CFB

Kaidon Salter Expected To Start for Colorado on Saturday
Willson Contreras

Goes on 10-Day Injured List, Done for Season
Justin Fields

Ruled Out for Week 3 Due to Concussion
Jayden Reed

Out Indefinitely After Foot and Shoulder Surgery
Washington Commanders

Preston Smith Signs With Commanders
Trey Jemison III

Joins Knicks on Two-Way Contract
Kevin McCullar Jr.

Signs New Two-Way Deal With Knicks
Matt Ryan

Returns to Knicks on Exhibit 10 Contract
New York Knicks

Alex Len Signs Exhibit 9 Deal With Knicks
Nickeil Alexander-Walker

Expected to Take on Larger Offensive Role With Hawks
Thomas Sorber

Undergoes Surgery
Dominic Canzone

Has Five-Hit, Three-Homer Game Tuesday
Cal Raleigh

Sets Single-Season Home Run Record for a Switch-Hitter
Jayden Reed

Undergoes Clavicle and Foot Surgeries, Out for Foreseeable Future
Bo Bichette

to Miss Rest of Regular Season
Zach Neto

Placed on 10-Day Injured List With Hand Injury
Yordan Alvarez

Out on Tuesday, Dealing With "Significant" Ankle Sprain
Aaron Jones Sr.

Vikings Place Aaron Jones Sr. on Injured Reserve With Hamstring Injury
CFB

Diego Pavia Refutes Report of Seeking Seventh Collegiate Season
Christian Kirk

Expected to Return in Week 3
CFB

Diego Pavia Seeking Another Year of Eligibility
Tarik Skubal

on Track to Start Thursday
CFB

Kevorian Barnes Questionable Against SMU
Bo Bichette

has Short-Term Knee Injury, Could Return for Postseason
Tosan Evbuomwan

Joins Knicks
NBA

Kai Jones Links Up With EuroLeague Team
Bismack Biyombo

Returns to Spurs
Bones Hyland

Rejoins Timberwolves
Kobe Bufkin

Moves to Brooklyn
Trey Yesavage

Sets Franchise Strikeout Record On Monday
Yordan Alvarez

To Receive MRI For Sprained Left Ankle On Tuesday
Willson Contreras

Exits Early Monday With Right-Biceps Tightness
Yordan Alvarez

Exits With Ankle Sprain
Brock Bowers

Officially Active on Monday Night
Jauan Jennings

Day-to-Day With Ankle Injury
Logan O'Hoppe

Activated Off Seven-Day Injured List
CBJ

Denton Mateychuk Dealing With Groin Issue
Bo Horvat

Fine for Training Camp
Kirby Dach

on Track to Be Ready for Opening Night
Jose Altuve

Returns Against Rangers
J.J. McCarthy

Expected to Miss 2-4 Weeks With High-Ankle Sprain
J.J. McCarthy

Likely Out for Week 3 With High-Ankle Sprain
Jean Silva

Gets Finished For The First Time In His Career
Aaron Jones Sr.

Unlikely to Play in Week 3 Due to Hamstring Injury
Diego Lopes

Returns To The Win Column
Jayden Daniels

' Week 3 Status in Doubt
Rob Font

Outclassed In The Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
David Martinez

Wins His Second UFC Fight
Jared Gordon

Suffers Brutal TKO Loss At Noche UFC 3
Rafa Garcia

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Brian Thomas Jr.

Dealing with Wrist Injury
Dustin Stoltzfus

Drops A Decision At Noche UFC 3
Kelvin Gastelum

Gets Back In The Win Column
Diego Ferreira

Suffers Second-Round TKO
Alexander Hernandez

Extends His Win Streak With A Brutal TKO
Quang Le

Suffers First-Round Knockout
Santiago Luna

Shines In His UFC Debut
Christopher Bell

Earns his First Bristol Cup Series Victory
Alex Bowman

Falls Short of Advancing Through Cup Series Playoffs
Chase Briscoe

Collects his Third Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Ryan Blaney

Strong Top-Five Bristol Performance Advances him to the Playoffs
Corey Heim

Earns his First Career Cup Series Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Leads Greece to Bronze Medal
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Drops 28 Points in EuroBasket Finals
CFB

Indiana's Lee Beebe Jr. Out for Season with Knee Injury
Dennis Schröder

Dennis Schroder Named EuroBasket MVP
Bryce Eldridge

Giants to Promote Bryce Eldridge
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Progressing in Recovery
Jonathan Kuminga

Receives New Offer From Warriors
Kenneth Walker III

Bounces Back with Big Week 2 Performance
Bijan Robinson

Rushes for 143 Yards in Week 2
Justin Fields

Currently in Concussion Protocol
Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals Calling Around to Available Free-Agent Quarterbacks
Joe Burrow

to Undergo Surgery, Out at Least Three Months
Emil Heineman

Aiming to Take the "Next Step" This Season
Braeden Cootes

Good to Go for Camp
Ivan Fedotov

Blue Jackets Acquire Ivan Fedotov From Flyers
Quentin Grimes

Still Not Close to a New Contract Agreement
Joel Embiid

"Looking Slender, Spry and in Positive Spirits"
Ty Gibbs

Has Arguably his Best Career Drive, but Only Finishes 10th
Chase Elliott

Despite Crashing Out at Bristol, Chase Elliott Advances to Round of 12
Austin Dillon

Misses Round of 12 After Extremely Mediocre Bristol Run
Shane Van Gisbergen

Shane van Gisbergen Fails to Advance to Round of 12
Josh Berry

Finishes Last in All Three Round of 16 Races to Fail to Advance
CFB

Ryan Williams Explodes In Return To Field
CFB

Drew Allar Plays Mediocre Game In Blowout Win
CFB

LaNorris Sellers Exits Game In Blowout Loss
CFB

DJ Lagway Tosses Five Interceptions In Loss
CFB

Garrett Nussmeier Plays Game Manager in Saturday's Win
CFB

CJ Carr Remains Poised In Narrow Loss
CFB

John Mateer Leads Oklahoma In Rout
CFB

Arch Manning Struggles Against UTEP
CFB

Jeremiah Smith Impresses In Win
CFB

Sam Leavitt Shines As Arizona State Rebounds From Week 2 Loss
Ivan Demidov

Turning Heads in Rookie Camp
NHL

Calvin de Haan Signs With Swedish Team
Samuel Girard

Skates With Non-Contact Jersey
Mackenzie Blackwood

Dealing With Injury Ahead of Training Camp
Spencer Knight

Signs Three-Year Extension With Blackhawks
Chris Buescher

May have Another Solid Run at Bristol
Corey Perry

Out 6-8 Weeks Following Surgery
Kyle Busch

Should DFS Managers Roster Kyle Busch at Bristol?
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Is Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Too Risky to Consider Rostering at Bristol?
Michael McDowell

Could be A Solid Value Option For Bristol DFS Lineups
Chase Elliott

Probably Won't Factor in for Bristol Win
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Not as Strong at Bristol as Other Short Tracks
Alex Bowman

Needs to Win to Make Round of 12
Ross Chastain

has Never Led at Bristol but Has Been Pretty Consistent
Austin Dillon

Richmond Speed Unlikely to Carry Over to Bristol
Josh Berry

Might Run Well at Bristol, but Almost Certainly Won't Win to Advance
Justin Haley

Bristol One of Justin Haley's Few Recent Bright Spots
CFB

Austin Simmons Listed As Game-Time Decision Against Arkansas
CFB

Nico Iamaleava Struggles In Fourth Straight Loss
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Dealing With a "Tweak"
BUF

Alexandar Georgiev Joins Sabres on One-Year Deal
Corey Perry

Injured During Pre-Camp Skate
CFB

Antonio Williams Out Against Georgia Tech
CFB

CJ Bailey Flashes Again in Win Over Wake Forest
CFB

Jaxson Moi a Game-Time Decision for Tennessee on Saturday
Jean Silva

A Favorite At Noche UFC 3
Diego Lopes

Set For Noche UFC 3 Main Event
Rob Font

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
David Martinez

Set For Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
Rafa Garcia

An Underdog At Noche UFC 3
Jared Gordon

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Dustin Stoltzfus

Looks To Return To The Win Column
Kelvin Gastelum

In Dire Need Of Victory
Diego Ferreira

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Malcolm Brogdon

Heading to Knicks on One-Year Deal
Landry Shamet

Staying with the Knicks

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP