NFL Daily Fantasy Football Recommendations for Week 2 – Quarterbacks

Now that the dust has settled on the opening weekend of action in the NFL, it’s time to quickly turn the page and focus on Week 2. We have several intriguing quarterback options across the price scale, setting us up to deploy a few different strategies. Let’s dig into the matchups and highlight some of the better players to consider. Don’t forget to sign up for our Newsletter and try our NFL Lineup Optimizer to help build a winning entry on FanDuel and DraftKings.

CASH TARGETS

Patrick Mahomes, KC at OAK
FanDuel = $9,000
DraftKings = $7,500

Mahomes carried over his success from last year into his season opener against the Jaguars, throwing for 378 yards and three touchdowns. He managed to do that despite suffering an ankle injury that limited his mobility and losing Tyreek Hill to a collarbone injury. Mahomes is expected to play against the Raiders, although Hill will likely miss multiple games. Despite being down one of his top receivers, Mahomes still has plenty of talent around him and a tremendously high floor, making him one of the top options in cash contests.

Lamar Jackson, BAL vs. ARI
FanDuel = $8,200
DraftKings = $6,700

Of all the quarterback performances during the first week, Jackson might have had the most impressive. Known more for his running ability, he picked apart the Dolphins’ defense through the air, completing 17 of 20 passes for 324 yards and a whopping five touchdowns. The Dolphins are making a case for being the worst team in the league and their defense is laughable, but this was still a very encouraging performance from Jackson. With the Cardinals still without the services of Patrick Peterson (suspension) and Robert Alford (leg), Jackson is once again in a favorable spot to thrive. The only difference this week is that he should be included in far more entries than he was in his season opener.

GPP TARGETS

Dak Prescott, DAL at WAS
FanDuel = $7,700
DraftKings = $6,300

The Cowboys steamrolled the Giants on Sunday, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Prescott led the charge with 405 yards and four touchdowns, picking apart a Giants’ cornerback unit that is lacking talent outside of Janoris Jenkins. The Redskins were up 17-0 in their first game against the Eagles, but their defense couldn’t slow down the Eagles in the second half, eventually giving up 313 yards and three touchdowns through the air to Carson Wentz. Look for Prescott to give them plenty of trouble in their home opener.

Josh Allen, BUF at NYG
FanDuel = $7,500
DraftKings = $5,300

The Bills were aggressive right out of the gate against the Jets, attacking them with Allen through the air. However, a couple of turnovers resulted in an abysmal first half, which they eventually overcame for the victory. Despite the turnovers, Allen still finished with 254 passing yards and a passing touchdown. He also chipped in 38 yards and a touchdown on the ground. With the Giants’ secondary struggles and their inability to get pressure on the quarterback, Allen could be in line for a valuable performance.

Andy Dalton, CIN vs. SF
FanDuel = $7,100
DraftKings = $5,400

The Bengals were significant underdogs on the road, but they gave the Seahawks all that they could handle, eventually losing the game by just one point. Dalton was one of the main reasons they were able to keep the game close, throwing for 418 yards and two touchdowns. The 49ers did record three interceptions on Sunday, but that was against the turnover-prone Jameis Winston, so don’t get too excited. Despite not having A.J. Green (ankle) at his disposable, Dalton is someone to at least consider in tournament play.

PLAYERS TO AVOID

Aaron Rodgers, GB vs. MIN
FanDuel = $8,000
DraftKings = $6,500

The Thursday night game between the Packers and Bears was extremely ugly on the offensive side. Rodgers finished with only 203 passing yards and one touchdown despite the Packers coming away victorious. While that yardage total might seem like an aberration, it’s important to note that he had four games last season in which he three for fewer than 200 yards. One of them came against these same Vikings. In fact, he had only two total touchdown passes across two games versus the Vikings last season. I’d much rather deploy Jackson, who only costs $200 more than Rodgers on both sites.

Kirk Cousins, MIN at GB
FanDuel = $7,300
DraftKings = $5,300

The Vikings jumped out to an early lead against the Falcons on Sunday, which enabled them to run the ball a ton. Dalvin Cook was a monster, turning 21 carries into 111 yards and two touchdowns. They didn’t need Cousins to throw much, which resulted in him completing eight of 10 attempts for 98 yards and a touchdown. He did somewhat salvage his performance with a rushing touchdown, but that yardage total is rough. With the Vikings wanting to run the ball more and a matchup against a tough Packers’ defense on tap, this not the week to roster Cousins, especially since Allen is roughly the same price.

Author Bio:

Mike has been covering fantasy sports since 2007, joining Lineup Lab in 2017. An avid player of both season-long fantasy leagues and DFS, Mike’s work has appeared on numerous sites, including RotoWire, SportsLine and Sports Illustrated. He’s also been featured on DraftKings’ nightly show, The Sweat, and was a finalist for the 2018 FSWA Basketball Writer of the Year award. Follow Mike on Twitter @rotomikebarner.