The A List at DFS Academy | NFL DFS Week 2

Welcome to Week 2 of the 2023 edition of The A List, your weekly guide to NFL DFS Cash lineups. If this is your first time reading, you can check out the intro to last year’s Week 1 article for an overview of the column and last year’s Week 2 article for insight into how I approach DFS.

Before we get into my Week 2 DFS picks, we have to talk about one of the dreaded aspects of DFS.

Galaxy-braining.

If you’re a seasoned DFS player, you are likely familiar with this terminology. If not, the simplest definition is overthinking your lineup.

No, I’m not speaking from experience; why do you ask?

Okay, fine, I definitely galaxy-brained myself last week. I came into the week thinking Romeo Doubs was a smash play due to increased volume, even before we got the Christian Watson news.

But then, I got that Twitter/X notification that Doubs was expected to see limited work as he was working back from injury. So I went into action, thinking through how I could pivot my lineup, wanting the volume opportunities elsewhere. You can see it all play out on my Twitter timeline.

So, to move things around, I replaced him with Christian Kirk and took out Bijan Robinson to make my salary situation work. Needless to say, if I hadn’t made that change, I would have hit the cash line on DraftKings. Instead, I was left watching my money dissipate. Thankfully, my FanDuel lineups still had me breaking even. But, if I had trusted my initial instinct, my Sunday would have been that much better.

So, how do we diagnose galaxy-braining? Honestly, it’s a moving target. But the key piece of advice I have to avoid galaxy-braining is patience. When you see one piece of news, don’t go changing your entire lineup right away. Take some time. Look around for verification or counter-points. Think about what other risks you’re taking by changing your lineup. Such as having Calvin Ridley and Travis Etienne take all the opportunities and leave Christian Kirk useless for Cash.

And trust yourself. If you have a good process, follow it. Don’t assume everyone else is smarter than you. Predicting football is hard, and even insiders get it wrong.

Take those lessons with you into Week 2, as we aim to build season-long success, not just one-week flashes in the pan.

Now, Cash is in session.

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NFL DFS Week 2

Teacher’s Pet

Amon-Ra St. Brown (DraftKings: $7,800 / FanDuel: $8,100)

We didn’t get to play Amon-Ra St. Brown last week due to the Lions having the Thursday Night Football slate. But one week after Tutu Atwell and Puka Nacua shredded the Seattle Seahawks secondary, they face the Sun God, who once again demonstrated elite volume against the Kansas City Chiefs. One of the benefits of playing St. Brown this week is his slight discount on Ja’Marr Chase, allowing you to squeeze more players into your lineup later on. Also, this may be a hot take, but I think the Kansas City secondary is better than the Seahawks secondary. That should open up increased opportunities for St. Brown to succeed.

Honor Roll

Joe Burrow (DraftKings: $6,900 / FanDuel: $7,400)

Don’t panic when it comes to Joe Burrow. He missed a large portion of training camp due to an injury and has often struggled against the Cleveland Browns. His Week 1 performance is unlikely to repeat itself. We are in store for a tight battle that should lend itself to plenty of passing opportunities. Further, with Baltimore struggling with injuries in the secondary. They just gave up over 200 yards to C.J. Stroud in his first-ever NFL game. That bodes well for Burrow, who should build on that momentum and score a couple of touchdowns as well to lead the Bengals in a tight matchup on Sunday.

Justin Herbert (DraftKings: $7,000 / FanDuel $8,200)

We ride with Justin Herbert once more. If you are worried about Burrow this week and want a similarly priced option, Herbert is a solid option in what sets up as an ideal matchup for this Los Angeles Chargers pass offense. As mentioned last week when discussing Chris Olave, the Titans’ defense is stout against the run but gives up a lot of yardage through the air. How much, you ask? They gave up over 300 yards to Derek Carr. Herbert should easily repeat that performance and add a couple of touchdowns to pay off his salary.

David Montgomery (DraftKings: $5,800 / FanDuel: $6,300)

I’m going to hold off on my David Montgomery victory lap for the time being, but he clearly appears to be the number one running back in Detroit after Week 1. We need more of a sample size to see how that will play out throughout the season. For the time being, I’m treating him as a 20-touch player with high-end red zone usage. Seattle has not fared well against running backs, giving up the seventh-most points since Week 14 of last season. Further, Detroit are road favorites and will likely look to pound the rock as they did against Kansas City—their formula to win runs through David Montgomery and that offensive line.

Ja’Marr Chase (DraftKings: $7,900 / FanDuel: $8,400)

If I’m in on Joe Burrow, you better believe I’m also in on his pass-catchers. Ja’Marr Chase is clearly the number one option in the Bengals pass game, bringing in nine targets during Week 1. The rationale here is simple. If Joe Burrow is succeeding, he likely brings along Chase as well. This stack presents a safe floor for your Cash lineups, where we are getting a slight discount due to a lackluster Week 1 performance. I could also argue for choosing Tee Higgins, who presents a cheaper option. But with Burrow and Chase being priced down on FanDuel, you can reasonably fit both of them, Saquon Barkley and Travis Kelce, into your Cash lineups.

Check the Chalkboard

Saquon Barkley (DraftKings: $8,000 / FanDuel: $8,800)

The New York Giants had a rough outing in Week 1. They got shut out by the Dallas Cowboys and just looking awful overall. Now, they get a much easier defensive matchup with the Arizona Cardinals, who have given up the second-most points to running backs since Week 14 of last season. The Giants are 5.5-point favorites on the road and then need to run Saquon Barkley to get this offense back on track. Look for Barkley to get at least 20 touches and score a touchdown.

Participation Grade

Jake Ferguson (DraftKings: $3,300 / FanDuel: $5,000)

I’ve already discussed the pathway for paying up for Travis Kelce this week, and there is always an argument to do so. Particularly on FanDuel, where touchdowns are so much more valuable, it’s hard to argue for paying down at tight end this week. But on DraftKings, where the salary is much tighter, I’m looking to save at tight end with cheap options that have high-end volume. Seven targets are plenty of volume for me to trust a punt-play tight end. Jake Ferguson only caught two of his seven catches on Sunday night, but Dallas is clearly scheming into the system. All we need is for Ferguson to catch a few more passes, and we will feel good about his fantasy performance.

Back of the Classroom Studs

Dameon Pierce (DraftKings: $5,600 / FanDuel: $6,000)

Why is Dameon Pierce so freaking cheap this week? If someone at DraftKings or FanDuel wants to explain it to me, I will happily listen. But for all intents and purposes, Pierce should have plenty of volume in what sets up to be a grind-it-out game. Just look back to one week ago when Travis Etienne put up over 70 yards and a touchdown. If Pierce does that, everything will be alright.

Rachaad White (DraftKings: $5,500 / FanDuel: $6,200)

The Green Bay Packers demonstrated a pathway for dominating the Chicago Bears last week, and it involved significant production from their running backs. Rachaad White is no Aaron Jones. However, he is priced cheaply enough that we don’t need an Aaron Jones performance for him to cash. White is a solid option for saving at running back, particularly if you’re paying up for Travis Kelce on FanDuel. If White can bring in 60 yards, a couple of catches, and a touchdown, you can rest easy and watch Saquon Barkley, Ja’Marr Chase, or Travis Kelce feast elsewhere.

Darnell Mooney (DraftKings: $4,400 / FanDuel: $5,700)

We are spending a lot of money at other positions this week, so we have to get creative with our savings. One of my favorite punt plays is in the form of Darnell Mooney. He racked up seven targets during Week 1, as DJ Moore was slow to get started in regular-season action. My working theory is that Justin Fields and Mooney have much more chemistry from years spent together. Also, defenses are able to focus on Moore, opening up opportunities for Mooney. With the Bears likely playing from behind again, they will need to pass the ball, continuing Mooney’s volume opportunities. If he falls in the endzone, we’re sitting pretty.

Nico Collins (DraftKings: $4,800 / FanDuel: $6,200)

As my DFS co-host Kelly Singh says, “I don’t care how good your team is when it comes to my DFS lineup,” which is why I’m willing to ride with Nico Collins this week. The Indianapolis Colts are giving up the most points per game to the receiver position over the last six regular season games. Collins saw seven targets last week, which is plenty for his salary. There is a similar case for starting Robert Woods, who led the Texans in receiving last week. Further, this should be a close battle, so there will likely be some obvious passing situations where Collins can feast.

Luke Musgrave (DraftKings: $3,200 / FanDuel: $5,000)

I’m not one to go all in on rookie tight ends, but when they are another young piece in a young receiver room, my interest is peaked. Luke Musgrave is clearly part of the Green Bay Packers offensive game plan, bringing in 50 receiving yards in his NFL debut. That is a DFS Cash player’s dream for a player priced as low as Musgrave. Similar to Jake Ferguson, if his opportunities are sustained, and he falls into the endzone, he will be a key aspect of a winning Cash lineup.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (DraftKings: $3,200 / FanDuel: $4,100)

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers gave the Minnesota Vikings hell last week, combining for ten quarterback hits. Ten! They only managed to translate that into one sack, but with Justin Fields rating in the bottom half of the league in terms of pressure-to-sack percentage, I love the Buccaneers’ floor as they continue to put pressure on the quarterback.

Washington Commanders (DraftKings: $3,100 / FanDuel: $3,900)

Speaking of quarterbacks who take a lot of sacks, Russell Wilson goes up against the Washington Commanders this week. Wilson gave up two sacks last week against the Las Vegas Raiders. On the other side, the Commanders recorded six QB hits, three of which went for sacks. If they continue to sustain that level of pressure, they will open up opportunities for fumbles and interceptions, increasing their weekly floor.

Report Card

DraftKings

Scoring System

A: Scored over three times their price
B: Scored over two times their price
C: Matched their price
F: Scored lower than their price

Player	Price	Points	Grade
Bijan Robinson	$8,000	20.3	B
Justin Herbert	$6,900	20.92	A
Aaron Jones	$6,300	26.7	A
Keenan Allen	$7,300	14.2	C
Chris Olave	$6,500	22.2	A
Tyler Higbee	$4,800	7.9	C
Lamar Jackson	$8,000	8.56	C
Hayden Hurst	$3,000	15.1	A
Samaje Perine	$5,100	11.8	B
Brian Robinson	$5,100	13.6	B
Jahan Dotson	$5,000	9	C
Romeo Doubs	$4,400	18.6	A
Atlanta Falcons	$3,200	12	A
New Orleans Saints	$3,400	10	B
Overall	$77,000	210.88	B

FanDuel