Get your NFL DFS research started with a full game-by-game breakdown of this week’s NFL slate. You have to start your research somewhere, and oftentimes going game by game and breaking down every matchup and its key players is the first step in our process. My name is Mike aka @MadnessDFS on Twitter, make sure to give me a follow as I’ll occasionally make updates to the advice in the article out on Twitter as well as inside our coaching forums. With that said, let’s get it started!
Full Main Slate Breakdown Picks for NFL DFS Week 2:
Sep 12, 2022; Seattle, Washington, USA; Denver Broncos wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (10) celebrates on the sideline after catching a touchdown pass against the Seattle Seahawks during the second quarter at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
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Carolina Panthers @ New York Giants
Vegas odds:
Rundown:
We’ll kick off week two of the NFL season with the Panthers heading into New York to take on the undefeated Giants. Carolina sets up pretty well here as the Giants come in ranked 30th in DVOA after week 1, but I’m not sure they have the firepower to be a stack I want to go too crazy on. I do like getting to Christian McCaffrey in the backfield for obvious reasons, but I don’t see the upside from Baker Mayfield and this passing game. That being said, guys like DJ Moore and Robbie Anderson are certainly in play as one-off options at wide receiver. McCaffrey didn’t get a ton of opportunities in week 1 with just 14 touches, but he made the most of them and is a guy I think looks great again here. From the G-Men, I touched on Daniel Jones a bit in my tweet earlier on Tuesday afternoon, see below. He sets up as a really nice point per dollar option on both DraftKings and FanDuel. The Panthers ranked 24th in DVOA after one week and Jones is getting a lot of cheap yardage from dumping it off to Saquon Barkley in the passing game. Not to mention, he has rushing upside himself. I don’t know that I would want to get all that whacky with a full Giants stack in a game with just a 43.5 implied total, but I could see a Danny Dimes/Barkley/Toney stack coming into play if your MME’ing.
https://twitter.com/MadnessDFS/status/1569803788600463360
5-star plays: Christian McCaffery, DJ Moore, Saquon Barkley
4-star plays: Daniel Jones, Kadarious Toney
GPP Note: I’m not all that thrilled to fully stack either side of this one, but there are some really strong one-offs and mini-stacks throughout the game.
New England Patriots @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Vegas odds:
Rundown:
There are a couple of really ugly games on this slate, and this is one of them as the Patriots head into Pittsburgh. I’m really not sure where to start with this Patriots offense, it’s really quite ugly. Mac Jones threw the ball 30 times in week one and ended up with just 213 yards, so he’s not a guy I want to hitch my wagon to against a defense that turned Joe Burrow over four times last week. I guess if I were going to go anywhere on the Pats it would be with this running game that lost Ty Montgomery which somewhat clears up the backfield a little bit. Damien Harris lead the group with a 39% snap share in week one, but with Montgomery taking up 37%, there will definitely be room for more opportunity between Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson. The Steelers side doesn’t get much better with Mitchell Trubisky at the helm. He threw the ball 38 times and didn’t get over the 200-yard marker. Until we see some efficiency from this offense I’m more than fine with just staying away from Trubisky and his receiving options in Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool. Similar to the Patriots side of things, I am okay with Najee Harris, but even he had a rough week 1 and I would expect his pass-catching upside to come down a bit with Ben Roethlisberger not there to dump it off to him.
5-star plays: None
4-star plays: Najee Harris, DST’s
GPP Note: This may be the ugliest game on the slate.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ New Orleans Saints
Vegas odds:
Rundown:
Starting with TOMpa Bay as they head into New Orleans and get a revenge game against Jameis Winston’s and their NFC South rivals. Tampa played a really ugly brand of football on Sunday night against the Cowboys, but I’m willing to overlook that in this one. The Saints come in ranked 29th in DVOA after the first week and is something the Buc’s can take advantage of here. That being said, the Buc’s receivers are extremely banged up as Chris Godwin and Julio Jones both missed practice on Wednesday and Mike Evans was limited. I would expect Jones and Evans to play, but Godwin seems less optimistic. Leonard Fournette looked great and picked up right where he left off last season against the Cowboys. He carried a 76% snap share last week and looks like a great option on both DraftKings and FanDuel again here. From the Saints, we know Jameis is going to sling it, but Alvin Kamara had a down game in week one after getting cultured by Taysom Hill a number of times. Tampa has one of the better all-around defenses in the league, so I don’t think this stack is something I’ll want to get to but Kamara may come in lower owned due to that week one performance. Michael Thomas did lead the receivers with nine targets and is a guy I have no issue going back to in this one.
5-star plays: Leonard Fournette
4-star plays: Tom Brady, Mike Evans, Julio Jones, Michael Thomas, Alvin Kamara
GPP Note: I don’t love either of these full stacks, but if I had to pick one I would go back to this Tampa side of things.
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New York Jets @ Cleveland Browns
Vegas odds:
Rundown:
This game is right there with the New England/Pittsburgh game as one of the uglier games on the slate, but we’ll start with the New York side of things. Michael Carter and Breece Hall didn’t have a ton of success on the ground but racked up a combined 19 targets in the passing game from Joe Flacco. I have no issue going right back to them in this one expecting more dump-offs as Flacco won’t have a ton of time to move the ball down the field. Outside of the running backs, it’s really just Elijah Moore for me as a guy that I’d even have a slight interest in. He had seven targets and is at a nice price tag if you need a mid-range guy. Cleveland is another passing offense that we can use to catch up… there really isn’t anything I want, unless you want to make a case for Amari Cooper and trust that Jacoby Brissett can get the ball to him. The main pieces on the Browns will be Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt who both had a great week one and are firmly in play here again.
5-star plays: Nick Chubb
4-star plays: Michael Carter, Breece Hall, Elijah Moore
GPP Note: It’s a no from me dawg.
Miami Dolphins @ Baltimore Ravens
Vegas odds:
Rundown:
Starting with the Dolphins, Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle both had really nice debuts in this new Mike McDaniel offense. Hill had many more targets at 12, but Waddle made his way into the endzone to save his day a bit. I have no issue going right back to these guys as it seems this offense will be built around getting these guys the ball in space and letting them do their thing. I don’t really want to fully stack the offense just because I don’t have faith in Tua Tagovailoa’s ceiling but that’s baked into his price tag. I do think Chase Edmonds is interesting as well, he lead the backfield with a 63% snap share in week one and is the pass-catching running back as well. From the Ravens, Lamar Jackson showed why he should be paid in week one with a really nice performance despite low rushing numbers. He’ll look great again by himself or as a stack, but this Miami secondary isn’t anything to take lightly. If I were stacking him up with any of these pass-catchers I’d start with Mark Andrews then follow him up with Rashod Bateman even though Devin Duvernay was the big man in week one. Then we can pretty safely stay away from this running game unless JK Dobbins is a go… even then, I doubt he’s a full go and would be someone I want to go to in his first game back.
5-star plays: Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Lamar Jackson
4-star plays: Chase Edmonds, Mark Andrews, Rashod Bateman
GPP Note: I’d be more likely to fully stack the Ravens, but both offenses have some nice pieces to them.
Washington Commanders @ Detroit Lions
Vegas odds:
Rundown:
Starting with the Commanders, Carson Wentz had a massive four-touchdown game in week one against the Jaguars. I would expect some regression here, but the matchup still sets up pretty well against a Lions team that was toasted by Jalen Hurts to start the season. I have no issue going back to any of Terry McLaurin, Curtis Samuel, or Jahan Dotson at their respective price tags. Dotson was pretty touchdown dependent with just five targets, but he still played 88% of snaps in that game, so the potential is certainly there. Antonio Gibson had a great game out of the backfield as well with eight targets in the receiving game and with Brian Robinson still recovering, he should be the workhorse. From the Lions, Jared Goff is never really a guy I like to stack but he’s going to be serviceable enough to keep his receiving targets relevant. Amon-ra St. Brown and DJ Chark both had great season debuts and are guys I like going right back to in this one against a Commander’s defense that ranked 22nd in DVOA last week. D’Andre Swift had a massive game as well and could have been even bigger if he wasn’t cultured twice by Jamaal Williams. The nice thing with Swift is he’s going to get you those targets as well and is a great option yet again here.
5-star plays: D’Andre Swift
4-star plays: Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, Carson Wentz, Antonio Gibson, Amon-ra St. Brown, DJ Chark, TJ Hockenson
GPP Note: If I were stacking a side of this game it would be Wentz and his receivers, but then you have to ask yourself if you really want to hitch your wagon to a Wentz lead offense (but it worked last week). Otherwise, there are plenty of great one-off options in this one.
Check out Geek’s “First Look Lineup” construction video as well as you prepare for week 2!
Indianapolis Colts @ Jacksonville Jaguars
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Rundown:
Starting with the Colts who had a couple of notable contributors in week one that were pretty glaring as we were heading into the week. The first is Jonathan Taylor… surprise surprise, he went for 161 yards and a touchdown and will look like one of the better raw options on the slate again this week. In fact, he’s the second-highest projected player on the board on both DraftKings and FanDuel when looking at the Domination Station. The other guy who had a big week one was Michael Pittman Jr. who looks primed for a breakout season. He’s a guy we can go right back to in this one even after a salary jump from last week, he’ll be Matt Ryan’s go-to option all season long. From the Jaguars, Trevor Lawrence threw the ball 42 times which may be the norm this season if they’re going to be coming from behind. However, he didn’t put up huge fantasy numbers. I don’t think this is a team I want to stack up, but again, they have some really nice one-off options starting with his favorite target in week one in Christian Kirk who saw 12 targets. Then the backfield was split pretty evenly with Travis Etienne and James Robinson playing 51% and 49% of the snap share. Robinson had the touchdowns which made him stand out, but both look like nice options again in this one.
5-star plays: Jonathan Taylor, Michael Pittman
4-star plays: Christian Kirk, Travis Etienne, James Robinson
GPP Note: Again, some great one-offs, but still looking for a team that I would be thrilled to stack… the Colts are very close though if you want to go cheap at QB and pair him with Taylor and Pittman.
Atlanta Falcons @ Los Angeles Rams
Vegas odds:
Rundown:
Starting with the Falcons, they come in with an implied total of just 18 here, so finding fantasy pieces is going to be pretty tough. Kyle Pitts struggled in week one but still saw seven targets and the Falcons will likely be trailing here so they’ll be throwing. I do like the price tag on him if you want to take a shot at an upside play. Drake London is the other piece of the passing game that I want some exposure to as well, he also saw seven targets but man does he pass the eye test. The price tag is great on him as well and will be a guy I like getting to here. The last piece of the Falcons that is in play would be Cordarelle Patterson who got 25 touches in week one and continues to play great football for them. This Rams run defense is pretty stout, however, so don’t go too crazy. From the Rams, Matthew Stafford did not look good in the opener against the Bills but still found a way to get Cooper Kupp the ball. Kupp looks like an elite option again here and has the highest projection among all players on DraftKings according to the Domination Station below.
I would probably leave the full stack for tournaments just because I’m not convinced Stafford is healthy and I’d like to see if from him first. I do think they find a way to get Allen Robinson the ball after a dud in week one and makes for a nice mid-range play. In the backfield, Darrell Henderson saw the majority of the work as he worked an 82% snap share. They may try and get Cam Akers some more work here in put-away duty as this game should be an easy win for the Rams, but Henderson is the running back I want right now and his price tag is too cheap.
5-star plays: Cooper Kupp
4-star plays: Kyle Pitts, Drake London, Cordarelle Patterson, Allen Robinson, Darrell Henderson
GPP Note: The Rams are a solid stack if you think Stafford is healthy.
Seattle Seahawks @ San Francisco 49ers
Vegas odds:
Rundown:
Starting with Seattle who pulled off an awesome upset against the Broncos on Monday night. Geno Smith looked more than competent and should be able to be good enough to get these receiving targets the ball. The one thing I do worry about is the deep ball, so Tyler Lockett is a guy I’m concerned about, but DK Metcalf should see enough short looks where he can let his playmaking do the work. That being said, I’m not completely sold on the price tag, so more of a tournament option. The ball was really spread out in the passing game and I would expect more of that here. Rashad Penny looked pretty good in the backfield with 60 yards on just 12 attempts. I think you could do worse if you need a running back in his price range but he doesn’t have a ton of receiving upside. From the Niners, the big news here is they lose Elijah Mitchell to injury in the mud pit in Chicago last week. I mentioned it in that tweet I referenced in the first game with Daniel Jones, but Trey Lance will look pretty good here at his price tag. With Mitchell out, he may have even more designed runs which will set up well against a bad Seahawks defense. I do think you can pair him with either Deebo Samuel or Brandon Aiyuk as well in the passing game if you want to stack them up. That being said, I’ll have more interest in Aiyuk if George Kittle ends up missing again. I would expect Jeff Wilson to take over as the lead back in the backfield, but Shanahan did say they’d play the hot hand. The price tag on Wilson is pretty nice and is a guy I like a good amount here.
5-star plays: Trey Lance
4-star plays: DK Metcalf, Rashad Penny, Deebo Samuel, Jeff Wilson
GPP Note: The Niners stack looks great considering the price tag on Lance and this matchup with a bad Seahawks defense despite what both teams showed in week one.
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Houston Texans @ Denver Broncos
Vegas odds:
Rundown:
Starting with Houston, I think Davis Mills is in for a good season this year, but not here… this Denver defense is great and I just don’t see a reason to get cute with Mills and this passing game. I suppose you can make a case for Brandin Cooks but Surtain and this secondary is going to lock up receivers all season. The preseason darling Dameon Pierce saw just a 29% snap share in week one and won’t be a guy I get to here either as I expect the Texans to be down and throwing for much of the day. Pretty much a stay-away spot for me from the Texans. The Broncos do look pretty good here at all positions. Russell Wilson looked solid despite the loss on Monday night and the receivers look great as well. I think you can safely stack him with either or both of Jerry Jeudy and/or Courtland Sutton. Both guys looked good, Jeudy just happened to bust the big play. Javonte Williams is the guy I want out of the backfield, he just looks so much better than Melvin Gordon both in the passing game and on the ground. He caught 11 of his 12 targets and is a guy I’ll go right back to in this one. One thing that did stand out was Wilson looking in the flat four his tight ends quite a bit and I expect those to get funneled to Albert Okwuegbunam more often than not and is a guy I like a good deal at a nice price tag after six targets last week.
5-star plays: Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, Javonte Williams
4-star plays: Russell Wilson, Albert Okwuegbunam
GPP Note: The Broncos look like a really nice stack in this one.
Arizona Cardinals @ Las Vegas Raiders
Vegas odds:
Rundown:
This game has the highest implied total on the slate so we should have no issue finding some fantasy production here. We’ll start with the Cardinals who are coming off of a shellacking last week against the Chiefs. Despite the rough game, Kyler Murray still looked great and will be an elite option again here against a weak Raiders defense that is ranked 29th against the pass after week one. Murray is certainly missing DeAndre Hopkins in the passing game but he should have plenty of weapons with Hollywood Brown, AJ Green, and Zach Ertz to get the job done. I have no issue pairing any of these guys with Murray in a stack. James Conner will continue to be the bell cow as he saw a 72% snap share last week even in a game where they were trailing the whole game. The Raiders look equally great here as well, as Derek Carr is quick to get his new toy in Davante Adams the ball with consistency. He lead the league with 17 targets in week one. The Cardinals were dead last in DVOA last week and I like the upside at Carr’s price tag quite a bit considering the options you can pair him with including guys like Adams, Hunter Renfrow, and Darren Waller. I don’t really want anything to do with this run game until Josh Jacobs or any of these other running backs can show me something.
5-star plays: Kyler Murray, Davante Adams, Darren Waller
4-star plays: Marquise Brown, James Conner, Hunter Renfrow
GPP Note: Both of these offenses are top stacks on the slate.
Cincinnati Bengals @ Dallas Cowboys
Vegas odds:
Rundown:
We’ll round out the slate starting with the Bengals who were very turnover-prone last week against the Steelers and will look to rebound offensively here. Despite putting up just 20 points on offense, Joe Burrow was still able to have a nice fantasy day and is a guy I like going back to in this one against a below-average Cowboys defense. You can pair him up with any of Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd, and even Joe Mixon out of the backfield. We’ll want to keep an eye on the status of Higgins after he left last week’s game with a concussion, if he’s forced to miss Tyler Boyd would become a popular option on this slate. The Cowboys likely won’t be a team I get much of here with Dak Prescott out for a while, it’ll be up to Cooper Rush to run the offense. Maybe we see more Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard, but I’m still not sure they’ll have enough rhythm to get things moving. It’s a pretty easy fade for the Cowboys from me.
5-star plays: Ja’Marr Chase, Joe Mixon, Tyler Boyd (if Higgins sits)
4-star plays: Joe Burrow, Ezekiel Elliott, Dalton Shultz, CeeDee Lamb
GPP Note: Just the Bengals here for me, they look very solid in what they’ll see as a bounce-back opportunity.
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