Daily Fantasy: The one Texans player you need to start in Week 3 on DraftKings

Texans tight end Jordan Akins could be a smart play in DFS this week.

The Houston Texans (0-2) will go on the road to face the Pittsburgh Steelers (2-0) at Heinz Field on Sunday, Sept. 27 at 1:00 p.m. ET in Week 3 of the 2020 NFL season.

The AFC showdown will feature several intriguing fantasy football options, including a pair of Texans tight ends. Jordan Akins and Darren Fells have both been involved in Houston’s offense this season — Akins scored in Week 1 and Fells scored in Week 2.

So, which one is a better start in DFS this week?

Akins ($3,400) is slightly more expensive than Fells ($3,300) in DraftKings’ daily fantasy football competition this week (roster limit: $50,000). Akins is still a good value, though, and he should be worth the extra $100 in Week 3.

Against the Baltimore Ravens (2-0) last week, Akins ranked second on the team with seven targets and he caught all seven of those passes, totaling 55 receiving yards. Akins didn’t score against the Ravens but he was much more involved than Fells, who only had two catches.

Texans wide receiver Brandin Cooks was the only Houston player who had more targets (eight) than Akins on Sunday. You probably shouldn’t expect Akins to get that many targets every game, but he proved in the season opener than he can be a threat to score in the red zone, adding to his value.

This week, Akins will face a Steelers defense that allowed Denver Broncos (0-2) tight end Noah Fant to catch four passes for 57 yards and a touchdown in Week 2. Akins could be poised to have a good game and his low price tag makes him an enticing start in DFS.

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Daily Fantasy: The one Jaguars player you need to start in Week 2 on DraftKings

Jaguars running back James Robinson could be a smart play in DFS this week.

After defeating the Indianapolis Colts (0-1) 27-20 in Week 1, the Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0) will go on the road to face the Tennessee Titans (1-0) at Nissan Stadium in Week 2.

This AFC South showdown will feature several intriguing fantasy football options, including Jaguars running back James Robinson, who has a salary cap hit of $4,500 in DraftKings’ Week 2 daily fantasy football competition (roster limit: $50,000).

With an average of $5,556 available to spend on each player on DraftKings, Robinson could end up being a big bargain, giving you more than $1,000 to use on other positions.

After moving on from Leonard Fournette, Jacksonville turned the backfield over to Robinson and the rookie didn’t disappoint in his NFL debut. Against the Colts last week, Robinson rushed 16 times for 62 yards and caught one pass for 28 yards, totaling 90 yards from scrimmage.

Robinson dominated the Jags’ running back rotation in Week 1 — he was the only RB to get a carry (quarterback Gardner Minshew II and wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. also got carries, but no other true running backs did).

Against the Denver Broncos last week, Tennessee’s defense allowed 4.1 yards per carry and Denver running back Melvin Gordon totaled 86 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown. Gordon likely would have posted even better totals if he wasn’t sharing touches with Phillip Lindsay in the first half (Lindsay left the game at halftime with a toe injury).

With no competition like Lindsay in Jacksonville, Robinson is poised to continue dominating the Jaguars’ running back touches and he’s worth a start in DFS this week thanks to his bargain price tag.

Daily Fantasy: The one Chiefs player you need to start in Week 2 on DraftKings

Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire could be a daily fantasy sports sleeper in Week 1.

After flying high during a nationally televised beatdown of the Houston Texans to start their season on Thursday Night Football, the Kansas City Chiefs will look to settle back down to earth with their first taste of AFC West football. This week they’ll visit the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 2 at 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday.

The Chargers do sport a strong secondary, and we get it, that might not matter much since Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes can pick apart anyone with the best of them. But because of the QB, did DraftKings sleep on a player that should cost you a lot more this week? It appears so.

Heading into a season opener having played zero snaps, Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire showed he didn’t need them. But more importantly, Kansas City head coach Andy Reid evidently decided… no preseason? No problem.

In his first NFL action, Edwards-Helaire had the ball go to him on 27 of the Chiefs’ snaps on offense.

Edwards-Helaire won’t come cheap in terms of salary this week at $7,400 (roster limit: $50,000). But that’s only the eighth-highest cost for a running back. Considering Edwards-Helaire saw 40 percent of the Chiefs’ plays go through him, what more could you want? Well, productivity… and guess what? He gave fantasy owners that, too. Edwards-Helaire failed to reel in either of his two targets. Most forgave him for that after his 138 yards and touchdown on 25 carries.

In regard to Los Angeles, we only have one game this season to look at, but in 2019 their pass defense was the NFL’s fifth-best. Run defense slotted in at No. 18.

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Daily Fantasy: The one Washington Football player you need to start in Week 2 on DraftKings

Logan Thomas was one of the pleasant surprises in Week 1.

The Washington Football Team pulled off a surprising win in Week 1 over the Philadelphia Eagles, so it’s fitting that the team produced a surprise fantasy football performance from one of their tight ends, Logan Thomas.

With eight targets, four receptions, 37 yards and one touchdown, Thomas emerged as one of the top pass-catching option in a relatively quiet offensive performance for Washington. It doesn’t seem like a fluke. Thomas finished Week 1 with the most snaps among tight ends on his team (52 snaps), well above Jeremy Sprinkle (28 snaps) and Marcus Baugh (27 snaps). It seems the Washington Football Team is committed to Thomas as TE1.

And while 37 yards doesn’t seem like much in the way of production, that’s 21% of the team’s 178 passing yards. If quarterback Dwayne Haskins puts up bigger numbers in Week 2 against the Arizona Cardinals, who allowed 44 yards to George Kittle in Week 1 before he left with an injury in the first half, then Thomas could be a good option. Certainly, Washington will have to score big point totals to keep up with Arizona’s high-powered offense. That may push Haskins to throw more often, which should mean more yardage for Thomas, who finished 2019 with 16 catches, 173 yards and a touchdown with the Detroit Lions.

That’s why Thomas is the one Washington Football player you need to start in Week 2 on DraftKings. He’s a steal at $3,600, and is buried as TE28. He could easily finish as a top 10 tight end with the volume he’s likely to see.

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Daily Fantasy: The one Panthers player you need to start in Week 2 on DraftKings

In his last two games against Tampa Bay, Moore has caught 16 passes for 162 yards and has added another 13 on the ground.

The NFL season is here and it’s time to create your Week 2 DFS lineup on DraftKings. If you aren’t familiar with DraftKings or DFS football, it’s as simple as creating a one-week fantasy lineup with a $50,000 salary cap to win cash prizes.

Today, we are looking at the one Carolina Panther you must fit into your DFS lineup this week:

WR D.J. Moore ($6,300) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

In Week 1, D.J. Moore was somewhat disappointing as he caught just four passes for 54 yards, totaling just 9.4 points on DraftKings. Despite a juicy matchup against a young Las Vegas Raiders secondary, Moore was unable to make a big impact on the game as it was Robby Anderson who was the more effective receiver.

In Week 2, Moore will see a tougher matchup as the Panthers will travel to Tampa Bay to take on the Buccaneers. But fantasy players should consider putting Moore into their lineups this week for a few different reasons.

The first reason is that Moore continues to be a big part of the offense. He saw nine targets in Week 1 and a few end zone targets, as well. The Panthers are going to give him opportunities to win and in a game in which they will need to score a ton, Moore should see double-digit targets.

Another reason to consider putting Moore into your lineup this week is his recent success against the Buccaneers. In his last two games against Tampa Bay, Moore has caught 16 passes for 162 yards and has added another 13 on the ground. Look for him to receive a heavy workload in Week 2 and to come close to 100 yards from scrimmage. At just $6,300, Moore is a strong WR2 play this week.

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Daily Fantasy: The one Broncos player you need to start in Week 2 on DraftKings

Broncos wide receiver Jerry Jeudy could be a daily fantasy sports sleeper in Week 1.

The Tennessee Titans were trying to gift wrap a win for the Denver Broncos to conclude Week 1’s NFL slate. Along with multiple missed field goals, wide receiver Jerry Jeudy had a chance to score with four minutes leftvbut dropped quarterback Drew Lock’s pass.

Despite that, Week 2 provides Jeudy a chance to redeem himself. Fantasy owners should try to cash in on that.

Sure, there’s some personal reasons as to why Jeudy, who had two drops in his debut, will want looks on Sunday in Pittsburgh when the Broncos meet the Steelers, but how about the improvements around him to consider? Courtland Sutton (shoulder) might return to the Broncos this week, but at minimum, fellow rookie KJ Hamler (hamstring) is expected back at practice. To some extent, there will be less attention on Jeudy in Week 2 for his bounce-back attempt.

Plus, even with his Week 1 mishaps, Jeudy still had some positives. He looked good on the four catches he did make, displaying that highly-touted route running skill he has, but his eight targets led the Broncos. Even with some slight struggles, Lock kept looking his way, a valuable fantasy football trait.

In addition, the Steelers did allow another second-year QB, the Giants’ Daniel Jones, to spread the ball out last week. While Jones was picked off twice, three Big Blue receivers had six receptions against the Steelers in Week 1.

In DraftKings this week, Jeudy is decently affordable as well. He has a $4,900 salary, which is below the per-position average of $5,555.

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Daily Fantasy: The one Ravens player you need to start in Week 2 on DraftKings

J.K. Dobbins is the one Ravens player you need to start in Week 2 on DraftKings

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The Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans face off in Week 2 of the 2020 NFL season, a week after both starting quarterbacks had polar opposite debuts.

The Ravens started off their 2020 campaign by exacting swift revenge on their division rival Cleveland Browns, while the Texans, without DeAndre Hopkins, had no answer for Patrick Mahomes and the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.

With Baltimore having a boatload of fantasy football options, rookie running back J.K. Dobbins is the Ravens’ must-start player for this week on DraftKings with a reasonable salary of $5,100.

The Ravens running back situation is a bit complicated coming off a 2019 season that saw Baltimore set the single-season record for most rushing yards by a team. The weaponry was upgraded when Baltimore got a steal with Dobbins in the second round, adding him to a hard-running backfield that already included Mark Ingram and Gus Edwards.

The Ravens did the bulk of the damage to Cleveland through the air on Sunday, but Dobbins’ ability to find paydirt makes him a must-have asset this week. Dobbins made the most of his opportunities by rushing for two scores and most importantly, he ended up with more snaps than Ingram last week, while also cementing his status as the Ravens’ goalline back moving forward.

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Daily Fantasy: The one Steelers player you need to start in Week 2 on DraftKings

Benny Snell is coming off a great performance in relief of James Conner.

The Pittsburgh Steelers officially got their swagger back on offense and all it took was the return of a future Hall of Famer and the team’s all-time passing leader Ben Roethlisberger.

In Sunday’s season-opening road win over the New York Giants, Benny Snell Jr. played the role of workhorse back in relief of an injured James Conner, rushing for 113 yards on 19 carries in Sunday’s win.

With Connor’s status uncertain going into Week 2 against the Broncos, expect Snell ($4,500 DraftKings salary) to receive plenty of attention on the waiver wire and a healthy number of carries. The Broncos gave up 116 yards on the ground to Derrick Henry on Monday night and once Roethlisberger opens the passing lanes early on, it’ll allow Snell to exploit Denver’s defense.

Snell poses an interesting dynamic as a pass-catcher, as well, making him a must-start on Sunday.

If Connor’s injury lingers, Snell, who’s already owned by 16% percent of DraftKing participants, could see his value and cost rise as the Steelers increase his usage rates.

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Daily Fantasy: The one Browns player you need to start in Week 2 on DraftKings

Hooper is going up against a Bengals defense that allowed 73 yards to tight end Hunter Henry last week, first among all Chargers pass-catchers.

The Browns’ showdown with the Bengals Thursday will be the first of three straight favorable matchups for quarterback Baker Mayfield, who needs a statement performance. To get that, he’s going to look to tight end Austin Hooper, this week’s must-start in daily fantasy football from DraftKings.

Odell Beckham has the potential to have a big game in Week 2, as Bengals left cornerback Darius Phillips struggled in coverage against Chargers star Mike Williams, but with he and Mayfield still not on the same page,

Hooper is going up against a Bengals defense that allowed 73 yards to tight end Hunter Henry last week, first among all Chargers pass-catchers.

With the Browns focusing on a committee approach at running back between Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, and tight end David Njoku now on injured reserve with a sprained MCL, Hooper has an excellent chance to lead the Browns in targets this week.

Hooper serves as a low-end TE1 while Njoku is sidelined, and he offers the best upside for Cleveland pass-catchers until Mayfield and the Browns offense truly figure out their identity and pecking order.

Daily Fantasy: The one Raiders player you need to start in Week 2 on DraftKings

Raiders tight end Darren Waller could be a daily fantasy sports sleeper in Week 1.

Viva Las Vegas, the Raiders are coming home. After starting 2020 on the road in Carolina against the Panthers, the Raiders play their first game at Allegiant Stadium on Monday Night Football in Week 2. The New Orleans Saints come to town in a meeting between two 1-0 teams.

It’s not the fanciest pick for the Raiders, but after pounding the rock with Josh Jacobs last week, they could look to shift their focus to tight end Darren Waller. In terms of fantasy football, he’s a safe bet.

In their season opener, the Saints topped the Tom Brady-led Bucs, who has a ton of playmakers. Their tight ends found cracks in that Saints defense though, notching six catches and a touchdown. Combine that with the Raiders and Waller.

To start the season, Raiders QB Derek Carr did spread the ball around, but he leaned on Waller. His six catches and eight targets both led Las Vegas.

Of Waller’s six grabs, he did only amass 45 yards, and his long catch was only eight yards. It’s easy to envision Waller having at least one bigger reception in Week 2. In 12 of 16 games in 2019, Waller had a double-digit yards per catch total. The law of averages points to more yards heading Waller’s way.

Plus, we’re talking about the Saints. When Drew Brees comes to town, even potentially without receiver Michael Thomas, a shootout could be en route.

With an average of $5,555 salary per position when starting your DraftKings lineup, Waller’s $5,400 Week 2 cost keeps you right on par.

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