SUNDAY MORNING UPDATE:
No major updates as of 10:10 EST. I've thought about going with a balanced lineup and bringing down Adams/Jones/Jones to have a combination with Elliott/Cooper/Fuller, but feel that Davante Adams, Julio Jones and Ronald Jones II are the safest option.
SITUATIONS THAT STAND OUT TO THIS WEEK ON THE MAIN SLATE.
- Dallas (vs ATL)- 28.75 points
- Baltimore (at Hou)- 28.5 points
- Tampa (vs CAR) – 28.25 points
- Kansas City (at LAC)- 28 points
- Green Bay (at DET) – 28 points
CASH GAME STRATEGY WEEK 2
Where to spend salary?
This week, there are a number of elite top end players who are likely going to be the deciding factor in winning or losing your contests this week. Seemingly all of the top players are in good matchups and should have terrific upside whether it is Lamar Jackson, Ezekiel Elliott, Derrick Henry, Davante Adams, DeAndre Hopkins, or even the tight ends with Travis Kelce and Mark Andrews. The problem is that at most, we can likely only fit three in a lineup with a potential max of four if we sacrifice the rest of our lineup.
Typically, in a cash game setting especially on FanDuel where it is only 0.5 PPR instead of the full PPR like DraftKings, running back is the way to go, but there are some concerns about Ezekiel Elliott and the offensive line in Dallas that we will touch on later in this article. Derrick Henry is the type of player that you will regret if you do not play him this week as he is in a tremendous spot to have another big game.
At the wide receiver position, Davante Adams is as close to a running back as they get in terms of consistency. Adams has 90 or more yards in six consecutive games and over 100 yards in five of those games. He is the primary receiver in this offense that should have a major impact this week. Adams will likely see a significant amount of Jeff Okudah this week due to the injury to Desmond Trufant. While Okudah is talented, having to face Davante Adams in your first career game is a daunting ask for the rookie.
Finally, the third player that you should strongly consider this week is Lamar Jackson. Look, we all know he didn’t perform as well as he could/should have last week, but that was mostly due to game script as the Browns had very little resistance for anything that the Ravens were doing in a 38-6 lopsided win. This week, Jackson will get to face a Texans defense that struggled mightily in putting pressure on Patrick Mahomes II in Week 1. This is a Texans offense that should be able to keep the game somewhat close and score enough points that Jackson will keep his foot on the gas.
INJURY UNLOCKS OPPORTUNITY?
- Chris Godwin is likely going to be out this week with a concussion which will push a significant amount of focus on to Mike Evans, Scotty Miller and the tight ends in Tampa Bay. With as much value as there is on this slate, it’s difficult to want to play any of them in cash games, but Scotty Miller is intriguing at just $5,200 as the second year player looked great in the slot last week amassing 5 receptions for 73 yards. The real beneficiary of the Godwin injury may be Ronald Jones II at just $5,900 going up against a Carolina run defense that has allowed two rushing touchdowns or more in six consecutive games as they continue to boast one of the leagues worst run defense after Josh Jacobs tore through this defense last week.
- The 49ers will be without George Kittle which will elevate Jordan Reed to the starting role in San Francisco. Expect Reed to be somewhat popular due to how popular he has been in the fantasy community, but not sure you need to go here on FanDuel as he is a much better DraftKings play due to his pricing relative to the rest of the tight ends.
- The Jets are an absolute mess right now when it comes to injuries. At the wide receiver position, Jamison Crowder, Denzel Mims, Josh Doctson, and Vyncint Smith are all out this week leaving Breshad Perriman, Chris Hogan and Braxton Berrios as the only healthy wide receivers this week. Complicating matters LeVeon Bell was also placed on Injured Reserve leaving Frank Gore as the lead running back in this game. Chris Herndon and Breshad Perriman likely are the two players that are worth considering in this game with Perriman being more of a GPP play due to his volatile nature.
- Tennessee will be without A.J. Brown this week which should put both Derrick Henry and Corey Davis as great plays this week. Davis looked in Week 1 as he caught 7 passes for 101 yards to begin his fourth season in Tennessee. Expect the Titans to come out with a heavy rushing attack similar to last week in which Derrick Henry ran the ball 31 times and Mike Vrabel came out after the game and said that he won’t be on a “pitch count” due to the short week after running the ball as much as he did on the late Monday Night game.
- Two of Detroit’s top cornerbacks in Desmond Trufant and Justin Coleman will miss this game which will put a significant amount of pressure on rookie Jeff Okudah who missed last week and is questionable heading into this game as he will be asked to cover Davante Adams. This should give significant upside for the Packers, but the problem is that they are one of the least predictable teams in the NFL and their floor based on past history is quite low.
- Marlon Mack is out for the season with an Achilles injury which will fast track Jonathan Taylor into the primary ball carrier in Indianapolis. Taylor should be a fantastic play this week with Nyheim Hines being a solid GPP option.
- Tyron Smith for the Cowboys is looking like he will miss this week which will have a significant impact to the Cowboys offensive line. With La’el Collins already out and being replaced by an undrafted free agent Terence Steele, the Cowboys will turn to either Brandon Knight who started one game at Right Tackle last season or Alex Light who was signed off of the Cardinals practice squad on Tuesday. This is shaping up to be an absolute mess for the Cowboys this week in what should have been a great game for Ezekiel Elliott.
KEY CASH CORE
Derrick Henry- $8,300
When you think of cash game lineups, getting a running back who is going to have close to 30 carries is as safe as it comes. The Jaguars defense looked better than expected last week as they held the Colts to just 20 points, but there are still some major flaws in this defense. The Jaguars in the offseason let Malik Jackson, Calais Campbell, Marcell Dareus, and Yannick Ngakoue all depart this offseason leaving very little experience along the defensive line as the team looks to be in a full rebuild mode. Last season, the Jaguars allowed the most fantasy points per game to opposing running backs and allowed a staggering 5.41 yards per carry.
Jonathan Taylor- $5,800
While Jonathan Taylor did not look great running the ball in Week 1 as he amassed 22 yards on 9 attempts, there is still a lot to like with the rookie. He was heavily involved in the passing game as he caught 6 passes for 67 yards. With Marlon Mack being out, Taylor’s price has not increased enough at just $5,800 will be the highest rostered player this week in cash games. There is nothing special about the matchup to note, as it is a middle of the road matchup against a Vikings defense that is not what it used to be, but struggles more against the pass than the run. This is a matchup where it is simply too good of a price not to play him.
Corey Davis- $4,900
With no A.J. Brown, Corey Davis will be expected to step up into the primary receiving role that we have all been waiting for since he was drafted back in 2017. With the Titans finally having a competent quarterback, Davis emerged in Week 1 with 101 yards on 7 catches. At just $4,900, Davis allows you to build your lineup in a number of different ways and should have a high floor at that price with the Titans having limited ways to move the ball this week.
Other Plays
Ronald Jones II- $5,900-
How many times have we mentioned over the last few years to start your running backs against Carolina? Josh Jacobs was one of the key players written up last week and he ran for three touchdowns marking six consecutive games that Carolina has allowed two touchdowns or more to opposing running backs which is a staggering number. Jones may have to deal with Leonard Fournette at some point, but it appears that it won’t be this week as Fournette had just eight snaps last week and Bruce Arians from the sound of it doesn’t seem to be in any hurry to give Fournette additional snaps.
KEY FADE
Kyler Murray-$8,000
There is a lot to like this week with Kyler Murray coming off of a 91-yard rushing performance including scoring a touchdown. At just $8,000, he has a high upside and expect him to be popular in cash this week as people pivot from Lamar Jackson to attempting to find a suitable cheap option. The problem is that Washington is building a defensive front that is designed to stop the run as they have one of the best defensive lines in football. This seems like a trap game for Murray in which everyone is excited for the development, but facing such an elite front four in Washington is a tough ask this week for Murray.. If you believe in Murray, you’re better off betting his rushing prop total which currently sites at 30.5 yards on DraftKings sportsbook if you are in a state that you’re able to do so.
LINEUPS
SAMPLE ROSTER 1 ($60K) – PRIMARY CASH- (DD PROJECTED POINTS = 139.6)
- QB Lamar Jackson- BAL, $9,500
- RB Ronald Jones II- TB, $5,900
- RB Derrick Henry- TEN, $8,300
- WR- Julio Jones- ATL, $8,200
- WR Davante Adams- GB, $8,600
- WR Corey Davis- TEN, $4,900
- TE Chris Herndon- NYJ, $5,100
- Flex RB- Jonathan Taylor- IND, $5,800
- TD Arizona Cardinals- $3,600
SAMPLE ROSTER 2 ($60K) – ALTERNATIVE Balanced CASH LINEUP OPTION (DD PROJECTED POINTS = 137.8)
- QB Dak Prescott- DAL, $8,300
- RB Ronald Jones II- TB, $5,900
- RB Derrick Henry- TEN, $8,300
- WR- Adam Thielen- MIN, $7,300
- WR Davante Adams- GB, $8,600
- WR Amari Cooper- DAL, $7,000
- TE Chris Herndon- NYJ, $5,100
- Flex RB- Jonathan Taylor- IND, $5,800
- TD Arizona Cardinals- $3,600
SAMPLE ROSTER 3 ($60K) – CASH+ GB Stack(DD PROJECTED POINTS = 136.5)
- QB Aaron Rodgers- BAL, $9,500
- RB Ronald Jones II- TB, $5,900
- RB Derrick Henry- TEN, $8,300
- WR- Adam Thielen- MIN, $7,300
- WR Davante Adams- GB, $8,600
- WR Amari Cooper- DAL, $7,000
- TE Chris Herndon- NYJ, $5,100
- Flex RB- Jonathan Taylor- IND, $5,800
- TD Tampa Bay Buccaneers- $3,800
Any questions on your cash game lineup or feedback on the article? Send me a message on Twitter below.
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