Week 2 DFS locks of the week

Week 1 was all over the place. The best performances of the week weren’t even all that good, and some extremely random players finished at or near the top of their positions, including Jesse James, Nelson Agholor, and Tarik Cohen.

But we now have a week’s worth of data to study, and while it’s a small sample size, it gives us something fresh for our Week 2 DFS research.

Here are some of the top players you can lock in for Week 2.

Note: There’s always a case to be made for playing any player in tournaments. This list of “locks” is cash game focused, but I typically like these players across all contest types.

Quarterbacks

Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

This is projected to be the second-highest-scoring game of the week (53.5 over-under), and the last time these two teams played, Rodgers lit it up with 287 yards and three scores, to go along with 46 rushing yards. Rodgers was good in a tough matchup against the Seattle Seahawks last week (28-of-42 for 311 yards and a score). He’s a lock for 300-plus yards and multiple score this week.

Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints

After watching Alex Smith torch the Patriots to the tune of 368 yards and four touchdowns, what’s going to stop Brees from doing the same — a stat line that really isn’t all that uncommon for him? The game is also on Brees’ home turf, where he always shines. This might be the lock of the week. This game also has the week’s highest over/under, at an insane 56.

Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons

I like Ryan for the same reason I like Rodgers (high-scoring game), but I also love that this game is in Atlanta, where Ryan thrives and point totals often go through the roof. Ryan had just one touchdown in Week 1, but so did so many other quarterbacks. He completed 70 percent of his passes and gained over 300 yards. Like Rodgers, Ryan is a lock for 300-plus and multiple scores. He nearly hit 400 (392) when these teams squared off in January, and he tossed four touchdowns in that game.

Running backs

Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys

Elliott was second in the NFL last week with 24 rushing attempts, and he was just one of four running backs to top 100 yards. He added five receptions for 36 yards through the air as well, which was fantastic to see. Among the elite running backs, Elliott is the surest bet in Week 2. He’ll also go mostly overlooked against the Denver Broncos, who have a tremendous pass defense, but an average rush defense.

LeSean McCoy, Buffalo Bills

Assuming he’s healthy, McCoy is a lock again in Week 2. He had 27 touches for 159 total yards before leaving late in the game with an injury (and he had a TD vultured right after that happened). McCoy will be worked into the ground this year, so you can safely load up on him.

Kareem Hunt, Kansas City Chiefs

Hunt may not match his Week 1 totals (148 rushing yards, 98 receiving yards, three total touchdowns), but after totaling 22 touches, he’s clearly Andy Reid’s lead back, which is a fruitful position to hold for fantasy purposes. Hunt takes on the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 2, a team that displayed exactly how not to tackle a running back in the open field:

6? 7? 8? More?

Let’s count how many defenders Chris Thompson made miss on this CRAZY @redskins TD. #HTTR pic.twitter.com/iHnmjE4nnG

— NFL (@NFL) September 10, 2017

Leonard Fournette, Jacksonville Jaguars

Fournette led all running backs in Week 1 with 26 rushing attempts, and he parlayed that volume into 100 yards and a touchdown. With Allen Robinson now out of the year, we can expect even more Fournette. One of the safest bets from a volume perspective, you can lock Fournette into your lineups against the Titans in Week 2.

Ty Montgomery, Green Bay Packers

Montgomery is the running back lock of the week. He had 23 combined touches last week for 93 total yards and a score. The yardage production isn’t fantastic, but it was against the Seahawks. Up next are the Atlanta Falcons, who are atrocious against running backs — especially through the air. The Falcons were just roasted by rookie Tarik Cohen and Mike Glennon. Just imagine what Aaron Rodgers and former wideout Montgomery will do.

Wide receivers

Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons

I’m locking Matt Ryan in, so it only makes sense for me to lock Jones in as well. Jones caught nine passes for 180 yards and two scores in the playoffs against Green Bay last year, and there’s nothing to suggest he can’t do it again.

Jordy Nelson, Green Bay Packers

Stacking this game will be popular this week, but I’m obviously on board with it. Nelson found success against the stingy Seahawks defense last week as well, catching seven of eight targets for 79 yards and a score. He’s clearly still dialed in with Rodgers.

Amari Cooper, Oakland Raiders

Cooper produced a 5-62-1 line last week, and his 12 targets tied for third among all wideouts. Catching just five of 12 targets is not great — especially because he suffered four drops, three of which were in the end zone — but the volume is unbeatable, and the red zone looks are a welcomed sight. He won’t drop them all. We hope.

Brandin Cooks, New England Patriots

Cooks had an underrated debut with the Patriots. He saw seven targets, and while he only caught three of them, that was about par for the course for the Patriots on Thursday night anyway. He did gain an impressive 88 yards, and was a fingertip away from a long touchdown late in the game. He was used everywhere: Short, intermediate, and deep — and had several targets in the end zone (and drew some pass interference to set up Mike Gillislee.) I love Cooks this week against his former team in the dome with an over-under of 56.

Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals

Fitzgerald saw 13 targets in Week 1, which ranked second among all wideouts. He had six catches for 74 yards and failed to score, but the volume is bankable, and the Week 2 matchup (at Indianapolis) is fantastic. Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles’ slot man, tore into the Colts (4-76-1) with a very Fitzgerald-like line.

Tight ends

Delanie Walker, Tennessee Titans

Walker was predictably productive in Week 1, producing a 7-76-0 line on nine targets (tops among tight ends). We’ll see more of the same all season long, including his Week 2 matchup against the Jaguars. Jacksonville produced pressure on over 56 percent of Houston’s drop backs last week — easily the most in the league. If they even come close to that number again in Week 2, Marcus Mariota will look for his safety blanket often.

Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs

Kelce caught five “passes” for 40 yards in Week 1, but I expect him to be used in a more traditional role in Week 2. The shovel pass-happy Week 1 offense in Kansas City was most likely a New England-only ordeal.

Charles Clay, Buffalo Bills

The underrated Clay put up a 4-53-1 line last week, and he saw an impressive eight targets, tied for second-most among all tight ends. He’s a lock for steady volume.