Thomason: Sleepers & Daily Fantasy Value Plays For Week 2
By Jack Thomason--
(CBS) Going 6-of-8 on my sleeper/daily fantasy value plays was a great way to start Week 1. Now, only if we can replicate that type of success throughout the season, I'd be onto something pretty special.
As always, the goal here is to provide you with players who can be used in season-long fantasy leagues, but their value may also be a bargain on one or both daily fantasy sites most often used (DraftKings and FanDuel). I will tell you where I think each player is best suited as a value play, list their price and give you my thought process as to why I think they can be of benefit in your lineup.
Remember though, these are sleepers and value plays -- not chalk, not guarantees. There's risk associated with each guy, some more than others.
Let's get after it for Week 2.
Quarterback
Nick Foles, Rams (at Redskins) -- I might as well start off with a bang. This is probably my second-riskiest pick of the week, but I might as well go big or go home. Last week against a stout Seattle defense, Foles threw for 297 yards, no interceptions and added one score via the air and one on ground. He did lose two fumbles, one that was returned for a score, but the Washington defense he faces this week doesn't compare to Seattle's. The strength of the Redskins' defense is stuffing the run, so while the Rams' team point total is low (22.5), they'll have a better chance of scoring through the air against a weak Washington secondary that's already missing one of its starting safeties. You can lock Foles in your lineup, if you have the stones, for $6500 on FanDuel and $5500 on DraftKings.
Sam Bradford, Eagles (vs. Cowboys) -- If it ain't broke, don't fix it. There's a window of opportunity in daily fantasy to secure good players for less than their price should be, and Bradford is one of those players. Throwing for 336 yards, one score and two interceptions in Week 1 isn't the greatest, but he still was on point with ROI in daily. Once again, the Eagles are part of the highest point total of the week (55). And once again, their offense will score. They're projected to drop 30 points on the Cowboys as 5.5-point home favorites. Bradford's a great play on both daily fantasy sites (FanDuel $7500, DraftKings $6900) and your season-long leagues. This one should be a shootout even with Dez Bryant sidelined.
Running back
Dion Lewis, Patriots (at Bills) -- I'm aware of LeGarrette Blount's suspension being over, and I'm also aware of the heartache many owners of a Patriot running back have felt. There's reasoning to my madness, though. Typically against a stout run defense, Bill Belichick will deploy his pass receiving back with more regularity than his "hammer" back. Just look to last year's matchups against two top run defenses -- Denver and Detroit -- when Shane Vereen led both games in snaps (62-22 over Jonas Gray and 60-16 over Blount) and touches (16-11 and 16-12). Bills coach Rex Ryan has already been quoted saying of Lewis, "I don't think we are going to focus on that kid. I can't even tell you that kid's name, but you're going to focus on the guy throwing the ball, I'll tell you that much." I bet Lewis wants to make sure Ryan knows his name after this game. I don't think he drops another 19 touches and 120 total yards like he did last week, but he's a strong flex play and a value on DraftKings at $3400 and FanDuel at $5200.
Lance Dunbar, Cowboys (at Eagles) -- This game's over/under sits at 55 points, the highest total of the week. The Cowboys are 5.5-point road dogs, and they're fresh off losing their top playmaker in Bryant. Given the Vegas line, the Cowboys should be playing catch-up, which means plenty of looks for Dunbar. He will make his money in PPR formats, having caught all eight of his targets last week, for 70 yards and 15 fantasy points. His reception and target totals ranked first and second, respectively, for running backs in Week 1. DraftKings ($3000) is the preferred daily fantasy site for his services due to minimum salary and full PPR scoring. Meanwhile, FanDuel pricing isn't too shabby at $4800, but it isn't the best bargain out there. Overall, there's plenty of risk here and you may opt for a higher-volume guy, like Arizona's Chris Johnson, but I like how the game flow sets up for the Cowboys' Week 1 leader in snaps (32) at running back.
Wide receiver
Brandon Coleman, Saints (vs. Buccaneers) -- I love, love, love Drew Brees this week in a bounce-back game. He's at home in the dome and will be ready to shred a Bucs secondary that was lit up by rookie Marcus Mariota last week to the tune of 209 yards and four scores. This is where Coleman comes in. He out-snapped and out-produced Marques Colston last week, logging 58 snaps to Colston' s 46 and snagging four of seven targets for 41 yards and a score. Colston secured a measly three receptions for a paltry 29 yards, on the same number of targets. Coleman's role is expanding, and on both sites he has a price to jump on. On FanDuel he's $5000, while on DraftKings, he sports a $3300 tag.
Donte Moncrief, Colts (vs. Jets) -- Moncrief was heavily involved in the offense even before T.Y. Hilton went down with a knee injury. He logged 64 snaps and was targeted 11 times, second to Hilton's 14. Of those 11 targets, he nabbed six for 46 yards and scored a touchdown. There's a possibility Hilton misses Week 2, and the Jets are missing starting cornerback Antonio Cromartie opposite of Darrelle Revis. That all adds up to ridiculous upside. Andrew Luck and his offense will be looking for revenge after a poor Week 1 outing. On DraftKings, Moncrief will only cost you $4600. Moncrief runs you $6000 on FanDuel, which I don't love. Check back on Hilton's status to ponder how much value is to be had.
Tight end
Jordan Reed, Redskins (vs. Rams) -- I have to double dip here two weeks in a row, especially now that DeSean Jackson is out with a hamstring injury. Reed hauled in seven passes, on a team-high 11 targets, and managed 63 yards with a trip to paydirt. He was targeted on 44 percent of his routes, which was best in the NFL among tight ends. We know St. Louis has a tenacious front four and a filthy defense all the way around, so we should expect Kirk Cousins to be looking for Reed early and often as a security blanket. He's a bargain on both FanDuel ($5000) and DraftKings ($3700).
Jared Cook, Rams (at Redskins) -- Cook's one of the largest disappointments for fantasy footballers. The dreams of an uber-athletic tight end, leaving Tennessee and becoming an elite TE1, never took place. He did get an upgrade at quarterback this offseason, though, and came out of the gates firing for five catches and 85 yards against a stingy Seattle defense. Both were team-highs. There isn't much to look at for pass receivers in St. Louis outside Cook, and the Redskins have allowed three top-five finishes to tight ends in their last six games. Plus, they just lost starting strong safety Duke Ihenacho. If you're looking to punt the tight end position and grab some value, Cook registers in at $5200 on FanDuel and bare minimum pricing on DraftKings at $3000.
Others considered: Joe Flacco, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Chris Johnson, Darren Sproles, Pierre Garcon, Eric Decker, Eric Ebron and Heath Miller.
Jack Thomason is 670 The Score's fantasy football expert and co-host of "Chicago's Fantasy Football Today," which can be heard every Sunday during football season from 8-9 a.m. CT on WSCR-670 and 670thescore.com/listen. Follow him on Twitter @jthomason77 and feel free to ask fantasy questions.
