It was a hit and miss week for finding the best fantasy football players for Daily Fantasy leagues in week 1.
Sleepers are always there at DraftKings, it’s just a matter of finding the right ones on a weekly basis. But picking the best picks are right in front of our noses. We also just have to pick the right ones, which is sometimes easier said than done.
Last week’s apparent top quarterback Russell Wilson struggled, while wide receiver Antonio Brown made good on his regular dominating performances. Running back is always tricky, but my pick of Lamar Miller wasn’t terrible. He was just missing a touchdown that could have propelled to him a much better showing.
Here’s the week 2 Daily Fantasy Football top picks for your DraftKings lineup.
Cam Newton, QB, Carolina Panthers
If you didn’t know anything about football, you may believe that Newton would be in trouble this week against San Francisco. All we’ve heard since last Thursday is about hits to the head to Cam and how the 49ers defense manhandled a bad Los Angeles Rams offense.
But we do know a little about football, or at least that’s what we perceive. Carolina is a better team than Denver. Sure, it lost, but the Panthers will end up this season with a better record. And Newton was still effective last week against a Denver defense dead-set on hitting him in the head.
The 49ers defense was capable last week in stopping Case Keenum. It will have a much different task this week. The last time San Francisco blew out its opponent in week 1 and then traveled to the East Coast, it gave up 43 points in a loss last year to Pittsburgh.
The schedule-makers for this game were extremely harsh to San Francisco. Newton is coming off three extra days of rest, while the 49ers are traveling for an early kickoff to the opposite coast after playing Monday night.
Newton is by far the best pick this week with several top quarterbacks playing difficult defenses.
C.J. Anderson, RB, Denver Broncos
Indianapolis’s defense is really bad. The Broncos employ a passing game that I’m not sure is ready for a consistent showing.
Enter Anderson as your Daily Fantasy Football savior.
You get a bit of a discount with Anderson since he’s not a top running back at DraftKings. And you get him after a solid opening where the Broncos’s offensive line manhandled Carolina’s toward the end of game 1.
I was worried about Anderson heading into this season. He wasn’t great throughout the year last season and there were times he disappeared completely. But he was tremendously active in week 1, catching and running out of the backfield, showcasing that ability we’ve all seen in glimpses in the past.
He can keep that up this week against a bad Colts defense. I believe this game will be closer than the experts believe. Regardless of how close the score is, expect plenty of running from the Broncos.
Odell Beckham, WR, New York Giants
We missed you last week Beckham. He managed 73 yards receiving on only four catches. He was still targeted eight times, but that’s a little low for Beckham’s output.
But I’m erasing that performance from my memory because this week he faces the Saints, which allowed a combined 224 yards receiving from Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree last week.
Beckham is still an elite wide receiver. So no matter how many weapons quarterback Eli Manning thinks he can throw to for the Giants, his main option is going to be Beckham.
The Giants will go wild in week 2 against the Saints with the passing game. That equals a big payday in Daily Fantasy for anyone choosing Beckham.
Greg Olsen, TE, Carolina Panthers
As you can tell, I’m high on Carolina’s matchup this weekend with San Francisco.
I figured Olsen would see a drop in targets this year with Kelvin Benjamin back, but I was encouraged to still see him nab nine targets from Newton against the Broncos.
That’s a good number for a tight end, and in a game where I expect the Panthers to score at will, he should be in line for a touchdown or two.
That should go well with an expected six to eight catches. Olsen will torch San Francisco’s defense and it will be a party for the Panthers on Sunday in a rout.
