4 FanDuel NFL Values to Target in Week 2

Finding value is a key part of daily fantasy football on FanDuel. We need to identify the low-salary players who have the potential to pay huge dividends, which allows you to play studs elsewhere in your lineup.

As always, we're looking at players on the main slate, which kicks off at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday. All betting odds come from the NFL odds at FanDuel Sportsbook.

Geno Smith, QB, Seattle Seahawks

FanDuel Salary: ($7,000)

Week 1 was definitely not what Geno Smith and the Seattle Seahawks wanted.

The expectations coming into the season were optimistic, carrying over from last year's success. Smith was the NFL Comeback Player of the Year in 2022, and his outlook coming into this season only improved.

Seattle had two solid wide receivers for him to throw to in D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. They added a third weapon in the draft with the selection of Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

That's why it was so surprising to see Smith and the team struggle. The Week 1 matchup looked excellent on paper against a thin Los Angeles Rams secondary -- yet Smith threw for just 112 yards despite trailing for the majority of the second half.

This resulted in only 9.08 FanDuel points from Geno. Obviously, that's not what we want from our quarterback, and it's resulted in his salary dropping $200.

We shouldn't write off Geno just yet. He'll have a matchup this week against the Detroit Lions, who allowed his best fantasy game of 2022. Detroit's defense had a decent showing in Week 1 and made some improvements this offseason but finished 29th against the pass last year, according to numberFire's metrics.

Smith rates as one of the best point-per-dollar value plays at QB by numberFire's model, and this is a great chance to buy low on him after his disappointing Week 1.

David Montgomery, RB, Detroit Lions

FanDuel Salary: ($6,300)

David Montgomery made his debut for the Lions last week. The exact role he was going to play was speculated on all offseason. The split between Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs was a fantasy storyline we needed to see play out, and we finally got to see it on the field.

Montgomery ended up seeing 21 carries and played 79% of the snaps. The bad news was he didn't see a target, but he did run 20 routes.

A key aspect of the preseason speculation was who would get the red zone and goal-line work. Jamaal Williams scored 17 touchdowns with the goal line work for the Lions last season. Well, Montgomery saw four carries in the red zone and accounted for the Lions' lone carry inside the 10, which resulted in a touchdown.

This week, Montgomery gets to play in a game that's tied for the second-highest total. The Seahawks ranked 26th last season against the run by numberFire's metrics and are 25th in adjusted-fantasy points allowed per carry after one game this season.

Just $6,300 for a back with a solid role in a nice game environment is certainly a bargain worth taking.

Puka Nacua, WR, Los Angeles Rams

FanDuel Salary: ($5,800)

Cooper who? That was what people were saying after the Rams game on Sunday.

Okay, maybe not. However, the performance by rookie Puka Nacua had people less focused on who wasn't on the field and had us paying lots of attention to someone who was making his NFL debut.

Nacua saw a massive 15 targets on 38 passes by Matthew Stafford. It's rare that a fifth-round rookie will get this big of a role in his debut, but the Rams were slightly desperate. Luckily, it worked out, and they discovered they have a guy who can really play.

This week, the matchup will be much tougher against the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers did face the highest rate of passes of any team in Week 1 -- which definitely was at least partially due to the fact that they were winning for basically the entire game -- but may have something to do with their defensive scheme, as well.

Nacua may not see 15 targets again, but something like 10 looks would still make him an excellent value at this salary.

Luke Musgrave, Tight End, Green Bay Packers

FanDuel Salary: ($5,000)

Another rookie who had a solid debut was Luke Musgrave for the Green Bay Packers. It wasn't quite as good as Puka's, but there definitely was some promise.

Musgrave had only three catches for 50 yards, but that was good for the 10th-most half-PPR points at the wasteland that is the tight end position. If you want to use TE as a place to save salary, Musgrave is your best bet.

He saw four targets on 27 attempts from Jordan Love and ran 22 routes. Musgrave getting on the field that much in his first NFL game is impressive for a tight end, and he'll get an exploitable matchup this week.

The Packers will be on the road against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 2. Atlanta got burned by Hayden Hurst in Week 1, and their 1.8 adjusted fantasy points per target ranks 28th against tight ends. Of course, we don't want to go nuts over a one-game sample, but it's always nice to see that the matchup may be one to target.

Musgrave is a young player who has unknown upside, especially in an offense with a lot of new personnel. That's enough to warrant consideration at fantasy's worst position, especially for just $5,000.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.