4 FanDuel NFL Values to Target in Week 2

Finding value is a key part of NFL DFS 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 and may change after this article is published. We'll reference our NFL DFS projections.

NFL DFS Value Plays to Target for Week 2

Baker Mayfield, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

FanDuel Salary: ($7,400)

Baker Mayfield was the second-best quarterback on Week 1's main slate, totaling 29.66 FanDuel points thanks to 289 yards passing and 4 passing touchdowns. He was just 11 yards shy of the 300 benchmark -- now worth an extra 3 FanDuel points with the new DFS scoring changes -- in what was nothing short of a masterful season debut.

I'm bullish he can stay hot in a Week 2 date with the Detroit Lions that has the slate's highest over/under (51.5) on FanDuel Sportsbook.

Detroit surrendered the third most FanDuel points to quarterbacks last season, plus they were bottom-five in passing Net Expected Points per play (.15 NEP; numberFire's Expected Points Added metric) and passing success rate (49.6%) allowed.

Baker only went for 7.8 FanDuel points when he faced Detroit in the regular season last year, but he exploded for 349 yards and three touchdowns when they rematched on Ford Field's turf in the playoffs. The Lions added pieces to their secondary in the offseason, but they also gave up 317 passing yards to Matthew Stafford last week, so this isn't exactly a passing defense to fear.

But Detroit also fared well against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense, notching 31 points and 391 total yards against them in the playoffs. That included 277 yard through the air -- an outcome that could be in play again this week with Tampa down three cornerbacks in addition to All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield.

A back-and-forth affair would serve Baker well for fantasy-purposes, and we know the Bucs are going to throw the ball. They were one of just eight teams to post a positive pass rate over expectation (+0.8%) in Week 1.

Our NFL DFS projections peg Mayfield for 18.2 FanDuel points. That ranks ninth on the main slate and makes him the second-best point-per-dollar value at the position (2.46 FanDuel points per $1,000).

Jordan Mason, RB, San Francisco 49ers

FanDuel Salary: ($5,500)

This is a strong slate for value backs, with J.K. Dobbins ($6,800) and Brian Robinson ($6,200) in plus matchups coming off big games, and Jerome Ford ($6,300) and James Conner ($6,500) both showing 2x value according to our NFL DFS projections.

But assuming Christian McCaffrey is inactive, Jordan Mason ($5,500) is by far the top low-salary rusher.

Mason started in place of CMC last week, turning 152 total yards and a touchdown into 24.7 FanDuel points. He notably played 81.4% of snaps for the San Francisco 49ers and recorded the third most adjusted opportunities (carries plus 2x targets) among all running backs.

That came against a New York Jets defense that was top 10 in rushing success rate allowed last season, so there's little reason to expect a downtick in volume if McCaffrey is indeed ruled out again this week.

Mason has another tough matchup this time around. He'll take on a Minnesota Vikings defense that held the New York Giants to 3.5 yards per attempt last week and ranked third with 3.8 yards per attempt allowed last season. They limited McCaffrey to 45 yards on 15 carries in last year's head-to-head meeting (though CMC did gain 51 yards through the air).

Still, the potential for 30-plus adjusted opportunities from a $5.5K-salary player is too good to pass up, regardless of the matchup. Early roster rate projections from across the industry expect Mason to be one of, if not the, most-rostered running backs -- and for good reason. He's the week's top salary-saver, regardless of position, and figures to be incredibly chalky in all formats.

Demarcus Robinson, WR, Los Angeles Rams

FanDuel Salary: ($5,200)

Demarcus Robinson exceeded a 60% snap rate in five games last season -- all from Weeks 13 to 17. Even with Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua both active in all five of those games, Robinson was a featured part of the Los Angeles Rams offense. He ran a route on 87.8% of dropbacks and commanded a healthy 20% target share. Matthew Stafford looked his way around the end zone, too, feeding Robinson a 25.8% red zone target share and 47.1% end zone target share.

Over those five games, Robinson averaged 4.2 receptions, 63.8 yards, and 13.7 FanDuel points per game (16th among receivers that played at least four games in that sample).

It's not like LA was facing cupcakes, either. That stretch included three games against top 10 pass defenses.

That late season usage made him an intriguing value last week even before Puka went down with an injury, and the utilization looked similar to last season. Though he netted just 6.2 FanDuel points, Robinson played 91.9% of the snaps, ran a route on 92.2% of dropbacks, and commanded a 14.6% target share -- all second on the team behind Kupp.

This week's matchup with the Arizona Cardinals is a nice opportunity for him to turn that utilization in fantasy production. Arizona entered the season with PFF's 32nd-ranked secondary after they allowed the second most FanDuel points per target (1.56) and seventh most yards per route run (1.77) to wide receivers in 2023.

Following an opening week that saw them give up the third-most FanDuel points per target (2.37) to the position, the Cardinals are down to 31st in pass defense, per numberFire.

That bodes well for the Rams pass-catchers, and we know Robinson will have a featured role. A tight spread (1.5 points) and high total (47.5) both suggest this is a game environment to target, and Robinson is the lowest-salary way to get reliable exposure.

Brock Bowers, TE, Las Vegas Raiders

FanDuel Salary: ($5,300)

The good news? Brock Bowers -- a generational tight end prospect and the 13th overall pick in last April's draft -- looked the part in Week 1. Despite sharing the field with long-time target hog Davante Adams, Bowers led the Las Vegas Raiders with 8 targets (25.0% share) and ran a route on 70% of dropbacks. That only culminated in 8.8 FanDuel points, but it was encouraging nonetheless.

Even more good news: Bowers still carries a modest salary in Week 2 despite scoring the fifth-most FanDuel points at the position last week.

Alright, now the bad news. The Raiders face the Baltimore Ravens on the road this week, and Bowers' quarterback is still Gardner Minshew. Baltimore got carved up by Patrick Mahomes and company in the opener, but this is still one of the top defensive units in the NFL. In 2023, they allowed the sixth fewest FanDuel points per target (1.23) and sixth lowest target rate (16.4%) to tight ends.

And yet, I'm still intrigued with Bowers as a dart throw. The Raiders head to Baltimore as 8.5-point underdogs, and that could force Vegas to throw in a negative game script. That's even more tantalizing considering they were fifth in pass rate over expectation (+1.3%) in the opener.

Bowers' receiving yards prop (35.5) mirrors his low DFS salary.

But our projections are much more bullish on him. We project him for 4.7 receptions, 51.6 yards, and 8.8 FanDuel points. That makes him the second-best point-per-dollar value at the position (1.66 FanDuel points per $1,000).

Gear up for NFL season! Customers who bet $5 will get a free trial of NFL Sunday Ticket from YouTube & YouTube TV! This promo expires September 22nd. See here for full terms and conditions.

Interested in playing NFL DFS? Head over to FanDuel’s daily fantasy football lobby to see all the offerings for this week's slates.

Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook and FanDuel Daily Fantasy today!

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.