This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Football series.
The Sunday-only main slate for Week 2 consists of 14 games. We've gotten a chance to see everybody in action, but there are still plenty of question marks about which players are primed to repeat their Week 1 performances and which ones are due for a major correction, be it positive or negative. Many of the same names that carried lineups last week are in position to do so again, but there are also a few fresh faces ready to capitalize on favorable matchups.
TOURNAMENTS (GPP – GUARANTEED PRIZE POOL)
QB: Drew Brees, NO vs. CLE ($37)
Brees costs as much as any quarterback on the slate, but his upside in this matchup makes him worth paying up for. Not only did Brees just complete 82.2 percent of his passes for 439 yards and three touchdowns, but his defense gave up 48 points, suggesting that the veteran quarterback will be asked to air it out early and often. With the Browns coming to town, it wouldn't be surprising to see Brees replicate last week's fantasy performance if not exceed it.
RB: Jalen Richard, OAK at DEN ($10)
Oakland's wide receivers couldn't create any separation last week, so Derek Carr ended up completing nine passes apiece to Richard and tight end Jared Cook. The vaunted Denver pass rush should force the ball out of Carr's hands quickly, which should lead to plenty of checkdowns to Richard. Given the half-PPR scoring, Richard's capable of putting up a monster performance at the minimum price if Oakland falls behind and is forced to abandon the run.
WR: Odell Beckham, NYG at DAL ($37)
Beckham caught 11 balls for 111 yards in Week 1 despite going against Jacksonville's Jalen Ramsey, who's arguably the best cornerback in the league. Dallas doesn't have anybody near that caliber to match up against Beckham in Week 2, and there's no better stage for him to announce that he's back and better than ever than on Sunday Night Football against America's Team.
Other Against-the-Grainers
QB: Ryan Fitzpatrick (TB, $25); Patrick Mahomes (KC, $29)
RB: Darren Sproles (PHI, $13); Tevin Coleman (ATL, $17); Kerryon Johnson (DET, $18)
WR: Chris Godwin (TB, $13); Josh Gordon (CLE, $27); Ted Ginn (NO, $17)
TE: Jonnu Smith (TEN, $10); Travis Kelce (KC, $21)
DST: San Francisco 49ers ($10); Minnesota Vikings ($16)
CASH GAMES (H2H, 50/50s and DOUBLE UPS)
Quarterback
Philip Rivers, LAC at BUF ($31)
The Bills looked atrocious in their season opener, as Joe Flacco carved them up for three touchdowns in a 47-3 blowout. Flacco threw for just 3,141 yards and an 18:13 TD:INT last year, while Rivers produced 4,515 yards and a 28:10. After throwing for 424 yards and three scores in the Week 1 loss to Kansas City, Rivers looks like a safe bet to at least match Flacco's production against the Bills.
Running Back
James Conner, PIT at KC ($24)
Those who missed out on Conner at $11 in Week 1 shouldn't discount him now just because his price jumped up to $24. The Steelers gave him a Le'Veon Bell-like workload, as Conner finished with 31 carries and five catches for 192 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns. With a dangerous wide receiver duo keeping defenses occupied and a strong offensive line blocking for him, Conner could be in for a repeat performance against a Chiefs defense that surrendered 292 scrimmage yards to the Chargers' running backs in Week 1.
Chris Thompson, WAS vs. IND ($21)
Thompson needed just 11 touches to produce 128 yards and a touchdown in Week 1, suggesting last season's broken leg didn't sap any of the explosiveness he showed before going down. Adrian Peterson was terrific in the opener as well, but he was prone to inconsistency in 2017. Thompson has already proven capable of providing excellent value in his current role, and that role could expand even further should the 33-year-old Peterson come back down to earth.
Wide Receiver
Julio Jones, ATL vs. CAR ($37)
In the six meetings between these NFC South rivals over the previous three seasons, Jones has averaged 137 receiving yards per game. He did everything but get into the end zone with 10 catches for 169 yards against the Eagles last week, so the sky's the limit for Jones against this familiar foe in Atlanta's home opener.
Michael Thomas, NO vs. CLE ($30)
It's amazing that Thomas' price dropped from $37 last week to $30 this week considering he put up 180 yards and a touchdown on 16 catches. As in Brees' case, Thomas' stock soars higher the worse New Orleans plays defensively. If their opener was any indication, the Saints will be relying heavily on their passing game against a Browns defense that allowed Antonio Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster to combine for 212 yards and a touchdown on 14 catches.
Emmanuel Sanders, DEN vs. OAK ($21)
Sanders demonstrated an excellent rapport with new Broncos quarterback Case Keenum last week, hauling in 10 balls for 135 yards and a touchdown. The duo should pick right up where they left off in Week 2 against a Raiders defense that allowed the seventh-most passing yards per game last year. Oakland traded star pass rusher Khalil Mack before the season, so that pass defense will likely be even worse in 2018.
Tight End
Jordan Reed, WAS vs. IND ($20)
Reed's always been a productive player when healthy, and he looked to be at 100 percent last week. His four catches for 48 yards and a touchdown all came in the first half, as the Washington passing attack powered down after halftime with a huge lead. Alex Smith's rapport with Travis Kelce in Kansas City suggests the new Redskins quarterback knows how to keep his tight end involved, so this could be the beginning of a renaissance campaign for Reed.
Defense/Special Teams
New York Jets vs. MIA ($11)
Are the Lions really so horrendous or are the Jets just that good? The answer to that question likely lies somewhere in between, but there's no denying New York put on a show in all three phases of the game during Monday night's 48-17 road win. Andre Roberts looked terrific in the return game, averaging 45.7 yards on three punt returns and taking one to the house. Defensively, the Jets' improved secondary accrued five interceptions, and that was without starting strong safety Marcus Maye (foot), who could be back for this one. With the crowd sure to be buzzing in Sam Darnold's first career home game, this unit is primed for another strong showing against a Miami offense that isn't exactly teeming with weapons.
Honorable Mentions
QB: Case Keenum (DEN, $27); Sam Darnold (NYJ, $23)
RB: Alvin Kamara (NO, $38); Christian McCaffrey (CAR, $23); Phillip Lindsay (DEN, $14)
WR: JuJu Smith-Schuster (PIT, $27); Mike Evans (TB, $32); Quincy Enunwa ($14)
TE: George Kittle (SF, $17); Jared Cook (DEN, $16)
DST: Los Angeles Chargers ($20); Denver Broncos ($13)
