DraftKings

DraftKings Cash Game Lineup: Week 2

By Jacob White

Posted on September 15, 2023

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DraftKings Cash Game Lineup: Week 2

Welcome to a weekly series where I provide you with what I think is the optimal cash game lineup. All prices, fantasy points, and analyses are based on DraftKings’ DFS platform. If you are unfamiliar with what cash games are, or if you are interested in my basic strategy, click here.

Week 1 Recap

I won 45.5% of head-to-heads, which is certainly not what I was hoping for, but it’s not the kind of result that buries you. I think I thought through the slate pretty well, with a few minor mistakes. First, I was directionally accurate in targeting the Jaguars’ pass catchers, I just settled on the wrong one. I don’t think this was a situation where I was wrong by playing Kirk, I just needed to think through the slate more and understand there were better options. The same goes for Diontae. There was no need to play him. I also didn’t even remotely consider the punt options at WR (Nakua, Awtell, Reed) who all ended up being great plays.

However, we’re on to Week 2 and this is the best I’ve felt about a slate in a long time.

Quarterback

Anthony Richardson ($6,300) ended up being the cash nuts (assuming very few lineups featured Tua) last week at only $5,600 and yet, I still think he’s one of the best plays again this week. His rushing role was insane, as he turned his 10 attempts into 40 yards and a touchdown. Most importantly, his rushing touchdown came from a goalline rush, leading me to believe they plan to run him there frequently. He was no slouch as a passer, throwing 37 times for 223 yards and a touchdown. If he’s even adequate as a passer, he has an 18-point floor and a high ceiling if his passing does improve. He’s probably a cash lock until he gets up to the $7k range.

Running Back

I was in shock that David Montgomery ($5,800) was as cheap as he is. Sure, there are concerns that Gibbs’ role grows, but it’s hard to fade a back that’s coming off of a 21 attempt outing. He didn’t receive any targets, which is slightly concerning, but he appears to have a firm grasp of the Lions’ rushing attempts. It’s hard to fade a guy with a 16-20 touch projection at sub $6k, even if he has a limited ceiling.

Austin Ekeler is trending towards missing Sunday, making Joshua Kelley ($5,000) the easiest cash play of the week. Kelley racked up 16 rushes and a target with Ekeler playing, so it’s easy to image he has a 20+ touch floor. There are concerns that his efficiency might lag against the Titans’ D, but that role is too good to pass up at $5k, regardless of the opponent.

Wide Receiver

As far as the pricier options go, Amon-Ra St. Brown ($7,800) is the easiest click.

And add in another 8 target outing in the NFL opener. That kind of volume is exactly what we’re looking for in cash. No further analysis needed.

I think there’s a strong case to be made that Zay Flowers ($5,000) is the most underpriced player on this slate. He was the clear WR1 in Baltimore, posted a 47.6% target share in Week 1, the highest in the NFL. They also gave him 2 rushing attempts, showing they want to feature him in this offense. I think he could score even more this week, as he averaged just 7.8 yards per target. He could easily be priced at $6k, so I’m thrilled to get him at $5k.

I promised my Twitter audience that if Puka Nacua ($4,900) was under $5k, I’d play him, no questions asked.

There are always a couple of guys who flash in the early parts of the season and fizzle out, but I don’t think Puka is one of them. First, he’s a rookie and second, 15 targets is too many to consider an accident. I think there’s a chance that Puka is a good NFL player. The jury’s out as to his role once Kupp is out, but that doesn’t matter for this week. He’ll be the Rams go to option, and at under $5k, he’s practically a steal.

Tight End

Tight end was an absolute wasteland last week, so I’m thrilled that Travis Kelce ($7,600) is back on the main slate. We saw in Week 1 just how much he was missed, so I’m more optimistic than ever that his role will be massive. I considered Dalton Kincaid ($3,300) or Logan Thomas ($3,100) here to save on salary, but couldn’t pass up the stability and upside of Kelce at a position that is basically worthless most weeks.

FLEX

I was super bearish on Brian Robinson Jr. ($5,200) during draft season, but I’m beginning to change my tune.

Although I have concerns as to his ability to play football at a high level, this role is too good to pass up at his cost. Gibson might be pushed further down the pecking order after coughing up the ball in Week 1, so there’s even a chance Robinson’s role increases.

DST

Like many weeks, I don’t have a strong conviction on which DST is best, but I think fitting Tennesee DST ($2,400) at such a low salary in this lineup is a good play. I originally was planning on playing Giants DST from the get-go, but was appalled at how proactive DraftKings was with their price.

Summary

After thinking through this slate thoroughly, I’ve come up with one of my favorite cash lineups ever. Almost every single player here feels like a must-play, as almost everyone is underpriced by a good bit.

Here is the final lineup: