Welcome to Week 2 of the XFL ladies and gentlemen. Despite some people who were set to hate the league in their heads before it even started, the league got off to a pretty great start. Sure, there were some kinks along the way. A couple of teams were without their starting quarterback, and a couple more struggled with who they had. It is important to remember that this IS NOT the NFL, nor is it trying to be. Also, remember the NFL does have its own share of horrible, unwatchable games (any game involving the Bengals or Jets are pretty bad), turnovers, and dropped passes. The players were surely amped up beyond belief with their first game action in quite a while for some.

There is still going to be a great deal of uncertainty from a fantasy perspective this week since we look to have some returning quarterbacks, as well as teams still figuring out their offense and who are the playmakers on their team. The good news is that most teams were really looking to chuck the ball down the field a lot, which led to some exciting big plays. Also, DraftKings still has you spending a $50,000 salary cap while FanDuel’s is just $100. Let’s take a look at the games, and then some players that are fairly safe bets to bring some production and help you cash some DFS lineups!

Vegas Lines

New York Guardians at DC Defenders (-5); O/U: 49 – Saturday at 2pm EST
Tampa Bay Vipers (-2.5) at Seattle Dragons; O/U 48 – Saturday at 5pm EST
Dallas Renegades (-4.5) at Los Angeles Wildcats; O/U 48 – Sunday at 3pm EST
St. Louis Battlehawks at Houston Roughnecks (-7.5); O/U 51 – Sunday at 6pm EST

Quarterbacks

Phillip Walker, Houston Roughnecks ($10,600 DK, $23 FD). Walker was the star of the first week of the league. His ability to hit receivers way down the field was quite impressive. Even more impressive was his ability to evade the pass rush. He repeatedly made himself small to make defenders miss, and then uncorked a pass 30 yards down the field. He also ran in a two point conversion. His four touchdown passes will be hard to match, and we will find out this week if the St. Louis defense was that good last week, or was the Dallas offense that bad with their backup quarterback? Walker is the highest salaried quarterback on both sites, but if he can come close to repeating his Week 1 performance he will be worth it.

Cardale Jones, D.C. Defenders ($10,200 DK, $21 FD). Coming into the start of the XFL, Jones was one of the more well known names in the league. He didn’t disappoint in Week 1 with 235 yards and two touchdowns. He looked stiff at times, but all in all was fairly impressive. There is a good deal of talent on this offense, and if the line can give him a little more time this week, Jones could be even better. The Guardians defense was “bend, don’t break” last week against the Vipers, but Cardale is a much better quarterback than Aaron Murray is. I called him safe last week on the podcast and on Sirius/XM, and I am a huge Cardale backer again for Week 2.

Landry Jones, Dallas Renegades ($9,500 DK, $19 FD). The XFL certainly wants this guy to succeed, and it looks like he will be able to play in Week 2. He doesn’t have the most talented wide receiver group in the league by any stretch, but there are some good weapons out there. DraftKings has him as the fifth most expensive quarterback, while on FanDuel he is fourth. My somewhat conservative nature has me shying away from a guy who missed his first game when we do have what appear to be safer options, but at the same time the Los Angeles defense was the worst in the league last week and cut what was their best player. Jones isn’t the worst choice in the world, but you won’t find him in many of my lineups.

Jordan Ta’amu, St. Louis Battlehawks ($8,900 DK, $20 FD). Ta’amu was one of my favorite quarterbacks going into last week for his running ability, and he definitely didn’t disappoint. He did only throw one touchdown, but he completed nearly 75 percent of his passes and ran for 77 yards. He was very impressive with the ball in his hands running down the field and certainly looked as much as a running back as he did a quarterback. The Battlehawks would be crazy to not continue to utilize this weapon on Ta’amu running the ball and he should be good for at least five points a week running the football. They did run the ball more than any team in Week 1, but Ta’amu is very efficient and should be a great play again while his salary is still a little depressed on DraftKings.

Josh Johnson, Los Angeles Wildcats ($10,400 DK, $18 FD). He missed the first game, but is trending in the direction of playing in Week 2. Honestly for me, the uncertainty is still a little much for me to pay his DraftKings salary. FanDuel has him as a much bigger bargain, so if you like Johnson, he is much more attractive there. He has two or three nice weapons to throw to, it has just been a long time since we have watched Johnson under center and I need to see it before I am willing to put my lineup on the line with him at quarterback.

Running Backs

As expected, running back wasn’t a position of focus in the XFL in the opening weeks. A few teams were run heavy, and some barely tried to run the ball at all. Thankfully on each site you are only required to play one running back, although on DraftKings you can also use one in a flex spot. The pricing on the two sites are wildly different. FanDuel seems to be much more reactionary to the first week’s action, while DraftKings is a little more conservative based on last weekend’s games.

Matt Jones, St. Louis Battlehawks ($5,900 DK, $18 FD). Jones was the workhorse of the opening week of the XFL and the only running back to get 20 carries. It appeared that he would be behind Christine Michael in carries, but Michael looked completely awful, and Jones churned out 85 rushing yards. He is dealing with a knee injury, and is carrying a questionable tag, but reports are that he was at least a limited participant in Thursday’s practice. He will be playing the Houston Roughnecks this week who didn’t give up a ton of rushing yards in Week 1, but they did allow three runs of more than ten yards. There is still a little concern that Michael could do better this week and steal some work, but he actually had negative fantasy points last week. If Jones is active he is an absolute STEAL on DraftKings.

James Butler, Houston Roughnecks ($6,300 DK, $19 FD). If you listen to the XFL podcast with Dan Malin (@realDANlanta on Twitter), you would know that we are both hesitant on Butler this week. He did not go into last week at the top of the depth chart, and honestly he only had nine carries. He was targeted twice out of the backfield, and took one for a touchdown, and he did have a rushing touchdown as well. It just feels like Houston isn’t going to be a big running team considering the history of their Head Coach June Jones, and Butler’s salary soared compared to last week. He is on perhaps the most explosive offense in the league, but especially on FanDuel his price tag makes him someone to wait and see if we can get a repeat performance out of. 

Darius Victor, New York Guardians ($4,100 DK, $16 FD). Here we are again with another pass catcher out of the backfield. Victor was listed behind Tim Cook on the depth chart going into Week 1 of the season, but it was Victor who had nine carries to Cook’s four. However, like I just said, Victor brought a little extra value with three catches for 25 yards. This one is a bit of a risk because it wouldn’t be a shock if Cook got more carries this week, and the Guardians only ran the ball 13 times with the running backs. He is more of a DraftKings play because his salary on FanDuel isn’t really in line with the production he had last week.

Lance Dunbar, Dallas Renegades ($4,600 DK, $15 FD). The Dallas offense has to be better now that they get Landry Jones back and there is no way that they are held without a touchdown again. The Renegades have two solid options, but if I am picking one it is Dunbar. He has a lot more “explosiveness” than Cameron Artis-Payne, and Dunbar will also give you more value since he is a pass catcher out of the backfield. He had six catches for 29 yards against the Battlehawks last Sunday. That is nearly nine points out of the passing game, while most backs in the XFL didn’t even score nine fantasy points. The Wildcats were the worst defense last week, and Dunbar should do much better on the ground than he did in Week 1. Couple that with his pass catching chops and you have a solid, yet cheaper option at running back.

Nick Holley, Houston Roughnecks ($4,800 DK,$14 FD). He is one of my favorite running back plays on DraftKings for two reasons. The first reason is because he is cheap. The second is because he is a wide receiver for the Roughnecks, but Holley is a running back on DraftKings. Considering the dearth of talent at running back in the XFL, it isn’t a bad idea to get Holley on your roster. Holley had four catches on five targets for 50 yards. There weren’t many running backs who scored nine fantasy points last week, so why not get one who is on a prolific offense who is actually a receiver? I like Holley if you are playing on DraftKings. He isn’t very expensive on FanDuel either and is definitely a play there, but he is a wide receiver there so the value isn’t quite as great.

Others to consider:

  • Jhurell Pressley, DC Defenders – good player, salary is a little high
  • De’Veon Smith, Tampa Bay Vipers – see Jhurell Pressley
  • Trey Williams, Seattle Dragons –third on the depth chart but explosive ability

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

You won’t find Austin Proehl here. I like him, but his salary took a huge jump for a guy we expected nothing from last week. Too rich for my blood. I want to see him do it again.

Nick Spruce, Los Angeles Wildcats ($10,400 DK, $20). This could be the receiving star of the league. He was dealing with a backup quarterback last week, but Spruce was open every time a play was needed. He caught short passes, he caught deep passes, he caught passes over the middle, he caught everything. Hopefully he will have the same chemistry with Josh Johnson this week, but it seemed like almost every pass went to Spruce last week. He is the highest salaried receiver on both sites (tied with Austin Proehl on FanDuel), but I think he will be worth every penny. I fully expect him to be the most targeted receiver in all of Week 2.

Mekale McKay, New York Guardians ($10,200 DK, $16 FD). It took McKay a little time to get going, but he was able to make a few plays. Honestly, he is only really a play on FanDuel, as DraftKings somehow has him as the second most expensive receiver. McKay certainly showed the big play ability we knew he had, but the Guardians are one of the more run/pass balanced offenses in the league. McKay has the feeling of a touchdown dependent guy, but could find one against a Defenders defense that gave up three passing touchdowns to a weaker offense last week.

Eli Rogers, D.C. Defenders ($9,700 DK, $17 FD). This is my favorite wide receiver in the league. It isn’t that Rogers is some awesome receiver that belongs in the Pro Bowl in the NFL, but he certainly showed some ability to get open on Sunday, and had sure hands. He has one of the better quarterbacks in the league, and with Rashad Ross on the other side of the field, defenses can’t focus on him. He isn’t super cheap on either site, and it will be tough to work he and Spruce into a lineup, but Rogers is another guy that I feel is a near sure thing for great production on a weekly basis. He is nearly a must-play at that price on FanDuel.

Daniel Williams, Tampa Bay Vipers ($7,600 DK, $19 FD). The Vipers only recorded three points on Sunday, but they certainly did move the ball. Whenever they needed a big play, they went to Williams. He had a catch of 37 yards and another one for 42 yards in the game and finished with 123 yards on six catches. He is a big bodied receiver at 6’3” and a lot of the corners in the XFL won’t have the size to deal with Williams. The only problem with Williams is the quarterback play. Aaron Murray really struggled at times with accuracy, and he is also hurt. Quinton Flowers is a bit of an unknown, but did complete a long pass to Williams last week. Williams is a guy that I am very excited about this season.

Flynn Nagel, Dallas Renegades ($5,200 DK, $16 FD). Do you like guys who get a lot of catches? Despite awful quarterback play, Nagel had six catches on six targets in the first game. Now, he gets Landry Jones back and this should really put a rocket ship up the rear end of the Dallas offense. Nagel is the most reliable target on the Renegades, even if he isn’t that most explosive. He is pretty cheap on both sites and certainly could return nice value and let you put some studs at other spots in your roster.

Jordan Smallwood, Los Angeles Wildcats ($6,900 DK, $18 FD). A big ol’ target for Josh Johnson to throw to, Smallwood looks like the prototypical red zone target. He didn’t have a ton of volume, but was targeted the second most on the team. He had just 28 receiving yards, but did have that touchdown. You have to figure that Josh Johnson is going to be an improvement over Charles Kanoff which could mean more production for Smallwood.

Others to consider

  • Cam Phillips, Houston Roughnecks – He was targeted eight times and had a big touchdown catch. But 50 of his 67 yards came on that one catch. A little touchdown dependent, but is an explosive receiver who could easily score again.
  • De’Mornay Pierson-El, St. Louis Battlehawks – great slot receiver who led the Battlehawks in receiving last week. Nice reliable target for Ta’amu, but some others at same price point could have more certainty.
  • Nick Truesdell, Tampa Bay Vipers – super talented but didn’t show reliable hands as he contributed to two turnovers. Must get that cleaned up.
  • Keenan Reynolds, Seattle Dragons – explosive ability with the ball in his hands in space, but can they get him going?
  • Reece Horn, Tampa Bay Vipers – a very reliable target for whoever is quarterbacking for Tampa. He isn’t explosive at all, but if you need a tough catch, Horn is the guy. A super cheap option who could threaten ten fantasy points.
  • Brandon Barnes, Los Angeles Wildcats – One of the few decent tight ends in the league, Barnes had one big catch, but with Josh Johnson back Barnes could have a bigger week.
  • Jeff Badet, Dallas Renegades – had a thigh injury and a backup quarterback last week. This week both seem to be resolved. Can make some big plays, risky but could pay off.
  • Joe Horn, New York Guardians. Lots of targets last week didn’t result in much. Has to do better this week if he gets the same number of looks.

Defense/Special Teams (DraftKings Only)

Tampa Bay Vipers at Seattle Dragons ($3,800). The Dragons did score 19 points last week, but quarterback Brandon Silvers also threw two interceptions and also had a punt blocked for a touchdown. They aren’t the most stellar offense in the league. Silvers barely completed 50 percent of his passes and is dealing with an ankle injury although he should play. If he gets dinged up again that would bring in B.J. Daniels, and we have already seen that backup quarterbacks in the XFL are (predictably) not great. The Vipers allowed 23 points to the Guardians last week, but didn’t play awful.

Seattle Dragons vs. Tampa Bay Vipers ($3,000). The Dragons defense was nothing spectacular last week by any stretch, and they gave up 24 points (DC also scored a touchdown on a blocked punt). They will be facing the Vipers with backup Quinton Flowers as last week’s starter Aaron Murray has been declared out for this week’s game. Flowers is a bit of a wild card as a mobile quarterback, but his accuracy is questionable. The Vipers moved the ball yardage wise, but were only able to score three points the entire game. Seattle didn’t force a turnover and had just one sack, but they should do much better this week against a backup quarterback and should definitely return value as the lowest salaried team defense on the board.

Example Lineups

DraftKings GPP Lineup

QB: Cardale Jones, DC @ NY
RB: Matt Jones, STL @ HOU
WR: Nelson Spruce, LA @ DAL
WR: Eli Rogers, DC @ NY
FLEX: Flynn Nagel, DAL @ LA
FLEX: Nick Holley, HOU @ STL
DEF: Tampa Bay Vipers @ SEA

DraftKings Cash Lineup

QB: Jordan Ta’amu, STL @ HOU
RB: Lance Dunbar, DAL @ LA
WR: Nelson Spruce, LA @ DAL
WR: Eli Rogers, DC @ NY
FLEX: Daniel Williams, TB @ SEA
FLEX: Nick Holley, HOU @ STIL
DEF: Tampa Bay Vipers @ SEA

FanDuel GPP Lineup (Sat-Sun)

QB: Cardale Jones, DC @ NY
RB: Kenneth Farrow, SEA @ TB
WR/TE: Nelson Spruce, LA @ DAL
WR/TE: Eli Rogers, DC @ NY
FLEX: Reece Horn, TB @ SEA
FLEX: Nick Holley, HOU @ STL

FanDuel Cash Lineup (Sat-Sun)

QB: Jordan Ta’amu, STL @ HOU
RB: Lance Dunbar, DAL @ LA
WR/TE: Dan Williams, TB @ SEA
WR/TE: Eli Rogers, DC @ NY
FLEX: Mekale McKay, NY @ DC
FLEX: Reece Horn, TB @ SEA

FanDuel (Saturday only)

QB: Cardale Jones, DC @ NY
RB: Kenneth Farrow, SEA @ TB
WR/TE: Daniel Williams, TB @ SEA
WR/TE: Eli Rogers DC @ NY
FLEX: Joe Horn, NY @ DC
FLEX: Nick Truesdell, TB @ SEA

FanDuel (Sunday only)

QB: Landry Jones, DAL @ LA
RB: Lance Dunbar, DAL @ LA
WR/TE: Nelson Spruce, LA @ DAL
WR/TE: Flynn Nagel, DAL @ LA
FLEX: De’Mornay Pierson-El, STL @ HOU
FLEX: Nick Holley, HOU @ STL