Welcome to the 2026 NFL DFS Week 2 RB Coach article! Other than disappointing performances from NFL DFS RBs  Rico Dowdle and Omarion Hampton, Week 1 was a profitable one for the NFL DFS RB coach. We’re probably not going to feature Dowdle in NFL DFS lineups for the short term since it seems he’s stuck in a 50/50 timeshare with Jaylen Warren. Hampton, who was our pick of the week, will almost certainly bounce back, but the fact that he wasn’t targeted in the Chargers’ passing game, lost a fumble, and didn’t take the Chargers’ only goal-line carry in Week, is obviously concerning. 

Let’s see if the NFL DFS Week 2 RB coach can learn from their mistakes, like fading Ashon Jeanty, and build on the overall momentum enjoyed last week. There are several NFL DFS Week 2 RBs who can help us make some cash ahead of this week’s kickoff! Let’s dive in and create some winning NFL DFS lineups!

 

NFL DFS Week 2 RB Coach for FanDuel and DraftKings Fantasy

As we take a closer look at the NFL DFS RB Week 2 Rankings on both the FanDuel (FD) and DraftKings (DK) platforms, we find that Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson are at the top as usual. It’s also interesting to note that Chase Brown’s DK $6,900 salary is $200 less than it was in Week 1. Despite having had a productive Week 1, DK anticipates that Brown will have a tough time against a very good Texans run defense. Brown’s Week 2 FD salary does not take his tough matchup into consideration. His $7,600 FD salary is $100 more than last week’s salary.

 

 

 

NFL Week 2 Running Backs

As we all review the latest RB-related news and trends before we make our NFL DFS Week 2 RB picks, it should be noted that Patriots NFL DFS RB TreVeyon Henderson, who was inactive in Week 1 due to an ankle injury, did return to practice this week. It looks like he’ll be active against the Steelers in Week 2.

Saints NFL DFS RB Alvin Kamara, who was inactive in Week 1 due to a knee injury, was also a full participant in practice on Wednesday and is trending towards playing against the Ravens in Week 2. 

Keep an eye on the availability of Bears NFL DFS RBs D’Andre Swift (knee/ankle) and Kyle Monangai (hamstring) heading into Week 2. Both were limited in practice this week.

Make sure to keep on top of all the latest NFL injury news as it happens by reading Fantasy Alarm’s NFL Injury Report.

 

NFL DFS RB Top Tier Picks for Week 2

Derrick Henry, Ravens

DraftKings: $7,200 | FanDuel: $8,700 

Vintage is a good adjective to use when describing Henry. He’s on the older edge of the spectrum when it comes to NFL DFS RBs and could be described as vintage from that perspective. Vintage can also be used to describe his Week 1 performance against the Colts, in which he rushed for 144 yards (6.0 YPC) and scored three touchdowns. Henry showed all the naysayers that he’s still got plenty of gas left in the tank, and he has a favorable matchup against the Saints that puts him close to the top of the NFL DFS RB Rankings for Week 2.

Saquon Barkley, Eagles

DraftKings: $7,000 | FanDuel: $8,300 

Barkley’s DK and FD salary puts him at the lower end of the top tier NFL DFS RBs ahead of Week 2. He only had 15 carries in Week 1, but Barkley averaged 5.5 YPC against the Commanders in large part due to a game-breaking 42-yard run. Other than that run, he only averaged 2.9 YPC. However, he still possesses the type of explosiveness and ability to break tackles that should help him be a top NFL DFS Week 2 RB pick against a Titans team that gave up 4.43 YPC to Jets NFL DFS RBs in Week 1.

 

 

 

NFL DFS RB Mid-Tier Picks for NFL Week 2

Ashton Jeanty, Raiders

DraftKings: $6,800 | FanDuel: $7,700 

We avoided using Jeanty in our Week 1 NFL DFS lineups due to concerns about the potential lingering effects from his preseason ankle injury. However, based on his Week 1 production it appears that his ankle feels just fine. Jeanty ran for 102 yards (4.4 YPC), and as the Raiders’ leading receiver, he caught all six of his targets, including two receiving touchdowns against the Dolphins. With the Raiders' improved offensive line and their determination to run the ball more often this season (they ran the ball 55.22% of the time in Week 1), Jeanty is poised to have a big game against the Chargers in Week 2. 

David Montgomery, Texans

DraftKings: $6,500 | FanDuel: $7,000 

Montgomery scored 26.1 DK fantasy points and 27.39 FD fantasy points in Week 1 by doing what he always does. That is, finding the end zone. His 3.0 YPC was pedestrian at best, but he managed to punch in two rushing TDs and added a receiving TD as well. His matchup against the Bengals makes him an NFL DFS Week 2 RB Pick who has an opportunity to find the end zone for a second straight week. The Bengals gave up 4.61 YPC to NFL DFS RBs as well as eight receptions to the position in Week 1. 

Kyren Williams, Rams

DraftKings: $6,400 | FanDuel: $7,800 

Despite concerns that Williams’ RB handcuff, Blake Corum, would play a larger role in the Rams’ run offense, Williams played 63.9% of the team’s offensive snaps in Week1 compared to 23% for Corum. Williams has a good matchup against the Giants in Week 2. They gave up 26 PPR fantasy points per game to NFL DFS RBs in 2025 and continued to be very friendly to the position in Week 1 against the Cowboys. Javonte Williams scored 24.2 DK fantasy points and 21.7 FD fantasy points and scored a receiving and rushing TD against the Giants last week. The Rams head into Week 2 having had almost two weeks to stew over losing to the 49ers in Week 1 and will likely take advantage of a Giants run defense that still needs improving. As the Rams’ RB1, Williams will be an NFL DFS Week 2 RB pick who will take advantage of that game plan.

 

NFL Week 2 DFS RB Value Picks 

Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Commanders

DraftKings: $5,500 | FanDuel: $6,000 

Croskey-Merritt has a favorable matchup against a Cowboys run defense that gave up 29.3 PPR fantasy points in Week 1 to Giants NFL DFS RBs. Despite preseason concerns that Rachaad White would cut into his workload, Croskey-Merritt was the Commanders' early-down back and managed to rush for a Week 1 TD. Look for him to handle the early-down snaps again in Week 2 and for Croskey-Merritt to build upon his previous success against the Cowboys. He rushed for 105 yards (9.5 YPC) and scored two touchdowns against “America’s Team” in Week 17 last season. 

Aaron Jones, Vikings

DraftKings: $5,100 | FanDuel: $5,900

Jones Sr. may not be an exciting NFL DFS Week 2 RB pick, but with Jordan Mason heading to the IR, he’ll likely be handling the bulk of the backfield workload for the Vikings this week. He has what appears to be a good matchup against a Bears defense that gave up 33.7 PPR fantasy points to Panthers NFL DFS RBs in Week 1. Jones Sr. has a long history of success in 17 career games against the Bears, which includes scoring 14 total TDs and a career 4.73 YPC average.

 

 

 

NFL DFS RB Fade for Week 2

Christian McCaffrey, 49ers

DraftKings: $8,000 | FanDuel: $9,000 

Based on his DK and FD pricing, McCaffrey is close to the top of the Week 2 NFL DFS RB Rankings on both platforms, and after he only scored 13.8 DK fantasy points and 11.3 fantasy points, he might not provide NFL DFS players with a good return on their investment in Week 2. The 49ers dominated the Rams in Week 1, and that led to CMC playing just 55.4% of the team’s offensive snaps. The 49ers are a huge favorite over the Dolphins, and if they jump out to a big lead, they may opt to limit CMC’s snaps in the second half, which would obviously cut into his overall fantasy production. The 49ers have claimed that they plan on cutting CMC’s workload this season. Their Week 2 matchup against the Dolphins could provide the perfect scenario for Kaelon Black, CMC’s RB handcuff, to have a big second half.

 

NFL Week 2 RB Play of the Week

Kenneth Walker, Chiefs

DraftKings: $6,500 | FanDuel: $8,000 

It appears that Walker III’s DK salary hasn’t yet taken his Monday night performance, or the fact that the Chiefs look like a team that wants to run the ball more this season into consideration. His $6,500 DK salary makes him the 12th most expensive NFL DFS Week 2 RB pick on the platform. His $8,000 FD salary, eighth among the platform’s NFL DFS RB Rankings for Week 2, seems more appropriate but still makes him an NFL DFS RB with a good chance of providing NFL DFS players with a good return on their investment. When healthy, Walker III is borderline matchup-proof, and the Colts, his Week 2 opponent, have already given up 144 rushing yards to Derrick Henry in Week 1.