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Week 2 of the NFL season is underway and the Sunday night football showdown slate features the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks! This game has a 44.0 over/under with the Seahawks being favored by 4 points.
In this article, I will be providing you with daily fantasy football picks on FanDuel and DraftKings for Sunday Night Football on September 20th, 2020 (Week 2). These lineups can vary from higher-priced players and elite options to lower-priced players and value picks on FanDuel. Lineup construction can differ greatly from FanDuel to DraftKings with the biggest difference being the Captain and MVP slots. On DK, you'll pay 1.5x the salary of a player in order to roster them as your captain while the price doesn't change on FanDuel.
If you have any questions you can follow me on Twitter @jorgepucks and fire away, or sign up for a premium RotoBaller NFL package and chat with myself and other NFL DFS analysts any time you'd like! Now let's break this slate down and make some cash as we get ready for the full Sunday slate of games!
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DFS Quarterbacks
The quarterback position features some of the higher upside quarterbacks throughout the league. Both Russell Wilson and Cam Newton have proven that they can make plays with both their arms and their legs which makes this matchup so intriguing. Cam Newton was heavily involved in all facets of the offensive gameplan for the Patriots in week 1. He had 19 total passing attempts and completed 15 for 155 yards but his involvement on the ground game is what really stands out. He carries the rock 15 times for 75 yards while scoring twice which shows us the Patriots are preferring to grind it out with Newton and company.
Russell Wilson had himself a monster week 1 but did most of his work through the air. Looking back at his week 1 performance, Wilson completed 31 of 35 passes for 322 yards and 4 touchdowns. Wilson has one of the best arms in the league and it seems as if Seattle is willing to open up the passing playbook with the weapons that Wilson now has. While Bill Belichek has always been known for defensively scheming for the opposing team's best offensive weapon, it is truly hard to gameplan for a talent like Wilson.
Summary: Both QBs are viable in tournaments and stacking them together to be different. Both make viable captain/MVP choices with Wilson being a better option in cash games while Newton draws lower ownership in tournament lineups.
DFS Running Backs
The running back tandems on both teams are really hard to gauge with just one week in the books. We know that Chris Carson is the main feature back for the Seahawks but he actually saw fewer rushing attempts than Carlos Hyde. While it was only one rushing attempt that separated the two, Carson was heavily involved in the passing game as he hauled in six catches on six targets for 45 yards and two scores. If there is a running back to target in this game for a captain standpoint, it would be Carson.
The Patriots are always tough to figure out when it comes to their running back situation. They have a plethora of backs that they love to use so it is tough to fully rely on one to do most of the work. Sony Michel saw more carries in week 1 against the Dolphins but James White is more involved in the passing game. From a game script standpoint, it wouldn't be a surprise if Seattle got up on the Patriots which phases out Michel and only allows for more playing time for James White. Another thing to remember, Cam Newton had the highest rushing attempts for New England so if you decide to roster Newton, you will also be grabbing a big piece of their rushing attack as well.
Summary: Carson is the safest back on the slate for cash. Hyde is $3,400 which is great value for tournament lineups. White is the preferred back for cash games with his involvement in the passing game while Michel is better off in tournaments.
DFS Wide Receivers
The receiving group is really an interesting group to look at on this showdown slate. One the Seattle side of things, there are two known commodities in Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf. They saw the most snaps in game 1 (61 Metcalf, 58 Lockett) and were each targeted eight times throughout the game. Both of them offer tremendous floors as they are the main receiving options in this offense and see large volumes in terms of targets. If looking for a lower owned tournament plays from Seattle David Moore and Phillip Dorsett are both cheaper options that can play a role if the Patriots Defense decides to go all out and shutting down Metcalf and Lockett. Dorsett is dealing with an injury so this situation will need to be monitored before kickoff.
The Patriots really focused on the ground game in their win against Miami so it was tough to really gauge who would be Cam's go-to receiving targets. The obvious and well know receiving option for the Patriots is Julian Edleman who is the safest option in the Patriots passing game. In his first game with Newton under center, Edelman saw seven targets and hauled in five of those for 57 yards. In 2019-2020, Edelman held a 24.7% target share and in week 1 of the 2020 season, Edelman held a 36.8% target share. While this number is not sustainable, we can anticipate him staying involved in the offense and getting his own each and every week. Outside of Edelman, N'Keal Harry is a viable tournament option that saw six targets in the opening week and is reasonably priced at 7,800. Damiere Byrd is a low-floor tournament option as he saw the most snaps out of all of the New England receivers but did not see any targets himself. With the high-snap count, he is worthy of a look for tournament lineups in hopes he is able to get some targets thrown his way.
Summary: DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett are the two safest receivers when it comes to targets so they are viable for both cash and tournament builds. If healthy and good to go, Edelman has one of the best floors on the slate and is great for cash games as well. David Moore, N'Keal Harry and Damiere Byrd are all viable tournament options at lower price points that can open up your roster construction.
DFS Tight Ends
The tight end position is not fantastic on this showdown slate and will be more viable in tournament builds than cash game builds. The Seahawks added tight end veteran Greg Olsen in the offseason who would be the main tight end option to focus on for this slate. Once considered a top-5 receiving tight end in the league, age and injuries have slowed Olsen down a bit but he can still be a solid floor type of player for Seattle. He saw four targets in week 1 and even recorded a receiving touchdown but with the other offensive weapons that Seattle has, it will be tough for Olsen to once dominate like he used to.
New England is a team in transition and while they relied heavily on tight ends in the past, it seems as if they are looking elsewhere for their production. The lone Patriot tight end that saw the most action was Ryan Izzo who saw 98% of snaps in week 1. While he saw plenty of action, the target number was less than desirable as he only saw two targets and hauled in one of those for 25 yards.
Summary: Olsen provides a solid floor that is viable for cash games. Izzo is dirt cheap and worth consideration in tournaments.
DFS Defense/Special Teams
It seems as if the offenses are ahead of the defenses so far in the early portion of the NFL season. With no pre-season games, defenses are still trying to gel together as units which are resulting in higher scores from opposing offenses. Seattle allowed over 400 passing yards to Atlanta in week 1 but only 72 rushing yards. The Patriots combined for 217 rushing yards in week 1 against Miami while passing for a league-low of 140 yards. If Seattle can contain the Patriots rushing attack, that will put pressure on Newton to beat the Seahawks secondary with his arm and unproven receiving corps. On the flip side, the New England defense was able to limit the Dolphins offense as a whole and generate three interceptions. With it being a much tougher task this week against the Seahawks, it is better to fade the Patriots defense against a Seahawks offense that looks to be in mid-season form.
The kickers for both squads look to be tournament options only with giving a slight edge to Jason Myers. The Seahawks have a better overall offense and should be able to have better field positioning throughout the game which means more opportunities from a field goal standpoint.
Summary: With the Seahawks at home and the lack of receiving options for the Patriots, the Seattle defense gets the edge on the slate. Jason Myers is the better kicking option but both kickers remain as tournament options.
Good luck, RotoBallers, and remember to mix it up and don't be afraid to be different in these large field GPPs on opening night!
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