The Dallas Cowboys running back room was one of the more intriguing storylines for daily Fantasy football players to monitor when forming NFL DFS lineups entering the 2024 NFL season. Would Ezekiel Elliott, who spent his first seven seasons in Dallas before playing for the Patriots last season, immediately return as the dominant running back, or was Rico Dowdle ready to emerge as the starter? With Dallas leading the NFL in scoring last season, having a Cowboys running back in NFL DFS lineups could be a profitable NFL DFS strategy.
In Week 1, Elliott played four more snaps than Dowdle and was on the field for 51% of snaps. Elliott had 12 touches, including 10 rushes, and Dowdle had nine. Should you expect a similar split usage when the Cowboys play the Saints for Week 2 NFL DFS lineups? Do you want either of these Dallas running backs in Week 2 NFL DFS picks or is the better value elsewhere in the Week 2 NFL DFS player pool? Before making any NFL DFS picks for Sunday or locking in NFL DFS lineups on sites like DraftKings and FanDuel, be sure to check out SportsLine's NFL DFS lineup optimizer.
The DFS optimizer uses info from the SportsLine Advanced-Data Projection Model and DFS Professional Millionaire Mike McClure to identify top DFS picks/plays for any slate on DraftKings and FanDuel. It simulates every game 10,000 times to help DFS players optimize and build winning DraftKings and FanDuel lineups. Optimize, export, and enter lineups confidently with injury updates, floor and ceiling player projections, and Vegas lines and picks all with one winning tool.
Now, SportsLine's NFL DFS optimizer has turned its attention to Sunday's 2024 NFL Week 2 schedule and just locked in its top daily Fantasy football lineups. You can only see its optimal lineups at SportsLine.
Top NFL Week 2 DFS picks for Sunday
One of the optimizer's top DFS value picks for Sunday is Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins ($5,400 on DraftKings and $5,500 on FanDuel). The fifth-year player became an immediate workhorse for the Chargers in Week 1, racking up 139 total yards on 13 touches. He played 58% of the snaps and finished fifth among 34 qualifying running backs in missed tackles forced per attempt.
Dobbins also ran 17 routes compared to Gus Edwards' six routes, so Los Angeles appears poised to use Dobbins as the featured back. He is facing a Panthers defense that was crushed by New Orleans in Week 1, allowing the third-most rushing yards and seventh-highest yards after contact per attempt. They are going to have trouble slowing down Dobbins, who the optimizer lists as its top running back for the Sunday afternoon DFS slate. See who else to pick here.
The optimizer's NFL DFS strategy also includes rostering Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp at $7,600 on DraftKings and $7,700 on FanDuel. Kupp was the most targeted receiver in the NFL last week with 21 targets, in large part due to the injury to Puka Nacua. The Rams placed Nacua on IR and during that period, Kupp should continue to see a massive workload. Even in seasons when opposing teams knew Kupp was going to be highly targeted, it was difficult to contain him as he led the NFL in receptions (145), yards (1.947) and touchdowns (16) in 2021.
Much has been made of the "Breakfast Club" Kupp and quarterback Matthew Stafford have where they meet to watch film at 6 a.m., but those interactions do matter and translate on the field. Stafford knows he can trust Kupp because the receiver has been studying the opposing defense alongside him, which helps them have a better understanding of how to attack on game days. The two should like what they see on film this week with the Rams playing the Cardinals, who are expected to have one of the worst defenses in the NFL. Kupp had seven receptions for 148 yards and a touchdown in a game against Arizona last season and the optimizer is projecting a big game again. You can see the rest of the optimizer's NFL DFS picks here.
How to build Sunday Week 2 NFL DFS lineups
The optimizer is also targeting several other undervalued players who could explode for huge numbers on Sunday. Those players could be the difference between winning your tournaments and cash games or going home with nothing. You can only see who they are, and the rest of the optimizer's NFL DFS picks, at SportsLine.
So who is the optimizer including in its optimal NFL DFS lineups for Sunday, and which under-the-radar NFL DFS picks offer huge value? Visit SportsLine now to see optimal NFL DFS picks, rankings, advice and stacks, all from an NFL DFS optimizer that simulates every game 10,000 times, and find out.
