Week 2 Fantasy Football DFS Lineup: Building Around Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley

DFS lineups tell a lot about the fantasy owner creating them. Do you prefer running backs or receivers? Do you like a top quarterback who could lead the league in points or the cheap option with a good matchup to save money at the most bountiful position? Your DFS lineup often matches up with how you draft.

For me, that always means a focus on running backs, so I like to build out at least one lineup based around stud RBs every week. Last week, that lineup was structured around Christian McCaffrey and Bijan Robinson, two guys who combined for 266 total yards.

Let's look at a Week 2 DFS lineup built around the two most expensive running backs available on Sunday with some cuts/value picks at other positions. This is based on a DraftKings nine-player lineup with a $50,000 salary cap.

Also, check out another DFS lineup built the opposite way, with strong players at every position and discount running backs.

Use the FantasySP target, touch, and snap tool to keep up with which players are getting the most usage on each team and could be primed for a breakout.

Quarterback

• Drake Maye, New England Patriots @ Miami Dolphins

Maye might have the best matchup of the week if the first games are any indication. Miami was beaten down by Daniel Jones and the Colts, allowing 272 yards on 9.4 per attempt and a touchdown through the air and another 26 yards and two TDs to Jones on the ground.

Maye is a better thrower of the football than Jones, but he has a similar profile in that he will run the ball. After 287 inefficient passing yards last week and just 11 rushing yards, Maye is positioned to have a better fantasy day against Miami.

Running Backs

• Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles @ Kansas City Chiefs
• Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens vs. Cleveland Browns

Here we go with our studs. There's not a lot of arguing that they are two of the top fantasy players in football. You could replace either with a few other guys, including Jahmyr Gibbs, Robinson, or McCaffrey, but you won't find too many arguments that Barkley and Henry are fit for the job.

Even with potentially tougher matchups here, both Barkley and Henry have proven to be matchup-proof, able to be deployed against any team because of their own prowess and the quality of the team around them.

Wide Receiver

• Keon Coleman, Buffalo Bills @ New York Jets
• Travis Hunter, Jacksonville Jaguars @ Cincinnati Bengals
• D.J. Moore, Chicago Bears @ Detroit Lions

After spending so much on the running backs, we take a little discount again at wide receiver, focusing on guys who could be considered the top option on their respective teams but who also fight for targets with several other players.

The Bills pass-catching hierarchy is more of an enigma than most other successful teams, but Coleman led the group in Week 1 with eight catches on 11 targets for 112 yards and a touchdown. Against a Jets defense that got carved up by Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers last week, I like Coleman's chances of succeeding again, particularly if he is Buffalo's weekly WR1.

Hunter is the second option behind Brian Thomas Jr., but the rookie led the team in Week 1 with eight targets and six receptions (though he only gained 33 yards). While Thomas had seven targets, he only caught one for 11 yards. Hunter has a bit of a lower floor but also a high ceiling given his status as the second overall pick.

Moore would seem to be the de facto WR1 for Chicago, but there was a lot of buzz this offseason that Rome Odunze would take that spot over. Moore caught three passes for 68 yards in Week 1, while Odunze was at six for 37 yards and a touchdown. While Odunze got more volume, Moore was more efficient. There will likely be some back-and-forth between the two from game to game, and I feel good counting on Moore at a modest price. In two games against Detroit last season, he combined for 15 receptions and 165 yards with a touchdown.

Tight End

• Brenton Strange, Jacksonville Jaguars @ Cincinnati Bengals

Strange was one of my favorite streamers for Week 1 because of a good matchup against the Panthers, and he ended up with four catches for 59 yards, the latter leading the team. If he could have caught the touchdown that his backup, Hunter Long, did, it would have been a very good fantasy day.

Cincinnati allowed more fantasy points to tight ends than any other team last season, and in Week 1, they allowed David Njoku and Harold Fannin Jr. to combine for 10 catches and 100 yards. There's some nice PPR potential here and maybe another shot at the end zone against a team who struggled against the position last year.

Flex

• Travis Etienne Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars @ Cincinnati Bengals

This could have been a number of other running backs and receivers, including D'Andre Swift of the Bears or Jameson Williams of the Lions. The final spot in the lineup can be hard to pick because there are SO many possibilities, so you have to go with your gut and pick the guy who has the combination of volume and matchup that makes you feel good about his fantasy chances.

Choosing Etienne gives me three Jaguars, which I'm not super stoked about, but I see them having a friendly matchup here in a game that should be much more competitive than Week 1 against the Panthers. Etienne was also anointed king of the Jacksonville backfield, having accumulated 16 carries and 143 yards last week. Add in pass-catching prowess, and Etienne looks like a nice flex player at a cheaper price than our star backs.

Defense/Special Teams

• Arizona Cardinals vs. Carolina Panthers

It's always about matchup for me at the D/ST spot, both when I draft and play DFS. Defensive fantasy performance varies greatly from week to week, and the best bet is usually finding the worst offensive teams to go after. Carolina is one of those teams.

There was hope after a better finish to 2024 and an offseason spent adding a few more pieces, but Week 1 looked like the same old Panthers, as they gained just 154 passing yards on 4.4 yards per attempt, had less than 300 total yards, and turned the ball over three times (two interceptions and a Bryce Young fumble).

Arizona has a nice collection of defensive talent, and while they didn't put up a huge fantasy Week 1 over the Saints, they did hold New Orleans to just 13 points. With another good matchup here, the Cardinals have a high floor again and the chance at a good day if they can find a turnover or two.