DraftKings XFL Picks Week 2: Best DFS lineup advice for daily fantasy football tournaments
We didn’t have much success in Week 1 of the XFL season in DFS, but that wasn’t a huge shock given all the unknowns. Our lineup for the main list, led by Dragons’ WR Josh Gordon (19.4) and the Roughnecks D/ST (19), only scored 88.68 DraftKings points, but the good news is we have a new week, to learn from our mistakes and create a DraftKings roster for Week 2. The main roster begins Thursday at 9pm ET between the Battlehawks and the Dragons (FX).
For XFL DFS, please remember that the main roster only has four games and live scoring for the competitions may be delayed. According to DraftKings, all stats after each game match the official XFL rating. Another notable difference between NFL and XFL DFS is that individual DFS players only need to worry about filling seven positions, not eight. However, the salary cap remains at $50,000.
Before we break down all of our picks, here are the most notable judging rules for XFL DraftKings competitions: Four point overtaking TDs, Six point rushing touchdowns, Three point bonus for 100 rushing yards, 100 receiving yards, and 300 meters past.
DraftKings Picks Week 2: XFL DFS Lineup for GPP Tournaments
Main plan for week 2 (Thursday through Sunday), budget of $50,000
QB Brandon Silvers, Roughnecks vs. Renegades ($8,600). In a week that didn’t see many great QB games in the XFL, Silvers stood out as the best, leading the Roughnecks to a 33-12 win over the Guardians. The veteran signal caller completed 26 of 42 passes for 272 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions (16.9 DraftKings points). The former Troy standout controlled the Roughnecks’ run-and-shoot/air raid hybrid offense, leading to great performances from players in certain skill positions. Silvers will face a tough defense Sunday night at the Renegades, who had two interceptions, three sacks and two defensive touchdowns against Las Vegas QB Luis Perez last week. However, we still want Silvers to play well on Sunday night as the Vipers have shown us these Renegades’ defenses are prone to giving up a big passing game.
RB Kalen Ballage, Brahmas @ Guardians ($7,100). Ballage was one of the best running backs in Week 1 alongside Max Borghi. The former Arizona State running back led the Brahmas in the backfield with 97 yards on 27 touches. The Brahams had to rely on Ballage as their offensive line was being worked on by the Battlehawks’ defensive line. We should be on the lookout for Ballage to regain the lead as the Brahmas’ identity appears to be a run-first-pass-back attack with Jack Coan in the middle. Last week the Guardians defense struggled in passing with the versatile Borghi. Now Orlando will have to face Ballage’s physical running style on Sunday afternoon.
WR/TE Deontay Burnett, Roughnecks vs Renegades ($8,500). Burnett stole the show in Week 1 as he was one of the Silvers’ favorite targets against the Guardians. The former NFL wideout had a 28.6 percent goal percentage while recording eight receptions (12 goals) for 90 yards and one touchdown (23 DK points). We should expect Burnett to play a part in Sunday night’s game against the Renegades’ stacked defense. However, the Arlington defense gave up its fair share of goals to Vipers WRs Jeff Badet (six receptions, nine targets) and Martavis Bryant (four receptions, nine targets) last week. Burnett should get his stats, along with Jontre Kirklin, who also played well in the regular season opener.
WR/TE Jahcour Pearson, Dragons vs. Battlehawks ($7,300). Although Josh Gordon made a few plays against defenders in Week 1, it was Pearson who was Ben DiNucci’s favorite receiving target. Pearson led the Dragons with 12 receptions (14 goals) for 95 yards (21.5 DraftKings points). He also had a 25 percent goal percentage and averaged 6.79 yards per goal. In June Jones’ pass-happy offense, we should expect receivers to put up some gaudy numbers. Pearson will be looking for a replay performance against the Battlehawks, who held the Brahmas’ receivers until a touchdown. At $7,300, Pearson is too hard to overlook, especially if he continues to see high volume of targets in week 2.
FLEX Sal Cannella, Renegades @ Roughnecks ($6,500). Cannella became Arlington’s number one threat in Week 7, recording seven receptions (eight goals) for 70 yards against the Vipers. Cannella failed to find the end zone in the season opener but still had 14 DraftKings points. The former USFL star also led all receivers in Week 1 with a 32 percent goal share. Cannella will be a big contributor to this week’s game against the Roughnecks, who will try to put pressure on QB Drew Plitt. Houston has a solid linebacker unit, but Cannella will still get his numbers, making this a solid flex option in Week 2.
FLEX Max Borghi, Roughnecks vs. Renegades ($8,000). After his performance in Week 1 it was only right that we included Borghi in our line-up. The former Washington State standout was one of the best players against the Guardians, producing 74 yards and a quick touchdown on 12 touches (17.4 DraftKings points). It was an impressive performance from a running back who people forget had experience in a Washington state airstrike. Arlington’s defense kept the Vipers’ offense at 25 yards in Week 1, but they didn’t face a running back like Borghi that you have to account for from the backfield.
DEF Brahmas @ Guardians ($4,000). Last week against the Battlehawks, the Brahmas’ defense played well until the final three minutes of the fourth quarter, when they conceded 15 unanswered points. Despite having last-minute defensive collapses, the Brahmas still had five sacks on AJ McCarron. Hines Ward’s crew should have better success against a Guardians offense that scored just 12 points and saw starting QB Paxton Lynch benched for Quinten Dormandy. We don’t know who will start for Orlando this week as it could be Dormandy or Deondre Francois, but that shouldn’t matter as the Guardians’ offense will be battling a Brahmas defense that snatched a win from them on the week 1.