XFL DFS Picks for Week 2 (2023) – Build Around the Dragons and Roughnecks
I didn’t hand out any XFL DFS picks for week one due to it being such a volatile setting. There were definitely some plays I liked, while I tweeted out that fading some popular names like Martavis Bryant could be wise.
That worked out, while the first week could have been good to you in general just because nobody knew what they were doing. Things change come week two, as we have snap counts, touches, and targets to work with.
Matchups are negligible this early, so you really can only go with the data on hand, and we’ll have to make some decisions from there. With that, I have some of my top plays if you’re building XFL DFS lineups.
Brandon Silvers, QB, Houston Roughnecks ($8.6k)
Week one wasn’t amazing for offenses, but Silvers led one of the more explosive units in Houston. He finished week one with the third most fantasy points at the quarterback position, too.
In all, he took to the air a solid 42 times and put up 272 passing yards with two scores, good for 16.9 fantasy points. He could have had a bigger day, but he also tossed two picks.
Silvers isn’t flashy and he’s not going to add anything as a runner, but he’s in a great system, and he has some nice talent around him. More specifically, he made good use of Deontay Burnett almost immediately.
I used him last week, and he comes into week two with the fifth highest salary among the eight starting passers.
I see no reason not to go back to the well here. Silvers was somewhat chalky in week one, but this looks like good chalk to me. You can also look to the top two passers from week one (Luis Perez and AJ McCarron), but I’ll just take the savings for a very similar option.
Kalen Ballage, RB, San Antonio Brahmas ($7.1k)
Running back is going to be tough to gauge all season, I think. Instead of make it harder than it has to be, I’ll go ahead and just trust the combination of snaps and touches and ride with Ballage.
He very well could be uber chalky this week, but he’s not priced high enough for the volume he gets you.
Here’s what he got done for XFL DFS managers in week one:
- 53% snap count
- 23 carries
- 3 catches
- 97 total yards
- 12.7 fantasy points
The workload was monstrous. I’d imagine his snap count could tick up a bit from here, but a guy getting fed the rock like that can’t go ignored.
Just imagine what his stat line will look like when he finally scores a touchdown or two. The efficiency could be better, but I’ll hop on that volume and hope for the best.
De’Veon Smith, RB, Arlington Renegades ($5.7k)
I don’t think you need to play more than one running back in a league like this, but I’m curious to see if it might be the contrarian approach most weeks.
To be fair, just five running backs mustered double digit carries in week one, though. That suggests this is a pass-friendly league, and stacking rushers isn’t in our best interest.
Of course, Smith was one of two backs with 15+ carries in week one, and he also adds value after seeing three targets through the air, too.
Smith may still go overlooked, as his workload only equated to 8.7 fantasy points in week one. He’s also saving us some salary. I will probably prioritize the safer Ballage between the two, but if his ownership comes in low, I have no issue pairing these guys together.
Martavis Bryant, WR, Vegas Vipers ($8.2k)
Something that helped me cash last week was fading Bryant and playing Pearson from Seattle in his place. This week, I may very well do the exact opposite.
Name recognition and week one results could make Josh Gordon a priority spend, while Pearson and a few other receivers are sure to garner interest. Almost by default, the explosive Bryant could end up going low-owned.
Bryant’s still pretty expensive, after all.
While true, Bryant was a down-field stud in the NFL, and he still was extremely active to start the season.
- 93% of snaps played
- 8 targets
Bryant didn’t do enough with his time on the field; that much is certain. However, his team clearly wants him out there, and it’s only a matter of time before his talent wins out.
I think it’s very possible we see that happen in week two, and recency bias may drive his ownership down after a disappointing first week.
Travell Harris, WR, Houston Roughnecks ($5.9k)
Another contrarian play I like for my week 2 XFL DFS picks is Harris, who was third in line for the Roughnecks at wide receiver.
Deontay Burnett and Jontre Kirklin both out-performed him, but he still played 80% of the snaps and actually tied Burnett for the team lead with 11 targets.
If you go back and watch his college tape, the guy gets open and is super reliable.
The same guys aren’t going to ball out every single game. Burnett is the more talented option, but Harris getting that many balls his way (and likely being a fraction of the ownership) has to be on our radar.
If you’re entering loads of lineups, you’ll still want plenty of the guys who wrecked last week. However, if you’re shrinking your player pool, consider fading some of the obvious options for guys like Harris.
San Antonio Brahmas Defense ($4k)
Lastly, you’ll want to use a viable team defense. I won’t pretend to have a really hard lean one way or the other, but the Brahmas grace my week two XFL DFS picks largely due to price and matchup.
San Antonio only has the fifth most expensive price tag, and they get a possibly mouth-watering matchup against the Orlando Guardians.
Orlando’s offense was putrid to start the season, scoring just 12 points in a game where starting quarterback Paxton Lynch got benched. He even made history in the process.
I’d almost prefer Lynch still gets the starting nod here, but backup Quinten Dormady tossed two picks in less than a half of play in week one.
Ultimately, I don’t trust Orlando’s quarterbacks, nor their inexperienced coaching. I think they’re a good team to exploit most weeks, while this also allows me to stack my defense with my favorite running back play of the slate.
Hopefully my XFL DFS picks for week two can lead you to some winnings. Even if my top plays don’t win you money, perhaps my analysis makes things clearer one way or another.
Good luck this week!
Writer at Daily Fantasy Fade
DFS Keanu has been covering fantasy sports, DFS, and props for the better part of a decade, all while fighting The Matrix and a litany of assassins.
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