As NFL DFS players who can’t get enough of Showdown contests, you have to love it when the NFL schedule-makers not only give us a Monday Night Football double-header but also have one of the most explosive early-season matchups. NFL DFS Week 2 is punctuated with the high-flying Philadelphia Eagles hosting one of the most prolific offenses in that of the Minnesota Vikings. The game total of 50 should tell you everything you need to know about the projected scoring, but with so many fantastic, marquee options from which to choose, building a winning DFS lineup is going to take some shrewd thinking to go along with some obvious chalk plays.
MVP/Captain
Jalen Hurts, QB, PHI
He’s the perfect example of a good quarterback being great in fantasy and, as such, warrants a spot atop your lineups. Hurts rushed for 90 yards and a touchdown last week and has that rushing element that elevates the floor of any mobile quarterback. The pass-rush of the Vikings is underrated but effective, so look for Hurts to get flushed out of the pocket often and increase his chances of adding more rushing yards. To be truly effective, though, he is going to need to step up the passing game. If this one turns into a shootout, that should be on full display tonight.
Kirk Cousins, QB, MIN
He is easily one of the more underrated quarterbacks in the fantasy realm but will continue to turn heads this season with Kevin O’Connell’s new pass-heavy scheme. The Eagles did a fine job defending against the pass last week when they played the Lions, but this Vikings attack is at a whole other level. Cousins will have a supportive ground game to help open up the play-action and once that starts, look out! It’s going to be a fun one out there.
Justin Jefferson, WR, MIN
We’re going to get to the point this year where we don’t even need to do write-ups for Jefferson. He is beyond elite and is working in a system that features him. And did you see how open he got throughout the game last week? Darius Slay in coverage or not, this guy is a must for your lineups.
A.J. Brown, WR, PHI
The Eagles wanted Hurts to be a better passer, so they got him a phenomenal weapon in Brown. He turned 13 targets into 10 catches for 155 yards last week and will be looking to build off that tonight. Minnesota’s secondary is decent, but it is also very much a work in progress. Brown will find the separation he needs to succeed tonight and once these two teams start trading haymakers, he’ll be peppered with targets.
Mid-Tier
Dalvin Cook, RB, MIN
The Eagles were gouged for 181 rushing yards last week by the Lions, so expect O’Connell to game plan for a heavy dose of Cook tonight. I expect the Vikings to always be a pass-heavy team, but O’Connell knows that his passing attack can be even more effective coming out of play-action. Cook should see a strong complement of carries tonight and can never be overlooked in the DFS space. Don’t be surprised to see him break the goal-line plane for the first time this season.
Miles Sanders, RB, PHI
He saw more than 50 percent of the snaps out of the backfield last week and turned 13 carries into 96 yards and his first touchdown since 2020. Sanders works beautifully in this RPO-heavy scheme and should remain a fixture on the field as the Eagles look to maintain a well-balanced attack. People were undervaluing Sanders coming into the season, but expect him to continue to turn heads. The Vikings gave up 111 rushing yards during Week 1’s blowout of the Packers, so there is some serious vulnerability here.
Adam Thielen, WR, MIN
He’s not the Thielen of old and he plays in the shadow of Jefferson, but he is incredibly reliable and — as he continues to work his way back from the ankle issues that plagued him all of last season — we should see improved results on the field. As defenses start to key in more on Jefferson, like we should see tonight, more targets should open up for Thielen, including inside the red zone.
DeVonta Smith, WR, PHI
It was a bit of a vanishing act for Smith last week, as Brown took center stage and never lost the attention of Hurts. But that isn’t going to always be the case and people need to be wary of that. He should make for a nice contrarian play in your DFS lineups as most will be focused on Brown and the Vikings pass-catchers. James Bradberry is not the cover-corner he once was, and he may have trouble keeping pace with Smith’s speed.
Dallas Goedert, TE, PHI
The Eagles still love their 2-TE sets, but Goedert is not the guy they want tethered to the line. He’s too good of a pass-catcher and once the Vikings start floating their safety towards Brown, the middle of the field should open up. Goedert against a linebacker without safety help sounds like a recipe for fantasy deliciousness over the middle of the field.
K.J. Osborn, WR, MIN
When the Vikings move to their 3-receiver sets, it’s Osborn who shines brightest. He can be very elusive coming out of the slot and should be able to gain separation from Avonte Maddox. You can’t expect a lot of targets, but if you are trying to differentiate yourself from the rest of the pack, Osborn’s 2 red-zone targets last week should have your attention.
Kenneth Gainwell, RB, PHI
He makes for a decent change-of-pace back for the Eagles and does a good job as a pass-catcher out of the backfield. The focus here should be on the red zone work, as he saw 2 of his 5 rushes inside the 10-yard line and one of his receiving targets inside the five. He’s a solid contrarian play for the price, so if you are heavily invested in Minnesota’s top guns, he could be a nice salary-saver.
Irv Smith Jr., TE, MIN
Big Irv is making his way back from late-summer thumb surgery but is 100 percent now and becomes a fantastic red-zone target for Cousins. His frame and ability to gain separation from slow-footed linebackers could be on display inside the endzone tonight, so if you’re looking for a pay-down with some scoring upside, he’s your guy.
Dart Throws
Jalen Reagor, WR, MIN
O’Connell loves getting in his 4-receiver sets to spread the defense, and while Reagor wasn’t targeted at all last week, that could change as everyone loves a good revenge-game narrative. Maybe he even returns a punt for a touchdown tonight. They scored that in DFS, too, you know!
Boston Scott, RB, PHI
He gets the call every now and then when the team is in need of a speedy scat-back. It’s more of a situational thing, so it’s tough to pinpoint exactly when he will be used, but if the Eagles need a little speed coming out of an RPO play, Scott could get some touches — even near the goal-line.
For additional NFL DFS Week 2 coverage, check out our full coverage on Fantasy Alarm
Pickswise is the home of free NFL Picks and NFL Odds. Check out the latest NFL Prop Bets and NFL Parlays as well as expert NFL Underdog Picks and NFL Computer Picks.
