DraftKings' Arena Football League (AFL) contests are back in Week 2 with a two-game Saturday slate. Rotowire will be providing lineup suggestions for each of the 12 weeks of the AFL regular season, the two weeks of the playoffs and the ArenaBowl.
DraftKings AFL lineups consist of one Captain spot, which sees the player's salary and fantasy points both multiply at a rate of 1.5x, and five Flex positions. The lack of positional specifications means that one could potentially compose a lineup consisting of players from just one position. However, for our purposes, we'll strive to highlight players from at least the top two fantasy-producing positions, quarterback and wide receiver.
Note: Please keep in mind that these are merely recommendations on certain players and are not intended to constitute a lineup that fits under DraftKings' $50,000 salary cap. In fact, the cumulative salary of the players suggested weekly will often check in well over that figure.
For a full overview of the basics of playing AFL DFS contests on DraftKings, review our DFS 101 primer here: https://www.rotowire.com/arena/article.php?id=45291
Week 2 AFL Plays
Captain: Arvell Nelson, QB, WAS at ALB ($15,300):
Nelson makes for a high-upside choice in the Captain's spot in Week 2 after eviscerating the Brigade for eight touchdown passes and 391 passing yards in Week 1. This week, he'll get a crack at an Albany squad that did an impressive job against Columbus in the opener, but that sees a major bump in competition this week. Nelson's status as perhaps the AFL's most prolific quarterback is supported by the fact he compiled 131 touchdown passes and over 6,500 yards between the 2016 and 2017 seasons, following those numbers up with a 27:7 TD:INT during a partial campaign in 2018 that culminated in an ArenaBowl win. With the Empire sporting plenty of offensive firepower in its own right, Nelson could well have to remain aggressive throughout the contest, leading to a potentially explosive output.
Flex: Dezmon Epps, WR, WAS at ALB ($9,800):
Epps was Nelson's favorite target in Week 1, with the rookie impressively hauling in half of the quarterback's aforementioned eight touchdown throws. The speedster paced the team in both receptions (nine) and receiving yardage (201) and it appears he'll be given every opportunity to serve as Nelson's go-to deep threat in the early portion of the season. Albany's secondary allowed Columbus' lead receiver, Anthony Amos, a 7-98 line in Week 1 despite very spotty quarterback play, leaving one to wonder what could be with Nelson targeting Epps downfield Saturday.
Flex: Tommy Grady, QB, ALB vs. WAS ($8,600):
Grady's exploits were somewhat overshadowed by Nelson's on the AFL quarterback landscape in Week 1, but the reigning AFL MVP was impressive himself. He totaled four touchdown passes on his way to 24.1 fantasy points, and his overall numbers were arguably capped by game script against a Columbus squad that couldn't get much going versus the Empire's defense. His arm could certainly be in for an exponential bump in work during Week 2, considering the high-powered Valor offense comes to town. As mentioned previously, Washington's Nelson threw for eight touchdowns on the night against Baltimore in the opener, and his cadre of explosive receivers should keep the pressure on the Empire to keep up. Bolstering Grady's case is the fact the Valor allowed the Brigade's Shane Boyd to throw for six touchdowns in that Week 1 contest, certainly hinting at some vulnerability.
Flex: Lamark Brown, WR, AC vs. CLB ($8,000):
Brown did all he could in Week 1 to help the Blackjacks keep up with Soul. The veteran generated an impressive 8-90-3 line that equated to an impressive 34.0 fantasy points. He displayed his versatility and rapport with quarterback Randy Hippeard by snagging touchdown grabs of nine, 38 and 14 yards, and his reception, receiving yardage and touchdown totals all paced Atlantic City. The savvy Brown has a multi-season track record of AFL success, and his Week 1 performance clearly indicates he has Hippeard's trust. While his price is elevated, the volume he could see against a Columbus team that yielded four passing touchdowns in Week 1 makes him worthy of GPP consideration.
Flex: Malachi Jones, QB, ALB vs. WAS ($6,600):
Unsurprisingly, Jones hit the ground running in the opener after spending eight weeks earlier this spring in a de facto preseason with the Alliance of American Football's Atlanta Legends. The speedster was a target monster on the day, logging a team-high 11 receptions for 94 yards, including a 24-yard touchdown grab. He'll now take aim at a Valor defense that allowed six passing touchdowns to the Brigade in the opener, including three to Jones' No. 1 receiver counterpart in Baltimore, Joe Hills. Jones should be locked in for plenty of work once again in a game that could well turn into a scoreboard-busting shootout, considering the two quarterbacks in the contest combined for 12 touchdown passes in Week 1.
Flex: Josh Reese, WR, WAS at ALB ($6,200):
Reese makes for an intriguing value play in Week 2 after posting 27.7 fantasy points in the opener versus the Brigade on the strength of a 7-87-2 line. The 28-year-old showed vast improvement last season by posting a 67-750-10 line, lending credence to the notion he's amply capable of churning out production the likes of Week 1 on a consistent basis. Reese drew the start alongside Epps and Jordan Dangerfield versus Baltimore, and the same should hold for the Week 2 matchup versus an Empire defense that should be significantly more challenged by the Valor's high-octane attack than they were in their first game against the Destroyers.
