This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Football series.
The Week 2 NFL main slate begins Sunday at 1:00 p.m. EDT and features 12 games. The entire league will be in action this week, but the Thursday Night Football (Chargers-Kansas City), Sunday Night Football (Bears-Packers) and Monday Night Football (Titans-Bills, Vikings-Eagles) participants are excluded from this slate. Yahoo will be running plenty of NFL DFS contests for Week 2, but the biggest is the Sunday Baller, which pays out a guaranteed prize pool of $500,000 to the top 5,306 finishers, including $100,000 to the winner. You can submit up to 150 entries into this contest, which has a maximum total capacity of 29,400 entries but will still run if it doesn't fill, potentially providing you with enhanced odds of winning, also known as overlay.
Playing in guaranteed prize pool (GPP) contests is about chasing upside, while lineups geared towards head-to-head, 50/50 or double-up formats should prioritize high floors. The players you want to target for these different contest types aren't mutually exclusive, but winning a GPP tournament usually requires finding a hidden gem or going against the grain in a spot or two, while building a solid base of the same chalk plays you would use anywhere. Against-the-grain plays typically consist of big-name players in tough matchups or boom-or-bust types with uncertain roles.
Keep in mind that Yahoo DFS contests use 0.5 PPR scoring rather than full PPR, which lowers the comparative value of wide receivers and running backs (in that order) while especially affecting high-volume pass-catchers. Your NFL $500k Sunday Baller lineup will consist of one QB, two RBs, three WRs, one TE, one FLEX (RB/WR/TE) and one D/ST unit. The suggested Week 2 plays include a quarterback-tight end combo from a pass-heavy offense, a formerly dominant running back who seems to be back in top form and a wide receiver in the midst of an impressive streak.
QUARTERBACK
Derek Carr, LV vs. ARI ($29): Carr threw three interceptions and the Raiders ran only 56 plays in Week 1 against a talented Chargers defense, and he still managed a passable 16.8 fantasy points in the first game of the Davante Adams era. All signs point to a more productive performance in Vegas' home opener against a banged-up Cardinals secondary that was torched for 360 yards and five touchdowns by Patrick Mahomes last week. While Carr's no Mahomes, he should pile up plenty of pass attempts in what's expected to be one of the highest-scoring game on this slate (over/under: 51.5 points) after dropping back 42 times in coach Josh McDaniels' first game calling plays for the Raiders' offense.
Honorable Mentions:
Kyler Murray, ARI at LV ($35); Russell Wilson, DEN vs. HOU ($30); Carson Wentz, WAS at DET ($22)
Against the Grainers:
Tom Brady, TB at NO ($30); Trey Lance, SF vs. ARI ($27); Marcus Mariota, ATL at LAR ($22)
RUNNING BACK
Kareem Hunt, CLE vs. NYJ ($20): Hunt and Nick Chubb coexisted beautifully in Cleveland's 26-24 Week 1 win over the Panthers. The former turned 11 carries and four catches into 70 scrimmage yards with a touchdown apiece on the ground and through the air, while the latter churned out 141 yards on the ground. At $9 less, Hunt's the better value in a Browns offense that needs to feature its running backs heavily due to a dearth of alternate weapons. Hunt's far more involved in the passing game, which could prove important against a Jets defense that allowed the second-most receiving yards in addition to the fourth-most rushing yards to running backs last season. New York did a better job containing an underwhelming Ravens backfield led by Kenyan Drake and Mike Davis in Week 1, but on paper the biggest weaknesses in the Jets' defense are linebacker and safety, which are the two positions most responsible for defending running backs in the passing game.
Saquon Barkley, NYG vs. CAR ($32): Barkley looked like a shell of himself last season coming off a torn ACL, but he certainly looked fully recovered last week against the Titans, compiling 194 scrimmage yards, a touchdown and a two-point conversion on 25 touches. The focal point of the Giants' offense had over 2,000 scrimmage yards in 2018 and north of 1,400 over 13 games in 2019, so Barkley's certainly capable of replicating his stellar performance from the season opener. As discussed above, the Panthers were overwhelmed by the Browns backfield last week to the tune of 213 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns between Chubb and Hunt, and unlike Cleveland's running backs, Barkley doesn't have to share the spotlight.
Honorable Mentions:
Jonathan Taylor, IND at JAX ($38); Javonte Williams, DEN vs. HOU ($23); Antonio Gibson, WAS at DET ($18)
Against the Grainers:
Cordarrelle Patterson, ATL at LAR ($24), Michael Carter, NYJ at CLE ($15); Cam Akers, LAR vs. ATL ($12)
WIDE RECEIVER
Deebo Samuel, SF vs. SEA ($27): All the talk of using Samuel less on the ground went out the window once San Francisco got back on the gridiron, as he rushed eight times for 52 yards and a touchdown last week. Samuel totaled only two catches for 14 yards on eight targets as the 49ers lost 19-10 in Chicago, but his lack of production through the air can be attributed to the monsoon-like conditions on the field, which made it nearly impossible to throw the ball effectively. Running back Elijah Mitchell sprained his MCL and will sit this game out, while his replacement Jeff Wilson mustered just 22 yards on nine rushing attempts, so the stage is set for Deebo to see heavy involvement as both a receiver and a rusher in San Francisco's home opener against a Seattle team that allowed 433 scrimmage yards to the Broncos last week.
Amon-Ra St. Brown, DET vs. WAS ($23): In Week 1, St. Brown picked up where he left off last season, cementing himself as the Lions' top target even when the team's other weapons are healthy. He led the team in catches (eight), targets (12) and receiving yards (64) while getting into the end zone in the team's 38-35 loss to the Eagles, giving St. Brown seven consecutive games with at least eight catches dating back to the home stretch of his rookie season. Even in half-PPR scoring, that production adds up, and St. Brown has also scored a touchdown in all but one game during this streak. He's producing like an elite wide receiver but isn't valued like one heading into a Week 2 visit from a Washington team that allowed 117 yards to Jaguars wide receiver Christian Kirk last week.
Marquise Brown, ARI at LV ($18): With DeAndre Hopkins suspended, Brown is the clear No. 1 wide receiver for the Cardinals. He scored a touchdown in his Arizona debut last week and should remain heavily involved in a potential shootout against the Raiders. Unheralded Greg Dortch actually led Arizona in targets (nine), catches (seven) and receiving yards (63) last week, but Brown's field-stretching ability gives the former Raven a significantly higher ceiling than his teammate.
Honorable Mentions:
Michael Pittman, IND at JAX ($30); Jerry Jeudy, DEN vs. HOU ($18); Curtis Samuel, WAS at DET ($15)
Against the Grainers:
DK Metcalf, SEA at SF ($20); DJ Moore, CAR at NYG ($18); Diontae Johnson, PIT vs. NE ($17)
TIGHT END
Darren Waller, LV vs. ARI ($19): The tight end position as a whole underwhelmed in Week 1, with the exception of Travis Kelce, who lit up the Arizona defense for eight catches, 121 yards and a touchdown. Kelce won't be available in this week's Sunday Baller since he plays Thursday, but Waller's no slouch, as the two-time 1,100-yard receiver is on pace to surpass that mark for a third time after a 79-yard season opener. Waller's a nice value while healthy, and he makes for an appealing stack with Carr against a Cardinals defense that allowed the most fantasy production in the league to the tight end position last week, surrendering a touchdown to backup Jody Fortson in addition to Kelce's big game.
Honorable Mentions:
Zach Ertz, ARI at LV ($18); Tyler Higbee, LAR vs. ATL ($13); Albert Okwuegbunam, DEN vs. HOU ($12)
Against the Grainers:
Kyle Pitts, ATL at LAR ($22); Taysom Hill, NO vs. TB ($16); Pat Freiermuth, PIT vs. NE ($12)
DEFENSE
Denver Broncos, DEN vs. HOU ($16): Denver will be playing angry after two fumbles inside the five and poor clock management down the stretch led to an embarrassing Week 1 loss in Seattle, and a Week 2 matchup with the Texans presents a nice opportunity for the Broncos to release some of that anger into a potential smackdown in Russell Wilson's first home game for Denver. The Broncos' defense actually played a solid road game in the loss, allowing just 17 points and forcing three fumbles, though they only recovered one. Denver allowed 10 points or fewer at home three times last season, and a similarly dominant performance could be coming up against a Texans offense that scored just 20 points over five quarters in Week 1 after averaging just 16.5 points per game last season.
Honorable Mentions:
Los Angeles Rams, LAR vs. ATL ($18); Cleveland Browns, CLE vs. NYJ ($15); Pittsburgh Steelers, PIT vs. NE ($14)
Against the Grainers:
Tampa Bay Buccaneers, TB at NO ($18); Cincinnati Bengals, CIN at DAL ($16); New York Jets, NYJ at CLE ($10)
