USFL DFS Playbook - Week 2

I’m not giving up on my guy after one less than awesome game. He is the highest priced quarterback again, as DraftKings didn’t drastically change many values after the opening weekend. The team got off to a good start against the Maulers, but then seemed to take the foot off the gas, and Ta’amu made some mistakes. The competition gets much tougher this week against the Breakers who did a pretty decent job against the Stars on defense, but still gave up 17 points, which in the USFL is a decent number. Ta’amu also didn’t really run at all which I expect more of this week and if you want to pay up for quarterback, this is going to be the guy I go to another week. 

The Stars quarterback wasn’t amazing, but he completed just under 70% of his passes and played fairly well against a strong Breakers defense. He threw the ball 36 times and was one of the few quarterbacks to throw for over 200 yards. I continue to like Scott as a quarterback in the USFL who had experience with his head coach before, and I think the offense can build on its respectable Week 1 performance. The Maulers looked like the worst team in the USFL last week, and while Jordan Ta’amu didn’t go bananas on them, Scott should have another strong performance and be worthy of a roster spot in all DFS formats. 

He entered the game for an injured Alex McGough, who wasn’t playing that well before he was hurt. Smith came in and threw for 156 yards with a passing touchdown and he also ran for the game winning score late in the fourth quarter. He was one of the leaders of the first week with 7.4 yards per attempt, and Smith showed his ability to run the ball some too. At 6’1” and 218 pounds he is a pretty big-bodied quarterback and certainly looked the part and was impressive on the game-winning fourth quarter drive last Saturday. Birmingham was among the most pass-heavy offenses in the first week of the season and Smith is a nice option in GPP leagues as a lower-priced option to put in your QB spot

The Generals “other” quarterback, Johnson is more of a wild card as far as accuracy is concerned, but damn this guy can run! He was New Jersey’s leading rusher with 98 yards and a touchdown. He also completed three of eight passes for 59 yards. Johnson isn’t only in there to run, but that is where his fantasy value lies as he was one of the top scoring quarterbacks in fantasy for Week 1. I do expect the team to continue to utilize his legs again this week against the Panthers who have a pretty decent defense themselves. But if Johnson can throw for 75-80 yards and run for another 75 or so and find the end zone he will once again be a great option for your DFS lineups at quarterback at a very affordable price. 

He was bottled up for most of the game and only had 40 yards on 19 carries, but the Bandits top runner also scored on the ground and had three catches for 23 yards. The Breakers allowed just 3.5 yards per carry last week but did also allow a rushing touchdown. The Bandits again should be one of the most balanced offenses, and while Emmons didn’t light the world on fire last week, he did enough on the ground and in the air to be successful. I expect more of the same from him in Week 2 of the season. 

The Panthers had a lot of trouble with turnovers, but Scott was one of the more consistent forces of the week. Despite being way behind after the first half, Michigan came out in the second half and ran the ball a lot. Scott had three more carries, six more yards, and was one of the few guys on the team that didn’t fumble. He also found the end zone and had a catch out of the backfield. He certainly was the more powerful runner, while Jordan Scarlett was the speedier back. Scott should continue to get a lot of work, and will be a viable option at running back or flex for your DFS lineups. 

The Breakers ran the ball 39 times in the first week of the season and both runners scored. Jordan Ellis had three more carries and 33 more yards on the day, but it was Logan’s ability to catch the ball that made him an attractive option. Logan caught all four of his passes for 38 yards against Philadelphia. The Breakers play the Bandits this week that allowed less than three yards a carry last week, but Tampa Bay was also in complete control for most of the game. This game should be very competitive, and I see the Breakers running the ball with much more efficiency this week. 

The Gamblers’ Week 2 opponent in Birmingham allowed 222 yards on the ground to the New Jersey Generals on an even five yards per carry. Dalyn Dawkins had ten carries, but it was Thompson and his 13 carries for 71 yards that was the difference maker for Houston. Dawkins averaged just 2.7 yards per carry to Thompson’s 5.5. Neither back caught a pass out of the backfield. Give me the guy who ran the ball more often last week for a much better yards per carry against a defense that allowed a ton of yards on the ground last week. 

The Generals ran the ball more than almost any team in the USFL in Week 1 and called a running play in 17 straight snaps at one point. While Williams had two fewer carries than Darius Victor, he only averaged .2 yards per carry less and he also had five targets while Victor was not targeted out of the backfield. I expect the Generals to run the ball a lot again versus Jeff Fisher’s Michigan Panthers and to have success doing it. Look for Williams to easily top ten DK points again in Week 2. 

He did fumble on his first running attempt, but after that he settled down nicely and had 66 yards on 15 carries and also caught a pass. Head coach Jeff Fisher will look to establish the run again in Week 2, and while I still think that Stevie Scott gets the most carries, I can see this team running the ball 40+ times again. Scarlett showed some nice burst and got to the second level of the defense a few times. There is some risk involved here, but he also is a pretty affordable option. If you are looking for a cost saving option at running back, Scarlett could be your guy. 

He probably looked like the most NFL-ready receiver in the first week of the USFL. Lenoir ran solid routes, showed great hands, showed awareness of the sidelines when making catches, and genuinely made Shea Patterson and (puke) Paxton Lynch look better. He easily led the team in targets with nine, catches with six, and 71 receiving yards. He also had a touchdown. I see no reason why this sort of production won’t continue unless the quarterback play gets worse and honestly, I am thinking that it should improve from week to week. 

He was one of the bigger disappointments I had in Week 1 as Turpin had just two catches for 23 yards. I had expected him to be a bigger part of the offense, as did the announcers of this game who brought him up repeatedly. However, New Jersey ran the ball a ridiculous 44 times in the game, including 17 straight plays at one point. The silver lining here is that Turpin was tied with two others for the team lead with five targets, which was about a 20% target share. Hopefully the Generals have gotten their quarterback situation figured out a little bit better this week and we will see them throw a little more and target who I think is their most talented receiver. 

Going into last week, Victor Bolden was the receiver that most of us were familiar with on the Birmingham roster. If you watched that game last Saturday night, you learned about Osirus Mitchell. He easily looked like the most athletic receiver on either team, and made a couple of really nice catches. He had a solid 22% target share and led the team with five catches for 96 yards and had a nice touchdown catch. Birmingham certainly looked like one of the better offenses in Week 1 and Mitchell is coming in $2,400 cheaper than Bolden to give you a great cost savings and perhaps more production. 

He is a small guy at 5’9” and 175, but Ward has solid speed, and he showed a good ability to find openings in the defense. He also had a 50% target share with his nine looks in the season opener. Houston wasn’t exactly slinging it deep down the field so he ended with 48 yards on seven catches, but again, the play should be better this week, and hopefully Clayton Thorson improves and perhaps the Gamblers throw the ball a bit more this week. Gotta love how much Ward was looked at and he is a solid play in Week 2. 

He wasn’t even on my radar coming into the opening game, but Satterfield sure got our attention quick with the long 49 yard catch and then the three-yard touchdown to start off the scoring in the new USFL. Satterfield turned into the only receiver on the week to have 100 receiving yards, and his 6’4” frame is perfect for some down field throws if Luis Perez can stay accurate. Like Turpin, he also had five targets, and he caught all five. His salary remains very affordable on DraftKings and they are practically begging you to use him. 

He didn’t have the most impressive game with three catches and 21 yards, but Lasley did have the only touchdown through the air for the Bandits, and he also led the wide receivers in targets. He is a good size at 6’2” and was a fifth-round NFL pick back in 2018, so the talent is there. It is no secret that I really like Jordan Ta’amu at quarterback, so I am definitely going to try to use one of his receivers in most lineups even if I don’t always use Ta’amu in my DFS lineups because of the cost. 

How do you not go with a 6’4” and 245-pound tight end that had a 33% target share in the opening week? Also given the fact he is on one of the better offenses in the league and his price tag is still very affordable after being the most targeted receiver in the league last week you almost have to use him. I will say in a league this new just because he was heavily used last week, doesn’t necessarily mean that it will happen again, but with all of the factors listed here, I am absolutely putting O’Grady in several lineups in both cash and GPP even though he could be fairly heavily used. 

This one is going more off of watching the game than a box score. Howard finished the game with three catches for 14 yards and that certainly won’t jump off the page. However, he made a couple of really impressive catches, and he also had the only touchdown for the Stars through the air. He was third on the team in targets, so it isn’t like he really blew us out of the water on Sunday, but it also wasn’t ideal conditions, and it was the first week of a new league. Howard showed the ability to make the tough catch, and certainly had to grow some trust with quarterback Bryan Scott. I look for him to be more involved in Week 2 and his price tag is ridiculously low.