That first week was fun, but NFL DFS Week 2 is where we can start to refine things a little. Now that we have some actual information to work with, after limited camps and no preseason games, at least we got a look at some basic information like snap counts and targets. I made use of Zach Brunner’s excellent Wide Receiver Target Shares and Running Back Snaps and Usage. Using that data I trimmed some of the fat and added some opposing players coming back the other way.
It’s important to note that these should not be all-encompassing for your one crunch. Yes, I can get behind the idea of running “naked” quarterbacks in the right spot for those wondering. Yes, we can utilize one where I put two or vice versa. All of these are recommendations and the process to go with them includes that you should run several crunches with varied versions of settings like these and use a filtering tool to help select lineups.
The plan right now is to get this out on Thursday nights, hopefully earlier going forward if tools would cooperate a bit better. Then I’m going to run an updated version on Saturday night into Sunday morning that will account for as many of the pieces of in/out news as we have by that point. Be sure to stay on top of things, for now I have most of the big-name players who are above Doubtful in these groups, so check back when the update comes out.
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NFL DFS – Fantasy Cruncher Groups-Think: Week 2
For this week we’re using the same basic core settings from last week that you hopefully saved. I’ll include them below so you don’t have to search. This week we’re taking things up a level by adding some opposing players. I like to do this by utilizing an entirely separate group, although adding them directly into your team group will also work. The key player always needs to be set in both groups.
The reason for utilizing a second group is an added layer of control. Instead of telling Fantasy Cruncher to give us at least three of a set of players that includes our key quarterback and his skill players, as well as the opposing team’s primary skill players, we can continue to tell it to give us our team-by-team at least one or at least two, while separately requiring at least one from the pool of opposing players to run it back. The at least all in one group option will infrequently cause buggy errors or improperly built stacks where your distributions end up upside down.
A couple other notes before we dive in. If your groups didn’t properly save last week, when you create them this week, click the save checkbox, click away from that group then back to it, then unclick and re-click the save box; for some reason Cruncher can hiccup on that save otherwise. You can always check in the load groups tab.
Stack Rules:
QB with at least one RB/WR/TE from Opposing Team
QB with at least one WR/TE from Same Team (note: It’s fine to make this two or to utilize two of these, one with WR/TE and one with RB/WR/TE, but we can refine that and get it exactly how we want it via Groups)
Limit Rules:Â
QB with at most zero DST from Same Team (personal preference)
Limit RB/WR/TE from Same Team to one unless paired with QB from Same Team OR Opposing Team
Limit RB from Same Team to one
Arizona Cardinals
Key Player: Kyler Murray
Setting: At least two
Group: Kenyan Drake DeAndre Hopkins, Christian Kirk, Larry Fitzgerald, Dan Arnold
Opposing Setting: At least one
Group: Terry McLaurin, Steven Sims, Dontrelle Inman, J.D. McKissic, Logan Thomas
Atlanta Falcons
Key Player: Matt Ryan
Setting: At least two
Group: Julio Jones, Todd Gurley, Calvin Ridley, Hayden Hurst, Russell Gage
Opposing Setting: At least one
Group: Ezekiel Elliott, Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, CeeDee Lamb
Baltimore Ravens
Key Player: Lamar Jackson
Setting: At least one
Group: Mark Andrews, Marquise Brown, J.K. Dobbins, Miles Boykin
Opposing Setting: At least one
Group: David Johnson, Will Fuller, Brandin Cooks, Randall Cobb
Buffalo Bills
Key Player: Josh Allen
Setting: At least two (we were at one here with neither running back last week, then the Bills threw the ball 46 times, tied for second most in the league, including 11 to the two backs. Our running backs limiter will ensure we don’t get Singletary and Moss in the same lineups.)
Group: Stefon Diggs, John Brown, Cole Beasley, Dawson Knox, Devin Singletary, Zack Moss
Opposing Setting: At least one
Group: DeVante Parker (Q), Preston Williams, Myles Gaskin, Mike Gesicki (*Parker is questionable and potentially limited going into Sunday morning. If he doesn’t go, we can add Jakeem Grant who projects highest of the remaining receivers)
Carolina Panthers
Key Player: Teddy Bridgewater
Setting: At least two (we can also leave this at 1 and rely on the low salary of the stack to deliver McCaffrey into a fair share of these lineups anyway)
Group: Christian McCaffrey, D.J. Moore, Robby Anderson, Curtis Samuel, Ian Thomas
Opposing Setting: At least one
Group: Mike Evans, Rob Gronkowski, Ronald Jones II, Scotty Miller (Chris Godwin is out, Jones and Miller added)
Chicago Bears
Key Player: Mitchell Trubisky
Setting: At least two
Group: Allen Robinson, Anthony Miller, David Montgomery, Tarik Cohen, Jimmy Graham
Opposing Setting: At least one
Group: Saquon Barkley, Darius Slayton, Sterling Shepard, Evan Engram, Golden Tate (Q)
Dallas Cowboys
Key Player: Dak Prescott
Setting: At least two
Group: Ezekiel Elliott, Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, CeeDee Lamb
Opposing Setting: At least one
Group: Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley, Todd Gurley, Russell Gage, Hayden Hurst
Denver Broncos
Key Player: Drew Lock
Setting: At least two
Group: Melvin Gordon, Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, Noah Fant, Tim Patrick
Opposing Setting: At least one
Group: James Conner, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Diontae Johnson, Eric Ebron, James Washington
Detroit Lions
Key Player: Matthew Stafford
Setting: At least two (our running backs limiter will split the Johnson and Swift NFL DFS shares for us here)
Group: Marvin Jones, Quintez Cephus, T.J. Hockenson, Danny Amendola, D’Andre Swift, Adrian Peterson, Â (Kenny Golladay is out and was removed from this group)
Opposing Setting: At least one
Group: Davante Adams, Aaron Jones, Allen Lazard, Marquez Valdes-Scantling
Green Bay Packers
Key Player: Aaron Rodgers
Setting: At least one (we should get to some shares of Jones added to this stack with Adams shares without forcing the second spot in what is a top-heavy stack)
Group: Davante Adams, Aaron Jones, Allen Lazard, Marquez Valdes-Scantling
Opposing Setting: At least one
Group: Marvin Jones, T.J. Hockenson, Danny Amendola (Golladay removed; I wouldn’t be totally against adding your favorite of the Detroit running backs to this, I’m leaving it out because I don’t want to tangle with a three-way timeshare in a pass-focused offense when looking for a single run-back play)
Houston Texans
Key Player: DeShaun Watson
Setting: At least two
Group: David Johnson, Will Fuller, Brandin Cooks, Randall Cobb, Jordan Akins (Akins added)
Opposing Setting: At least one
Group: Marquise Brown, Mark Andrews, Mark Ingram, J.K. Dobbins, Miles Boykin
Indianapolis Colts
Key Player: Philip Rivers
Setting: At least two (the Colts threw the ball 46 times, tied with Buffalo for second most in the league last week)
Group: T.Y. Hilton, Parris Campbell, Nyheim Hines, Jonathan Taylor, Zach Pascal, Michael Pittman Jr. Mo-Alie Cox
Opposing Setting: At least one
Group: Dalvin Cook, Adam Thielen, Justin Jefferson, Alexander Mattison
Jacksonville Jaguars
Key Player: Gardner Minshew
Setting: At least one (the Jags only threw the ball 20 times last week and Minshew can produce for us with his legs, this offense is somewhat limited for NFL DFS)
Group: D.J. Chark, Chris Thompson, Keelan Cole, Laviska Shenault, Tyler Eifert
Opposing Setting: At least one
Group: Derrick Henry, Corey Davis, Adam Humphries, Jonnu Smith
Kansas City Chiefs
Key Player: Patrick Mahomes
Setting: At least two
Group: Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce, Sammy Watkins, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Darrel Williams, Mecole Hardman
Opposing Setting: At least one
Group: Austin Ekeler, Keenan Allen, Hunter Henry, Mike Williams, (I’m deliberately leaving Jalen Guyton off of this group, his minimum salary on both sites would yield too much of him in this role unless we an exposure cap more restrictive than what I think he warrants as a part of the Chargers stack or a value one-off)
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Los Angeles Chargers
Key Player: Tyrod Taylor
Setting: At least one (similarly to other spots, we’ll get some shares of individual Ekeler along with our at least one of his teammates in some stacks)
Group: Austin Ekeler, Keenan Allen, Hunter Henry, Mike Williams, Jalen Guyton (I would still be careful about the exposure caps on Guyton)
Opposing Setting: At least one
Group: Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Sammy Watkins
Miami Dolphins
Key Player: Ryan Fitzpatrick
Setting: At least two
Group: DeVante Parker (Q), Preston Williams, Mike Gesicki, Myles Gaskin, Jakeem Grant
Opposing Setting: At least one
Group: Stefon Diggs, John Brown, Devin Singletary, Zack Moss, Cole Beasley
Minnesota Vikings
Key Player: Kirk Cousins
Setting: At least one (we should get plenty of Cook along with Cousins-Thielen and limited Cousins-X stacks without forcing the second spot)
Group: Dalvin Cook, Adam Thielen, Justin Jefferson, Alexander Mattison
Opposing Setting: At least one
Group: T.Y. Hilton, Nyheim Hines, Jonathan Taylor, Parris Campbell, Zach Pascal, Michael Pittman
New York Giants
Key Player: Daniel Jones
Setting: At least two
Group: Saquon Barkley, Darius Slayton, Sterling Shepard, Evan Engram, Golden Tate
Opposing Setting: At least one
Group: Allen Robinson, David Montgomery, Tarik Cohen, Anthony Miller, Jimmy Graham
New York Jets
Key Player: Sam Darnold
Setting: At least one
Group: Breshad Perriman, Chris Herndon, Chris Hogan, Braxton Berrios (Jamison Crowder out and removed, Hogan and Berrios added)
Opposing Setting: At least one
Group: Raheem Mostert, Kendrick Bourne, Brandon Aiyuk, Tevin Coleman
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Philadelphia Eagles
Key Player: Carson Wentz
Setting: At least two
Group: Zach Ertz, Miles Sanders, DeSean Jackson, Jalen Reagor, Boston Scott, Dallas Goedert
Opposing Setting: At least one
Group: Robert Woods, Tyler Higbee, Malcom Brown, Cam Akers, Cooper Kupp
Pittsburgh Steelers
Key Player: Ben Roethlisberger
Setting: At least two
Group: James Conner, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Diontae Johnson, Eric Ebron, James Washington, Jaylen Samuels
Opposing Setting: At least one
Group: Melvin Gordon, Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, Noah Fant
San Francisco 49ers
Key Player: Jimmy Garoppolo
Setting: At least two
Group: Raheem Mostert, Brandon Aiyuk, Kendrick Bourne, Jerrick McKinnon, Jordan Reed (George Kittle out and removed)
Opposing Setting: At least one
Group: Breshad Perriman, Chris Herndon, Chris Hogan (Jamison Crowder out and removed, Hogan added)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Key Player: Tom Brady
Setting: At least two
Group: Mike Evans, Rob Gronkowski, Ronald Jones, Scott Miller, Justin Watson (Chris Godwin out and removed, Watson added)
Opposing Setting: At least one
Group: Christian McCaffrey, D.J. Moore, Robby Anderson, Curtis Samuel
Tennessee Titans
Key Player: Ryan Tannehill
Setting: At least two
Group: Derrick Henry, Corey Davis, Jonnu Smith, Adam Humphries, Kalif Raymond
Opposing Setting: At least one
Group: D.J. Chark, James Robinson, Keelan Cole, Laviska Shenault Jr.
Washington Football Team
Key Player: Dwayne Haskins
Setting: At least two
Group: Terry McLaurin, Steven Sims, Dontrelle Inman, Logan Thomas, J.D. McKissic
Opposing Setting: At least one
Group: DeAndre Hopkins, Kenyan Drake, Larry Fitzgerald, Christian Kirk, Dan Arnold
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