Quarterbacks
1) Cardale Jones – QB (DC)
Cardale Jones has at the very least looked consistent. He got one of his starters (DeAndre Thompkins) back last week and threw to him nine time while spreading the ball out elsewhere. Cardale has a match-up against LA who’s defense has looked suspect so far this season. The balanced approach to DC has done them well so far despite their running backs’ ineffectiveness through the first two weeks. Should DC take a big lead here they could decide to run the ball heavier which would be a knock towards Cardale but if this game is closer Cardale should lead this offense. Cardale does have playmakers Eli Rogers and Rashad Ross though they haven’t been as involved, expect at least one of them to go off with Cardale should the game flow dictate that scenario.
Stacks: DeAndre Thompkins (WR), Eli Rogers (WR), Rashad Ross (WR)
2) PJ Walker – QB (HOU)
Houston’s offense certainly looks like the best so far and PJ Walker is obviously the center of their success. Stacking with PJ can be tough as he and his number one receiver (Cam Phillips) are both expensive and PJ has done a good job of spreading the ball out a bit. If you can make Phillips work great but Sammy Coates’ price dropped after not really being involved last week, we saw in week one Coates was peppered a bit despite a lack of efficiency so don’t rule him out. Nick Holley has gotten a steady five targets in each game so far and with a low price tag he makes reaching PJ and others a bit easier.
3) Josh Johnson – QB (LA)
Josh Johnson made his XFL debut last week and looked pretty good. Supposedly the XFL blocked Johnson from signing with the Detroit Lions so there is expectation here. He threw the ball 34 times despite only connecting on 18 passes, the volume is solid. Two fumbles didn’t help his team but perhaps we can chalk that up to butterflies as it was his first game. Johnson is cheaper than the other top end QBs which could come in handy as raw points have really gone a long way so far. Nelson Spruce had another big game with nine targets and six receptions along with two touchdowns, his price is really high but the break from Johnson could help. Levonte Whitfield could provide some value though he the volume isn’t great, efficiency would go a long way there but his price makes the others a bit easier to play. Jordan Smallwood is a solid mid-tier option he had four catches on six targets.
Stacks: Nelson Spurce (WR), Levonte Whitfield (WR), Jordan Smallwood (WR)
Stacks: Cam Phillips (WR), Sammy Coates (WR), Nick Holley (WR), Kahlil Lewis (WR)
4) Landry Jones – QB (DAL)
Landry Jones didn’t exactly have the offense rolling but he did throw the ball 40 times. In addition to the volume his targets were fairly concentrated. Jones threw to Jeff Badet nine times despite connecting on only six. Donald Parham is probable with a foot injury, he is fairly cheap and had 11 targets despite only catching five. Seattle’s defense was expected to be one of the lower ranked but they didn’t look too bad last week. Jones and company should be a lot more imposing than the struggling Tampa Bay offense.
Stacks: Jeff Badet (WR), Donald Parham (WR)
5) Jordan Ta’amu – QB (STL)
Ta’amu was very impressive last week and he demonstrated his mobility. He is clearly the most mobile starting QB in this league and those rushing stats have to count for something each week. His price increase isn’t exactly great but there is something to be said for paying for a high floor and high ceiling. The Guardians have looked like one of the better defense but they will be playing their second straight road game and they haven’t really had to deal with a dual-threat QB. Pierson-El had a big game in week two catching nine balls on 11 targets. L’Damian Washington is questionable so keep an eye on his status as value could open up if he misses, should he play his price is way up but he did catch six passes on eight targets for 77 yards and a touchdown. Russell would be the way to save money while still finding some correlation, he had five targets in week one and six targets in week two it may not be a lot but its consistent and again he’s a way to save money with the stack.
Stacks: De’Mornay Pierson-El (WR), L’Damian Washington (WR), Alonzo Russell (WR)
Running Backs
1) Donnel Pumphrey – DC (RB)
Pumphrey jumped Pressley on the depth chart last week and ended up with 12 carries in addition to five targets in the pass game. DC has had a balanced approach which means the running backs will have their chances. LA’s defense hasn’t looked so hot lately and we saw Cameron Artis-Payne just destroy them.
2) Matt Jones – STL (RB)
Matt Jones isn’t getting very much pass game work but he leads the XFL in rushing attempts after getting another 16 last week. Jones seems like of the safer bets from a team that relies on rushing from him and their QB.
3) Cameron Artis-Payne – DAL (RB)
Cam Payne woke up in a big way last week getting carries along with five targets in the pass game. Payne’s price has dramatically increased but his heavy usage in the offense makes him a contender this week. Payne was one shy of a 100 yard rushing game and this week they play a weaker Seattle defenes.
4) Lance Dunbar – DAL (RB)
Dunbar only had six carries but he has had six targets in each of the first two games with two different starting quarterbacks. Running backs have been pretty hit or miss but Dunbar’s pass game involvement alone has made him a solid play in both weeks at a modest price on PPR sites.
5) James Butler – HOU (RB)
Butler is expensive but he is apart of an offense that just rolls. This week Houston plays Tampa who have really struggled offensively. Should Houston jump out to a big lead we could see Butler in for a bigger workload. The price doesn’t feel very good but the game script could provide a path to him having a big game.
6) De’Veon Smith – TB (RB)
De’Veon Smith is second in the league in carries after another 11 rushing attempts last week. This is a tough match-up for his defense which could force his team to throw more. Smith four targets combined in two games so that may not be in his best interest but if he is able to run efficiently his team would probably prefer to run as their have some QB issues with their starter out.
7) Jacques Patrick – TB (RB)
Patrick had 14 carries last week as his team struggled to get anything going in the pass game. If you are looking to punt the position Patrick makes sense as his team should rely on the run game again being that they are in the same position at QB this week.
Wide Receivers
Top-Tier
1) Nelson Spruce – LA (WR)
Nelson Spruce has had two monster games and appears to be a top option in that offense. His price is high but he remains a top fantasy producer. Spruce has the volume and efficiency to make him a top option each week.
2) Cam Phillips – HOU (WR)
Phillips appears to be the favorite option for PJ Walker who appears to be the best QB in the XFL. The Houston offense has been humming and Phillips has seen big volume in both games over the guy with the bigger name Sammy Coates.
3) De’Mornay Pierson-El – STL (WR)
Piereson-El popped for 11 targets last week definitely opening eyes. This week they face a New York defense that has looked decent, his price is up but we can’t ignore a player who just got 11 targets.
4) Jeff Badet – DAL (WR)
Badet finished with six catches on nine targets in Landry Jones’ XFL debut. Badet has big-time speed and if the two develop some chemistry we could see some big plays from him. Badet isn’t cheap enough to love but he’s not expensive enough to fade either.
5) Eli Rogers – DC (WR)
Rogers has consistently given double-digit fantasy outputs but the scores haven’t exactly matched up with his price. DC has had a balanced offense and Cardale Jones has been able to spread the ball around so the ceiling is a bit in question.
Mid-Tier
1) DeAndre Thompkins – DC (WR)
Cardale Jones seemed to really like having Thompkins after missing week one. Thompkins had nine targets catching six of them. Look for Cardale to continue to use Thompkins heavily in the pass game.
2) Keenan Reynolds – SEA (WR)
Reynolds had another decent target day despite another inefficient performance. Reynolds had a 68 yard long with a touchdown allowing him to post a big fantasy day but he could have done even better had he could a few more balls. He has had 15 total targets and only five actual receptions, look for this to improve.
3) Sammy Coates – HOU (WR)
Coates was non-existent last week and there are rumors that he may have been a bit injured. The price is falling so we will want to take some shots being that he has talent and he plays for the best passing offense in the XFL.
4) Austin Prohl – SEA (WR)
Austin Prohl took a huge step back last week but his price had dropped because of it. In week one he was a huge part of the offense so it’s hard to imagine them just abandoning his role especially if they trail against Dallas as expected.
5) Jordan Smallwood – LA (WR)
Smallwood remains a decent mid-tier play as a starting receiver for LA. The ceiling is a bit worrisome but the floor seems decent on a pass heavy offense.
