As you're filling out your DFS lineups, it's always tempting to simply target the biggest superstars. However, player salaries don't always align with their expected production in a given matchup.
In this preview, I'll highlight a few players who might ordinarily be on your radar but are probably best to avoid this week. These aren't going to be players you absolutely must avoid due to injuries or playing-time demotions but rather players who are in a bad spot due to a matchup or a salary that has risen too high to justify rostering.
Let's take a look at four players who may not live up to expectations in Week 2.
Saquon Barkley, RB, Giants
DraftKings Salary: $8,400
FanDuel Salary: $9,000
If you watched Monday Night Football, you understand why Saquon Barkley is on this list. The New York Giants' offensive line was a dumpster fire, and not even Barkley could salvage anything from the wreckage.
According to Sports Info Solutions, Barkley averaged -0.7 yards before contact per attempt, by far the worst rate in the league in Week 1. Among running backs with at least 15 carries, no one else averaged worse than 1.0 yards before contact.
The Giants are breaking in two new offensive tackles -- rookie Andrew Thomas and free agent Cameron Fleming -- so things could improve as the unit gels, but right now, it's impossible to justify rostering Barkley after witnessing that performance from the offensive line.
Davante Adams, WR, Packers
DraftKings Salary: $8,100
FanDuel Salary: $8,600
Davante Adams lit up the fantasy scoreboard in Week 1 against the Minnesota Vikings, but he benefited from the game turning into a 43-34 shootout. The Detroit Lions, who might be without Kenny Golladay, are much less likely to keep pace with the Green Bay Packers offense.
In cash games, Adams might still be an option, as he's still capable of putting up a strong performance against the Lions' defense. In tournaments, however, he doesn't appear to have the ceiling to match his elevated salary. On DraftKings, only four players carry a bigger cap hit than Adams and only five on FanDuel.
If you're dead set on using Adams, keep an eye on Golladay's status for Detroit. A healthy Golladay certainly increases the chances the Lions can score with Green Bay. If Golladay doesn't play, you can pivot to Aaron Jones, as the game script would then be more likely favor the Packers' running game.
DeVante Parker, WR, Dolphins
DraftKings Salary: $5,900
FanDuel Salary: $6,500
DeVante Parker's season got off to a rough start, as he suffered a hamstring injury against the New England Patriots in Week 1. Fortunately for the Miami Dolphins, Parker was back as a limited participant in practice on Thursday. Obviously, Miami wants Parker on the field, even if he's less than 100 percent, for a key division game against the Buffalo Bills. However, he probably shouldn't be in your fantasy lineup.
Tre'Davious White is a tough matchup for any receiver even when healthy, and if Parker's hamstring isn't 100 percent, he probably isn't up to the challenge. According to Sports Info Solutions, White allowed just 5.7 fantasy points per game in coverage last season (PPR scoring) and allowed just one reception in Week 1 against the New York Jets.
T.J. Hockenson, TE, Lions
DraftKings Salary: $5,200
FanDuel Salary: $5,600
Lions tight end T.J. Hockenson is another player whose stock will be affected by Golladay's status. Based on his Week 1 usage, however, it's best to avoid Hockenson regardless of Golladay's health. Despite the absence of Detroit's top receiver, Hockenson still only saw a disappointing 12.2 percent target share. Hockenson caught all five of his targets, including a touchdown, so his fantasy output was solid -- but that target share is concerning.
The Packers ranked 16th in fantasy points allowed to tight ends last season -- so it's not a terrible matchup for Hockenson -- but until Detroit proves he's a more significant part of the offense, he probably isn't a viable fantasy target while carrying one of the more expensive cap hits at the position.
Ryan McCrystal is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Ryan McCrystal also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username cfbfilmroom. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he/she may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his/her personal account. The views expressed in his/her articles are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.