Wait, the week isn’t over. We have one more game left in Week 2. That means we can close out the week with more DFS success, and how can we go wrong there? The Atlanta Falcons look to avenge a Week 1 home loss by traveling to Philadelphia. It will be a tough game as it’s the Eagles home opener in a season that they are slated to be successful and play deep into January. We already know that AJ Brown will be sidelined, so let’s take a look at what our options are. Here are some Monday Night Football NFL DFS picks with preferences ranked within each category so you can find success.
Monday Night Football NFL DFS Picks – Atlanta Falcons @ Philadelphia Eagles
Captain
DeVonta Smith, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
With the absence of AJ Brown, it’s clear who the number one receiver will be on Monday. DeVonta Smith isn’t exactly coming out of nowhere for the Eagles, but tonight he takes a step up in status and target share.
In Week 1, Smith caught seven of his eight targets for 84 yards in a strong start to the season. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Smith end the day with around 12 to 15 targets, and we know that he can produce. In each of the last two years, Smith has broken the 1,000-yard mark, and he should make it three straight in 2024.
Smith has preestablished chemistry with Jalen Hurts, and the duo should be busy tonight.
Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons
In a sense, it felt like we were back to where things were last year with Atlanta’s passing offense. Things were simply not good on Sunday when the Steelers came to visit. However, the Falcons still need to move the ball, and they will lean heavily on Robinson to do so.
Robinson carried the ball 18 times, which is quite notable as volume wasn’t an issue. It wasn’t ideal that he only averaged 3.8 yards per carry, but his skill set does allow for a high ceiling here. If game flow doesn’t work in Atlanta’s favor, Robinson is still in position to pick up a fair amount of production. To begin the season, he caught all five of his targets for 43 yards. This came after he caught 58 passes in his rookie season so it’s a skill set we know he owns.
Flex
Saquon Barkley, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
It didn’t come in front of the home crowd, but that was a great debut for Saquon Barkley. The Eagles’ new addition scored twice on the ground and then added a third touchdown as a receiver. There was no question who the lead back in Philadelphia was and Barkley was up to the task.
Barkley carried the ball 24 times in Week 1 and turned it into 109 rushing yards. With another 23 yards coming via two receptions, he had a busy day. It appears to be the plan for Barkley moving forward as there are no doubts as to his role in Philadelphia’s offense. As they work through things without Brown, it’s possible we see Barkley pick up a few more targets. From a DFS perspective, there is a high floor here with Barkley from both a volume and productivity standpoint.
Jalen Hurts, QB, Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles did defeat the Packers on Friday to begin the season, but it was an uneven performance from Jalen Hurts.
Hurts only completed 20 of 34 passes, but he did throw for 278 yards and two touchdowns. However, it did come with two interceptions as well as a lost fumble. We have become accustomed to Hurts making things happen on the ground, and he certainly had a chance to do so on Friday. The problem though is that his 13 carries only went for 33 yards.
There was a fair amount of rust involved, and at this point, we do know what Hurts is capable of overall. It’s difficult to make a true judgment on Atlanta’s defense after one week, they also faced Justin Fields, so Hurts remains a strong DFS option.
Kyle Pitts, TE, Atlanta Falcons
As far as tight ends go, Kyle Pitts had one of the better performances last week. The bar wasn’t set very high, but Pitts did catch all three of his targets for 26 yards. Most importantly, Kirk Cousins targeted Pitts in the red zone as they connected for a touchdown. While we are still waiting for Cousins to find his way, Pitts is one of the key pieces of Atlanta’s offense.
Drake London, WR, Atlanta Falcons
Here we go again with Drake London. When he is targeted just three times in a game, it’s difficult for London to generate much production. He caught two of those three passes for 15 yards in what was another nondescript performance.
Last week, the Eagles’ secondary was torched by Green Bay’s receivers, so perhaps, things will get better for London this week. The good news is that we get him at a fair price.
Value
Jahan Dotson, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
Last week, the talented receiver failed to catch his lone target. The former first-round pick was a late addition to the Eagles’ offense this offseason, so he was still in the learning stages. Now that Brown is out this week, it’s time for Jahan Dotson to step up and fill the void.
Jake Elliot, K, Philadelphia Eagles
In some senses, fantasy success this season has been correlated with picking the right kicker. We know that the Eagles have a strong offense, and Jake Elliot is the cheapest of the two options at the position this week. Last week, Elliot made all four of his extra-point attempts along with both of his field goals. While he wasn’t forced to go past 38 yards on Sunday, Elliot has a track record of success to build on.
Fade
Kirk Cousins, QB, Atlanta Falcons
Between tearing his Achilles in the middle of last season and now joining a new team, things are not easy for Kirk Cousins. Last week, in making his debut with the Falcons, it was clear that rust was present. Cousins didn’t look himself and didn’t look comfortable.
He completed just 16 of 26 passes for only 155 yards while throwing two interceptions compared to one touchdown. That’s not to say Cousins’ whole season will be a bust, but I’d like to see him shake off the rust and feel comfortable before dropping him into DFS lineups.
Make sure to check out all of our Week 2 Fantasy Football Rankings and Analysis!