The Steelers’ Antonio Brown, right, and Ben Roethlisberger are one of the most prolific receiver-quarterback tandem in the NFL. (Getty)
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One of the rules for putting together a money-winning lineup in DraftKings is making sure the players you select are ones who touch the ball. A lot.
You want a quarterback who is going to throw it a bunch (+3 points for a 300-yard game) and a receiver who is going to get a ton of targets (+1 point per reception and +3 for a 100-yard game). If they happen to be on the same NFL team, hey, that is hardly an issue for me.
If I know a quarterback is throwing 35 times a game and a dozen of them are going to his favorite receiver, I have no problem stacking them together in my DraftKings lineup.
I used the Falcons’ Matt Ryan and Julio Jones in a number of contests in Week 1. You could say it worked out.
It’s not a formula you must use in order to win. But you know Atlanta is a passing team, and you know Ryan is throwing to Jones every chance he gets. So in their case, you definitely get the green light to use both.
What other quarterback-receiver teammate tandems are worth using in Week 2? Keep reading to find out.
And don’t forget to bookmark our fantasy football rankings 2015 page as I’ll be doing weekly rankings all year for the season-long league players. Week 2 position rankings are already up, so click on the link to check them out.
Let’s check out the best quarterback-receiver tandems for Week 2:
1. Ben Roethlisberger & Antonio Brown, Steelers, vs. 49ers
Roethlisberger ($7,200) and Brown ($8,800) will do as they please and there is nothing anyone can do about it. The 49ers shut down Teddy Bridgewater and the Vikings, but Big Ben and Brown are leaps and bounds ahead of that passing game. Brown has caught at least 5 passes for 50 yards in an NFL-record 33 consecutive games. It is without a doubt getting to 34. Roethlisberger gets starting RB Le’Veon Bell back in Week 3. Trust me, the Steelers are leaning on Ben’s arm and Brown’s hands, not back RB DeAngelo Williams’ legs this week. At a total salary of $16,000, the duo is just slightly less expensive than …
2. Matt Ryan & Julio Jones, Falcons, at Giants
Ryan ($7,400) and Jones ($8,900) is the most expensive tandem of the bunch here. But they combined for nearly 57 fantasy points in Week 1. I rode them successfully in two contests on 9 of 11 passes for 141 yards and 2 touchdowns. Like Brown, Jones cannot be covered. He’s about as close you can get to a sure thing. I probably shouldn’t of said that. Ah, whatever. I’m using the Ryan/Jones combo once again in Week 2 and expect them to make me some coin again. Tony Romo went mostly without Dez Bryant and still finished with 356 yards and 3 TDs. Ryan and Jones cost a combined $16,300 this weekend.
3. Sam Bradford & Jordan Matthews, Eagles, vs. Cowboys
Bradford ($6,900) and Matthews ($7,100) hooked up 10 times for 102 yards on 13 targets. That’s going to be a normal occurrence. With Matthews and his 6-foot-3 frame working out of the slot most of the time, he’s going to find himself in total mismatches a lot of the times. The Cowboys did a very good job clamping down on the Giants, but Chip Kelly’s quick strike offense is a completely different animal. At a total of $14,000 of your salary, these two could be the most bang for your buck.
4. Drew Brees & Brandin Cooks, Saints, vs. Buccaneers
Cooks ($7,000) is supposed to be a breakout star with Brees ($7,800) throwing to him. It was a rough go in Week 1 vs. a tough Cardinals defense (4 catches for 49 yards on 8 targets). But this weekend the Saints gets the Buccaneers at home. Rookie Marcus Mariota threw 4 first-half TDs vs. the Bucs in Week 1. This is a perfect opportunity for Brees and Cooks to work out the kinks and pile up the stats. A combined $14.8K is not a whole lot to throw down for a productive QB/WR duo.
5. Eli Manning & Odell Beckham Jr., Giants, vs. Falcons
To be put it bluntly, the Giants passing offense was pathetic in Week 1 vs. the Cowboys. Manning ($7,100) was out of sync with his receivers and let’s not even get into his mental errors. But his overall chemistry with Beckham ($8,800) is too good to be denied for too long. Manning and Beckham connected on 5 of 8 passes for 44 yards. Bleh. As for Week 2, the Falcons’ secondary showed some holes and if the Giants want to win games, Manning needs to feed Beckham. He will. A lot. Starting Sunday. Beckham’s salary might be a tad high, but Eli’s balances it out.
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