After a smashing Week 1 debut, the XFL is gearing up for the second week of action. Currently, the top option for XFL Fantasy is XFL DFS on DraftKings. Below, CJay gives you his picks for the top options for Week 2 XFL DFS running backs. As we mentioned earlier this week, running backs are pretty useless in this pass-happy league. However, pass-catching backs can give you those extra points to take home some cash.
Here are our Week 2 Quarterback and Wide Receiver Rankings.
XFL Fantasy Running Back Rankings
OPRK = Opponent Rank
1st = Hardest Matchup, they are the best against that position
8th = Easiest Matchup, they are the worst against that position
Tier 1
1) DeVeon Smith (TB) @ SEA, OPRK 2nd
Price: $7500 (1st)
2) James Butler (HOU) vs STL, OPRK 6th
Price: $6300 (4th)
DeVeon Smith had one of the better ground performances in Week 1, rushing for 79 yards. With Aaron Murray out this week, expect Smith and Quinton Flowers to make plays in the read option game against Seattle. Kick returner turned starting running back James Butler went wild in Week 1, scoring twice to lead all backs with 19 fantasy points. Now No. 1 on the depth chart, Butler is poised to do damage beside Phillip Walker in their matchup against a leaky BattleHawks defense.
Tier 2
3) Jhurell Pressley (DC) vs. NY, OPRK 3rd
Price: $7000 (2nd)
4) Matt Jones (STL) @ HOU, OPRK 1st
Price: $5900 (6th), QUESTIONABLE (knee)
5) Elijah Hood (LA) vs. DAL, OPRK 4th
Price: $6500 (3rd)
6) Lance Dunbar (DAL) @ LA, OPRK 7th
Price: $4600 (11th)
This tier is full of household names who are full of potential. Jhurell Pressley was very underwhelming in Week 1, but still outplayed Donnel Pumphrey, who was even more underwhelming. Pressley is a talented, three-down back who should get back to form this week.
Former Redskins RB Matt Jones made Christine Michael a complete afterthought last week, gaining 85 yards on 21 totes. Although he has a Questionable tag, Jones was a full participant on Friday and should once again carry the load for the run-heavy BattleHawks. Third string RB Keith Ford, who scored in a touchdown in Week 1, will be out this week with a knee injury, giving Jones a couple of more touches on the ground.
If Josh Johnson can play this week, Elijah Hood would be a fantastic buy-low. Saddled with a first time starting quarterback last week against the stingy Roughnecks defense, Hood didn’t make much noise with only 43 yards on the ground. However, he ran hard and made the most out of the situation. Hood could possess excellent value if the dual threat QB returns to the lineup.
Former Cowboys third down back Lance Dunbar is the perfect XFL running back. He’s more than capable as a runner after he averaged 5.4 yards a carry and showed off his pass-catching skills by corralling all six targets for 29 yards. In DraftKings’ PPR format, catching passes is king and he should be a primary target for Landry Jones — who’s set to make his XFL debut.
Tier 3
7) Darius Victor (NY) @ DC, OPRK 8th
Price: $4100 (14th)
8) Kenneth Farrow (SEA) vs. TB, OPRK 5th
Price: $6100 (5th)
9) Trey Williams (SEA) vs TB, OPRK 5th
Price: $5000 (9th)
NY Guardians’ RB Darius Victor was a steady in their Week 1 win against the Vipers, going for 57 total yards on 12 touches. Victor out-touched Tim Cook and he should get touches to slow down the Defenders’ aerial attack led by Cardale Jones. Victor is a high floor, low ceiling play this week.
Household name Kenneth Farrow averaged 6 yards per carry on the ground and added four receptions en route to a solid 9.5 pt fantasy afternoon. Although we could be seeing a gross three-headed committee in Seattle with Trey Williams and Ja’Quan Gardner, Farrow’s ability to play all three downs gives him the slight nod over Williams, who’s primarily a pass-catcher and Gardner, who isn’t involved in the passing game.
Tier 4
10) Nick Holley (HOU) vs STL, OPRK 6th
*Listed on depth chart as WR
Price: $4800 (10th)
11) Cameron Artis-Payne (DAL) @ LA, OPRK 7th
Price: $5600 (7th)
12) Christine Michael (STL) @ HOU, OPRK 1st
Price: $5300 (8th)
13) Tim Cook (NY) @ DC, OPRK 8th
Price: $4400 (12th)
14) Jacques Patrick (TB) @ SEA, OPRK 2nd
Price: $4200 (13th)
This is when things start to get messy and only having one running back slot on DraftKings makes life much easier.
Nick Holley was listed as a starting receiver on Houston’s Week 1 roster, but he has a running back designation on DraftKings. Holley is a Julian Edelman clone who also hails from Kent State. He was a former QB/WR/RB in college and the Roughnecks will move him all over the place to get the ball in his hands. He caught four of five targets for 50 yards and is sort of a cheat code to get an all receiver lineup.
Our No. 1 RB heading into Week 1, Cameron Artis-Payne had a tough go of it with his starting quarterback on the sideline. Bob Stoops and Hal Mumme couldn’t get the Dallas offense into gear and struggled throughout the afternoon. CAP fell behind Lance Dunbar but saved his day with four receptions. Let’s hold on Artis-Payne and see how the offense opens up with Landry Jones in shotgun.
As we wrote this week, Christine Michael was an utter disaster, rushing for a grand total of ZERO yards on seven carries and finishing with -0.1 fantasy points. TBH, he’s really only RB12 because I was a CM truther during his time as an NFL nomad and he has name value.
Tim Cook was listed as the Guardians starter on their Week 1 depth chart. However, he was out-touched by Victor. Surprisingly, even though the game was in wraps, Kevin Gilbride elected to throw the ball even with a comfortable lead. Just like Victor, the ceiling isn’t very high for Cook, but the talent is there for Cook to make noise, especially against the Defenders’ leaky run defense.
Jacques Patrick didn’t make much noise in Week 1, taking a backseat to DeVeon Smith, our RB1 for Week 2. But just like with Smith, the running backs should find more room on the ground with Flowers at the helm, over the disgusting Aaron Murray. Still, he had eight carries and three targets last week in their New York slop fest. Let’s hope Trestman turns this shit around quick.
Tier 5
15) Marquis Young (DAL) @ LA, OPRK 7th
Price: $3700 (17th)
16) Donnel Pumphrey (DC) vs NY, OPRK 3rd
Price: $3900 (16th)
17) Ja’Quan Gardner (SEA) vs TB, OPRK 5th
Price: $4000 (15th)
There’s little to no chance that you would start these three, but for season-long purposes, there’s some upside here.
Marquis Young was active in the Renegades’ passing game with four receptions on four targets and also added three carries… Donnel Pumphrey is very talented and is actually RB1 on the Defenders’ depth chart this week after both him and Pressley were bottled up on the ground. I still have hope for the former SDSU stud… Ja’Quan Gardner was not involved in the passing game but carried the ball nine times. He seems like the Dragons’ goal line back if there’s such thing in the XFL.
Injury Notes – Matt Jones is questionable with a knee injury but was full participant in Friday’s practice… Michael would end up being Top-8 ranked without Jones there. BattleHawks third string RB Keith Ford was declared OUT with a knee injury.
Values: Dunbar, Victor, Marquis Young
