Dave Gloeckner 
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It’s Week 3 in the XFL and teams are starting to make significant roster moves already. The league is only 10 weeks long which means teams have to adjust sooner than probably anticipated otherwise their season could be over by the end of March.
That is especially true for teams sitting at 0-2 as we have with the Vegas Vipers and Orlando Guardians. The former, made a QB switch after one drive last week and are committing to QB Brett Hundley as they’re starter. The second still has no idea what to do at QB as they went to Deondre Francois just to see that fail and go back to incumbent starter Paxton Lynch.
And then there’s a team with championship expectations also making a QB move this week, though they are sitting at 1-1. Arlington has decided to hand the signal caller reins over to Kyle Sloter who many thought would be the opening day starter. Sloter recently played in the USFL last season and showed flashes of good. But he also led the league in INT’s so this move comes with risk.
Anyway, so far we’ve had two solid weeks playing DFS in the XFL. We’re looking to use the information we’ve gathered to strike a big one this week. Which leads me to the games and favorite players in each.
SEATTLE SEA DRAGONS -3.5 @ VEGAS VIPERS (Saturday 7pm on FX/ESPN+)
Game Note: Weather was a factor in Vegas last week but forecast for Saturday is 62 degrees. Winds may be gusty but these teams throw underneath so that won’t impact the game plan. Because of this, I think this could be highest scoring game this week.
Quarterback:
BEN DINUCCI (SEATTLE) $10500: DiNucci leads the league in passing yards but also knucklehead plays. The latter is only important for betting purposes but can effect DFS results. He was also caught on the mic in Week 2 complaining about play-calling which adds to his future uncertainty behind center. But the news is he’s still the guy in Seattle. And if that’s so, he’s a top 3 QB on the slate this week based on the Seattle offensive philosophy and opponent.
BRETT HUNDLEY (LAS VEGAS) $7400: Hundley came in relief of Luis Perez last week and didn’t fare too well. I’ll chalk that up to the weather as the playing conditions were in a monsoon. Hundley should be able to move the ball against a Seattle D that allowed 292 yards to Seattle last week. Add to that Hundley is a threat to run and Seattle allowed AJ McCarron to gain 41 yards on the ground in Week 2.
Note, Luis Perez is still listed as the starting QB going into Week 3. If this stays true, I’ll avoid Hundley in GPP’s but look to play him in Showdowns. I still believe he’ll see majority of snaps this week.
Running Back:
MORGAN ELLISON (SEATTLE) $4600: Seattle’s starting RB, Brendan Knox, has been ruled out for tonight’s game against Vegas. Which means it is Ellison’s show. While he lost a fumble last week, Ellison did manage 74 total yards and 10.4 DK points. We just saw Vegas get carved up by the DC running game. So I really like Ellison in this spot and expect him to see 15+ touches.
ROD SMITH (VEGAS) $6400: Vegas has struggled to run the ball. But if they are able to finally get the running game in motion, Rod Smith will be the beneficiary. The ex-NFL RB has the talent to be successful in the XFL as witnessed by his 25 yard run last week. Unfortunately, his other 12 carries this year have gone for only 15 yards. Seattle has shutdown opposing offenses running games so I’m more inclined to avoid the Vegas RB’s once again this week.
Wide Receiver/TE:
JAHCOUR PEARSON (SEATTLE) $9000: Pearson leads the league in receptions and yards. He’s part of the most pass-happy offense in the league. Start him with confidence.
BLAKE JACKSON (SEATTLE) $7100: The XFL’s 2nd leading receiver is also a Sea Dragon. And it’s not Josh Gordon but instead Blake Jackson. Jackson has 17 targets in 2 games and has brought in 13 of those.
JEFF BADET (VEGAS) $9100: Badet had a huge week 1 as he brought in 2 TD’s and racked up 26.1 DK points against Arlington. Last week he managed just 2 catches on 4 targets but again we’re attributing that to the weather. I think Badet rebounds this week and he’s my favorite WR in this game despite the numbers that Seattle WR’s have racked up.
GERONIMO ALLISON (DC) $8100: Allison got shut out last week which means owners will likely steer clear of him this week. That would be a mistake as Seattle has allowed 42 points this season which is the second most in the XFL. We should see scoring and I expect that to come through the air with Vegas.
ST LOUIS BATTLEHAWKS @ DC DEFENDERS -3 (Sunday 1pm on ESPN)
Quarterback:
AJ MCCARRON (ST LOUIS) $10600: Kudos to McCarron to being able to bring the Battlehawks back from defeat and win both games with 4th quarter comebacks. What’s also impressive is that McCarron is the only QB with more than 40 attempts that has yet to throw an INT. He’s also been surprisingly efficient as a runner by racking up 53 yards on 9 attempts. However, this is a tough matchup for McCarron as DC bodes on of the top defenses in the XFL. My concerns with St Louis are with their O Line as they’ve allowed 8 sacks in 2 games.
McCarron is the highest salaried QB on the board this week. Based on matchup, I will not be playing McCarron in my GPP’s. However, I will look to use him in Showdown’s.
JORDAN TA’AMU (DC) $9400 / D’ERIQ KING (DC) $7000: The Defenders have the worst pass offense in the league. They have thrown for just 183 yards in 2 games and have a combined completion percentage of 45%. But they do possess the best rushing offense in the league and HC Reggie Barlow has leaned on the QB’s to contribute to that part of their game. Jordan Ta’amu and D’Eriq King have combined for 121 rushing yards from under center on 29 attempts. So there is still value in playing a DC QB. Especially because St Louis has allowed 236 yards rushing in their first two games. They’ve also generated just 2 sacks which is the lowest in the league.
Tread carefully but I see value in both Ta’amu and King and would lean towards Ta’amu because of his ability to actually complete passes. And I see value in playing both QB’s in a Showdown lineup.
Running Back:
MATEO DURANT (ST LOUIS) $6300: The Battlehawks have struggled to find room in the running game as their leading rusher is AJ McCarron with 53 yards. Preseason starting RB Brian Hill looks like he’ll miss another week with a hamstring injury. Which means Durant will likely be the featured back. While he didn’t put up a huge game in that roll in Week 2, he did receive 13 carries and had 3 catches which led the team in touches. I don’t like this O-Line, as previously mentioned, which means I don’t like Durant against DC on Sunday.
ABRAM SMITH (DC) $8200: Smith paid off for DFS players last week as he was able to punch in a late TD to help propel him to the leading RB scorer in Week 2. St Louis has allowed 100 yards rushing in both games so far this season. Ballage had a huge game against them in Week 1 and fits the profile that Smith has. I like Smith a lot this week and expect him to be a top 3 scorer at the RB position.
Wide Receiver/TE:
HAKEEM BUTLER (ST LOUIS) $6100: Butler has 2 big touchdowns for the Battlehawks and has seen 10 targets in 2 games. He seems to be McCarron’s main downfield threat as the QB has yet to find rhythm with Marcell Ateman. Butler didn’t practice much this week so keep an eye on his availability. But if he plays, he’s definitely worth a roster spot based on the need for St Louis to move the ball through the air versus DC.
DARRIUS SHEPPARD (ST LOUIS) $6400: Sheppard has yet to flash for St Louis but if Ateman and Butler aren’t able to go then he immediately moves into a primary position and will see his targets exponentially improve.
AUSTIN PROEHL (ST LOUIS) $5500: Proehl is McCarron’s safety blanket. He is tied for the team lead with 10 targets and he’s been able to reel in 8 of those. He is a low ceiling player but holds value especially in showdowns based on the potential for 5+ receptions.
JOSH HAMMOND (DC) $7000: My favorite DC receiver is Jequez Ezzard. But DC refuses to play the speedster from Sam Houston State and instead roll out many 2 WR sets. But DC is comfortable using Hammond on almost every play as witnessed by his high snap count. So if you’re going to use a WR in DC, Hammond is your safest play based on how much he’s on the field.
LUCKY JACKSON (DC) $4100: Lucky Jackson leads DC in receiving with 6 catches for 42 yards. He’s also $2900 cheaper than Hammond. He’s a better play for GPP’s based on his projected ownership and lower salary.
ORLANDO GUARDIANS @ ARLINGTON RENEGADES -8.5 (Sunday 4pm on ESPN/ESPN+)
Quarterback:
PAXTON LYNCH (ORLANDO) $7700: News out of Orlando is that Lynch will get his 3rd straight start for the Guardians. It will also be the 3rd straight week I avoid this position on the Guardians. Good luck but Lynch is a pass for me (especially against a team that leads the XFL in turnovers created).
KYLE SLOTER (ARLINGTON) $6000: I am not the biggest Sloter fan. I thought he left a lot on the field in the USFL. However, I do know he has a big arm and is willing to take risks. And he has the perfect entry into the XFL as he’s playing the worst team in the league in Orlando. I’m very interested in Sloter this week and have him as my second highest owned QB this week.
Running Back:
DEVEON SMITH (ARLINGTON) $6500: De’Veon Smith has 22 carries through 2 weeks which is good for T3 in the XFL. And Arlington made a surprising move by releasing 2nd string RB Keith Ford this week. So it’s the Smith show for the Renegades which is good for DFS owners. Orlando has actually played the run well but Smith has 6 cathes in 2 games so he’s a threat in the pass game which helps with his value.
JAH MAINE MARTIN (ORLANDO) $7800: Martin has been very efficient for the Guardians racking up 87 yards on 18 carries. However, Arlington has been great against the run allowing just 102 yards in the first 2 weeks. More importantly, 39 of that was to backup QB Cole McDonald last week. So they’ve been even better against running backs and for that reason I’m fading Martin this week.
Wide Receiver/TE:
BEN CANNELLA (ARLINGTON) $7100: Cannella continues to shine and put up another big game in Week 2. He’s 3rd in the league in receptions with 11 and now gets his old QB throwing him balls in Kyle Sloter (both played for New Orleans in USFL). Start Cannella with confidence.
CALEB VANDER ESCH (ARLINGTON) $3000: VALUE ALERT. There’s news out of Arlington that Vander Esch may suit up for his first game this weekend. The former South Dakota standout brings with him some pedigree as he is the brother of Cowboys LB Leighton Vander Esch. Either way, there’s talent and potential for value especially with the projection that Arlington’s passing game will open up with Sloter at the helm.
TYLER VAUGHNS (HOUSTON) $3000: Vaughns took a goose egg last week but he still leads the team in snap counts at the receiver position over the first 2 weeks.
CODY LATIMER (ORLANDO) $4100: Two weeks and two games of 5 receptions and a touchdown. That’s all that Latimer has done for the Guardians all while being priced under $4K. And he’s still underpriced once again at $4100. He’s 4th in the league in receptions with 10 and has earned his place in the Guardians receiver rotation.
ELI RODGERS (ORLANDO) $3100: VALUE ALERT. Rogers is averaging 7.4 DK points per game and has one touchdown so far this season. For a team that trails a lot, Rogers sees a ton of snaps and should be able to replicate his prior two performances.
SAN ANTONIO BRAHMAS @ HOUSTON ROUGHNECKS -4 (Sunday 8pm on ESPN/ESPN+)
Quarterback:
JACK COAN (SAN ANTONIO) $8000: Coan has been impressive so far this season. He leads the league in completion % (68.8) and touchdowns (4). Houston likes to play with pace so I think there is value with Coan this week. I have him as my QB #4 in projections and would have confidence playing him in ~10-20% of my lineups. Because he distributes the ball to so many different receivers, you could consider playing Coan naked this week.
BRANDON SILVERS (HOUSTON) $9500: Silvers has put up solid numbers this season ranking 2nd in passing yards and 1st in touchdowns (tied with Coan). He’s been a steady producer averaging 16.6 DK points per game. However, Houston did throw a wrinkle in their offense last week by deploying Cole McDonald on a few drives. McDonald was mainly used as a change of pace but it’s still something to keep an eye on. With that said, Silvers is still a top 3 QB in my player pool this week (DiNucci, Sloter, Silvers, Coan, and Hundley if he starts).
Running Back:
MAX BORGHI (HOUSTON) $9000: Borghi is the highest priced RB this week and it’s for good reason. His versatility in the passing game is a huge plus for fantasy owners as he’s brought in 6 catches in 2 games. He’s also found the endzone in both weeks which shows the trust Houston has in Borghi in the redzone.
KALEN BALLAGE (SAN ANTONIO) $8000: Ballage didn’t put up the big numbers we expected last week as Orlando committed to stopping the Brahmas run game and dared Coan to beat them, which he did. But Ballage leads the XFL in touches and should find room to run tonight against Houston who has shown vulnerability to the run.
Wide Receiver/TE:
DEONTAY BURNETT (HOUSTON) $9100: Burnett was relatively quiet last week against Arlington. But he is still 3rd in the league in targets with 16. He also has big playmaking ability which leads to the potential of him breaking a big gain at any moment. Those are the types of players you want in GPP’s as they can easily break a slate, like Burnett did in Week 1.
JONTRE KIRKLAND (HOUSTON) $7700: Kirkland is the more steady of the two Houston WR’s so far as he’s posted games of 18.1 and 9.6 fantasy points. Jontre is 4th in the league in targets with 14 and 2nd in the league in receiving yards. I like stacks of Silvers, Borghi and Kirkland this week.
JALEN TOLLIVER (SAN ANTONIO) $6700: Tolliver found the endzone last week against Orlando and was able to put up 12.1 DK points. Tolliver shows a fire and passion that separates him from others at his position. I think we’ll continue to see Tolliver’s role expand and I like him a lot this week versus Houston.
DARECE ROBERSON (SAN ANTONIO) $3000: VALUE ALERT. Roberson was inactive for Week 1 but blew up the scene in Week 2 as he led the Brahmas in targets with 8. He hauled in four of those for 38 yards which gave him a surprising 7.8 DK points. So keep an eye on Roberson this week, or play him as a very sneaky under-owned value player.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Look at passing games in Seattle, Arlington, San Antonio and Houston this week. I also like Vegas’s passing game but have to see where they settle at QB. Will likely play some of their WR’s without the QB. Running game in DC should once again be valued as it should in Seattle as well.
For Defenses, I do like DC based on St Louis issues at the offensive line. I also like Arlington as they have relied on their defense for turnovers. Plus, Orlando has allowed a league high 9 sacks.
Good luck this week and let’s smash this slate!
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