The lineup isn't quite in midseason shape yet, but Week 2 was definitely a step in the right direction and much better than the previous one.

Last week's lineup (144.38 DraftKings points) offered some solid building blocks to build around. Malik Nabers (31.70), Chris Godwin (27.70) and Jordan Mason (20.40) all produced four to five times the fantasy points per dollar invested.

I missed the opportunity to stock Nabers with its much-maligned quarterback, Daniel Jones, who nearly matched my preferred quarterback, Lamar Jackson, in scoring. The savings Jones could have provided would have allowed me to add Alvin Kamara and his 47 game-changing points to my lineup.

If you use a quarterback who can score with his legs, such as Jones, single stacks are usually more successful than double stacks and no bring back is required to complete the stack.

Because the quarterback creates value on the ground, his production is usually not enough to support multiple pass catchers who win on the week, while pocket passers rely on the other team to have a high-scoring game so they can step up their passing attempts.

This week I'm focusing on Arizona Cardinals micro machine Kyler Murray, which means it's not necessarily necessary to include Marvin Harrison Jr. And Trey McBride, but I'm offering a recall since the Lions-Cardinals matchup is the only one on the main slate where the point total is over 50.

The preamble

Developing the perfect NFL daily fantasy sports strategy can be challenging, which is why I'm here to help you every week.

At DraftKings, it's important to remember that you're playing full-point PPR, with bonuses when a player reaches over 300 passing yards, 100 rushing yards, or 100 receiving yards.

Here's my optimal lineup for Sunday's $3.5 million NFL Fantasy Football Millionaire Contest, but it can be used as a base for other games and platforms.

All prizes listed are provided courtesy of DraftKings with a budget of $50,000.

My lineup earned $30 last week, so I'm up $5 after two weeks with an average score of 117.27 points.

Results since the beginning of the year

Week 1: 90.16

Week 2: 144.38

Lineup week 3

QB: Kyler Murray, Cardinals ($6,900)

The Lions have been pretty good against the run so far, which should put even more emphasis than usual on Murray making plays with his arm. And Legs. He has a career-high 73.1 percent pass completion rate and a QB rating of 122.9 after two weeks. Through his first two games, Murray has averaged 214 passing yards, 58 rushing yards and two touchdowns, meaning he probably has the highest minimum on the list but could be pushed to his maximum by an explosive Detroit offense.

RB: De'Von Achane, Dolphins ($7,000)

With Tua Tagovailoa out and Raheem Mostert likely to miss another game with a pectoral injury, the dynamic Achane should be the focal point of Miami's offense. He set a career-high 29 touches (22 carries and seven receptions) against the Bills in Week 2. Only Kamara has scored more fantasy points than Achane in PPR formats this season.

RB: Zach Charbonnet, Seahawks ($6,000)

I'm back to playing Charbonnet after using him against the Patriots last week. He scored a solid 17.9 DraftKings points, and Kenneth Walker remains questionable about playing with an oblique injury. I'm still focused on volume and targets with running backs. Charbonnet averaged 19 touches for 78.5 yards and a TD in two starts last season and finished the season in New England with 19 touches for 69 yards and a TD. The Dolphins allow the sixth-highest number of yards before contact per attempt, must travel across the country, and are reeling from two dramatic weeks to open the season.

WR: Chris Olave, Saints ($6,300)

An Olave blow-up game is coming. It's just a matter of New Orleans facing an opponent that can keep the game exciting for four quarters, and I believe the Eagles will do just that after their disappointing loss to the Falcons on Monday night. Philadelphia has allowed the second-most fantasy points to wide receivers over the past two weeks and the third-most DraftKings points per game for the position.

WR: Brandon Aiyuk, 49ers ($6,200)

Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel and George Kittle are all out, and Aiyuk had a slow start to the season after endless transfer rumors and a long layoff during training camp. He should start this week. The Rams are playing single-high at the ninth-highest rate (59.6 percent), a coverage that Aiyuk enjoyed last season. We just saw Harrison tear up that secondary with 130 yards and two TDs in a single half.

WR: Jameson Williams, Lions ($5,800)

When I considered getting my Cardinals stack back, the Amon-Ra St. Brown ($8,200) discount for Williams was too big to pass up. Getting the former first-round pick the ball was a priority for Detroit early in the season. Jameson is the WR7 in PPR formats. Among the 92 qualified wide receivers, he is sixth in separation and ninth in route win rate, according to FantasyPros.

TE: Trey McBride, Cardinals ($6,200)

A double stack of Murray, Harrison, and McBride would cost a pretty penny, so I'm prioritizing McBride at a position that consistently disappoints.

FLEX: Roman Wilson, Steelers ($3,200)

Everyone expects Pittsburgh to slowly introduce its third-round pick to the offense after Wilson suffered an ankle injury in training camp and missed the first two weeks of his rookie season, but Van Jefferson, Calvin Austin III and Scotty Miller aren't good enough to keep him off the field. Few teams discover gems at the position as often in the draft as the Steelers, and it's poetic that Wilson will make his NFL debut against his former college coach, Jim Harbaugh.

Summertime: Minnesota Vikings ($2,400)

The Vikings have the best defense in fantasy football after two weeks, having been a top-10 team for the final three months of last season. Most people won't consider them important against CJ Stroud and the Texans, but their price tag is just too tempting given their production potential. The game is in Minnesota, where the Vikings just held the 49ers to 17 points. San Francisco and Houston have very similar offenses.

Originally published: September 21, 2024 at 2:38 p.m.