Another full slate of NFL games is ahead this weekend, and I'm looking at three longshot bets for you to consider. Below, I explain why I expect Aaron Jones and Kenneth Walker III to have huge games, then I highlight why the Cardinals and Seahawks will struggle to put points on the board. Here are the best longshot NFL Week 2 picks.
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NFL Week 2 Picks: Sleepers & Longshot Bets
(Odds Courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Aaron Jones 100+ Rushing Yards (+451)
Jordan Mason has been placed on injured reserve (IR), which means Aaron Jones is in line for a significant workload on Sunday. While he hasn't rushed for 100 yards in a game since 2024, this is a great opportunity for Jones against a defense that allowed 125 rushing yards to the Panthers last week.
Quarterback Kyler Murray is questionable after suffering a concussion last week. If he's unable to go, that means the Vikings will once again turn to Carson Wentz, who helped lead the team to a come-from-behind victory last week. However, the last thing I expect the Vikings to do with Wentz under center is get into a shootout with the Bears.
Jones had 12 carries last week. In all, the Vikings rushed 34 times, with 15 of those carries going to Mason. I wouldn't be surprised to see Jones rush 25 times this week. While he only averaged 3.3 yards per attempt last week, I expect that number to increase dramatically against a defense that allowed 5.7 yards per carry.
Kenneth Walker III 140+ Rushing Yards (+950)
Staying on the ground for my next play, I'm backing Kenneth Walker III to have another massive game. In his Chiefs debut, he rushed for 173 yards on 23 carries, averaging 7.5 yards per carry. If he was able to do that against the Broncos' defense, I fully expect him to have another huge game against the Colts.
Last week, the Colts allowed 506 yards to the Ravens, the second-most in the league. Derrick Henry rushed for 144 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 6.0 yards per carry.
The Chiefs are 6.5-point favorites, so I expect Walker to see plenty of carries in this game. And even if his average drops to 5.5 yards per carry, which could still be on the low end given how poorly the Colts' defense played last week, 25 carries would still get him to this threshold.
Seahawks vs. Cardinals Alt Total Under 28.5 Points (+528)
Sam Darnold is out for Week 2, and now Drew Lock will need to perform against a defense that has an entire week to prepare for him. While he was solid in relief of Darnold last week, this is still a quarterback whose teams have scored 13 or fewer points in his last three starts.
The Cardinals' defense was excellent against the Chargers in Week 1, holding them to just 268 yards and forcing two turnovers in their upset road victory. If Darnold were starting, I'd never take this under, but I think the Cardinals' defense proved in Week 1 that it can slow down a quarterback like Lock.
And while the Cardinals scored 26 points last week, I'm concerned about Jacoby Brissett against a defense that forced three interceptions off Drake Maye in the NFL's opening game. The Seahawks allowed just 277 yards, and I anticipate last year's top-scoring defense to show up in a big way again.
Phil Wood is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Phil, check out his archive and follow him @Phil_Wood_Jr.