Ryan Tannehill and the Dolphins’ offense has a favorable matchup Week 1

FanDuel has released their pricing for NFL Week 1! They’re setting the bar high with their $1 million Sunday NFL Rush and the $5 million NFL Sunday Million tournaments. Most of the excitement and fun in DFS comes from entering into large tournaments where you can win an enormous, life-changing amount of money. But in order for you to keep your bankroll above your initial deposit you should invest most of your money into 50/50s. This enables you to continue playing each week without having to pull out your debit card or PayPal information to deposit more money.

It has been a while since we have played NFL DFS, and most of us could use a quick breakdown of the salary cap and roster management. FanDuel gives you a $60,000 salary cap with 9 positions to fill. Those positions are QB, (2) RB, (3) WR, TE, K and D. You can enter into tournaments or 50/50s, view the salaries and begin to construct your Week 1 team. I’m sure all of us will continue to tinker with them from now until there is only a minute or two left before rosters lock, but that’s part of the enjoyment, exhilaration and thrill of being a part of the NFL DFS community.

The only game that won’t be available for the Millionaire tournaments is the Thursday night contest. The Pittsburgh Steelers travel to Foxborough to face the defending Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots. Las Vegas has yet to post over/under totals or point spreads for Week 1, but you should read those before lineups lock. Vegas lines are good indicators when looking for projected high-scoring games or potential defenses to target. Here are a few players to keep your eye on when building your Week 1 lineup.

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QB

Ryan Tannehill – MIA at WAS – $8,000

Tannehill won’t fly under the radar for long in 2015. The talented QB signed a long-term deal with the Dolphins due to his exponential growth through his first three seasons. The Dolphins added a few weapons this offseason by drafting WR DeVante Parker out of Louisville and acquiring WR Kenny Stills and TE Jordan Cameron. Week 1 the Dolphins visit the Redskins who are a below-average defense and have huge holes in the secondary. They allowed the third-most points per game (27.4) with only 7 INTs. Buy low while you can and reap the benefits.

RB

LeSean McCoy – BUF vs. IND – $8,400

“Shady” McCoy gets a fresh start in Buffalo along with a new head coach in Rex Ryan that absolutely loves to pound the rock and eat up the clock. The Bills have every intention of letting McCoy get over 300 carries this season. McCoy rushed for over 1,300 yards last season for the Eagles in what seemed like a down year. McCoy is going to be the shiny new toy in town and will glisten in his home debut.

Jonathan Stewart – CAR at JAC – $7,100

Stewart is finally the lead back for the Carolina Panthers. He has spent his entire career splitting carries or getting hurt alongside DeAngelo Williams. Stewart took full advantage of his opportunities last season and he helped lead the Panthers to the playoffs after their season looked liked it was going down the drain. His raw talent is up there with the elite running backs but comes with much more value at his friendly price. If “Riverboat” Ron Rivera sticks to what pushed them into the playoffs, Stewart should be in for a huge game vs. the Jaguars.

WR

Julio Jones – ATL vs. PHI – $9,000

Jones comes in as the highest-priced wide receiver in Week 1, which you can use to your advantage. With all of the elite talent at the position he most surely will have a lower ownership level due to his cost, making him a great tournament play. Matt Ryan is unreal at home and won’t have any problem connecting with his favorite receiver. The Eagles run a fast-paced offense under Chip Kelly that usually leads to quick points or three-and-outs. The Falcons will get their share of time on offense, and the Eagles should be projected to score plenty of points, forcing the Falcons to put the ball in the air. Jones will see a ton of targets, and there isn’t anyone in the Eagles secondary that poses a huge threat to him having his way Week 1.

Jarvis Landry – MIA at WAS – $6,900

You might not know this, but Landry finished last season as the No. 14 WR. He is Tannehill’s security blanket and gets looked to often in big situations. Over Landry’s last eight games he averaged nine targets per game. With the offseason additions the Dolphins made this should only help out their slot receiver. Landry will fly under the radar early in the season and if you’re going to use Tannehill as your QB, you should roll with his favorite wideout as well.

Kevin White – CHI vs. GB – $5,500

The Bears selected Kevin White seventh overall in April to replace Brandon Marshall. White is NFL ready and will make an impact for the Bears immediately. He has exceptional size (6’3″, 215 lbs), with sub-4.4 speed making him a legit deep threat. The Bears get to play at home vs. their rivals, the Green Bay Packers. Anytime they play each other you have to expect a boatload of points being put on the board. White will not have a price tag below $6,000 after Week 1. Take advantage of the current uncertainty, as he will surely provide more value than he costs.

TE

Jordan Cameron – MIA at WAS – $5,500

One of the greatest joys about playing DFS is not worrying about season-long injuries. Cameron will get knocked down the draft boards in season-long leagues due to his injury history, but that is the only knock he has on is resume. He easily provides elite upside and can stretch the seams playing to the strengths of Ryan Tannehill. Charles Clay looked like a stud at tight end with Tannehill as his QB but doesn’t have anywhere near the level of talent that Cameron provides. The Redskins were atrocious covering tight ends last season and they didn’t do much in the offseason to correct that.

K

Dan Bailey – DAL vs. NYG – $5,000

This should always be the last position that you select when filling out your team. Kickers are fickle week to week. Even if a team that is predicted to light up the scoreboard, they could turn all of the points into touchdowns leaving your kicker with extra points. Look for a leg that is playing in a game with a projected high total, playing at home with less crowd noise and in a good environment like a dome, decent weather and low air density index. Bailey is kicking at home vs. the Giants in a game that should have plenty of points, giving him plenty of opportunities to contribute.

D

New York Jets – NYJ vs. CLE – $4,400

J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS! This revamped defense doesn’t have many flaws and gets to play at home vs. the Cleveland Browns who have a ton of question marks. The crowd is loud and they will be pumped up for many reasons. They have a new head coach in Todd Bowles who is a defensive genius and quite possibly the only man that could fill the shoes of Rex Ryan on that side of the ball. Owner Woody Johnson spent every penny he could this offseason by bringing back the Darrell Revis/Antonio Cromartie tandem. He also let new GM, Mike Maccagnan, sign Buster Skrine and Marcus Gilchrist. They drafted Leonard Williams in the first round, solidifying one of the league’s best front sevens. Lock them in as your defense this week and take flight as they smash the Browns.

Be sure to follow along training camp and preseason news with our NFL News Desk as a lot can change from now until Week 1 kickoff. Injuries are an awful thing in the NFL, but they are far too common and can change your game plan in an instance. If a big-time RB isn’t ready for Week 1 you can find a ton of value in a low-priced backup that has a great matchup. The prices are set and can’t be changed. Understand the offensive schemes and the opposing defensive strengths and weaknesses they will be facing along with the atmosphere they will be playing in. Stadiums/fan atmosphere play a huge roll in the NFL and can take you by surprise. Not every team plays the same when they’re not playing at home.

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Matthew Davis is a correspondent for FantasyPros. You can find more from Matthew by viewing his archive or following him @_mattywood_.