Rob Gronkowski’s salary on DraftKings makes him hard to stomach Week 1
Geoff Lambert discusses players fade on DraftKings for Week 1 contests.
This piece is part of our article program that features quality content from experts exclusively at FantasyPros. For more insight from Geoff head to GoingFor2.com.
Week 1 is finally here and I couldn’t be more excited. The NFL season kickoffs tonight with a Super Bowl rematch between the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos.
I am Geoff Lambert from GoingFor2.com, and I will be bringing you my DraftKing fades for each week of the NFL season. For those that may be new to DFS, a “fade” is a player that you will not have in any of your lineups based on a multitude of factors that include price, matchup, or recent performances. Those of you that may be coming over from season-long fantasy football to see what all the fuss is about, you will learn very quickly how different DFS can be.
In season-long leagues, no one in their right mind would start Dak Prescott over Aaron Rodgers, but I can pretty much guarantee that will be the case this week on both FanDuel and DraftKings. Winning in DFS isn’t always about who you play, but about who you didn’t play. I’m going to help you sort through some of that this year, starting with this weekend. Let’s get started, shall we…
Get a free entry into the $5 Million Fantasy Football Millionaire with first deposit 
Quarterback
Cam Newton (CAR): @ DEN $7,700
Newton is coming off an MVP season, and if this was season-long fantasy football, there is no way you would bench him — but DFS is a different story. We all saw what the Broncos defense did to him in the Super Bowl last year, and there is no reason to think they couldn’t do it again. Vegas has this game being low scoring with two of the better defenses in the league going at it, so don’t expect Newton to put up huge numbers on Thursday night.
Better Options: Eli Manning $7,500, Drew Brees $8,100
Running Back
Ezekiel Elliott (DAL): vs NYG $7,300
Don’t get me wrong here, I think Elliott could have a big game here, but the risk is there that he doesn’t. He has a rookie at QB making his first NFL start, and the Cowboys will struggle to stop the Giants offense — meaning the game could get out of hand rendering the running game obsolete.
The Giants also spent a ton of money on their defense and could make it tough for the former Ohio State RB to find space to run. I think for his elite level price tag there are better options to be had.
Better Options: Lamar Miller $7,000, David Johnson $7,500
Wide Receiver
Alshon Jeffery (CHI): @ HOU $7,900
The Bears offense looked out of sync in the preseason ranking 29th in total offense. I know, it’s only preseason, but facts are facts. Kevin White, the WR opposite Jeffery, looks like he needs more time to develop and he won’t be respected enough by the defense to keep them from double-teaming Jeffery on every play.
Better Options: Keenan Allen $8,000, Brandon Marshall $7,800
Tight End
Rob Gronkowski (NE): @ ARI $7,400
Gronkowski is far and away the best tight end in the league, and he may end up having a big game here even with Jimmy Garoppolo throwing him passes, but $7,400 is a steep price to pay for a tight end. He is priced the same or higher than WRs like Amari Cooper and Mike Evans! Taking his price and Tom Brady‘s suspension into account, Gronk will not be in any of my lineups.
Better Options: Jordan Reed $6,600, Delanie Walker $4,500
Defense
Kansas City Chiefs: vs. SD $3,600
The Chiefs will be without Justin Houston, Tamba Hali will be on a snap count, and Eric Berry missed most of the preseason with a contract holdout. You combine that with the expected improvement of the Chargers’ offense with Keenan Allen back in the fold and you have an overpriced defense that I will be fading.
Better Options: New York Jets vs Bengals
Subscribe: iTunes | Stitcher | SoundCloud | Google Play | TuneIn | RSS
Create DFS lineups in seconds with our premium NFL Lineup Optimizer
