Ah, football is back! Which also means NFL DFS takes center stage as we carefully build lineups to try to outwit our opponents. To me, there is not a purer form of the game that requires more skill than playing in a 50/50, double-up or head-to-head matchup. Cash games require identifying value to squeeze every dollar of salary out of your lineup while finding players that have a high floor to go along with some upside. Oh, and volume of touches and targets is king!
Week 1 is one of the most difficult weeks to navigate as we have only seen the starters play a couple of quarters in the preseason and we are unsure exactly what players will do who changed teams or how new coaches will call plays. However, Week 1 does also often bring some unexpected value with DFS prices getting set weeks ago. This article will focus on building a cash game lineup for the DraftKings 12-game Sunday slate.
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Quarterback
Andy Dalton (CIN): $5,800 @ IND
Paying down at QB is a very common lineup building technique to use in cash games on DraftKings. However, you want to be careful to make sure you don’t get too cute. There are some cheaper options at QB than Dalton, but Dalton has a very favorable matchup against a Colts pass defense that ranked 32nd in Defensive-adjusted Value Over Average (DVOA) according to Football Outsiders last season. The Bengals/Colts matchup comes in with one of the highest Vegas totals on the slate and is expected to be a close game which should keep Dalton throwing throughout the game.
Other Notables
- Philip Rivers (LAC): $6,400 vs. KC
Running Backs
Alvin Kamara (NO): $8,500 vs. TB
Kamara had a sensational rookie season, and it will be hard to duplicate the level of efficiency that he produced. While his per touch stats might regress some this season, he could be in line for an increased volume, especially through the first four weeks while Mark Ingram (suspension) is out. The Saints picked up Mike Gillislee off the scrap heap to be the Ingram replacement to begin the season, but with Gillislee just joining the team, Kamara should be able to get around 20 touches. Combine the increase in touches with a favorable matchup at home against the Buccaneers who allowed the ninth-most fantasy points to opposing RBs last season and Kamara could explode out of the gate this season.
Christian McCaffrey (CAR): $6,400 vs. DAL
You should notice a trend with the players I recommend this week and most weeks, they all get a high volume of touches and targets. My RBs are no different with a full point per reception on DraftKings, give me backs that are game-script independent and are involved both on the ground and in the passing game. There is a lot of talk about McCaffrey being a workhorse back this season and if the preseason is any indication, they aren’t kidding. McCaffrey and the Panthers will be at home on Sunday against the Cowboys defense that allowed the sixth-most receptions and receiving yards to opposing RBs last season with a 28th DVOA ranking defending RBs in the passing game. McCaffrey scored at least 10 DraftKings points in 12 out of 16 games last season and that was while only averaging 13 touches per game.
Other Notables
- Melvin Gordon (LAC): $6,800 vs. KC
- Alex Collins (BAL): $5,600 vs. BUF
- Royce Freeman (DEN): $4,500 vs. SEA
- Rex Burkhead (NE): $4,200 vs. HOU
Wide Receivers
Keenan Allen (LAC): $7,500 vs. KC
Allen is a target monster for the Chargers, compiling 159 targets last season while reeling in 102 catches and almost 1,400 yards. Allen draws a favorable matchup in the opener at home against the Chiefs. The Chiefs lost some key players in the secondary during the offseason and already struggled to stop opposing WRs last season, allowing the second-most yards and third-most TDs to opposing WRs. The Chiefs/Chargers matchup has one of the highest Vegas totals on the slate.
Jarvis Landry (CLE): $5,500 vs. PIT
Speaking of target hogs, Landry led the league in receptions last season with 112 for the Dolphins while being targeted 161 times. Landry changed teams in the offseason, moving to Cleveland. Landry’s role in Cleveland should be the same, vacuuming up targets in the slot on short passes from Tyrod Taylor while racking up yardage after the catch. The windy conditions expected for Cleveland on Sunday will also dictate more use of the short passing game against the Steelers.
Other Notables
- Antonio Brown (PIT): $8,600 @ CLE
- A.J. Green (CIN): $7,300 @ IND
- Stefon Diggs (MIN): $6,300 vs. SF
- Chris Hogan (NE): $6,100 vs. HOU
- Danny Amendola (MIA): $4,200 vs. TEN
- Keelan Cole (JAC): $3,800 @ NYG
Tight End
Jack Doyle (IND): $3,600 vs. CIN
With Andrew Luck returning to the field for the Colts after missing 2017 with a shoulder injury, the entire Colts offense should get a boost this season. In the early going, when Luck may still be building up some arm strength, look for more underneath passes which will directly benefit Doyle. Both he and Luck could chew up the middle of the field against a Bengals defense that had a 30th DVOA ranking against the TE position last season. A high target count at a cheap price from the TE position is a win-win.
Other Notables
- Delanie Walker (TEN): $4,900 @ MIA
Defense
Ravens (BAL): $3,800 vs. BUF
The Ravens will be the chalkiest of chalk at defense in Week 1. They are at home as a touchdown favorite in a game with the lowest Vegas total of the entire week. Meanwhile, Nathan Peterman, who threw five picks in his first NFL start last season and completed fewer than half of his passes (24-of-49), will be under center for the Bills. The Ravens defense is the most expensive of the week, but they could be worth every penny.
Other Notables
- Saints (NO): $3,600 vs. TB
- Redskins (WAS): $2,800 @ ARI
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Brad Richter is a Featured Writer and correspondent at FantasyPros and a contributor at DailyOverlay and GoingFor2. For more from Brad, you can view his archive or follow him @RotoPilot.
