FANDUEL QUICK PICKS FOR WEEK 1 NFL DFS
By Brian Quick
Praise Jesus football is back! That was a scary seven months. While fantasy football leagues with your old buddies, new buddies, and work buddies is fun I can’t lie to myself anymore. DFS leagues are way more interesting. Week one can be very tricky as there are so many unknowns. I always like to look at fantasy drafts from a year prior just to see how much has changed in just one year. I muse at watching my cohorts with their cheat sheets at drafts knowing that the names on that sheet are mostly in the wrong order. Nobody knows what unknowns will emerge. That’s what makes fantasy sports so compelling. Below will be some Quick Tips for Fanduel Tournament Style Competitions.
PLAYER PICKS FOR WEEK 1
Quick Tip #1 – Derek Carr – QB – $7700 – The Saints were ranked 31st out of 32 NFL teams in defense last year. While I believe the Saints D will be better this year (can’t really be worse) this game still should be a wide open offensive show. If Drew Brees sets a strong offensive pace then Derek Carr should match or exceed him.
Quick Tip #2 – Lamar Miller – RB – Houston ($7600) – Lamer Miller finally escapes the chaos of Miami for a better situation in Houston. Expect the Bears to be messy on both sides of the ball. Miller is a three down back and could score on multiple occasions as the Texans set the tone for what should be a strong season for them. This might be the cheapest you see Miller all year so make sure you’re a buyer this week.
Quick Tip #3 Todd Gurley – RB – Rams ($8900) You pick Todd Gurley because he’s a stud and he’s going to destroy Chip Kelly and the 49ers defense. The niners were ranked 29th against the run last year and I have no idea how they are going to stop Gurley at any point during the night. Imagine if you don’t take Gurley and you are ahead of lots of people who have him. That will be a terrible feeling going into that late game on Monday night knowing you will wake up the next day having been usurped by so many Gurley owners. Take him and never look back.
Quick Tip #4 – TJ Yeldon – RB -Jaguars – ($6100) Yeldon will have to split time with Chris Ivory but should have plenty of opportunities to perform against a weaker Packers run defense. If Aaron Rogers has the Packers offense rolling then Yeldon will catch passes as the Jags try to keep up with the pace. His price tag is low enough to fit him into lineups with some other high priced players with enough upside to make sense.
Quick Tip #5 -Spencer Ware – RB – Chiefs – $5400 Jamaal Charles is most likely OUT for this Sunday making Ware at this price almost an automatic play. The Chargers ranked 27th against the run last year and the Chiefs love to run the ball. While there may be some intrusions by West and Davis, Ware should be the lead back and do the most damage.
THE LONGSHOTS
Below are 5 longshots that have a chance to hit this week along with a small blurb about each one and their Fanduel price. Adding any one of these guys is like adding a longshot into horse racing exacta or trifecta.
Robert Griffin III – QB – $6900 – I’m covered by the “longshots” title so I can put anyone I want here including RG III. I can see the storyline now about how RGIII makes his return with 4 TDs vs. the Eagles. He didn’t look terrible in the preseason. A short TD to Barnidge, a deep one to Coleman, Duke Johnson breaking a screen pass for a long TD, and a rushing TD of his own is fathomable.
Isaiah Crowell – RB – Browns (5,700) – This is the start of my “play guys vs. the Eagles” strategy. The Eagles ranked dead last in defense against the run last year and they are clearly a rebuilding franchise. I’m intrigued by Duke Johnson too, but Crowell is cheaper and should get more touches. More touches vs. the Eagles mathematically makes sense as the better choice.
Dwayne Allen – TE – $5500- He’s going to play a lot because the Colts need him to block and help out that O-Line. Will he be able to be productive as a pass catcher? A good Luck manages to find his tight end. Allen also has a history of scoring on week 1.
Giants D – $4400 – Giants’ rebuilt defense better be able to create turnovers from Cowboy rookies at key positions.
Tyler Boyd – WR – $5600 – I’m not worried about Brandon Lafell ahead of him on the depth chart. I’d like to think that on the varsity level of the NFL the best players play the most. The Jets will spend their efforts controlling AJ Green leaving Jet fans to wonder who the heck this Boyd guy is catching all of these passes. Keep an eye on him anyway as the year progresses.
Enjoy that feeling this Sunday morning. You know exactly what I’m talking about. Make sure there are no kid’s birthday parties to attend etc. etc. It is your day and you deserve it. Don’t let anyone try to tell you differently. Thank you once again for taking the time to read this. Remember, this is early week advice, so make sure you read up as the week goes on and make necessary changes to your lineups before game times. Please follow me on twitter @QuickRotoTips.
