Welcome to week 1 edition of Daily Fantasy Football DraftKings Targets. An introduction is not really all that necessary, as the title of this article pretty much sums up what is going to be discussed. I will be providing one top play and one value play at each position for week 1 NFL DFS.. Let's get down to it.
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DraftKings DFS Quarterbacks for Week 1
Aaron Rodgers (at CHI, $8,600)
Aaron Rodgers is the best quarterback on the board as he faces off against a very bad Chicago Bears' secondary. Last season, the Green Bay Packers' star QB threw for almost 4,900 passing yards, 42 touchdowns, and only seven interceptions. According to DraftKings' matchup rankings, the Chicago Bears ranked in at 30th in the league in total yards per game and passing yards per game and finished last in the league in points allowed per game. These stats are taken from the Bears' 16 games last season.
The Packers' offense took a huge hit with the injury to Jordy Nelson, but Davante Adams (see below) should be able to step into his new role and flourish. Randall Cobb is still a top WR in the NFL, and he should be seeing a ton of targets week one as well. RotoBaller's very own Justin Bales wrote an article explaining the importance of Vegas statistics, and the Packers/Bears game is one of the highest projected scoring games on the slate. Do not hesitate to spend up for Rodgers.
Matthew Stafford (at SD, $7,000)
There are a few value plays at the QB position this week, but Matthew Stafford provides the most upside. While Carson Palmer does play a struggling New Orleans Saints' secondary and has the ability to score a ton of fantasy points, he will probably be owned at a lot higher of a percentage than Matthew Stafford. Thus, Stafford makes for a better GPP option. Last season, the Detroit Lions' star QB flirted with 4,600 passing yards but failed to find the end zone often enough to warrant a great season. He only scored 23 touchdowns and threw 13 interceptions. The San Diego Chargers' defense played well against the pass last season, but they will likely revert back to allowing a lot of yards per game through the air this season.
The game is slightly in favor of the Chargers on Vegas, which can actually work to Stafford's advantage (fantasy wise, anyway). If the Lions are playing catch up for most of the game, Stafford will be forced into throwing the ball a lot more than he would if the Lions were winning the entire game. His price tag is a lot lower than a majority of the "big name" QBs, so use him in GPP formats.
DraftKings DFS Running Backs for Week 1
DeMarco Murray (at ATL, $6,700)
DeMarco Murray is coming off of the best year of his career. The injury-prone Cowboys' starter stayed healthy for the entire season, which led to a very productive year. Murray ran for 2,043 yards on 436 carries and scored 15 touchdowns. After the Cowboys decided to let him walk, Murray decided to take his talents to Philadelphia. While the Eagles are a pass-heavy offense, Murray will be used on a very consistent basis. The Atlanta Falcons, who Murray goes up against week one, were the worst defense in the league last season. They ranked in at 32nd in the league in passing yards allowed, 21st in the league in rushing yards allowed, and 32nd in the league in total yards allowed.
Murray is going to be involved in the passing game, as well as the rushing game, and he should be able to put up some solid numbers in his Philadelphia Eagles' regular season debut. The Eagles are an up-tempo offense, which is going to allow Murray to touch the ball over 20 times. Use him in any format, as his price is slightly too low on DraftKings.
Benny Cunningham (vs SEA, $3,000)
Benny Cunningham's fantasy value is entirely dependent on Tre Mason's injury status leading up to week one of the NFL season. Todd Gurley is still recovering from a torn ACL, so he will be unavailable against the Seahawks, and recently, Tre Mason suffered an injury to his hamstring. Depending on the amount of time that Mason practices, if he does at all, will determine the workload that Cunningham receives this upcoming week. The Seattle Seahawks are a solid defensive team, but at $3,000, it would be ridiculous to avoid Cunningham if he gets called upon to be the starter. Remember the article on fading? One of the rules is not to avoid high-value RBs. Cunningham is one of those high-value RBs. Play him.
DraftKings DFS Wide Receivers for Week 1
Odell Beckham (at DAL, $9,200)
Odell Beckham makes for a fantastic first week WR play, as a majority of fantasy owners are going to neglect to play him. Beckham is around the price range of Julio Jones and Demaryius Thomas, who both get a great matchup. Jones plays the Eagles, and Thomas plays the Ravens. Beckham, on the other hand, plays the Dallas Cowboys, who had a solid rush defense last season. What does rush defense have to do with Odell Beckham? That's exactly the point. The Cowboys allowed a ton of yards through the air last season, ranking in at 28th in the league in pass yards allowed.
Last year, the Giants' breakout WR caught 91 balls for over 1,300 yards and 12 touchdowns. Beckham and Eli Manning seem to have a special connection, and the Giants are going to be playing from behind for most of this game. Beckham finds the end zone around once a week, and if he can outscore Jones and Thomas, you are already ahead of over 50 percent of the competition.
Davante Adams (at CHI, $4,400)
If this play has not crossed your mind yet, you may want to reconsider betting money on fantasy sports. Jordy Nelson is out for the season, which means that Adams will have to step up and replace him. The Chicago Bears neglect to defend the pass, and Aaron Rodgers is going to have a field day. Both Adams and Cobb make for a solid compliment to Rodgers, but Adams is definitely too cheap to pass up. He will be used in around 70-90 percent of lineups week one, and he should be in your lineup as well, because he is definitely going to crush value (as long as he stays on the field).
DraftKings DFS Tight Ends for Week 1
Jordan Cameron (at WAS, $3,800)
The TE position is the most unreliable position on DraftKings, aside from the DST position of course. That being said, it is very difficult to predict how a specific TE is going to preform on a certain week. It seems likely that Jordan Cameron will see multiple targets against the Washington Redskins. The Redskins do not have solid coverage LBs, which will allow Cameron to find the holes in their defense. The former Browns' TE should definitely increase his fantasy production this season with Ryan Tannehill throwing him the ball.
Last season, he caught 24 passes for 424 yards and two touchdowns. With the Dolphins airing the ball out a lot more than the Browns did last season, Cameron should increase in every one of those categories. It'll be interesting to see how he preforms week one against the Redskins, but he definitely has touchdown potential, which is what a TE needs to be relevant in the fantasy world.
Benjamin Watson (at ARI, $2,600)
Remember the punting article? Well, it is time to punt the TE position. Using Benjamin Watson in GPP formats makes a lot of sense, as it will allow you to spend money on other positions - like taking Aaron Rodgers in the QB spot. Watson is going to be splitting time with Josh Hill, and it is still unclear how that situation is going to play out. The New Orleans Saints unwillingness to comment on the situation makes Hill and Watson both unusable in cash games. However, the Saints throw the ball a lot, and Brees is no stranger to throwing touchdowns to the TE position. Watson could sneak his way into the end zone on week one. It is likely that a majority of DFSers will be using the higher-priced TEs, so Watson will be low owned. Use that to your advantage.
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