NFL FanDuel DFS Preview: Week 1
Sep 11 | 2020
Tampa Bay Times
Each Thursday, FindBet will preview the DFS slate, highlighting players that are priced well on FanDuel as well as some contrarian plays that can push your team to the top of the leader board.
Most NFL Fanduel games have you putting a team together with players from a certain slate of games. It could be just Sunday 1:00 pm games or it could be every game that is slated for the week. Once the last game that has eligible players is over, the final payouts are made according to how many fantasy points each team scored. Each player is worth a certain dollar amount, and you have a cap of $60,000 to build your team with. You have to have 1 QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, 1 TE, 1 FLEX (RB, WR, or TE) and 1 DEF.
The general scoring rules include (6) points for each rushing and receiving touchdown, (4) points for each passing touchdown, (0.1) points for each rushing and receiving yard gained, (0.04) points for each passing yard, and also (0.5) points for each reception. There are other scoring opportunities for defenses. You can see the entire breakdown on FanDuel. Let’s dive into players we like and players we advise to avoid in Week 1.
Jonathan Taylor is a great underdog option this week.AP Sports
Players to Target
Patrick Mahomes QB – $9300
I don’t mind spending up on Mahomes this week as the TNF showdown with Houston should be a high scoring affair. When paying up for Mahomes you are going to have to go cheap somewhere else in your lineup though to make up for his high price.
Ben Roethlisberger QB – $7800
Roethlisberger has a great match up this week with the Giants on Monday night. I think you can almost get the same production out of Big Ben that you can get from Mahomes this week. The Giants defense is slated to be one of the worst in the league this year and the Steelers won’t want to run Connor into the ground in Week 1.
Josh Allen QB – $7900
Allen gets a Jets defense minus CJ Mosley and Jamal Adams, arguably their two best play makers. Allen has top 5 potential this week, especially if he can add a TD on the ground.
Philip Rivers QB – $7200
Most people view Rivers as a game manager more than the gunslinger he was in LA. He has an elite offensive line and is going against a Jacksonville defense that is a shell of its former self.
Austin Ekeler RB – $7700
I think the Chargers are going to move more towards the running game becoming the central part of their offense. I like the Ekeler’s match up against the Bengals this week.
Clyde Edwards Heliare RB – $7200
Heliare is priced nicely this week. I expect his price to go up even more as the season goes on, so a potential shootout with Houston is a good time to take advantage of this price tag.
Jonathan Taylor RB – $5300
Taylor may not get the start this week against Jacksonville, but game script will allow him to get plenty of work in the 3rd and 4th quarters in a game that Indianapolis should be up big by halftime.
Jonathan Williams RB – $4800
A real boom or bust pick this week, Williams looks he is going to get the nod over Devine Ozighbo to lead Jacksonville’s backfield, at least for Week 1. He’s going to need to find the end zone once or twice to make this pick worth it, but if you have spent up at other positions, he’s a good lower priced option with high upside.
JuJu Smith-Schuster WR – $7100
As I talked about with Heliare, Smith-Schuster’s price is only going to go up as the season goes on. He’s got a great match up against the Giants this week.
Stefon Diggs WR – $6600
Diggs is going up against a weak Jets defense, and I have a feeling the Bills are going to want to show off their new WR and will get him involved early and often in this weeks game script.
TY Hilton WR – $6500
Hilton is priced decently this week, and gets a bottom 5 defense in Jacksonville. He’s a great mid tier option when building your lineup this week.
Emmanuel Sanders WR – $5400
Sanders could be in for a nice day in what looks like it will be an offensive shootout with the Bucs. At $5400, Sanders looks like a steal this week. I have him in lots of my lineups.
George Kittle TE – $8000
Another player where I feel like it is going to be OK to pay up this week is Kittle. He is almost match up proof and will be one of the main targets for Garoppollo this week with all the questions the 49ers have at wide receiver.
Jared Cook TE – $5900
Cook gets the nod because of the high scoring potential the Saints-Bucs match up has this week. Drew Brees will be spreading the ball around this week.
Blake Jarwin TE – $5300
Jarwin looks like a decent play this week if you are trying to save money to spend in other spots of your lineup. The Rams-Cowboys game could have the potential to be a shootout.
Eric Ebron TE – $5000
Ebron is decent play for the same reason as Jarwin, Bad defense, with good QB play. He is a fine play if you want to save money at the TE position this week.
Buffalo Bills DEF – $4700
The Bills get a Jets offense that has looked awful this summer. They should eat this week.
Tennessee Titans DEF – $4000
The Titans landed Jadeveon Clowney earlier this week and added a top tier pass rusher to an already formidable unit. They get Denver this week, and could force Drew Lock into some bad decisions. You can do worse with other defenses this week.
Detroit Lions DEF – $3700
The Lions are a dark horse this week to score some points against a turnover prone Bears offense. Trubisky is starting for the Bears and he is always good for a turnover or two.
Indianapolis Colts DEF – $3700
The Colts are a great play this week against the Jaguars, especially at this price. I am targeting them on a lot of my teams and putting that money in other places on my team.
Matt Ryan is a fade this week going against an improved Seattle Defense.atlantafalcons.com
Players to Avoid:
Drew Brees QB – $8100
Drew Brees is going to be a nice play in regular leagues this week, but his price is too high for my liking. For that reason I am fading him this week.
Matt Ryan QB – $7800
Ryan has a high price and is facing a much improved Seattle Defense. I’ll pass this week.
Kyler Murray QB – $7700
Like Ryan, Murray is high priced and facing an elite defense in the 49ers. You can do worse at QB, but he is a risky play this week.
Carson Wentz QB – $7700
Wentz is down two starting offensive lineman and facing a formidable Washington defensive line, he isn’t going to have much time with that pass rush.
Christian McCaffrey RB – $10000
McCaffrey is elite, but also is the most expensive player in FanDuel this week. The Raiders aren’t a very good defense, but he is not going to produce enough points to justify that price point.
Dalvin Cook RB – $8700
Cook held out all training camp and is slated to play Week 1. He’ll most likely be on a snap count and may take a game or two to get into shape. Not a risk I am willing to take at that price.
Todd Gurley RB – $7100
Too many unknowns with Gurley’s usage going into the season. Pair that with a tough Seattle D and I am fading him this week.
Kenyan Drake RB – $6600
Drake was electric last year, but the 49ers defense is suffocating and game script my force the Cardinals into passing more as the game progresses.
Davante Adams WR – $8000
I just don’t see Adams producing and elite stat line this week against Minnesota. He’s a fade for me but will be worth that price in spots down the road.
Keenan Allen WR – $7000
Allen will not see the pass volume to justify this price. Tyrod Taylor has been a check down QB his entire career, and unless Allen breaks a quick pass for a long score, he won’t be very playable this year.
Terry McLaurin WR – $6500
McLaurin is most likely going to see a healthy dose of Darius Slay this week. That’s enough for me to stay away.
Jamison Crowder WR – $6000
Crowder is about the only WR you may be able to get production from this year on the Jets. He has a tough match up with the Bills this week.
Evan Engram TE – $6300
Engram is going to have a good year, he’ll finish as a top 5 TE scoring wise, but a match up with an elite Steelers defense is not a smart play this week.
Hunter Henry TE – $6000
Henry may see a garbage score this week on a goal line gadget play, but we need to see Tyrod in this offense a little bit before we justify spending up on Henry.
Austin Hooper TE – $5700
Hooper going up against an elite Raven defense is hard pass for me. He’ll have startable weeks, but not in Week 1.
Hayden Hurst TE – $5300
I think Hurst has a great chance to be a top 10 TE this year. But a Seattle Defense that added Jamal Adams is enough for me to fade him this week.
Kansas City Chiefs DEF – $4200
TNF is going to be a shootout, not a good week for the Chiefs Defense.
New Orleans Saints DEF – $4100
Another shootout possibility with the Bucs this week has me fading the New Orleans Defense.
New England Patriots DEF – $4600
The Patriots get the Dolphins, but at $4600, there is too much assuming going on right now for me to be comfortable starting them. They lost 3 starters due to COVID opt outs, so I need to see a week or two before I start them in DFS
New York Jets DEF – $3900
The Jets are down Jamal Adams and CJ Mosley, going against a much improved Bills offense. No thanks.
FindBet Free Play for Week 1:
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