Playing daily fantasy can be a significant amount of fun, but it can also be an exercise in massive frustration for those that are not sure about what they’re doing. Just like traditional fantasy leagues, it helps to have a strategy going into selecting your team. Of course, figuring out what the right strategy is – can be easier said than done.
But it all depends on where you think you can cut costs and still pick up a good player.
Suggestions For Week One
Some positions naturally score more than others; be sure and keep that in mind when deciding where you want to spend your money (values will be from FanDuel):
Quarterback: Many of your better quarterbacks have tougher matchups this week making it an excellent time to go with one of the bargain-priced QBs—and 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo ($7200) could be a steal. He had the one game in the preseason where he was terrible; however, that seemed to get him to focus. If he brings that focus against the Buccaneers, he could have an astronomical day.
Running Backs: Like the QBs, most of the better running backs have tough matchups this week. However, if the Ravens run the ball like they did last year, then Mark Ingram ($6600) could have a big day against the Dolphins. The same can be said about Chris Carson ($6600) and the Seahawks facing the Bengals.
Wide Receivers: After going with bargain-priced guys at QB and RB, go ahead and splurge a little on your wide receivers. No one is going to be as motivated to have a big day as Odell Beckham Jr. ($8200). For the other two—few were as reliable as Adam Thielen ($7400) was last year.
If you believe in Nick Foles and don’t believe the hype surrounding the Chiefs defense, DeDe Westbrook ($5900) looks like a great pick up.
Tight End: If you play your cards right, you can afford one of the better tight ends—which is why I am picking George Kittle ($7300). He was the best weapon the 49ers had last year, and they are playing the lowly Buccaneers this week.
DEF: The Bills DEF ($4000) was great against the run last year and could be good enough to contain Le’Veon Bell in his return to action after a year off. Buffalo’s defense will get a boost the more the Jets try to lean on Sam Darnold to win.
Flex: At this point, it is a matter of getting the best player for the amount of money left– $6800. At that price, the best remaining player is Seahawks wide receiver, Tyler Lockett. He is the No. 1 option for Russell Wilson, so there is a good chance he will see a lot of balls thrown his way. Against a weak Cincinnati defense, he should be able to catch quite a few (do not play him and Carson in the same lineup).
Remember the playing field is even in week one, even the pros do not know what will happen. Play and have fun but do not go big this week – even as tempting as it will be! DKL for the win! Sign up with NFL2019 promo code for a one time 50% off!
In daily fantasy play, tight ends and defense/special teams (DST) are often not valuable contributors. But much like in the real game, if you pick up the right one, they can make a world of difference on the scoreboard by the end of the game.
The hard part, of course, is figuring out who the right tight ends and DFS are. But help is available if you want it…
How about some DFS TE recommendations?
Rob Gronkowski wasn’t the reliable option daily fantasy players wanted him to be last season, so he may not be missed by too many. If you are willing to pay the price, you are probably going to be safe if you go with Travis Kelce, George Kittle, or Zach Ertz during any given week.
But you will have to pay for them. However, the following guys are some more affordable/bargain options worth considering:
- Evan Engram, New York Giants: Eli is going to need all the help he can get moving the chains.
- Hunter Henry, LA Chargers: He was great before he got hurt, but now he is healthy and ready to take over the role.
- Eric Ebron, Indianapolis Colts: He and Andrew Luck had great chemistry last year; if it is half as good with Jacoby Brissett, he is worth starting.
- T.J. Hockenson, Detroit Lions: Of all the rookie tight ends, Hockenson may be set up for success the best in the Lions pass-happy offense.
- Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys: Wouldn’t it just make for a great story if he returns and has a big game against Dallas’s biggest rival?
How about some DFS DST recommendations?
It is hard to say if there is ever going to be a real ‘go-to’ option when it comes to picking a DST.
Some are better than others, but that doesn’t always translate to daily fantasy points. Maybe whoever is playing the worst offenses in the league (Giants and Dolphins; which would make the Ravens DST and Cowboys DST the ‘go-to’ guys this week).
The best defenses will not cost you much, but it is possible to get a real bargain, too:
- Philadelphia Eagles DST: The Eagles were good last year and got better during the offseason; they should have a field day against the Case Keenum-led Redskins.
- Detroit Lions DST: The Lions are the feast or famine pick; they will either dominate Kyler Murray in his debut or get ripped to shreds.
- Buffalo Bills DST: They were one of the best units in the game last year and should be again this year.
- Indianapolis Colts DST: They were excellent down the stretch last season and could be in for a great game against the one-dimensional Chargers (who will be missing their running game with Melvin Gordon out).
Recommendations?
Go with George Kittle this week at tight end. He has a pretty favorable match-up this week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. If you don’t like him or want to save money, give Hunter Henry a try. As for the DST, the Eagles DST or Bills DST will be great picks for this week.
The NFL season is here. That means it is time to start doing your homework so that you can pick a winning daily fantasy roster for Week One. Because it isn’t as simple as just picking the best players at any given position.
No, you will need to find a happy medium, a mixture of talent, potential, and risk. When it comes to choosing wide receivers in daily fantasy play, there is an element of risk with even the best players.
So—who should you choose?
How about some DFS WR recommendations?
You will have to pay the price for him, but Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill is probably as close as you’ll get to a sure thing every week. He has proven himself to be an extremely talented player and he happens to have one of the best young QBs in the league to work within a pass-first offense.
What more could you ask for—but he will cost. The following guys, however, are more affordable options:
- Odell Beckham Jr., Cleveland Browns: He is one of the most explosive wide receivers in the game today with one of the most talented and promising young quarterbacks throwing to him. Oh—and he wants to prove the Giants made a mistake.
- Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Evans is one of the best in the game today. While his quarterback is questionable, he has the benefit of facing a weak 49ers defense this week.
- Adam Thielen, Minnesota Vikings: Kirk Cousins likes possession-type receivers which is exactly what he has in Thielen. But he also happens to be good enough to do something with the ball after the catch making him valuable in daily fantasy play.
Potential Bargains
If you want to go with marquee guys at running back or quarterback, you will need to pick up a couple of receivers at a bargain price. The following guys are inexpensive and worth considering in Week One:
- Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks
- Christian Kirk, Arizona Cardinals
- Dede Westbrook, Jacksonville Jaguars
- Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers
Recommendation?
Tyreek Hill against the Jaguars defense is not a good option. But OBJ against the Titans? Oh, yeah! Go with Thielen as well and maybe roll the dice on Deebo or Westbrook for your third.
On paper, it can look like a lot of rookies could become valuable daily fantasy players right off the bat. They were studs in college, so when they get inserted into the game in the NFL, they will shine again—right?
Theoretically? Yes. Realistically? Of course not. Not every college superstar pans out at the next level. Some may, but they didn’t show their team enough during training camp and the preseason to earn significant playing time.
But some did and will be used enough to warrant use in daily fantasy leagues in Week One.
The Candidates (Sunday games)
From what has been said about them throughout the preseason and how they played during what action they saw, the following rookies could be worth starting on your daily fantasy team in Week One:
· Kyler Murray, quarterback, Arizona Cardinals: His price relative to other QBs is going to be low. The chances are good that when they unleash Kliff Kingsbury’s offense, he will be throwing a ton. If Murray lives up to the hype, that could make for an incredible DFS day.
· Miles Sanders, running back, Philadelphia Eagles: It is unclear if he will get enough snaps to be a great start, but he could get enough to be a good one (and he’s cheap; so grab a stud for your RB1 and take him for our RB2).
· Mecole Hardman, wide receiver, Kansas City Chiefs: Hardman flashed the talent you would hope to see in a first-round pick during what time he saw during the preseason. But he will be in a crowded field with the Chiefs going against one of the better defenses in the NFL in Week One (Jacksonville). But for the price ($5100 at FanDuel) he may be worth a spot.
· T.J. Hockenson, tight end, Detroit Lions: Good DFS tight ends are hard to find unless you want to pay the price for Zach Ertz or Travis Kelce. Hockenson will not produce numbers as they will, but it does appear as if the Lions plan on making use of him.
· Tony Pollard, running back, Dallas Cowboys: He could be a good start against a weak Giants defense if, and only if, Ezekiel Elliot sits out. If Elliot plays, forget about him.
Other Promising DFS Rookies
It wouldn’t be shocking if the following guys were to also be reliable daily fantasy starts in Week One: 49ers receiver Deebo Samuel, 49ers receiver Jalen Hurd, and Bills running back Devin Singletary.
Will any of these rookies be great starts? Probably not, but they are going to be relatively cheap which should allow you also to pick up a few stud DFS players.
With the success of guys like Rob Gronkowski, more teams have been looking to make use of big, pass-catching tight ends in their offense. They may not make the big plays like wide receivers often do, but as long as they can keep the chains moving, they are worth every penny. That is especially true when it comes to choosing a tight end for your daily fantasy roster. This year there could be several rookie tight ends worth inserting into your lineup as early as Week One.
But who?
It would not be shocking to see the following players making a contribution to daily fantasy owners in Week One:
- T.J. Hockenson, Detroit Lions: He was the first tight end taken in the draft (No. 8 pick) and will be on an offense that is in desperate need of a playmaker that can move the chains. Matthew Stafford hasn’t had a really good, big target like Hockenson in years.
Since they took him that early, you have to think they plan on getting him involved from Day One.
- Irv Smith Jr., Minnesota Vikings: Kyle Rudolph is going to get the bulk of the work in the Vikings offense. But maybe Minnesota is planning on doing more two-tight end sets. That way, they can abuse the underneath routes more while defenses focus on stopping Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs.
He may not get a ton of work, but he will probably not cost much making him a good value.
- Noah Fant, Denver Broncos: Joe Flacco is no stranger to working with tight ends. During his time with the Baltimore Ravens, he played with several good ones and made the most of their skillset. Since they used a first-round pick on him, the Broncos are probably going to encourage him to make the most of Fant’s skillset.
- Jace Sternberger, Green Bay Packers: It has been years since Aaron Rodgers has had a really good pass-catching tight end to work with (Donald Lee?). He only caught 48 passes in his only year as a starter for Texas A&M, but he did a lot with them (832 yards, ten touchdowns)—and Rodgers is a much, much better quarterback than Kellen Mond.
- Kahale Warring, Houston Texans: He has some guys to beat out for reps. But with Deshaun Watson often running for his life, having a big (6’5’’ and 252 lbs.) target to throw to over the middle could be a lifesaver. However, he considered a pretty raw talent and will need to make the most of training camp/preseason reps to be ready in Week One.
Recommendations?
For the Sunday games in Week One, Hockenson is the obvious choice. For the Thursday night season opener, Sternberger is the best option. While Warring has more upside on Monday night, Fant is much more likely to play a significant role.