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Daily Fantasy Football 2015: Projecting Week 1 Top DraftKings Performers

Fantasy Football
September 5, 2015

There is a lot of money to be made in Week 1 daily fantasy football contests, so you have to make sure you get the best players in your lineup. No matter what your strategy, there is value to be had at each position heading into the weekend.

Here is a look at the best picks at each spot for your fantasy team.

The best available quarterback is the first name on the board, Aaron Rodgers. While Jordy Nelson’s injury could cause a setback in the reigning MVP’s production, he is still talented enough to spread the ball around to his remaining targets. He also has an easier matchup in Week 1 (Chicago Bears) than Andrew Luck ($8,300), who is facing one of the top pass rushes in the league in the Buffalo Bills.

Still, this seems like a great chance to save money at the position with a number of quality targets for cheaper. Eli Manning ($7,400) and Tony Romo ($7,300) don’t create much excitement in fantasy, but they are solid options in their Sunday night matchup against each other.

Ryan Tannehill appears set for a breakout season in his fourth year in a league and is a strong weekly option in regular fantasy football leagues. In DFS, you might as well grab him early before the price continues to rise.

Of course, the best value at the position is Sam Bradford at $6,900. He is playing in a perfect system with the Philadelphia Eagles, and even his teammates have been impressed, per ESPN’s Britt McHenry:

This is likely to be a high-powered offense all season, and Bradford has a chance to really rack up some big-time fantasy points.

There is a lot of uncertainty at the position with players changing teams, various injuries and questionable roles within the offense. Therefore, if you are spending big, you might as well know what you are getting.

Eddie Lacy and Marshawn Lynch represent the safest options as every-down backs who are certain to get plenty of touches and red-zone opportunities. Justin Forsett is also a quality choice as an overlooked running back coming off a great season and is still behind a strong offensive line.

For those looking for some sleepers, Doug Martin has looked good since the start of camp, according to NFL Network’s Mike Mayock and Chris Wesseling:

This continued into the preseason where he totaled 118 rushing yards on 20 carries. It’s been a while since we could trust Martin in fantasy, but he still has upside.

Another high-upside pick could be Ameer Abdullah, who is likely to get a decent amount of touches in Week 1 for the Detroit Lions. At $4,000 on DraftKings, it might be worth the risk to find out.

It’s not easy to choose between a number of elite wide receivers all valued at similar prices. Based on matchups and how they are used within their offense, Julio Jones and Dez Bryant appear to be the top options at the position.

That said, if you have a hunch in favor of Odell Beckham Jr., Demaryius Thomas or Calvin Johnson, there aren’t really too many wrong answers.

Still, you can’t only get high-priced talent, so you have to compromise in other areas. A couple of second-year targets who will get plenty of throws in their direction are Brandin Cooks and Jarvis Landry. Cooks is worth the extra money because of his ability to do this:

As previously explained, the Eagles are good bets all around in fantasy football, which makes both Jordan Matthews and Nelson Agholor high-upside options for their respective prices.

One player likely to be on a lot of DFS teams in Week 1 is Davante Adams, the Packers wideout who will presumably take many of the passes originally set for Nelson. Regardless of what your competition does, though, there might not be a better value across the board.

With Rob Gronkowski playing Thursday night, this leaves Greg Olsen as the top tight end for Sunday. The Carolina Panthers are thin on receivers Cam Newton can trust, which should allow Olsen to get a lot of work until someone else steps up.

Beyond that, there are few trustworthy targets at the position. Jason Witten is a safe bet, although those who want cheap players with upside could draft either Josh Hill or Vernon Davis.

A lot happened during the offseason, but nothing should change the fact that the Seattle Seahawks still have the best defense in the NFL. Considering the price is not too much greater than the competition, there is no problem making this selection.

Alternatively, both the Carolina Panthers and Miami Dolphins have quality matchups and could rack up a lot of fantasy points in Week 1.

Note: All prices and fantasy score info courtesy of DraftKings. Unless otherwise noted, all stats courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com.


DraftKings is giving away over $10 million Week 1 of the NFL Season. Use this knowledge to help you win some of that cash. The biggest first place prize ever at $2 million will be awarded. Play now for free at DraftKings.com.

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