Finally, we have arrived! With the NFL season finally here, that means DFS is back! I don’t know about you, but over the past couple years DFS has become one of my favorite fantasy formats to play. Nothing beats the feeling of turning on Redzone on a Sunday afternoon for a full slate of games!
This year, I am going to write a DFS preview article every week giving you my favorite GPP plays on both FanDuel and DraftKings. I’m aiming to release these every Thursday or Friday, and I will keep my focus on GPPs and not cash games, as I rarely play in cash contests. My aim is to give you lower-owned plays that put you in a position to take down a GPP contest and win big! So, join me as I kick things off with my favorite plays for the week 1 slate!
Top FanDuel Plays
Embed from Getty ImagesQB Anthony Richardson ($6,700) vs JAX
Because DraftKings offers a 300 passing yard bonus, I tend to play pocket quarterbacks on there. Subsequently, I really like playing mobile quarterbacks on FanDuel. To win a contest on FanDuel, there is one common denominator amongst winning lineups – touchdowns. With Jonathan Taylor out, don’t be surprised if Anthony Richardson is utilized around the goal line. I am hoping his ownership remains below 15%, but we shall see on Sunday.
RB Bijjan Robinson ($7,800) vs CAR
I love Bijan on both sites this week, but his price tag is better on FanDuel. It will be his first true NFL action and he is in a great matchup versus the Panthers. Carolina’s run defense has been porous the last couple seasons, and they have not added much this off-season to indicate an improved run defense. With Atlanta ranking 2nd last season in rush yards, don’t expect Arthur Smith to divert from his run-heavy approach against this defense.
WR Tyler Lockett ($6,800) vs LAR
I chose Lockett as my WR play for a couple reasons. While it now looks like rookie Jaxon Smith-Njigba is on track to play, I do not expect a full workload. I anticipate Pete Carrol heavily limiting the team’s first-round rookie for week 1 as he returns from a wrist injury. This leaves a lot of targets on the table for Lockett, who is always a threat for a deep touchdown. I also like this play as I do not anticipate a large amount of ownership across the Seahawks-Rams game with Kupp being out and JSN likely being limited. Lockett should be a great play in large-field GPPs this week.
TE Irv Smith Jr. ($4,900) @ CLE
Tight end is typically the hardest position to predict. Largely, they are dependent on touchdowns to be good GPP plays. Because of this, I tend to favor playing cheaper tight ends in most of my lineups. This week, I’m targeting Irv Smith. I imagine the Browns’ TE defense ranking will scare many players off in favor of another cheap TE. In Cincy’s offense, chances for touchdowns are high and that’s why I’m playing Smith Jr. this week.
Top DraftKings Plays
Embed from Getty ImagesQB Sam Howell ($4,900) vs ARI
I’m nervous about this game becoming extremely popular. The prices on Howell and his receivers are very good and the Cardinals defense is not good. But, I’m hoping Josh Dobbs starting for Arizona will scare many players off this game. At $4,900, Howell feels like the smash of the week. He showed some amazing flashes in preseason, both through the air and on the ground. Hopefully he can continue his hot preseason play against a subpar Arizona defense. I like pairing him with Dotson and Logan Thomas in lineups this week.
RB Samaje Perine ($5,100) vs LV
When examining the RB landscape for this first week, Perine immediately stood out to me. If Javonte Williams is not back to 100%, and sees limited snaps, then Perine is an amazing value at $5,100. Perine should have a safe floor given his receiving ability, and if he can break away for a touchdown, he will crush his cheap price tag.
WR Drake London ($5,400) vs CAR
I’m high on Drake London this year, and if he breaks out in the way I expect, this may be his cheapest price tag all year. With reports out of camp on Kyle Pitts being extremely poor, London could earn a target share greater than 30% this season (his 2022 target share was 29.4%). Since touchdowns are not as valuable on DraftKings and London’s price tag is so cheap, I’m not worried about London missing out on a touchdown this game. With the 100 yard bonus in play, he could smash his price tag without even touching the endzone.
TE Hayden Hurst ($3,000) @ ATL
Much like my TE pick on FanDuel, I went cheap at the position again. We know that rookie quarterbacks love to target their tight ends. At $3,000, Hurst could catch one pass for a touchdown and pay off his price tag. Add in a few more catches for 40-50 yards and Hurst may be the key to taking home the top prize in DraftKings milly maker. I am hoping his ownership stays low in a game that should get overlooked by many players.
That does it for this week’s NFL DFS preview! Good luck creating your lineups this week, and hopefully one of you readers is able to hit it big and take down a contest this week! Be sure to tune in next week where I will preview the week 2 DFS main slate!
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