Out of Money? Don’t Stress: Week 1 DFS Values
So you spent all your money on McCaffrey. Maybe that $9,000 price tag on Michael Thomas was too good to turn down. You might have even shelled out some precious salary for Lamar Jackson. Any way you slice it, you’re down to your last couple dollars and an open roster spot. You sift through your lineup trying to find places where you can cut corners and save a few extra dollars. Luckily for you, I have a solution to your monetary problems. These players are incredible budget players at each position that could fill out your Week 1 DFS lineup in a pinch.
QB: Derek Carr $5900
Derek Carr doesn’t seem like the sexiest pick in the world. Ultra-conservative playstyle and a run-heavy offense leave plenty to be desired from the former MVP candidate. However, a Panthers secondary that expects to be nothing short of porous leads me to have Carr, who was among the most accurate quarterbacks in the league last year, ranked as a top 8 play, making him an absolute bargain at his price.
Carolina’s strong run defense along with the Raider’s own sieve of a secondary leaves them susceptible to early deficits, resulting in higher passing volume from Carr and a bounty of points for your Week 1 DFS team.
RB: Antonio Gibson $4000
If you haven’t already, I suggest you hop on the Antonio Gibson train as soon as possible. Subsequently, this maybe the last time you will be able to get him at this value, as Gibson is among the players most likely to break out week 1. With both Adrian Peterson and Derrius Guice out the door, it’s the receiver-turned-running-back’s job to lose. Ron Rivera and the new look Washington offense will most likely have Gibson utilize his receiving prowess early and often, hopefully acting in the Christian McCaffrey role.
WR: Bryan Edwards $4200
Tyrell Williams is done for the year and with his season goes any competition that Bryan Edwards has for the Raiders starting X-receiver role. The 6’3 big bodied wideout is able to act as a threat in the short, intermediate, and deep passing game. He should also see plenty of 1-on-1 matchups due to Henry Ruggs’ game breaking speed stretching out the defense. Tyrell Williams, in the same role, averaged 5 targets a game last season, a number Edwards will almost surely surpass against Carolina’s pass defense. Edwards is a safe bet for 10-12 points with plenty of touchdown upside. He’s a steal if you only have around $4000 left to spend on a receiver or flex for your DFS team.
TE: Chris Herndon $3300
Having only played 15 games in his first 2 years, it’s pretty easy to forget about Chris Herndon. Injured for most of last season, it seems impossible that he would have any sort of production in the first week of the new year. The Jets only only targeted tight ends 12 percent of the time in 2019, but having a threat like Herndon with a full year of Sam Darnold should increase that target share to the 20.4 percent of 2018. With Ryan Griffin recovering from injury, Herndon’s path to the starting TE spot is completely open. With this role comes at least 5 targets a game with the Jets receiving core decimated. Throw in a touchdown and you’re looking at a top-12 DFS TE for pennies on the dollar.
D/ST: Dolphins $2000
Yes, those Dolphins. The same Miami Dolphins that gave up 62 points to the Ravens in week 1 of last year. While the name remains the same, the defense surely does not. Miami paid up this offseason, nabbing Byron Jones, Kyle Van Noy, and Shaq Lawson, bolstering a pass defense that finished near the bottom of the league in most advanced metrics last year. The run defense may still not be up to snuff but these new playmakers will more than make up for it with forced turnovers. To start off the season, the Dolphins aren’t playing the League MVP Lamar Jackson, but rather a rusty Cam Newton. Newton, a notoriously shaky passer, will have his hands full with this new look Dolphins defense. Expect a low scoring game with multiple turnovers by Newton to offset the porous run defense.
