Daily Fantasy: The one Browns player you need to start in Week 1 on DraftKings

The Browns committed dollars and draft picks to players to help their running game. Expect Nick Chubb to be the benefactor of that in Week 1.

The 2020 NFL season is upon and the Cleveland Browns will open up against a familiar foe in what should be a physical AFC North confrontation against the Baltimore Ravens.

With the fantasy football season in full swing, this opening week matchup presents some challenges in deciding what one player on Cleveland’s roster to hitch your wagon to in Week 1 on the road in Baltimore.

The Browns — led by Chubb’s 1,494 rushing yards — averaged nearly 119 rushing yards per game last season, the 12th-highest mark in the league. And that was with mediocre-at-best play from their tackles. During the offseason, former Eagles executive and new Browns GM, Andrew Berry, addressed that issue. He signed former All-Pro tackle in Jack Conklin in March, then drafted Alabama product Jedrick Wills Jr. at No. 10 overall to help establish a culture of dominance in the trenches. With that goal set in stone, Chubb has to be your fantasy player this week.

Kareem Hunt got a new contract, but Chubb is the engine that’ll make the Browns offensive train move and he’s already feasted on the Ravens, battering Baltimore to the tune of 183 total yards and three touchdowns in a Week 4 meeting on the road.

With the pandemic impacting offseason work and OTAs, the one thing the Browns will be able to do once they step off the bus is run the ball and look for Chubb to get the bulk of the carries early on and often.

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Daily Fantasy: The one Washington player you need to start in Week 1 on DraftKings

Is DraftKings sleeping on this running back? (Hint: Yes.)

There might be a sneaky solid play on the Washington Football Team in Week 1, as it faces the Philadelphia Eagles. Because Washington looks so depleted, there may only be one smart play: running back Antonio Gibson, who is sitting deep down the board at his position with a $4,000 salary.

It looks like the team wants to highlight the rookie, a Memphis product and a third-round draft choice, after cutting Adrian Peterson and Derrius Guice. Gibson only has Bryce Love and Peyton Barber as a source of competition.

Though Gibson is converting from receiver at Memphis, he’s going to play for coach Ron Rivera, who engineered Christian McCaffrey’s success as both a pass-catcher and a runner. If Rivera can manage just a fraction of that success with Gibson, he’ll have an outstanding season in 2020.

The rest of the offense might be due for a tough season opener — and likely a tough season. Receiver Terry McLaurin put together a very respectable rookie season, with 58 catches, 919 yards and seven touchdowns. But he’s sure to get increased attention in Week 1, and though the Eagles secondary has long been a bunch of slouches for years, they acquired cornerback Darius Slay in 2020. He could erase — or at least limit — McLaurin during the season opener. If McLaurin struggles, then it’s easy to imagine the rest of the passing offense doing the same, with quarterback Dwayne Haskins and company having difficulty moving the ball.

So the team may need a big game from Gibson, both as a runner and a check-down option in Week 1.

Daily Fantasy: The one Panthers player you need to start in Week 1 on DraftKings

The NFL season is here and it’s time to create your Week 1 DFS lineup on DraftKings. If you aren’t familiar with DraftKings or DFS football, it’s as simple as creating a one-week fantasy lineup with a $50,000 salary cap to win cash prizes.

Today, we are looking at the one Carolina Panther you must fit into your DFS lineup this week:

QB Teddy Bridgewater ($5,900) vs. Las Vegas Raiders

Usually, it isn’t a smart idea to play a quarterback on a new team as it typically takes a few weeks for them to get adjusted to the new offense. However, Teddy Bridgewater might just be the best quarterback in Week 1 given the circumstances.

Bridgewater is currently one of the cheapest starting quarterbacks in Week 1 of DFS with a price tag of only $5,900. While we don’t have a full season of stats and data to look back on for Bridgewater, he was effective when he played last season with the Saints.

In his five full starts last season, Bridgewater scored 17.72 DK points per game. But under new offensive coordinator Joe Brady, expect his pass attempts to skyrocket this season. It also doesn’t hurt that Carolina faces a Raiders’ defense that allowed over 256 passing yards per game last season and has several new pieces on the front seven.

With the Raiders not really having anyone who can cover D.J. Moore from the slot or Christian McCaffrey out of the backfield, Bridgewater should have a field day. While he isn’t likely to produce much with his legs, the former first-round pick should come close to 300 passing yards and two or more touchdowns.

Consider stacking Bridgewater with Moore for QB-WR combo with a ton of upside in Week 1.

Daily Fantasy: The one Patriots player you need to start in Week 1 on DraftKings

N’Keal Harry could be a sleeper in daily fantasy in Week 1.

The New England Patriots are set to play host in Week 1 against the Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium in a matchup that should have some relevant daily fantasy football players.

For the first time in what seems like forever, Tom Brady won’t be under center for the Patriots as they turn to free-agent signee Cam Newton. Though Newton is certainly an intriguing start, it may be best to stay away from him in daily fantasy for Week 1. Given the mix of talents in the backfield as well, the running backs may not offer a whole lot of value.

But where there is value to be had in daily fantasy is on the shoulders of a potential breakout candidate. After a disappointing rookie campaign that featured injuries and a lack of playing time, wide receiver N’Keal Harry seems to be the best value in daily fantasy for the Patriots.

At a reasonably priced $4,400 ($50,000 roster limit) on DraftKings, Harry presents a low cost and potential upside in the Patriots passing offense. Though the Dolphins made some additions this offseason, the secondary is still questionable, and Harry should be among the target leaders in the offense thanks to the release of Mohamed Sanu. He will still likely be the second target behind Julian Edelman, but Harry has plenty of upside to see a solid target share in Week 1.

As the No. 32 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, Harry appeared in seven games while recording 12 receptions for 105 yards and two touchdowns last year. With a clear path to production and a solid matchup, Harry is the best value in daily fantasy for the Patriots.

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Daily Fantasy: The one 49ers player you need to start in Week 1 on DraftKings

There’s one 49ers player you need to start in Week 1 on DraftKings.

The one San Francisco 49ers player that your need to start in Week 1 on DraftKings is RB Raheem Mostert.

The 49ers are going with a three-headed monster at the running back position, leaning on Tevin Coleman, Jerrick McKinnon and Raheem Mostert. Typically, fantasy experts would tell you to avoid a backfield like this at all costs, but with this specific group, it’s pretty easy to discern what’s going to happen. San Francisco doesn’t technically have a player considered the starter among these three, but someone will inevitably be listed as the starter on the depth chart. Our own Kyle Madson anticipates that Coleman will get the starting job, but he’ll yield most of the touches to Mostert.

In 2019, Mostert didn’t get his first carry until Week 4 of the 2020 season, but by the end of the regular season, he’d racked up 11 total touchdowns and averaged 58.3 yards per game. They’re not going to make the mistake of failing to utilize this weapon again, especially after they signed him to a new deal.

San Francisco averaged just 237 passing yards per game in 2019, but they were No. 2 in the league in average rushing yards per game at 153.5. They’ll face an Arizona Cardinals defense in Week 1 which allowed on average 120 rushing yards per game to opponents in 2019.

At $5,800, Mostert falls just outside of the top 20 running backs in terms of cost in DraftKings during Week 1. I’d wager that he has a good chance to get off to a hot start against a Cardinals defense that ranked in the bottom of the league in rushing yards allowed last season.

Daily Fantasy: The one Cowboys player you need to start in Week 1 on DraftKings

This Cowboy is going to blow up in Week 1.

Dak Prescott won’t be a bargain play in Week 1, but he’s the one Dallas Cowboys player you need to start on DraftKings. Even as QB3 with a salary of $6,900, Prescott should come out firing in a high-scoring contest against the Los Angeles Rams.

Surely, Mike McCarthy will want to show off the work he’s done with Kellen Moore this offseason. Moore was one of the more promising offensive coordinators in 2020 before Jason Garrett sunk the Cowboys season. With new leadership, it seems Prescott is due for a huge season. It doesn’t hurt that the Cowboys will have receivers Amari Coopers and Michael Gallup returning alongside running back Ezekiel Elliott. To add to that embarrassment of riches, the Cowboys drafted Ceedee Lamb, arguably the best receiver in the 2020 NFL Draft, at 17th overall. He was simply too talented for them to pass, even when they didn’t need another receiver. And perhaps Dallas has a breakout candidate at tight end in Blake Jarwin.

This all adds up to a huge season for Prescott and an impressive Week 1 for him. The Rams defense isn’t a bunch of pushovers, however. Cornerbacks Jalen Ramsey and Troy Hill are good players. And, of course, defensive tackle Aaron Donald is one of the best players in the NFL. But L.A. doesn’t seem to have the depth that they’ll need to stop a group of skill players as well-rounded as the one Dallas has.

Start Prescott in the your Daily Fantasy and DraftKings rosters for Week 1 and enjoy the show.

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Daily Fantasy: The one Cowboys player you need to start in Week 1 on DraftKings

This Cowboy is going to blow up in Week 1.

Start Prescott in the your Daily Fantasy and DraftKings rosters for Week 1 and enjoy the show.

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Daily Fantasy: The one Saints player you need to start in Week 1 on DraftKings

Today, we are looking at the one New Orleans Saint you must fit into your DFS lineup this week:

TE Jared Cook ($5,500) vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

In one of the best games of the 2020 season, the new-look Buccaneers will take on the Saints in New Orleans. And while you might be tempted to play a Drew Brees or Alvin Kamara in your DFS lineups, there is actually a better value on the board; tight end Jared Cook.

Cook is only the fifth-most expensive tight end during the Sunday afternoon slate of games and that means he is a screaming value. Cook played well against Tampa Bay last season, catching eight passes for 74 yards and two touchdowns. In total, he scored 25.4 DK points in his two meetings against the Buccaneers.

Tampa Bay allowed the third-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends last season and they didn’t do much to address that need this offseason. Cook will still have a big size and speed advantage over the smaller Buccaneers’ secondary and should get a few looks in the red zone, as well.

If you decide not to play the likes of George Kittle and Mark Andrews at tight end this week, consider putting Cook in your lineup. He’s got one of the highest ceilings of all the tight ends in the NFL and has a fantastic Week 1 matchup. Considering his price, Cook is a good bet to return a ton of value this week for DFS players.

Daily Fantasy: The one Texans player you need to start in Week 1 on DraftKings

Texans running back Duke Johnson could be a daily fantasy sports sleeper in Week 1.

The Houston Texans will face the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL’s season opener on Thursday, Sept. 10 at 7:20 p.m. CT on NBC. The game features two explosive offenses and several fantasy football stars.

For the Texans, quarterback Deshaun Watson should have a good game, but he’s an expensive quarterback ($6,900) in DraftKings’ daily fantasy salary cap challenge (roster limit: $50,000). With an average of $5,555 available per player in the cap challenge, splurging on Watson would leave you with limited options at other positions.

Houston’s new running back, David Johnson, will make his debut against Kansas City but he also has a costly cap hit ($6,000). Johnson’s cost seems to be based more on name recognition than actual performance, making him a poor play in DFS.

The Texans player to start this week could be fellow running back Duke Johnson, who has an affordable cap hit of $4,500. David is listed as the starter on Houston’s depth chart but Duke seems like a much better value.

Duke could serve as the Texans’ primary receiving back this year after catching 44 passes for 410 yards and three touchdowns last season. KC had the fifth-highest scoring offense in the NFL last season and Houston might have to throw often to stay in Thursday’s game.

When the Texans faced the Chiefs in the Divisional Round of the Playoffs last season, Watson threw 52 passes and Duke led the team’s backfield with five receptions. He also got limited work in the ground game with one rush.

Duke Johnson will share touches with David Johnson but his low cap hit makes him an intriguing option for Week 1.

Daily Fantasy: The one Titans player you need to start in Week 1 on DraftKings

Titans tight end Jonnu Smith could be a DFS sleeper in Week 1.

The Tennessee Titans will go on the road in Week 1 to face the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football on Sept. 14. The game, televised on ESPN, will feature several notable fantasy football options.

For the Titans, running back Derrick Henry is the big name in fantasy, but he has an expensive price tag ($7,900) in DraftKings’ daily fantasy salary cap challenge (roster limit: $50,000). With an average of $5,500 available to spend on each player, it’s probably not worth splurging on Henry.

When Tennessee faced Denver in Week 6 last year, Henry was limited to just 28 rushing yards on 15 carries. Henry will likely have a better game in Monday’s season opener but his DFS cap hit it too big to justify.

Instead, fantasy owners should consider playing tight end Jonnu Smith.

Denver’s defense allowed the sixth-most receptions to tight ends last season (90) and the fourth-most yards (974). The Broncos only allowed three touchdowns to TEs in 2019 but that might have been more of a coincidence than an intentional effort to lock down tight ends in the red zone.

The Broncos’ top coverage linebacker, Mark Barron, has a hamstring injury and might not play in Denver’s season opener. If Barron doesn’t suit up in Week 1, the Broncos’ defense might struggle to cover TEs even more than usual.

Titans tight ends totaled five catches for 76 yards in a 16-0 loss to Denver last season. With Delanie Walker no longer part of the team, Smith has emerged as the No. 1 tight end on Tennessee’s depth chart and he could be a DFS sleeper in Week 1 with an intriguing matchup against the Broncos.

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