Tag: DraftKings DFS

Daily Fantasy: The one Chargers player you need to start in Week 2 on DraftKings

Chargers wide receiver could be a daily fantasy sports sleeper in Week 1.

After watching their first game played in their new home, SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, via the Rams, the Los Angeles Chargers take their turn at the brand new venue in Week 2 as the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs visit for a 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff on Sunday.

Both teams enter this one at 1-0, but it felt like the Bolts escaped Cincinnati with a season-opening victory in a 16-13 contest thanks to a Bengals missed kick to end regulation.

Not to say that the Chargers defense is bad after one game, but after watching Cincy have some successes against them, the Chiefs will cause, at least, some damage in this week. Because of that, the Chargers’ wide receivers will be a smart play in Week 2

Quarterback Tyrod Taylor attempted 30 passes against the Bengals, but 25 of those went to either Keenan Allen, Hunter Henry or Mike Williams. The best bang for your buck in DraftKings this week is the latter. Of that trio, not only is Williams the most cost-efficient receiver for Los Angeles at a salary cost of $4,200 in this one (roster limit: $50,000), he also led those three with nine targets against the Bengals.

Included in his targets were a few deep balls he missed out on vs. the Bengals as well. Williams was just one of these away from having a big fantasy football output a week ago. Against the the Chiefs offense, Williams has a feeling of a big game waiting to happen this week.

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

Olabisi Johnson provides good value at only $4,100 on DraftKings.

The Vikings didn’t utilize three-receiver sets all that often last season, partly because they didn’t have to with Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen dominating the target share. That could change this season, however, with Gary Kubiak stepping in as the offensive coordinator and Minnesota lacking Diggs on offense.

The guy who could benefit most from a shift toward more 11 personnel is Olabisi Johnson. He’s currently listed as the No. 2 receiver on the Vikings’ depth chart and should see increased playing time opposite Thielen.

Rookie Justin Jefferson will obviously factor into the mix, but right out of the gate, Johnson is the daily fantasy player to target from the Vikings.

Dalvin Cook and Thielen are obviously bigger parts of the offense, but Johnson is a value at only $4,100 on DraftKings. That’s much cheaper than Thielen ($6,700) and even below Jefferson ($4,800) despite the fact that Johnson could get more playing time and see more targets than the rookie.

Last season, he caught 31 of the 45 passes thrown his way, turning them into 294 yards and three touchdowns. His opportunities were limited in the last five games of the year, though, only being targeted 11 times total.

The Packers secondary is headlined by Jaire Alexander, which likely leaves either Kevin King or Josh Jackson likely to cover Johnson. That’s a favorable matchup, and should yield targets from Kirk Cousins.

Johnson may not have put up big numbers last season, but he’s a good value in Week 1.

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

Allen Robinson is too good a value to pass up against Detroit.

Allen Robinson is coming off the second-best season of his career despite getting very little help from the quarterback position in 2019. He caught a career-high 98 passes, but only turned them into 1,147 yards with seven touchdowns.

As the unquestioned No. 1 option in Chicago, his fantasy ceiling is high, even with Mitchell Trubisky at quarterback. And in daily fantasy, he’s an excellent value against the Lions in Week 1 – which is why he’s our pick for the one Bears player you must start on DraftKings.

His salary is only $6,500, which is ninth among wide receivers in Sunday’s games. His average of 16.5 fantasy points per game in 2019 should be his floor this season, and against a weaker secondary in Detroit, he could eclipse that number right out of the gate.

Jeff Okudah is Detroit’s most promising cornerback, though Justin Coleman and Desmond Trufant will play plenty of snaps, too. No matter who Robinson matches up with, it should favor him.

In two games against the Lions last season – when Darius Slay was roaming the secondary – Robinson caught 14 total passes for 172 yards and a touchdown. He saw nine targets come his way in the first game and 12 in the second, catching 66.7% of those passes in each game.

I expect a heavy dosage of Robinson on Sunday in Detroit, especially if the Lions come out firing with Matthew Stafford on the other side. If this turns into a shootout, expect a big game from A-Rob.

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

Marvin Jones Jr. is a good value in Week 1 against the Bears.

Expectations are relatively low for the Lions this season, but they should still be competitive as long as Matthew Stafford can stay healthy. And if he does, expect strong seasons from Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones Jr.

Specifically in Week 1, Jones is the Lions player you should start in daily fantasy football on DraftKings.

He’s relatively cheap at only $5,500, checking in $700 under Golladay. Jones averaged more fantasy points per week than just about every receiver near his price range, except for DeVante Parker ($6,000) and Julian Edelman ($6,000).

Jones has performed well in eight career games against the Bears, too. Though he only has two touchdowns, he averages 3.5 catches and 61.3 yards per game against them. In their two meetings last year, Jones caught eight passes for 114 yards and a touchdown against the Bears.

Outside of Kyle Fuller, who will likely draw Golladay in coverage, the Bears aren’t exactly rich with talent at cornerback. Jones could match up with rookie Jaylon Johnson or Buster Skrine, both of whom would be favorable coverage assignments for Jones.

With Stafford fully healthy and ready to take shots downfield, Jones should get back to the way he played in 2017 when he averaged a league-high 18.0 yards per catch and topped 1,100 yards receiving for the year. This is a good matchup for the veteran receiver, assuming Golladay draws Fuller in coverage.

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

Colts running back Marlon Mack could be a daily fantasy sports sleeper in Week 1.

The Indianapolis Colts will go on the road to face the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1 of the 2020 NFL season on Sunday, Sept. 13 (1:00 p.m. CT, CBS). The game will feature several intriguing daily fantasy sports options.

For the Colts, quarterback Philip Rivers will be making his Indianapolis debut. It’s a little risky to play Rivers in his first game with his new team, so he might not be a smart play in DFS.

Instead, Colts running back Marlon Mack appears to be the Indianapolis player to start. Mack has a reasonable cost of $5,300 in DraftKings’ daily fantasy salary cap challenge (roster limit: $50,000), making him a cheaper option than teammate Jonathan Taylor ($5,700).

Mack is listed as the starter on the Colts’ depth chart but he will likely split touches with Taylor. In Week 1, there should be plenty of opportunities for both Mack and Taylor to rack up fantasy football points.

Last season, the Jags’ defense allowed the fifth-most rushing yards (2,229), the second-most rushing yards per attempt (5.1) and the second-most rushing touchdowns (23) in the NFL. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Indianapolis run all over Jacksonville in their season opener.

After a 1,091-yard, eight-touchdown season in 2019, Mack is poised to begin the year as the Colts’ primary running back. He might lose RB1 duties to Taylor at some point during the season, but Mack should start the year well against the Jaguars’ weak run defense.

Given that he has a lower cap hit than Taylor, Mack appears to be Indianapolis’ top option in daily fantasy sports this week.

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

Aaron Jones dominated the Vikings last season, and should again on Sunday.

Aaron Jones was one of the most consistent fantasy players last season, averaging 21.1 points per game on DraftKings. Even on a team led by Aaron Rodgers, you could argue that Jones was the star of the offense last season.

Time will tell if that continues, but for at least Week 1, Jones is a wise start in fantasy.

At $6,900, he’s the fifth-most expensive running back for Sunday’s games. He’s worth the price, though. The Vikings aren’t exactly dominant against the run and Jones went off against Minnesota in both games last season.

He combined for 270 yards on 46 carries, scoring three touchdowns. They were two of his best games of the season and there’s little reason to believe he can’t at least come close to replicating those performances on Sunday afternoon.

The only thing standing in Jones’ way is a potential snap share with A.J. Dillon and Jamal Williams. Jones is far and away the best of the bunch and has proved to be a capable receiver, too, but It’s worth noting that Green Bay drafted Dillon this year.

You could find cheaper running backs in Week 1, such as Chris Carson ($6,900) and Miles Sanders ($6,300), but Jones should outperform both against the Vikings. There were only six games in which he didn’t score a touchdown last year and six games where he scored multiple times. Sunday should be one of those games where he finds the end zone at least once.

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

Look no further than the reigning MVP as the best Ravens bet for Daily Fantasy in Week 1.

The 2020 NFL season is upon us and for Baltimore Ravens fans that means seeing if the reigning NFL MVP can run it back. Jackson was named the 2019 NFL MVP at NFL Honors in February after the Raven star signal-caller earned all 50 first-place votes, making him only the second unanimous MVP in NFL history (Tom Brady 2010).

Fans and experts alike have been clamoring for fantasy football for months and we’re just days away from the Ravens hosting the Browns in the season opener. With multiple options on offense to choose from, Jackson is the obvious choice for the one Baltimore player you have to start on DraftKings fantasy site.

Jackson is the No. 1 ranked fantasy quarterback on DraftKings with a salary of $8,100, while the Browns defense is looking to gel and take the next step in a division that has seen the Steelers and Ravens dominate.

With Jackson under center, the Ravens averaged an NFL high 31.9 points per game but did struggle in the Ravens’ Week 16 win over the Browns in Cleveland.

The Browns defense was average last season, ranking 17th against the pass and 30th against the run, and will be forced to deal with Jackson and two monster running backs in Mark Ingram and the rookie JK Dobbins. With so much attention on the running game, look for the Ravens to utilize the passing game, focusing on tight end Mark Andrews and ever bulked up Marquise Hollywood Brown.

Jackson had two monster offensive performances against the Browns last season, posting fantasy points of 33.8 and 26.48 DraftKing points in his two games against the Browns last year. With the talented Miles Boykin and rookie, Devin Duvernay joining the madness, look for Jackson to explode in the season opener.

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

There’s one Cardinals player that you need to start in Week 1 on DraftKings.

The one Arizona Cardinals player that you need to start in Week 1 on DraftKings is WR Christian Kirk.

The former second-round draft pick for Arizona out of Texas A&M has another year of development under his belt. While many look to the acquisition of DeAndre Hopkins as a downside for Kirk, I believe it’s going to open up more opportunities for him in the passing game.

Consider that Kirk had over a 19% target share in the Cardinals offense in 2019, catching 68 passes for 709 yards and three touchdowns in 13 games played. Kirk also averaged 13.4 fantasy points per game which is more than big-name players like D.K. Metcalf and Odell Beckham Jr. did in 2019. Now, teams are going to put their top cover corners on Hopkins and Larry Fitzgerald. Kirk is going to be going up against more No. 3 corners than he will No. 2 corners.

In this particular game against the 49ers, Kirk will probably be facing K’Waun Williams in the slot most often. Kirk had the majority of his targets from the slot last season and that appears to be where he’ll get most of his work in 2020. Williams allowed just a 67.6 passer rating when targeted last season, but there’s reason to believe that Kirk could get the best of him this week. Williams suffered a Grade 1 calf strain just a few weeks ago in training camp. He returned to practice on Sept. 1, but those types of soft tissue injuries can linger, especially in defensive backs.

At $5,000 on DraftKings, there is no better value play in Arizona than Kirk in Week 1.

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

Broncos tight end Noah Fant could be a daily fantasy sports sleeper in Week 1.

The Denver Broncos will have to wait longer than just about everyone in the NFL to begin their 2020 campaign. Rounding out the Week 1 slate in the league is the Broncos as they’ll host the Tennessee Titans, the second of two games on Monday Night Football, at 10:20 p.m. ET on ESPN.

That patience could be a virtue when it comes to daily fantasy options.

Entering the season, the Broncos have given quarterback Drew Lock a lot of weapons to work with – and while the Titans’ defensive prowess led Tennessee to the AFC Championship game in 2019, there are still fantasy options to be found in Denver. At the wide receiver position, Courtland Sutton returns, while rookies Jerry Jeudy and K.J. Hamler were added in the NFL Draft.

Despite those tempting options outside, look toward tight end Noah Fant to start the year as a fantasy option. Poised for a breakout second season, Fant could easily get rolling early.

Early in the 2020 season, it’s important to keep in mind that the recent offseason was not great for young quarterbacks like Lock trying to build chemistry with new weapons. But Lock did start five games down stretch last season, all of which included Fant in the lineup. There’s a foundation.

Plus, the Titans’ weak spot on defense last season was against tight ends. Tennessee allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to tight ends, 226.6 in total. Fant is also cost-efficient among tight ends on DraftKings, with a $4,200 salary for Week 1 (roster limit: $50,000). Comparatively to the likes of George Kittle ($7,200) and Travis Kelce ($7,000), Fant could be a season-opening steal.

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

Daily Fantasy: The one Steelers player you need to start in Week 1 on Draft Kings

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The 2020 NFL season is upon us and that means fans and experts alike will be closely watching their favorites players stat lines for fantasy football. The Pittsburgh Steelers open up on the road against an NFC East bottom-feeder, the New York Giants.

The Giants went 3-13 in 2019, leading to a coaching change that saw Joe Judge go from a special teams/wide receiver coach for the Patriots to earning New York’s most appealing head coaching job.

With the regular season set to kick on Thursday night, the Steelers vaunted defense is the one unit that is must start in DraftKings and daily fantasy this week.

Pittsburgh has the 6th ranked D/ST in DraftKing’s fantasy football rankings and the Steelers are coming off a campaign in which they were second in fantasy points per game last season, utilizing a ferocious pass rush and talented secondary that played off the charts after the arrival of Minkah Fitzpatrick. The Steelers led the NFL in sacks and takeaways last year and face the Giants’ second-year signal-caller Daniel Jones, who just so happen to lead the NFL with 23 giveaways in 2019, good for second in the NFL.

With a mostly virtual offseason because of the pandemic, the Giants will look for rhythm in an offense that’ll be looking to gain coherency on the fly, a definite advantage for a Steelers defense that returns just about every integral piece from last season, including one of the top passers in all of football in Ben Roethlisberger.

If the Steelers offense can muster points and a ball-control offense, it could force the Giants to become one dimensional, straying away from Saquon Barkley, while leaning more on Daniel Jones.

If Pittsburgh can make the Giants one-dimensional that will create more opportunities for turnovers and the Steelers thrive off such a scenario.

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