Tag: DraftKings

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

A new contract, a new season and a much bigger workload for Bengals’ bell cow Joe Mixon, the best Bengals’ bet for DFS in Week 1.

The 2020 NFL season is upon us and that means fantasy football is back as DraftKings and other platforms provide the ultimate opportunity for virtual success on Sunday. In Week 1, with a rookie at quarterback (Joe Burrow) and a star wideout returning from injury (AJ Green), the obvious choice to start in fantasy football this week is Joe Mixon.

Blessed with a new contract, Mixon is set for a breakout campaign as a running back and a solid Week 1 performance against the Los Angeles Chargers could be the springboard towards a huge season for the former Oklahoma Sooners star.

Mixon is a top-8 running back in DraftKings non-PPR rankings and he’s entering this season confident after averaging 17.4 PPR points per game during the final seven weeks of the 2019 season and after having at least 136 rushing yards in three of his final four outings, along with at least 3 catches per outing.

Such output means Mixon is taking the next step as a pass catcher and he should be Joe Burrow’s security blanket during a rookie season that’ll have some rough moments.

Mixon’s opponent, the Chargers’ defense and special teams, had some disappointing moments last season in part to playmaking safety Derwin James missing 11 games. James will now miss the entire 2020 NFL season, adding more stress on the backend. James would have been the perfect counter to Mixon for the Chargers in the box.

With the return of offensive tackle Jonah Williams (shoulder), look for Mixon to test the Chargers front seven early and often on Sunday.

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

Jaguars running back Chris Thompson could be a daily fantasy sports sleeper in Week 1.

The Jacksonville Jaguars will host the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1 of the 2020 NFL season on Sunday, Sept. 9 at 1 p.m. ET on CBS. The game will feature several intriguing daily fantasy sports options.

For the Jaguars, Gardner Minshew II has a low cap hit of $5,800 in DraftKings’ daily fantasy salary cap challenge (roster limit: $50,000). Minshew is cheaper than 20 other QBs, making him an interesting option after he had several strong fantasy performances last season.

Minshew is a risky play, though, because the Colts’ secondary forced 15 interceptions last season, the seventh-highest total in the NFL.

Jacksonville running back Chris Thompson might be the team’s best value in DFS this week. Thompson has a very low cap hit ($4,000) on DraftKings and he could be a sleeper against Indianapolis in Week 1.

Thompson is listed as the third-string running back on the Jaguars’ depth chart but he will likely serve as the team’s top receiving back this year. The Colts are considered 7.5-point favorites against Jacksonville and the Jags will have to throw often if Indianapolis builds a lead early in the game.

A pass-heavy attack would mean more action for Thompson, who caught 42 passes for 378 yards last season. Granted, Thompson’s yards per catch average wasn’t great last year, but he has good value in PPR formats for his catches alone.

Thompson has totaled at least 35 receptions in each of the last five seasons, totaling 1,772 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns in his career. He has also rushed for 1,194 yards and five touchdowns.

Thompson probably won’t be the lead back in the Jaguars’ offense but his receiving skills make him an intriguing RB for daily fantasy sports.

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

Chiefs running back Darrel Williams could be a daily fantasy sports sleeper in Week 1.

Can’t wait to get daily fantasy football rolling after a long offseason? Thursday has quite the matchup for you. The Kansas City Chiefs begin their title defense at home on Thursday Night Football against the Houston Texans at 8:20 p.m. on NBC.

As the case often is with the Chiefs in recent memory, there are options all over their roster in terms of fantasy. There’s big-play potential in Tyreek Hill at wide receiver, and of course, quarterback Patrick Mahomes seems to always pay dividends.

But the thing the really helps in all forms of fantasy football is an ability to find a sleeper. Mahomes will certainly bring production against the Texans, but his $7,400 salary on your team (roster limit: $50,000) is a big chunk of change.

Instead, there’s a tempting sleeper option that can be found in KC’s backfield: Darrel Williams. He’s not the starter for the Chiefs – that’s rookie Clyde Edwards-Helaire – but rolling the dice on the No. 2 running back in Week 1 could pay dividends.

Edwards-Helaire is among the most-expensive backs at $7,000. Williams is a worthwhile selection at $4,200 against the Texans. He has short-yardage ability which could pay off, against a defense that allowed the sixth-most points to running backs in fantasy football last season (452.8 total). Considering the COVID-19 offseason, Edwards-Helaire might be slowly brought along as well, giving Williams more early-season opportunities.

Receiver options for the Chiefs could make a difference, but the Texans attempted to address that area of their defense, bringing in Bradley Roby and Vernon Hargreaves this offseason. Williams is much more of a low-risk, high-reward option.

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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 Chargers player you need to start in Week 1 on DraftKings

Chargers quarterback Tyrod Taylor could be a daily fantasy sports sleeper in Week 1.

The Los Angeles Chargers are starting a new era in 2020, doing so against another team turning the page as well. The Bolts open their season in Cincinnati against the Bengals on Sunday at 4:05 p.m. on CBS.

Don’t let these new faces on the field steer you away, either. There are profitable fantasy options in this one for the Chargers, namely under center.

Starting the post-Phillip Rivers era for the Bolts is Tyrod Taylor. While finding himself in and out of the starter role during his career, Taylor has a chance to produce a cost-efficient season opener for your daily fantasy team with a salary of only $5,600.

The focal point of the Bengals’ offseason centered around quarterback Joe Burrow. Fixing an entire roster isn’t going to happen overnight. Plus, Burrow and other additions made by Cincy won’t do much to help a defense that allowed the fourth-most yards last year, 393.7 per game.

The knee-jerk reaction here might be to use the Chargers’ backfield to attack the NFL’s worst run defense in 2019 with running back Austin Ekeler. However, Ekeler has a DraftKings salary of $7,000 (roster limit: $50,000). Savings can be found in Taylor ($5,600).

Not only does Taylor have strong short-options in Ekeler through the air, don’t forget about receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. In Taylor’s spell as a starter with the Bills, he mixed in his very-profitable mobility with a good deep ball. In 2016, he had a 101.5 passer rating on 129 deep passes. Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn, who spent 2016 with the Bills offense and Taylor, won’t forget that.

Not to mention, the Bengals did allow the ninth-most fantasy points to QBs a year ago.

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

Raiders running back Josh Jacobs could be a daily fantasy sports sleeper in Week 1.

The Raiders start the Las Vegas era in their franchise history about as far away from their new home as one could imagine. The Carolina Panthers host the Raiders at 1 p.m. on Sunday on CBS.

When searching for a reliable daily fantasy football option here, finding a loophole or two can pay off. But not overthinking things can work just as well and as long as the Raiders do that on the field, you’ll be happy you did the same in fantasy.

Heading from out west to the East Coast, handing the ball to running back Josh Jacobs is the easiest and smartest play for the silver and black against the Panthers. Carolina turned the page on head coach Ron Rivera and Cam Newton this offseason, turning the keys over to Matt Rhule and Teddy Bridgewater, respectively.

Tough to imagine those two making much of an impact on the defensive front for Carolina, though. Jacobs isn’t the most cost-efficient running back you’ll find this week on DraftKings as his salary is $6,800 (roster limit: $50,000). But signs point to that being a smart investment.

Jacobs had a stellar 1,000-yard rookie season and is now healthy. He’s facing a Panthers defense that was the NFL’s worst run defense last year, which also allowed the league’s most points to running backs in fantasy (510.4). The Panthers did make efforts to improve their D-line, but primarily with a pair of rookies in Derrick Brown and Yetur Gross-Matos. They’ll need to adjust to the pro game and Jacobs should exploit that.

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Celtics teaming up with DraftKings for multi-year partnership

The Boston Celtics are teaming up with online fantasy sports and online bookmaking site DraftKings for a sponsorship deal that will provide fans with watch parties and more.

The Boston Celtics are signing a multi-year partnership with online fantasy and sportsbook provider DraftKings, reports Sporttechie.com’s Andrew Cohen.

As the NBA gets more involved with sports betting as a source of revenue, individual teams have been securing their own partnerships as well. Boston is one of three teams inking long-term agreements with Draftkings, the Philadelphia 76ers and Indiana Pacers being the other two franchises.

Boston’s deal will be solely for fantasy sports-related promotions, unlike that signed with the Pacers and 76ers. This is due to the fact that while sports betting is legal in Indiana and Pennsylvania, it is still illegal in Massachusetts.

DraftKings will host watch parties for Celtics games, and sponsor social media posts as well as part of the promotion.

The fantasy sports and online bookmaking site has already established relationships with the NBA as the league’s authorized betting operator, as well as having an arena-based partnership with Madison Square Garden.

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The controversy surrounding ‘The Bachelor’ contestant winning $1 million on DraftKings, explained

Jade Ropert Tolbert won $1 million, but there are accusations of collusion.

Welcome to FTW Explains: a guide to catching up on and better understanding stuff going on in the world. 

You may have seen some news floating around about a former The Bachelor contestant winning $1 million over the weekend from DraftKings thanks to her daily fantasy lineup. But you may have also seen some news that there’s possibly controversy surrounding that win, especially because it may involve her husband (who’s also an alumnus of The Bachelor). And you may be very confused by all that.

Luckily, that’s what we’re here for and hopefully we can clear up the confusion. Let’s break down what we know so far.

Who is involved?

Jade Roper Tolbert was a contestant on The Bachelor during its 19th season. She later appeared on Bachelor in Paradise in 2015 and ended up marrying Tanner Tolbert.

And how did she win $1 million?

Tolbert finished in first place in a DraftKings’ contest, in which players put together a fantasy lineup and accrue the most possible points to defeat fellow owners:

What’s the problem here?

Tolbert was accused on Twitter of cheating because she and her husband both submitted the maximum 150 entries (with different lineups) that each user is allowed to put into a given contest. And that has lead to people thinking they colluded, submitting diverse lineups to get to 300 unique entries instead of the allotted 150.

Is that really against the rules?

According to DraftKings, yep. This is listed under “unacceptable behaviors”:

Team-building complementary lineups which serve to work together AND executing a strategy that may create any unfair advantage over individual play.

Example A: You and 2 of your friends coordinate the makeup of the lineups you build AND coordinate which contests you enter using them.

What has DraftKings said about this?

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