FanDuel Bargains: Week One
Over the next 17 weeks (and into the post-season), I’ll be highlighting some of the best bargains on the best daily site in the industry, FanDuel.
Keep in mind that these suggestions are for GPP (Guaranteed Prize Pool) tournaments with more than 50 participants where players are looking for bargains to fill out their lineups after already inserting their “studs” for the week. Many of them are risky plays and shouldn’t necessarily reflect good choices for head-to-head or 50/50 games.
Quarterback
DeShone Kizer, CLE ($6,000)
Line PIT -8.5
O/U 46.5
OPP Pittsburgh Steelers
DeShone Kizer will make his first start in his NFL career. However, it won’t be easy, as he faces the Pittsburgh Steelers. I love this price point, and the 46.5 over/under is tasty, and so is the eight-point spread going to the Steelers. Kizer is going to get support from the home crowd and should be able to add points with his legs. More than likely, the Browns will end up being behind so those garbage points will mount later in the game. There is no chance that Hue Jackson pulls the rookie, and Kizer should score at least one touchdown and possibly combine for 225 yards.
Jared Goff, LAR ($6,600)
Line LAR -3.5
O/U 48
OPP Indianapolis Colts
Goff is now going into season two, and it it’s getting pretty close to make-or-break year for the California Bears standout. In seven games in 2016, he threw for 1,089 yards and completed just 54.8 percent of his passes. He also threw for only five touchdowns and had seven interceptions. This week the Rams will take on the Indianapolis Colts, who have one of the league’s worst and youngest defenses. Harken back to last season, and Goff had one of his best games against the New Orleans Saints. In that game, he tossed three scores with only one pick. With the over/under set at 48 points, don’t be surprised to see Goff get two touchdowns and close to 250 yards.
Running Back
Christian McCaffrey, CAR (6,500)
Line CAR -5.5
O/U 50.5
OPP SFO
Because FanDuel accounts for PPR points, this will be a great situation for the rookie Christian McCaffrey. Not only is going at a shallow price point, but all the other tangibles add up as well. The opponent is the 49ers, who had the worst rushing defense in the league last season. Their overall defense wasn’t any better either. They did bring in some key players through the draft, but it will take time for them to build cohesion. Look for McCaffrey to not only get the ball through the air, but also take chunks of yards on the ground. He may be pulled at the goal line with the double threat of Cam Newton and/or Jonathan Stewart, but at his price, he just needs to be pretty active with the overall yards department.
Isaiah Crowell, CLE ($6,500)
Line: PIT -8.5
O/U 46.5
OPP Pittsburgh Steelers
The Browns are not looking good with all the variables working against them (line and O/U), but Isaiah Crowell still is the bell-cow back behind one of the better offensive lines in football. Another aspect is the passing game. While I believe Kizer will end the day with a decent point total, the team will want to keep the ball out of their rookie’s hands to start the game. The Browns are going to run for as long as they can, and that means several opportunities for Crowell. He can also catch, as he grabbed 40 balls last season, and could have been more if the Browns had a better offense. In the two games last season against the Steelers, Crowell put up 21 combined points (16.3 and 4.8). Look for a number around the ten FP this time around.
Wide Receiver
Jamison Crowder, WAS ($6,500)
Line PHI -1.0
O/U 48
OPP PHI
The one thing for sure is that the Washington Redskins are going to be passing the ball. The other certainty is that Jamison Crowder will be catching the ball. In 2016, he caught five balls for 89 yards and one touchdown in the two games he played against the Philadelphia Eagles. If he can do three for 50 yards that should put him in good standing for that $6,500 price tag he carries. Philadelphia finished 13th against the pass last season and should hang around there again in 2017. The total points and line make me happy for Crowder, as the game should give a few touchdowns and possibly one to Crowder.
John Brown, ARI ($5,700)
Line ARI -2.0
O/U 48
OPP DET
We know that John Brown can be a dominating receiver when healthy, and he should be that against the Detroit Lions who finish 19th against the pass last year. The only question that I have is how much will the passing game of Bruce Arians be implemented in contrast to the running game of David Johnson? In his 14 games last season, Brown finished out of drafting range for a wide receiver in receptions (71st), yards (73rd), and touchdowns (80th). However, he did finish with high FP totals against the Saints (16.6), Panthers (12.9), and the Rams (19.4). What I also like about this game is the high overall point total and the fact this game should remain close.
Tight End
Charles Clay, BUF ($4,600)
Line BUF -9.5
O/U 39.5
OPP NYJ
In 15 games last season, Charles Clay finished on the fringe of being a starting tight end in fantasy leagues. He had the 12th most touchdowns (4), 12th most receptions (57), and the 12th most targets (87). He didn’t have a good run after the catch total as he fell to 18th in yards (552). Clay averaged just under ten yards per reception (9.68). In three of his last four games he finished with double-digit points and score all four of his touchdowns. The Bills take on the Jets this week, and he did not fare very well against them last season. As he scored just 3.5 and 5.2 FP but does New York even have a pulse this season? No offense, but this looks like a dried-up year for them already.
- FanDuel Bargains: Week Three - October 1, 2017
- FanDuel Bargains: Week Three - September 24, 2017
- FanDuel Bargains: Week Two - September 17, 2017
