DraftKings Bargains: Week One
We are about the embark the first week of the NFL season and that means it is time to log into DraftKings and look to see which players have the cheapest salaries. When making lineups, you want to find the best values while also selecting players who aren’t going to be heavily owned by the rest of the field. The more contrarian you are while putting your roster together, the more likely you will jump the rest of the pack in the rankings if your lineup hits.
I combed through this week’s salaries and gathered some of the best values. While looking for the best values, I also tried to highlight lesser-owned players. This will help you get an idea of what to look for while making GPP (tournament) lineups. I used Bovada for the spread and over/under for each game.
QUARTERBACK
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Case Keenum, QB DEN ($5,100)
I like Keenum in week one because he’s a cost-efficient contrarian play, making him optimal for GPP formats. He will be playing at home against a banged-up Seattle Seahawks defense. With Keenum spreading the ball around, the Broncos offense should see an uptick in production this year. Emmanuel Sanders, Demaryius Thomas and the addition of second-round rookie wide receiver, Courtland Sutton, will provide plenty of firepower to help him move the ball down the field.
The wrecked quarterback carousel that consisted of Trevor Siemian, Brock Osweiler and Paxton Lynch last year is price-infused in Keenum’s salary this week. This will also be his first game with the Broncos and we don’t really know how well he’s going to acclimate to his new team.
There are four starting quarterbacks with cheaper price points. When it’s all said and done, he might have the lowest ownership rate compared to all starting quarterbacks that are priced at $5,500 or less. His salary will create extra wiggle room to spend on other positions in your lineup, allowing you to pay up at other positions.
It’s always good to capitalize on ambiguous situations in GPP tournament, because ownership percentages are going to be limited compared to the rest of the field. If he hits, then your lineup should experience a major rise in the tournament’s standings.
According to Bovada, the over/under for this game is set at 42 points and the Broncos are favored to win by three points. This game is expecting to be a tight one with a decent amount of scoring. The game script has the potential to be more pass-heavy than initially perceived by Vegas.
Other options: Andrew Luck $6,100, Tyrod Taylor $5,400, Eli Manning $4,700
RUNNING BACK
Alex Collins, RB BAL ($5,600)
There are 15 running backs who have a higher salary on DraftKings this week. However, when it comes to workload, Collins might be in line for just as many touches as some of the higher-priced backs, making him a value for this week’s slate of games.
Collins is one of the few players who can help in both GPP and cash lineups. His salary is at a palatable price point and due to his expected workload, he’s a safe option to use in head-to-head and 50-50 matchups. We shouldn’t expect his ownership to be through the roof, because there are going to be a lot of people who will overlook Collins and his matchup this Sunday. He has the potential to be one of the top fantasy producers this weekend and his high ceiling makes him a great play in all tournament formats.
Ravens are a seven-point favorite in this game and the over/under is set at 40.5 points. This is expected to be a low-scoring affair, but the game script should benefit Collins, considering the Ravens should have the lead during the majority of the game, allowing them to be able to run the ball more often.
We are banking on the Bills’ offense shooting themselves in the foot multiple times in this game. DraftKings is also betting on this since they have the Ravens defense as their highest priced DST at $3,800. Homefield advantage will also be in the Ravens favor and is another indicator that the game script will help fuel Collins’ fantasy production.
Other options: Dalvin Cook $6,000, James Conner $4,500, Jeremy Hill $3,300
WIDE RECEIVER
Odell Beckham Jr., WR NYG ($7,000)
I know this is supposed to be a DraftKings deals article and I’m touting one of the highest priced receivers here. It’s easy to make a case for Beckham this week because unless he experiences another setback, you will not see him priced this low ever again this year. You might as well take advantage of it while you can. His price tag is only going to increase after week one.
The New York Giants will be playing the Jacksonville Jaguars who have the toughest defense in the NFL. Many people are going to pivot away from Beckham because of the tough matchup which is going to lower his ownership percentages. The Jaguars’ defense averaged 20.73 fantasy points per game (three-game sample) while playing against DeAndre Hopkins and Antonio Brown last year. I understand this can be considered a cherry-picked statistic, but it’s proof that elite wide receivers still have the potential to produce big fantasy weeks against Jacksonville’s stout defense. Don’t let the matchup scare you away from Beckham here – he still has a lot of upside in this game.
If you are into stacks, then you might be interested in stacking Eli Manning with Beckham this week. Manning is priced at $4,700 and is the cheapest starting quarterback on DraftKings. Together, both players will cost you $11,700 which will give you plenty of room take some swings at some other players. If Beckham blows up, then there’s a good chance that Manning gives you a decent return on your investment.
The over/under for this game is at 43.5 points and the Jaguars are favored by three points. Vegas is forecasting a tight game which means we should see a favorable game script for Beckham and company.
Other options: Chris Hogan $6,100, Emmanuel Sanders $5,000, Keelan Cole $3,800
TIGHT END
Tyler Eifert, TE CIN ($3,400)
It’s hard to buy in on a player who has an extended injury history like Tyler Eifert. On DraftKings, you only have to invest in him for one game, that’s the beauty of DFS. The Colts have one of the worst defenses in the league and they are also a great matchup for opposing tight ends.
DFS players are more than likely going to stray away from putting Eifert in their lineups this week because he’s been out of sight and out of mind due to him not having a productive season since 2015. His ownership rate should be low, making him a good contrarian play for tournaments.
Vegas pegged this matchup with an over/under of 47 points. The Colts are favorited to win this game by three points. By judging the lines, it’s fair to say that this game should be a shootout. With that being said, the passing volume for both teams should be rather high. Eifert will eat this week if he’s a major component in the Bengals game plan.
Other options: David Njoku $3,400, Austin Seferian-Jenkins $3,200, Ricky Seals-Jones $3,000
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