After a long offseason and a month of preseason games, Week 1 in the NFL has finally arrived. Unlike most years, DraftKings released their Week 1 salaries almost a month ago. With the early release, many values opened throughout the preseason due to camp battles and injuries. Here is everything you need to know about the Week 1 main slate.
Philip Rivers (v Kansas City) - $6,400
Last season, the Chiefs fielded one of the league's worst defenses, allowing the seventh most fantasy points to quarterbacks. To make matters worse, they allowed Marcus Peters to leave in free agency. The Chiefs first team defense was carved up by second team quarterbacks Matt Schaub of the Falcons and Chase Daniel of the Bears during the preseason. Philip Rivers and the Chargers' skill position players should have a field day on Sunday.
Christian McCaffrey (v Dallas) - $6,400
Surprisingly the Panthers committed Christian McCaffrey as their three-down running back. McCaffrey played on 59 or 66 first-string snaps in the Panthers offense. Last season he recorded 80 receptions on a league-high 113 targets. This skillset makes him an ideal target in cash games at a lower price than some of the NFL's other feature backs.
Leonard Fournette (@ New York Giants) - $7,100
Leonard Fournette also appears poised for another three-down plus goal-line role this season. The Jaguars already committed to a run-first approach before they lost their number one receiver Marqise Lee. Now, Fournette draws a Giants defense that allowed the fourth most yards to running backs. Fire up Fournette in cash and GPPs.
Emmanuel Sanders (v Seattle) - $5,000
Notably, the Broncos decided to use Emmanuel Sanders in the slot on 64-percent of his snaps in the preseason. Case Keenum targeted the slot on 59-percent of his passes in Minnesota. Sanders faces a Seattle defense without Kam Chancellor, Richard Sherman, Michael Bennett, Sheldon Richardson, Cliff Avril, and likely Earl Thomas.
Chris Hogan (v Houston) - $5,100
With Julian Edelman on a four-game suspension, Chris Hogan remains locked in as Tom Brady's number one receiver. The Patriots face off against the Texans in a game that has the highest game total on the slate at 51. The Texans allowed the fourth-most points to receivers last season and should struggle against the position again this year. Hogan makes sense in cash at $5,100.
John Brown (v Buffalo) - $3,700
If looking for a bargain bin receiver, look no further than John Brown. By all accounts, Brown has been healthy this offseason and will play opposite Michael Crabtree in two receiver sets. While Buffalo has a middling pass defense, the Ravens are currently seven-point favorites and should score all sorts of points against this defense.
Tyler Eifert (@ Indianapolis) - $3,400
Tyler Eifert finally saw game action in the Bengals third preseason game, playing 14 snaps. While Eifert may be limited in his regular season return, he will face a Colts' pass defense that ranked 32nd in Football Outsiders' Pass Defense DVOA in 2017. With some of the highest touchdown upside in the NFL at only $3,400, Eifert warrants GPP exposure.
Filed under: Free Articles
