DraftKings Picks Week 1
Week One is already upon us, and although most of our fantasy drafts have already occurred, there is still some fun (and money) to be had with Daily Fantasy Sports. If you are new to DFS, it's basically just building a fantasy football lineup under a salary cap. You choose players at each position for the week that you think will go off.
The first week is always a crapshoot when picking players since we have little data to go on. Players have changed teams, defenses have been overhauled, and new rookie starters make the first week pretty random. Typically you want to mix star players with cheap guys with good matchups, but that's hard to do Week One.
Still, plenty of strategy is involved in picking the right players, so let's dive into some guys that should have solid performances in the first week of NFL action. In this article, we will be looking strictly at Classic NFL DraftKings lineups. My goal is to give a few options I like for each position and let you decide where you spend your salary.
Quarterback
Tua Tagovailoa (Dolphins)- $7000 vs JAX
Tua Tagovailoa is an interesting fantasy player who frankly is frustrating to roster. He has weapons everywhere and yet tends to not put up great fantasy stats. So why is he here?
Well, Tua started off the 2023 season with 466 yards and three touchdowns against a bad Chargers' defense. This year they get a middling Jacksonville defense, who was better at stopping the run than the pass last year.
All that said, Tua has another good chance at starting the season off with a bang. Figuring both offenses are potent, we could be in for a high-scoring game (over/under is at 48.5, the second-highest of the week) with lots of big plays.
The nice thing about playing Tua is that any short pass could turn into a home run at any time. Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, De'Von Achane, Raheem Mostert, and even rookie RB Jaylen Wright are known for their speed and can easily make house calls.
Figuring everyone is healthy, Tua is a solid start in a high-scoring matchup.
Gardiner Minshew II (Las Vegas Raiders) - $5300 @ LAC
I figured I'd add in a super cheap (cheap of the week TM?) option at each position that I think has the best chance to hit. This way you can save money at certain positions if you want. For Quarterback, Gardiner Minshew has a great chance of outperforming expectations this week.
The Raiders, who still have star WR Davante Adams, face a bad Chargers team that could be one of the worst in the NFL this season. Minshew doesn't shy away from throwing the ball downfield, and Herbert and the Chargers should have enough firepower at least to put up points on a bad Raider defense.
If you are looking for a cheap option at QB who *should* have a solid game, Minshew is probably your best bet.
Running Back
Rhamondre Stevenson (New England Patriots) - $5900 @ CIN
Rhamondre Stevenson had a relatively quiet season last year, struggling to run the ball on a bad New England offense. This year is not all that different, however, the Patriots seem to want to get Stevenson even more involved.
We will see how much he is utilized against the Bengals in Week 1, but as of now, he seems to be the guy who will get the bulk of the carries. He also has solid receiving skills, so he is probably good for a few check-downs (although Antonio Gibson may eat into his passing workload).
With a rookie QB at the helm, Stevenson should be highly involved early, making him a cheaper option with a solid floor.
James Cook (Buffalo Bills) - $6900 vs ARI
James Cook could be a huge fantasy star this season after a solid 2023 outing. The Bills lost star receiver Stefon Diggs and let veteran RBs Latavius Murray, Leonard Fournette, Nyheim Hines, and Damien Harris all walk (after playing sparingly).
With only rookie Ray Davis fighting for carries, Cook could be in for a ton of work once again. Cook is a dual-threat player who is really only limited by QB Josh Allen's rushing (and having TDs vultured on QB sneaks).
There are also big question marks surrounding the Wide Receiver corps, meaning Cook could be a nice check-down option for Allen should the receivers fail to get open.
Arizona's defense is nothing to be scared of, and Kyler Murray and company should be able to put enough points up to make this one interesting for pass-catching Running Backs.
Rico Dowdle (Dallas Cowboys) - $4600 @ CLE
Rico Dowdle is my cheap of the week for Running Backs, coming in at only $4600.
Now I did recognize that Dowdle was receiving very little hype in the fantasy world thanks to the Zeke resigning, but you have to think Dowdle will be utilized much more this season in the backfield.
He was pulled off special teams for this season, further indicating he has a role in the Cowboy offense. Now he is a bit of a gamble for Week One, but I have to think Zeke will be utilized mostly more heavily on short-yardage plays while Dowdle gets more "between the 20s" and passing work.
If you are looking to save your salary here, Dowdle is about as cheap as it comes. But be prepared for him to bust if Zeke somehow gets a majority of the work Week One.
Wide Receivers
Tyreek Hill (Miami Dolphins) - $8700 vs JAX
I typically want to pair a WR with my QB in DFS, so that is part of the reason I chose Tua at QB. I wanted a Week One Tyreek Hill in a potential shootout. Hill is back to practice this week (eliminating any worry about his thumb injury) and put up at least 20 fantasy points in nine games last season.
Tank Dell (Houston Texans) - $5500 @ IND
Moving to a much cheaper yet much riskier pick, Tank Dell is an intriguing fantasy option after a strong rookie campaign was cut short due to a broken leg in 2023.
Dell returns healthy in 2024 but moved down the depth chart with the addition of Stefon Diggs. A healthy Nico Collins takes the WR2 spot, leaving Dell as the third option. That said, Dell should be on the field plenty in the slot position, making him a very viable option in DFS.
CJ Stroud was a huge fantasy asset last year, and although some regression could be coming, the Texans have an offense that should put up plenty of points. Opposing teams may spend their energy on stopping Diggs/Collins, leaving Dell to roam a bit more freely.
Their matchup isn't the greatest this week at Indianapolis, but it also isn't the worst way to start the season. Figuring Stroud continues his play from last year, all Texan's receivers can be in play in DFS week-to-week.
Davante Adams ( Las Vegas Raiders) - $7600 @ LAC
If you want to go with my cheap-of-the-week QB Gardiner Minshew, you can't go wrong picking his top wideout Davante Adams.
Adams played two games against the Chargers last season, catching a combined 16 passes for 176 yards and one touchdown. And that was with rookie Aidan O'Connell under center. Gardiner Minshew might not be a star QB, but he's put up bigger passing numbers in the past and isn't afraid to go downfield....a place where Adams shines.
Adams should get a ton of targets and plenty of opportunity to score in this Week One matchup.
Andrei Iosivas (Cincinnati Bengals) - $3000 vs NE
You can't get much cheaper than the $3000 supposed WR3 for the Bengals, Andrei Iosivas.
You may not have heard the name yet but with longtime WR3 Tyler Boyd departing and rookie WR Jermaine Burton struggling, Iosivas has pushed his way into a starting role.
Iosivas caught 15 passes for 116 yards and four touchdowns last season, so he at least has some experience coming into the 2024 season. Add to that Ja'Marr Chase may not even play due to a contract dispute and Iosivas could be an absurd steal at $3000.
The situation is one to monitor, but even if Chase plays, Iosivas should see a lot of work to start the season. Use that to your advantage.
Tight End
Evan Engram (Jacksonville Jaguars) - $5500 @ MIA
Evan Engram had probably the best season of his career last year, catching 114 passes for 964 yards and four touchdowns in his second year as a Jaguar. It seems after never really repeating his stellar rookie season in New York (QB problem?), Engram was rejuvenized by the move to Florida.
Jacksonville is probably going to have to pass to keep up with the speedy Miami offense, and the WR room is a bit too up in the air for my liking.
Since we know the connection between Engram and Lawrence is there, he is probably the safest offensive Jaguar to start in DFS this week. Miami was also bad at stopping opposing TEs last season, so we will see if that continues into 2024.
Kyle Pitts (Atlanta Falcons) - $4600 vs PIT
I wanted to give a cheap-of-the-week option here as well, and although he's not the cheapest TE out there, this could be one of the last times Pitts is this low.
Pitts has underperformed expectations so far in his career, but much of that could be explained by a bad head coach and bad Quarterback play. This year we may find out if that was the case.
The Falcons get a new HC and an upgrade at QB with Kirk Cousins, so Pitts may finally see some fantasy relevance. The matchup isn't great, but Pittsburgh did give up a lot of fantasy points to TEs last year, so Pitts could be a sneaky start.
Defense
Saints Defense - $3700 vs CAR
Saints defense, at home, against 2nd-year QB Bryce Young, and a bad Carolina offense is just too good of a matchup to pass on.
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