As much as I love fantasy football, playing DFS is probably a little higher on my love scale.
Winning money (especially big money) after one weekend of football instead of waiting to your year-end championship in regular fantasy is a thrill that is hard to top.
And the Week 1 schedule delivered us a mid-week treat with Las Vegas’ Brock Bowers requiring some clean up knee surgery to give us a cheap tight end option. But the first week of the DFS year will have its chalky plays as everyone is trying to figure out how the offenses are going to spread the touches.
Let’s get into this week’s DFS plays! Prices are from DraftKings.
QB DFS Plays
Tyler Shough, New Orleans ($5,600, 2.3 percent rostered)
I believe his rostered number is a little off (it will be higher than my sourced number) as the Saints-Lions game has been juiced from earlier in the week.
But I still can’t ignore Tyler Shough in this matchup.
Shough was a pleasant surprise down the stretch last season as he averaged 21.3 DK points during his final six games last season.
And now he faces a Detroit defense that allowed 19.6 DK points to quarterbacks last season, and it will be without both of their starting safeties, Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph, who are both on the PUP list.
Chalky play: Joe Burrow, Cincinnati ($6,900, 9.3 percent rostered)
Cheap play: Daniel Jones, Indianapolis ($5,400, 1.3 percent rostered)
RB DFS Plays
Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia (13.1 percent rostered)
The Eagles’ Saquon Barkley may be one the higher rostered RBs this week but he will be nowhere close to the rostered numbers Detroit’s Jahmyr Gibbs ($8,000, 57.9 percent rostered) will have.
Gibbs may have more upside, but Barkley’s salary gives me the relief to stack my lineup in other spots.
And the Washington Commanders were a bottom 5 defense against RB in DraftKings’ scoring last season. They allowed 26.8 points a game to RBs.
Plus this game may get overlooked as the total has dropped from 46.5 to start to the week to 44 at some online sportsbooks.
Chalky play: Jahmyr Gibbs
Cheap play: Marshawn Lloyd, Green Bay ($4,800, 7.3 percent rostered)
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WR DFS Plays
Chris Olave, New Orleans ($6,700, 5.8 percent rostered)
If I’m going with Shough, I might as well play his best WR in Chris Olave.
Olave and Shough are both ranked as the best play at their respective positions and thanks to the injuries in the Lions’ secondary, Olave could have a big game.
In those final six games with Shough starting last season, Olave averaged 21.0 DK points a game and Detroit was the fourth worst defense vs. WRs in DK scoring last season (36.7 points a game).
Chalky play: Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati ($7,800, 31.7 percent rostered)
Cheap play: Devaughn Vele, New Orleans ($3,500, 11.4 percent rostered)
TE DFS Plays
Michael Mayer, Las Vegas ($2,900, 12.2 percent rostered)
We usually don’t get a player who only needs to score 9 points to be a 3-plus value for the week like we have in Michael Mayer.
The Raiders reported starting TE Bowers will miss a week or two after a meniscus trim procedure on Tuesday.
And Mayer will be the beneficiary vs. a Dolphins defense that allowed 16.7 DK points to tight ends last season.
Chalky play: Colston Loveland, Chicago ($5,300, 12.1 percent rostered)
Cheap play: Mike Gesicki, Cincinnati ($3,100, 2.9 percent rostered)
DST DFS Plays
Jacksonville ($3,400, 7.3 percent rostered) home against Cleveland
Pittsburgh ($3,300, 5.9 percent rostered) home against Atlanta
Minnesota ($2,800, 6.8 percent rostered) home against Green Bay
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