Draft Kings Strategy 2016 Week 1: Best Bargains At Each Position

The best way to cash on weekly fantasy football sites is to load up on as many stars with good matchups as possible. Due to budget restraints, however, fantasy players must sacrifice other positions to nab the stars they want.

Here, you'll find the top bargains at each position on Draft Kings that will let you splurge elsewhere. And remember, scoring is IMPORTANT. Here is Draft Kings’ scoring system.

The bargains are listed in the order I like them. 

Quarterbacks

Robert Griffin III, Browns ($5,600): I don’t play when I say I bargain hunt. QBs score more points than any other position in fantasy, so it’s at QB where you can dive deepest. Draft Kings only gives QBs four points per passing touchdown, which boosts the value of runners. Few QBs can run like RGIII.

Matchups are a crucial factor in determining DFS rosters, and RGIII, in addition to fitting the style of play for a nice bargain QB, has a cake matchup vs. the Eagles. Philadelphia might be an epic trainwreck, and since it’s Week 1 we have no data to go on besides worthless preseason stats. Let’s bank on some big runs for RG3, and cheap points.

Dak Prescott, Cowboys ($5,000): Will he be good? Who knows. But he’s starting, and any time you can get a starting QB for this ridiculous a price you have to have at least one roster utilizing that value. Prescott checks a few boxes. He has a massive O-line, he can definitely run, Dez Bryant is healthy, and he’s up against the Giants, who trotted out one of the worst defenses in 2015. They made improvements, but that takes time to gel. He should find the end zone at least twice, and he may do it on the ground.

Shaun Hill, Vikings ($5,000): Like Prescott, he’s a starting QB at a crazy price thanks to the very unfortunate injury to Teddy Bridgewater. He doesn’t run at all, but he does have an even juicier matchup vs. the Titans. Minnesota may just run it down Tennessee’s throats with Adrian Peterson and not give Hill much chance to score, but even if that happens, he cost just $5,000 of your budget.

Running Backs

Duke Johnson Jr., Browns ($5,100): You know what gives me a tingly feeling? The idea of a speedy, playmaking back teaming up with RGIII. In Washington, Griffin helped Alfred Morris become a fantasy star by opening up lanes and creating hesitation in defenders. If RGIII is on point, that’ll be even more effective for Duke Johnson, who is faster and way more elusive. Philly ranked 28th vs. the run last year, and not a ton has changed. Throw in the PPR scoring Draft Kings uses – Johnson caught 61 passes in 2015 – and this looks like a steal.

Chris Ivory, Jaguars ($4,300): What’s up with this price? I’m not complaining, but it’s not often a starting RB with double-digit TD potential is available for less than $4,500. Then when you add in that Green Bay was 19th against the run last year, and it seems like an Ivory TD is on a tee for you. Why not snap him up? Yeah he’s not worth much in the passing game, and T.J. Yeldon will get work, but Ivory is the goal line hammer.

Theo Riddick, Lions ($4,000): Riddick offers close to zero value on the ground but that’s okay. Draft Kings is PPR baby. Riddick was one of the top pass-catching RBs last season, and the Lions did nothing to change their RB corps except drop Joique Bell dead weight. The Colts’ defense looks truly abysmal, so this could be the best barnburner of Week 1.

Wide Receivers

Amari Cooper, Raiders ($7,200): Sometimes you can get great, cheap WRs, but Draft Kings being PPR, you want to spend the bulk of your money here. Cooper has elite talent, but hasn’t quiiiite performed at that level yet. Get him now before he’s appropriately priced. Not only is he a complete stud, he’s up against the Saints in Week 1, who had one of the worst defenses in NFL history last year.

Mohamed Sanu, Falcons ($5,100): Sanu fits the theme of this article better. The dirty little secret in Atlanta is that Julio Jones is the only scary threat in the passing game. Devonta Freeman is a nice pass-catcher, but he’s a running back. The rest of the group is non-descript at best. Sanu is unproven, but the clear No. 2 option for Matt Ryan; he’s also flashed spectacular talent in a limited role in Cincinnati. A date with Tampa Bay’s secondary is a nice time to prove he’s for real.

Sterling Shepard, Giants ($4,900): Shepard is a gamble, but not really. He’s looked great in the preseason (for what it’s worth), and like Sanu, he’s the clear No. 2 in a passing game based on a big time receiver (Odell Beckham Jr.). Like Sanu, Shepard also has a tasty matchup with the Dallas secondary in Week 1, and you can bet the Cowboys have been planning all offseason to try and limit ODB. Shepard should get a touchdown.

Tight Ends

Zach Ertz, Eagles ($4,300): This week has been mentioning Browns vs. Eagles a lot, but when two bad defenses clash, points follow. Ertz was heavily targeted in 2015, and simply lacking in TDs. With some positive regression, this tilt vs. Cleveland could be the kicker for a great year for Ertz.

Jared Cook, Packers ($2,900): We’ve never seen Aaron Rodgers with a big-time tight end. Jermichael Finley looked the part, but never lived up to the hype. Cook is VERY similar, except we haven’t seen him fail with a good QB. With his talent, how do you not spend $2,900 on him with Rodgers to see how he does vs. the lowly Jaguars?

Kyle Rudolph, Vikings ($3,000): With Teddy Bridgewater out, Minnesota’s receivers’ value takes a steep dive, and Adrian Peterson’s rises. Rudolph does too. He is going to be a safety valve for Shaun Hill, and he’s proven he can be the goods in the red zone.