Draft Kings 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

Tom Savage, Texans ($4,800): QB is a position to cheap out on in daily fantasy, so you’ll always see me promoting some pretty cheap options. I don’t believe in Tom Savage at all, and I think rookie Deshaun Watson should be starting. Alas, if you can get a QB up against the Jaguars for less than $5,000 it’s hard to pass up.

Jared Goff, Rams ($4,800): The Rams made a big effort to help Goff this year, beefing up the O-line with a new center and left tackle, and adding Sammy Watkins and Robert Woods, as well as Cooper Kupp in the Draft. None of that is the reason I’m highlighting Goff. How about that matchup with the Colts? Goff may be a complete bust of a No. 1 pick, but I bet he throws two TD passes vs. this garbage defense.

DeShone Kizer, Browns ($4,800): It’s important to note that DraftKings – and FanDuel, but we’re talking DraftKings – give four points for passing touchdowns. That means QBs who run are very useful, because the rushing yards count more than passing yards, and rushing TDs are an extra two points. DeShone Kizer is probably going to have a rough go against a D like Pittsburgh’s, but if he can scramble around he may run himself into the end zone and/or pick up 40-50 yards on the ground.

Running Backs

Christian McCaffery, Panthers ($5,400): DraftKings is also full-PPR, which means McCaffery’s value shoots up even if Jonathan Stewart vultures his TD attempts. McCaffery is going to be used often, and he has crazy big-play potential. Even if he doesn’t break off any long plays, his volume will be great. Cam Newton is going to look for him a ton in the flats, and even occasionally in the slot or out wide. Unlike other third-down/receiving backs, McCaffery has the goods to score. You’re not drafting a pure volume-receiver here, he is the total package.

Jeremy Hill, Bengals ($4,400): Don’t forget your TD vultures though! Hill is the cheapest of Cincinnati’s three RBs, yet he is the nominal starter and the guy who will be fed the rock on the goal line. Every time A.J. Green draws a pass interference penalty at in the end zone, Hill will be there to fall into a touchdown on the next play. He’s being very underrated; Hill has never scored fewer than nine TDs in a season.

Darren Sproles, Eagles ($3,900): Back to the PPR monsters, Sproles is a very high-floor type to throw in your RB2 spot if you have some expensive receivers you want to roster. Sproles owns the passing downs, and he has even been given regular early-down work before. I’m no fan of LeGarrette Blount or Wendell Smallwood, so I can see Sproles getting surprising work in the passing game and as a regular rusher. His role, plus his matchup vs. a Redskins team I think could collapse this year, make him appealing.

Wide Receivers

Brandon Marshall, Giants ($5,100): Odell Beckham is banged up, and even if he plays, he may be out there as a decoy while his ankle heals up. If so, Brandon Marshall goes from being a solid bet for red zone work to a target hound with a Hall of Fame-bound QB (Eli Manning) throwing him the ball. He also has a nice matchup vs. the Cowboys, a team whose defense isn’t horrendous, but is also pliable.

Eric Decker, Titans ($5,000): Titans-Raiders may end up a shootout, and when the passes start flying, Decker is a great bet to wind up with a TD or two. Decker is not a high volume receiver, but he has a nose for the end zone. Decker has notched double-digit touchdowns three times, and in 2015 he did it in just 13 starts with Ryan Fitzpatrick. Marcus Mariota is by far the best QB he’s had in a while, so he’s not a bad choice in matchups vs. questionable DBs.

Kevin White, Bears ($4,200): White is less of a sure thing, but he has unknown upside. He’s done nothing of note really in the NFL over any extended period of time, but his physical gifts are crazy, and he has all the opportunity in the world to shine with Cam Meredth out for the season. White is going to see a lot of targets from Mike Glennon, and this week he’s up against a Falcons defense that doesn’t make you shake in fear. For this low a price tag, it’s hard to find more upside. This guy was once a Top 10 draft pick.

Tight Ends

Zach Ertz, Eagles ($3,500): Like Sproles, I like the matchup for Ertz. He is one of the most-targeted TEs in football, and against a weak defense like Washington’s, he’s in line for plenty of catches. Ertz doesn’t score very often, hence his inexpensive price, but there will be some chances against the ‘Skins. In the future he’ll cost more than this so you should consider grabbing this value now.

Charles Clay, Bills ($3,200): When Tyrod Taylor was confirmed as the QB for Week 1 vs. the Jets, Clay became a DFS value. Clay might possibly be the Bills’ best pass-catcher, depending on how you feel about Jordan Matthews. Clay is going to be peppered with targets from Taylor, and the Jets are a total trainwreck. This is a sneaky play, and I’d almost be surprised if he doesn’t snag a touchdown.

Evan Engram, Giants ($2,900): The Cowboys were the worst defense in the NFL against tight ends last season, and the Giants didn’t draft Engram in Round 1 to not deploy him in cushy matchups. Games like this are why they drafted Engram, and if Beckham is banged up or out, it only helps the rookie.