DFS Strategy Week 1: Best Bargains On Draft Kings

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

Andy Dalton, Bengals ($5,800): It’s Week 1, so I don’t have any current data to work off of. What I do know, however, is the Colts had the league’s most ass defense against the pass in 2017, and they didn’t make any notable additions. The Bengals, however, addressed a truly terrible offensive line by trading for a left tackle and drafting a first-round center. Dalton should be better protected, and he’ll have speedy first round pick John Ross healthy, joining A.J. Green on the field. He also no longer has Brandon LaFell around, which might be addition by subtraction. TE Tyler Eifert is also allegedly healthy, so Dalton is able to be had right now for a price that will likely go up significantly after he’s feasted on the Colts.

Nick Foles, Eagles ($5,900): Foles is getting the nod in Week 1, and he wouldn’t cost this if there wasn’t uncertainty all offseason about Carson Wentz’s status. Atlanta had the league’s 22nd-best defense last year per FootballOutsiders.com, and didn’t add anyone of note. Meanwhile, Philly set the NFL on fire last season and didn’t miss a beat when Foles had to take over, thanks to their revolutionary RPO offense. Even with WR Alshon Jeffrey out of the mix for Week 1, there’s enough around Foles to put up big numbers vs. a soft Atlanta D. For this price there’s very high upside.

Eli Manning, Giants ($4,700): My picks are usually based on matchup, as lower-priced players tend to be dependent on matchup advantages to be worthwhile in DFS, but this is all about the price. Manning was awful last season, and this year he kicks off the campaign vs. the No. 1 overall defense of 2017, as well as the top pass defense. So why am I advocating for him? Eli has a new head coach, and more importantly, a brand new offense. Odell Beckham is back, and now that can push Sterling Shepard and TE Evan Engram into supporting roles where they are overqualified. Additionally, the Jaguars were surprisingly poor vs. TEs last season, so Engram’s size, and speed might be able to help Eli provide a lot of bang for not much buck.

Running Backs

Lamar Miller, Texans ($5,200): Miller is among the most boring starting RBs in fantasy, but fantasy is all about opportunity. Peruse the Texans’ depth chart…there’s no one there who will challenge him for carries. Miller is a solid bet for a TD this week if the Texans see the goal line, and QB Deshaun Watson’s rushing ability will open up running lanes for him. Miller is also facing a Patriots’ defense that was porous last season, ranking second-to-last in the NFL, and second-to-last vs. the run. High-volume rushers with cushy matchups are usually not found this far down on the list.

Isaiah Crowell, Jets ($4,900): Crowell was a huge bust last season, but this year figures to be much more favorable. He’s the clear lead back for the Jets, with only Bilal Powell challenging him and possibly stealing third down work. He’s in a better offense, with the Jets boasting an actual playmaker in Robby Anderson at WR and a promising new rookie QB in Sam Darnold. Crowell also gets to face the Lions in Week 1, who boasted the fourth-worst run defense in football in 2017. A high-volume workhorse who will see goal line work against a soft defense? Sign me up.

Duke Johnson Jr., Browns ($4,700): There are plenty of mouths to feed in Cleveland, but with a Week 1 matchup against the high-powered Steelers, it’s safe to assume the Browns will be playing catch up. If so, Carlos Hyde and Nick Chubb will have a seat, and Duke Johnson will get plenty of run as the top pass-catching option out of the backfield. Johnson’s never caught fewer than 50 passes in a season, so of all the Browns, his role seems the most secure.

Wide Receivers

Jarvis Landry, Browns ($5,500):  Staying in Cleveland, new WR Jarvis Landry is about to be unleashed. Because of his success in the slot in Miami, he’s been pegged as a short-target specialist; he’s more than that, however, and the Browns have a QB in Tyrod Taylor who can air it out and show that Landry is more than an extension of the running game. There’s a high probability that the Browns will be forced to throw a ton, and it’s likely that Landry will be the receiver who benefits most from that. Start him with confidence, especially in the full-PPR scoring of Draft Kings.

Randall Cobb, Packers ($4,700): Cobb is the Packers’ No. 2 WR again, but instead of all-world Jordy Nelson playing opposite him, Davante Adams is a different kind of WR1. Adams much more of a TD-dependent player, which means there will be more targets being spread around Green Bay than in years past. With a healthy Aaron Rodgers back in the pocket, Cobb is set to have a resurgent campaign. He gets to kick it off against the Bears, who ranked 26th against slot receivers. Cobb will spend a healthy amount of time in the slot, and he’s known to be deft near the end zone.

Kenny Stills, Dolphins ($4,700): Stills begins the year as the clear-cut No. 2 behind DeVante Parker, and few teams did worse defending against No. 2 receivers last year than Tennessee. The strong matchup, plus the types of plays Stills tends to make, combine to make him an intriguing, cheap DFS play. Stills is an underrated player, quietly scoring 15 touchdowns over the past two seasons, and now he has Ryan Tannehill back.

Tight Ends

Evan Engram, Giants ($4,700): As mentioned before, the Jaguars were ferocious last season, but a bit soft on TEs. Engram is a physical marvel, and he figures to be targeted even more than usual if CB Jalen Ramsey is shadowing Odell Beckham. Hopefully Engram has worked on his 55.7 percent catch rate, because that needs to be better, but with his athleticism and speed he could resemble prime Jimmy Graham in no time.

Charles Clay, Bills ($3,500): As I’ll repeat often throughout the year, opportunity is often everything in fantasy. The Broncos were the second-worst defenders of tight ends in the NFL last year, and Clay is arguably the No. 1 target in the Bills’ passing game. He’s been targeted at least 74 times in each of the last three seasons, and if they are throwing it his way against Denver, he’ll likely do some damage.

Eric Ebron, Colts ($3,300): Ebron is the riskiest play on this list, but he could really pay off. Andrew Luck is on track to start Week 1, and he’s proven he can make mediocre tight ends relevant; imagine what he could do with a talent like Ebron. Some issues: first, Jack Doyle is still there, and he’s had success with Luck. Second, Ebron has had quality quarterbacking before (Matthew Staffod) and has failed to ever top five touchdowns. Ebron may well be a big, fast guy who just isn’t great at pro football, but he’s worth a shot with Luck at the helm vs. the Bengals, who ranked 30th vs. TEs in 2017.