FanDuel NFL Lineups: Preseason Week 1 Sunday

Welcome back to FanDuel NFL Lineups for the Preseason Week 1 finale on Sunday.  We’re a Daily Fantasy Football column focused on top picks and best value for your weekly FanDuel NFL lineups.  We arm you with information for a big FanDuel NFL payday each week.

We had a successful night on Saturday, with our lineup producing 47.76 FanDuel NFL points and winning in each of our cash plays.  That may not seem like a lot of points, but in most of the big tournaments and cash games, only 50-60 points landed you at the top of all entries.

Jared Goff only got us 1.36 points with limited time, but Cooper Kupp was a great play with 35 receiving yards and a touchdown.  We played Rico Gathers once again at tight end, and for the second time he rewarded us with a touchdown.  We also did well with our defensive pick, the Titans, for a third straight slate.

For Sunday, there’s only two games and limited options.  But the games start early, at 1:30pm EDT and end late giving us a Sunday full of football and very targeted options for our lineups.  Like the Hall of Fame slate, I’m excited about Sunday’s picks because it’s easier to narrow down the top players.

Here’s a look at the scheduled games for the Preseason Week 1 Sunday slate:

Detroit Lions at Indianapolis Colts (1:30pm EDT)

Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Chargers (8pm EDT)

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A reminder, with all players having a similar salary, we need to drop the value part of our picks for FanDuel NFL preseason.  We are focused mostly on who has the most time on the field, but also may have the greatest opportunity for yards and touchdowns.

We’ll review each game, narrow down who will see the most time on the field, and highlight our top picks.  We’ll also check an initial list of lineup picks for this slate.

FanDuel NFL Lineups: Preseason Week 1 Sunday – Quarterbacks

Detroit Lions vs. Indianapolis Colts

Matthew Stafford ($6,000) may start the game, but like most starters in week one, he won’t see much time on the field.  That leaves ample time for us to see Jake Rudock ($6,000) and the rookie from the Miami Hurricanes Brad Kaaya ($6,000).  Either one should be a valuable pick for our FanDuel NFL lineups as they’ll have more time on the field than most quarterbacks on Sunday.

With Andrew Luck on the PUP, we’re down to three quarterbacks for the Colts, but they all could get long looks, limiting their time in comparison to the Lions QB’s.  Veteran Scott Tolzien ($6,000) is a decent option and he could see good time with some of the best Colts receivers on the field. Stephen Morris ($6,000) and rookie Phillip Walker ($6,000) will close the game likely splitting the last quarter and a half.

Seattle Seahawks vs. Los Angeles Chargers

We likely will see Russell Wilson ($6,000) start the game for the Seahawks in Los Angeles, but historically they’ve only had Wilson run one or two series before taking an early exit.  Wilson is dynamic and should see a vanilla Chargers defense to open the game, and could score quickly, but taking Wilson is a risk.

You’re better off grabbing Trevone Boykin ($6,000) who will likely see most of the first half and potentially part of the third quarter as well.  The Seahwaks should end the game with Austin Davis ($6,000) calling the snap.

With Philip Rivers ($6,000) confirmed to play just one series for the Chargers, who are hosting the Seakhawks, the Bolts will likely trot several backup quarterbacks through the rest of the game. Kellen Clemens ($6,000) is now 34 and we don’t expect him to be on the field long.

So you want to target Cardale Jones ($6,000) as the top QB for the Chargers on Sunday, with Mike Bercovici ($6,000) getting a long look only in the fourth quarter.

FanDuel NFL Lineups: Preseason Week 1 Sunday – Running Backs

Detroit Lions vs. Indianapolis Colts

The aging Colts star running back Frank Gore shouldn’t be active today, moving our interest to Robert Turbin ($6,000) and Marlon Mack ($6,000) out of the backfield for the Colts.  Mack should see several carries before the Colts train through four additional running backs on their depth chart.  Aside from Mack, it’s difficult to pin down who else would have a big game for the Colts backs.

Ameer Abdullah ($6,000) and Theo Riddick ($6,000) are a one-two punch for the Lions backfield. Abdullah will get the heavy carry load, and Riddick will do a lot of pass-blocking and gets receiving targets.  The Lions may keep them on the field for the entire first half, as there are still some questions about their consistent production.

Beyond Abdullah and Riddick, Zack Zenner ($6,000) and Dwayne Washington ($6,000) were productive for the Lions, as needed, last year and should see a good bulk of the carries during the middle part of the game.  Among their four top backs, Washington should see most of the work and is a great target against a struggling Colts defense.

Seattle Seahawks vs. Los Angeles Chargers

I would love to see Melvin Gordon hit the field today, but it’s unlikely.  The young back is having a very good camp and after last season’s improvement, Gordon could be due for a breakout season. But with Melvin off the board, we still have some exciting running back options from the Chargers in Branden Oliver ($6,000) and Kenneth Farrow ($6,000).  Each back has produced well over the last two seasons and should get a lot of time on the field Sunday.  The only concern is the Seahawks run-stopping defense.

While Thomas Rawls ($6,000) it the top-dog in the Seahawks backfield, CJ Prosise ($6,000) is emerging as a great receiving target out of the backfield for the hawks.  The Seahawks likely want to see Prosise’s development on the field Sunday, and will get several hand-offs along with several targets.  CJ is one of the best running back options on Sunday.

Alex Collins ($6,000) and Tre Madden ($6,000) are also solid picks for the Seahawks and should see considerable time on the field from the last first half through the rest of the game.

FanDuel NFL Lineups: Preseason Week 1 Sunday – Wide Receivers

Detroit Lions vs. Indianapolis Colts

The Colts’ veteran Moncrief likely won’t suit up on Sunday, and Phillip Dorsett has battled an injury.  So we may see the Colts best receiver on the field to start the game, TY Hilton ($6,000). Hilton could see a few targets and has a shot at a touchdown, but it’s limited.  I’m more interested in Chester Rogers ($6,000) who’s putting heat on Dorsett for the top slot receiver spot.

A few other Colts receivers we should see on the field often are Kamar Aiken ($6,000), JoJo Natson ($6,000), and Bug Howard ($6,000).  There are several other receivers on the depth chart, but likely won’t see great targets for the balance of the game.

Golden Tate ($6,000) is the clear top-dog at receiver for the Lions now, and may get some quick looks from Stafford.  But we’ll likely see Marvin Jones ($6,000) and slot receiver Jared Abbrederis ($6,000) getting the bulk of the targets in the first half of the game for the Lions.  Some other receivers to target for the Lions are TJ Jones ($6,000), Kenny Golladay ($6,000), Jace Billingsley ($6,000), and Dontez Ford ($6,000).

Seattle Seahawks vs. Los Angeles Chargers

Doug Baldwin will be out with a foot strain tonight, and Tyler Lockett is out as well.  That leaves us with only Jermaine Kearse ($6,000) and Paul Richardson ($6,000) for the top targets in the first half of the game for the Seahawks.  They each are worth a look for the wide receiver pick.

With Kenny Lawler also out, the remaining targets should go to guys like Amara Darboh ($6,000), Tanner McVoy ($6,000), and Rodney Smith ($6,000).  Of the three, Smith is my favorite.

It’s a shame the Chargers Mike Williams is now on the PUP.  He’s a tremendous talent and would’ve been my top receiving target today. But with Williams out, we may see a few targets to Keenan Allen ($6,000) early on, and Travis Benjamin ($6,000) could see several targets in the first half.

Dontrelle Inman and Isaiah Burse will also be out on Sunday night, opening the door for rookie Artavis Scott ($6,000) to get a ton of looks.  Mitchell Paige ($6,000) and Tyrell Williams ($6,000) should also see several targets in the middle part of the game.

FanDuel NFL Lineups: Preseason Week 1 Sunday – Tight End / Kicker / Defense

While there are plenty of backup tight ends likely to see the field today, and many well-known starters on the board for the TE pick, I’m leaning heavily toward second year stand-out Hunter Henry ($6,000).  Hunter had a great season last year, and while he’s a starter and may see limited time, the Chargers will likely want to see if Henry’s success can continue to carry-over into the 2017 season.  So Henry is my pick at tight end.

The kicker position is easier today, compared to other preseason slates.  There are four starting kickers and they’re the only options on the board.  So we just need to narrow down the kicker we think will have the most opportunity for points.  The Colts defense struggled all of last season, and we’re expecting to see some issues today, so we’re pinning Matt Prater down as our kicker today.

For defense, the Seahawks are the best defense on the field today, and while the Chargers have a decent offense, they should struggle today against a better defense with more depth.

So after reviewing all the options, we put together our favorite lineup for the day. Here’s a look at our Final FanDuel NFL Preseason Week 1 Sunday Lineup:

QB – Rudock (DET)

RB – Prosise (SEA)

RB – Washington (DET)

WR – Rogers (IND)

WR – Abbrederis (DET)

WR – Benjamin (LAC)

TE – Henry (LAC)

K – Prater (DET)

D – Seattle Seahawks

Once again, we have $6,000 left over, but there’s no way to avoid it.  Still, we have FanDuel to thank for finding a way to make the first week of preseason a more enjoyable event!

Next: Dolphins Fantasy Breakout, Bust, or Sleeper

Good luck with your FanDuel NFL plays Sunday, and stay tuned to Fantasy CPR on Twitter for all the late breaking lineup news and roster updates!