DraftKings NFL: Best lineup for Week 1

It’s finally here football fans, the opening weekend of NFL games. Here is all your information to dominate your DraftKings lineups for Week 1.

The NFL is back and ready to be better than ever. Year long fantasy football drafts are wrapped up and attention can now turn to daily fantasy. Daily players know that Week 1 is where the best value can be found. It is hard to set the prices with little to go off of other than last year and the preseason. The latter gave us even less of a glimpse of reality for these teams than ever before. This weekly piece will give a brief insight on the top five players at each position and then quick hits on a few values that can be had deeper down the rankings.

Let’s start with the quarterback position.

Quarterbacks

Tom Brady, New England Patriots -$7200 vs Houston Texans

No surprise here to see the New England Patriot’s signal caller, Tom Brady, atop the quarterback rankings. Despite his increased age, Brady shows no sign of slowing down. Even against a tough Houston defense, the DraftKings community understandably places him a touch above the rest.

The Texans have a stellar pass rush and defensive line. Outside of that the secondary and linebacker corps leaves a lot to be desired. If J.J. Watt and Jadaveon Clowney fail to get to Brady, it could be a long day for Houston. Without top wide receiver Julian Edelman, the Patriots offense will rely on star tight end Rob Gronkowski and Chris Hogan to simultaneously exploit the middle of the field and take the top off the defense. Brady is in for a big day but that is a hefty price tag with an easier week to find value.

Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers-$6900 vs Dallas Cowboys

Another former MVP comes in second in the DraftKings rankings. The past two offseasons have been helpful for Cam Newton in terms of his skill positions. It has also been a disaster for the guys in front of him. The first week will be a big indicator for the 2015 NFL MVP. Newton has weapons with Devin Funchess, first round rookie receiver D.J. Moore and second year running back Christian McCaffrey. He also just lost his starting left tackle for the season and watched his best interior offensive lineman leave via free agency.

The Dallas defense is up and coming and features a star in pass rusher Demarcus Lawrence. Lawrence and newly reinstated Randy Gregory could give Newton trouble. He will need McCaffrey and safety blanket Greg Olsen to get open quick and take the pass rush out of the game. If that happens he could find it easy to work off play action. Newton is a nerve wrecking pick. His tendency to hold onto the ball and make dicey decisions could outweigh his upside as a runner and passer.

Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints-$6800 vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Three straight former MVP’s top the quarterback rankings for DraftKings. This time Drew Brees gets the nod. Coming off a season where his running game was the best he’s ever had, Brees is looking to continue his run towards the record books. Star receiver Michael Thomas returns and they seem to have found a capable secondary target in Cameron Meredith. Missing running back Mark Ingram hurts a lot less with 2017 Offensive Rookie of the Year Alvin Kamara ready to build on last year’s success.

Divison rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers invested heavily into their defense after a terrible 2017. Regardless of that talent upgrade, this Saints offense will prove too much. Grab a piece of this game in one way or another. Brees, Thomas, and Kamara are all high priced options that are worthy of being the centerpiece of a lineup. Tampa Bay’s youth at corner will get exposed by the poised and efficient Brees especially at home.

Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans-$6700 @ New England Patriots

Welcome back to one of the NFL’s most exciting rookies from a year ago. Deshaun Watson lit the league on fire during his limited run before injury a season ago. Coming back from an ACL-tear, he will look to regain that form that made him a rookie of the year favorite. His weapons return including star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. The Texans will need Watson to play well with AFC favorites the New England Patriots across the field.

Houston’s offense can and will put up points against a mediocre Patriots defense. They added talent up front but lost their top corner in Malcolm Butler. A weak offensive line could limit Watson’s upside this entire season. The Patriots pass rush is one of the worst in the league but could do damage against what is the worst offensive line in the league. With Watson running for his life, the quarterback’s upside is limited despite his low floor due to his rushing ability.

Ben Roesthlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers-$6600 @ Cleveland Browns

Three of the league’s oldest starting quarterbacks are inside DraftKings top five at the position. Rounding out that top five is Pittsburgh Steeler’s Ben Roethlisberger. The two time Super Bowl champion travels to play offseason darling and Hard Knocks’ featured team, the Cleveland Browns. Pittsburgh has the league’s top receiving corps led by Antonio Brown and, if he returns, top running back Le’Veon Bell. The weapons are in place for Roethlisberger including last year’s second round pick JuJu Smith Schuster and this year’s rookie James Washington.

The limiting factor for Roethlisberger and the Steelers is the history of their trouble on the road. Even a year ago against an eventual winless Browns team, the team and especially Roethlisberger struggled. Cleveland added talent in the defensive backfield and second year pass rusher Myles Garrett looks all the bit the part of an elite edge talent. Roesthlisberger would be a tough trigger to pull with his history on the road and Cleveland’s upgraded roster.

Value Quarterbacks

Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs $6000 @ Los Angeles Chargers

A year after quarterback Alex Smith led the Kansas City Chiefs to the playoffs, he was replaced by last year’s first round pick Patrick Mahomes. If the preseason is any indicator Mahomes will be a tantalizing fantasy player all season. His rocket arm is tailor made for Andy Reid’s offense and the weapons he has. Star receiver Tyreek Hill and tight end Travis Kelce are joined by deep threat Sammy Watkins to round out the unit. Mahomes and Reid will lead to an offensive explosion in Kansas City.

Mahomes travels to Los Angeles to battle the Chargers. Los Angeles has already lost two crucial members of their secondary in Jaylen Watkins and Jason Verrett. The Chiefs offense will attack an otherwise young secondary. Look for a lot of deep shots early off play action to slow down an excellent Chargers pass rush. Mahomes is a risk-reward play with his inexperience and tendency to take risks with his arm strength.

Sam Bradford, Arizona Cardinals $5200 vs Washington Redskins

Going from one of the riskiest quarterbacks in the league to perhaps the safest. Sam Bradford is on his third team in three seasons and is once again named the starter with a young quarterback breathing down his neck. Bradford will lead the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday against a visiting Washington Redskins team. He has the ageless Larry Fitzgerald on the outside and gets running back David Johnson behind him. If he can stay upright, Bradford is a low floor play against a weak Washington secondary.

Case Keenum, Denver Broncos-$5100 vs Seattle Seahawks

The man that replaced Sam Bradford a season ago in Minnesota was Case Keenum. Now Keenum is in Denver trying to provide stability to a position that hasn’t recovered since Peyton Manning retired. Keenum was previously a joureyman but placed his stamp on the league a season ago leading the Vikings to the NFC Championship game. He went to a good situation in Denver with established wide receivers and a strong defense. Demaryious Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders are joined by rookies Courtland Sutton and DaeSean Hamilton who give Keenum a ton of different looks. For the past five years fantasy players have avoided the Seahawks defense. That may all change this year, starting in week 1. Their entire secondary has been overhauled and they lost their best pass rusher via trade. Keenum is a safe low risk play for Denver at home.