FanDuel NFL 2018: Week 1 lineup

KANSAS CITY, MO - JANUARY 06: Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt (27) looks for running room but finds none late in the third quarter of the AFC Wild Card game between the Tennessee Titans and Kansas City Chiefs on January 6, 2018 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO. The Titans came back from a 21-3 deficit at halftime to win 22-21. (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

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Football is finally back, which means so is daily fantasy football. Here is a Week 1 FanDuel lineup you should strongly consider.

Before we dive into which players you should select to win some cash, it’s important to understand some changes that FanDuel made this offseason.

The biggest change was the decision to remove the kicker position and replace it with a FLEX spot. The FLEX spot can be used on a running back, wide receiver or tight end.

By adding a FLEX and removing a kicker it is imperative to be even more strategic when selecting a lineup, because the value of a FLEX player is much higher than a kicker. Furthermore, the $60,000 salary cap per team has remained the same; therefore you’ll need to dive deeper to find the weekly bargain.

In addition, FanDuel has added some new ways to play this season. Single Game style, features only one NFL game and the roster consist of any five FLEX positions. Beat the score is another contest, in which your final standing means nothing. Instead, the goal is to hit the “target score,” to win.

For the purpose of this weekly piece, we will focus on the traditional roster; QB, RB, RB, WR, WR, WR, TE, FLEX, DEF. Also, the Thursday night game and Monday night contests will not be included.

Quarterback: Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints- $8,400

Last season, Drew Brees didn’t light up the stat sheet, but he was extremely efficient. The 39-year old quarterback threw for 4,334 yards, 23 touchdowns and only eight interceptions.

He completed a career high 72 percent of his passes, while throwing the ball only 536 times, his lowest attempt total since 2009. Despite getting older, Brees is surrounded with young talent and still remains a top quarterback in the NFL.

His week one matchup at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is optimal. Last season the Saints split their games against the Buccaneers, but Brees posted a combined 508 yards and three touchdowns.

Tampa Bay was one of the worst defenses in the NFL last season and allowed 6,049 total yards, 4,169 of those through the air. Expect Brees to have total control against the Buccaneers.