NFL DFS bargain bin- Week 1 Sunday slates

5 of 5

NFL DFS bargain bin – Week 1 Tight Ends

Vance McDonald, PIT at NE (DraftKings-$4,000/ FanDuel-$5,600/ FantasyDraft-$6,200/ Yahoo-$13)

McDonald is practically free across the industry compared to some of the other options at his position, positioning him for a potentially excellent return in a game that should feature a fair share of offense. McDonald produced a career-best 50-610-4 line last season, with one of his touchdowns coming versus the Patriots in Week 15. He comes into the new campaign healthy and ready to help soak up some of the 168 targets that left town with Antonio Brown.

More from DFS

The Patriots were about middle of the pack last season against tight ends, but McDonald is capable of almost being utilized as a receiver at times due to his speed. New England allowed the second-most air yards (5,742) last season as well, along with 29 passing touchdowns. Moreover, the Pats also yielded the second-highest average depth of target (9.4), so McDonald could be in for some downfield looks with Belichick and company likely focused on taking away JuJu Smith-Schuster in the passing game.

*Hunter Henry, LAC vs. IND (DraftKings-$3,900/ FanDuel-$6,100/ FantasyDraft-$7,300/ Yahoo-$20)***

Henry got back into game action during last season’s AFC Championship Game loss, but he’ll now presumably be at full strength following his 2018 ACL tear. The promising fourth-year pro makes for a highly appealing value option on an offense that will be without Melvin Gordon (holdout) and that faces a Colts defense that forced action toward the tight end last season due to how effective they were at limiting opposing receivers. Indy allowed the most receptions (106) and receiving yards (1,234) to the tight end position, along with a robust 16.2 DK/FantasyDraft and 12.7 FanDuel points per game.

The Colts also often funneled teams toward high-percentage targets, so they allowed the second-highest catch rate (71.0 percent). Henry has plenty of rapport with quarterback Philip Rivers dating back to the 2017 season when he racked up 45 catches on 63 targets. Despite no Andrew Luck on the opposing side to help keep the pressure on, Los Angeles could be surprised by a likely improved Jacoby Brissett. The Chargers should, therefore, be forced to keep the passing attack alive throughout all four quarters, making Henry a prudent option if you’re paying down at the position.

dark. Next. NFL DFS Game by Game Breakdown - Week 1

Stay tuned to FanSided Fantasy each and every day for all the latest NFL DFS news and analysis!