There’s no precedent to go on in Week 1 of the regular season for any format of fantasy football, especially for daily leagues. We don’t know who is going to be effective this season, and what the different defenses will look like. But for this first week of daily fantasy leagues, these are some good values and top plays to look for this week when assembling a roster.
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Quarterback: Colin Kaepernick, $8,500
You simply can’t go wrong with anyone playing against the Cowboys’ defense this season. Kaepernick will pick up fantasy points from throwing and running, and he has more weapons this season in the passing game than in year’s past. Dallas’ defense is simply going to be awful, and for $800 less than Matthew Stafford, Kaepernick is a great value this week.
Running Back - Jamaal Charles, $9,800
If you’re going to spend a ton of money on someone, it might as well be a running back, and it might as well be Charles. He’s the most expensive back this week by $400, but it’ll be worth it. There’s nothing particularly wrong with Tennessee’s defense, but the entire Chiefs offense is going to run through Charles in the running and passing games. He’ll be worth the money in the end.
Running Back - Frank Gore, $7,200
In order to save from the extra money spent on Charles, Gore is a great option as a RB2. Again, the Dallas defense factor is in play here, but Gore will be far more valuable early on in the season than later. Carlos Hyde won’t have time to infiltrate the backfield in San Francisco, and Gore will have fresh legs headed in to the game. He’ll get at least 20 carries in this offense, and is a huge threat for 100 yards and a touchdown against the Cowboys.
Wide Receiver - Alshon Jeffery, $7,800
For $500 less than A.J. Green, Jeffery is a great WR1. Buffalo does have a tough defense, but the secondary is depleted after losing Jairus Byrd this offseason, and the Bears will be a high-flying offense all season.
Wide Receiver - Riley Cooper, $5,900
Wide Receiver - Riley Cooper, $5,900
In an effort to cut back on the salaries to spent on a tight end and more on the two running backs, Cooper is a great alternative to other WR2s such as Cordarrelle Patterson, who costs $6,400 this week. Cooper will likely be the most targeted pass catcher in Philadelphia this week. Jacksonville has a good, young secondary but Nick Foles will make the most of the weapons at his disposal in Chip Kelly’s offense.
Wide Receiver - Golden Tate, $5,000
I love any matchup against the Giants’ defense, and Tate will excel this season in Detroit. He’s the best receiver Calvin Johnson has ever played with, and Matthew Stafford will enjoy having two legitimate receiving weapons now, after suffering through years of Titus Young and Nate Burelson as well. Tate is definitely a threat to score a touchdown against New York.
Tight End - Dennis Pitta, $6,200
Tight ends seem to be over-valued this week, with Jason Witten going for $6,500 compared to what you have to pay for Tate and Cooper, but Pitta is a different middle-of-the-road play this week. Without Ray Rice, the Ravens will likely look to throw it more against the Bengals this week. Pitta is Joe Flacco’s safety valve, and has the safety net of picking up some decent yardage even if he doesn’t find the end zone.
Kicker - Sebastian Janikowski, $4,600
It’s a kicker, so there’s not much to cover, but if Oakland is going to do any scoring, it will likely be because of Janikowski’s leg.
Defense- New York Jets, $5,000
The Jets’ secondary is looking pretty rough, but you don’t need much against an Oakland passing attack that will roll out rookie Derek Carr for his first start. Their rush defense last season was also the best in the league. I don’t see the Jets allowing more than 10 points in this game, and Carr will likely make some rookie mistakes.