FanDuel Week 1 2019: Value Picks — Nick Foles, Chris Carson, and Mike Williams are among this week’s sneaky FanDuel plays that won’t break the bank.
Week 1 of the NFL season is kicking off, meaning all of your season-long fantasy drafts should be complete and your lineups set. Now your attention can shift to DFS games such as those offered by FanDuel.
The FanDuel Dollar Menu provides you with a list of players that provide excellent value for you each week in FanDuel contests. You know, the same way that the dollar menu at your favorite fast-food restaurant provides you with a meal that may not be gourmet but it fills you up without breaking the bank.
Again, this is not a list of the best players each week, this is a list of the players that offer the best bang for your buck.
With that being said, these are my FanDuel Dollar Menu picks for week 1.
FanDuel Week 1 2019: Value Picks
QB: Nick Foles ($6,500 vs KC)
Week 1 of any season brings so many unknowns because players, coaches, and coordinators are shifted to new locations, creating new situations throughout the league. Prime example, Nick Foles is the new starting quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
He faces a Chiefs defense that is now led by coordinator Steve Spagnuolo that features many different pieces, most notably Tyrann Mathieu in the secondary. This Chiefs defense will likely be improved over last season’s 31st ranked squad, but I do think that the improvement will take time.
Foles has two capable receivers in Marqise Lee and Dede Westbrook and will be looking to keep pace with a Chiefs offense that could be even better than they were one season ago.
Priced lower than the majority of starting quarterbacks, makes Foles a great value this week.
Additional Value Pick: Josh Allen ($6,900 @NYJ) ended last season averaging a whopping 25.38 FanDuel points per game in his last 6 starts.
RB: Chris Carson ($6,600 vs CIN)
I feel like Chris Carson is a name that I repeatedly had on my Dollar Menu last season. For an unknown reason, Carson continues to be overlooked and undervalued. He rushed for 1,151 yards and nine touchdowns last season, including six games where he eclipsed 100 yards on the ground.
Many are concerned about a timeshare with Rashaad Penny but it does not concern me much, especially this week as the Bengals will be visiting the Seahawks returning last year’s worst defense. Carson should be in the vicinity of 20 touches, giving him ample opportunity for output.
RB: Justin Jackson ($5,900 vs IND)
Head Coach Anthony Lynn will likely use the committee approach to replacing Melvin Gordon, meaning that both Justin Jackson and Austin Ekeler will get their share of work on Sunday. It could be assumed that Jackson may get more of the early-down work leaving more of the passing situations to Ekeler. Since Jackson is sporting a price tag that is $500 less than that of Ekeler, he offers great potential for a low price.
Additional Value Pick: Matt Breida ($5,400 @TB) will split touches with Tevin Coleman without Jerick McKinnon in the mix. A low price tag for a ton of upside.
WR: Tyler Lockett ($6,800 vs CIN)
There are several very good options this week around this price point including Tyler Boyd and Kenny Golladay. I chose to go with Tyler Lockett because he was the most consistent receiver for the Seahawks last season, averaging 12.12 FanDuel points per game.
This year his role will be expanded without competition for targets from Doug Baldwin. Add to that David Moore being out with an injury and rookie DK Metcalf being limited following a knee procedure and it seems Lockett should get a large share of targets on Sunday against a Bengals defense that was atrocious last season.
WR: Mike Williams ($6,400 vs IND)
Mike Williams is now the healthiest that he has been since he began his NFL career and he will have more opportunities than ever before.
He will be a featured part of the Chargers prolific pass offense this season, one year after he caught 10 touchdowns in a somewhat limited role. His reception total will be up this season and his use outside of the red zone, where he specialized last season, should be much higher.
Look for Williams to have a solid game and potentially make his way back to the endzone.
Additional Value Pick: Dede Westbrook ($5,900 vs. KC) was mentioned earlier in my picks when discussing Nick Foles. He has all the tools to have a breakout season and will get opportunities this week.
TE: Delanie Walker ($5,400 @CLE)
Delanie Walker is healthy and when he is healthy, he is productive. Prior to last season, which ended early due to injury, Walker had 800 or more yards in each of the previous four seasons. He is a talented, savvy, tight end that the Titans and Marcus Mariota will be glad to have back on the field against a Browns team that struggled to stop tight ends last season.
Additional Value Pick: Mark Andrews had a solid rookie campaign last season as he became one of Lamar Jackson’s favorite targets. I think an offseason of building chemistry could pay big dividends for the second-year tight end, starting week one @MIA for $5,400
DEF: Chargers $4,000 vs. IND
The Chargers were expecting to face an Andrew Luck led Colts team during Week 1 this season. Instead, they will see Jacoby Brissett under center, which is a welcome sight for them. Not to say Brissett is an inept quarterback, but he isn’t Andrew Luck.
The Chargers should find a way to apply some pressure with their talented defensive front and force a couple of turnovers. Priced at $4,000 they are a solid value pick.
Additional Value Pick: Cardinals ($3600 vs. DET) get Matthew Stafford at home, a turnover or two is likely.
Stats courtesy of espn.com, nfl.com, and fanduel.com
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