Now that the 2017 season has officially begun, we will deliver the best DFS advice in the business each and every week. Each article, which will always be posted a day or two before the main slate, will consist of our favorite QB, RB, WR, TE, and D/ST targets, and potentially a couple more guys if they are in too good of a position not to mention. These articles will usually be geared to help you win your cash games, but the majority of the picks will be viable in GPP tournaments as well. All recommendations will factor in price and matchup, and our in-depth research will be able provide to you the most valuable plays each week.
Alright, now let’s get into some picks:
QB: Marcus Mariota
FanDuel – $7,800
DraftKings – $6,800
My favorite quarterback on the slate is the third-year man Marcus Mariota. Week one he finds himself in a juicy matchup where he squares up at home vs the Oakland Raiders and their porous secondary. The Raiders ranked as one of the worst teams in the league last year against the pass and have not done much in the offseason to improve on it. According to all odds makers, this game is expected to be a high scoring shoot out with the over/under hovering right over the 50-point mark, and that is exactly what you love to see in fantasy. Between being at home versus an abysmal defensive unit, having an extremely high over/under, and being a slight favorite, Mariota seems to check off everything you want for your QB position. At this modest price tag, fire up Mariota in all formats.
RB: Todd Gurley
FanDuel – $7,300
DraftKings – $6,000
If you were ever in doubt that the sophomore slump was a legitimate thing, all you need to do is look at how this guy did in his second year in the league. After an incredible rookie season, Gurley just simply did not look like the same player was was the previous year. With that said, a new head coach, an improved offensive, and an offseason filled with intense workouts, Gurley seems to be in store for a bounce-back year. This week he gets a favorable matchup versus the banged up Indianapolis Colts, who suffered numerous injuries to their defensive unit in the offseason. The Colts ranked 25th vs the run last year and have star cornerback Vontae Davis out for this game as well. Although Davis’ injury does not directly correlate to Gurley’s foreseeable success, it will allow the Rams to move the ball down the field much easier, thus putting Gurley in scoring range. With the Rams expected to be in control of the lead, game flow will also be in Gurley’s favor. Buy low week one on Mr. Gurley, as his price is only expected to rise in DFS.
WR: Larry Fitzgerald
FanDuel – $6,400
DraftKings – $5,900
The 34-year-old veteran receiver finds himself in a great position week one, as he is expected to be lined up out of the slot against Lions cornerback Quandre Diggs. Diggs is arguably the weakest part of that Detroit defense, and for the majority of the game will be given the tough task of covering Larry Fitz. Last season the Lions allowed the fourth most points to opposing slot receivers and have not done anything to make us think those numbers will improve. If the large gap in skill wasn’t enough, Fitzgerald also has a modest six inches on Diggs. With Darius Slay manning the outside and more than likely shadowing guys like John Brown, JJ Nelson, and Jaron Brown for the entirety of the game, Fitzgerald will have plenty of opportunities and should get his fair share of targets in this one.
TE: Zach Ertz
FanDuel – $5,900
DraftKings – $3,500
You are not going to get much better value at any position than that $3,500 price tag on Draft Kings. The last time Ertz played the Redskins, he caught 10 passes on 13 targets, which went for an impressive 112 yards. The 25th ranked passing defense from last year will be using their star corner Josh Norman to shadow Alshon Jeffery, leaving the rest of their mediocre defense to deal with Ertz. With the Eagles losing Jordan Matthews just a couple weeks before the start of the season, they are left with very few viable pass catchers. Ertz is in store to be peppered with targets this year, and especially in week one if Wentz refuses to throw the ball near Josh Norman like he did in their previous outing.
D/ST: Rams
FanDuel – $4,600
DraftKings – $3,200
The Rams are facing the Colts in week one, who look like a dumpster fire already and the season hasn’t even started yet. The Colts will be without star quarterback Andrew Luck and will look to rely on Scott Tolzien, who recorded just one touchdown and three interceptions in his limited action last year. Along with their quarterbacking woes, Indy also has the misfortune of dealing with their inadequate offensive line play. The Rams defense should still rack up a few sacks, even if they are without their all-pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald. This pressure on Tolzien should help to create a couple turnovers as well.
