We're quickly approaching the first Sunday of the NFL season and that means it's time for FanDuel Bargain Buys. It's easy to pick out high dollar guys on the daily fantasy sites but where you really make you money is with the bargains. Clearly there's more risk when you're looking at a quarterback for less than $6,000, but that risk is really mitigated by the amount of studs you're able to add at other positions. We're using the projections of David Dodds for our Value Play selection and my personal research for the Bargain Buys. You clearly don't want to fill out a roster full of these guys, but once you've selected the studs you want, fill your roster with a couple of these players for profit.
Quarterback
Value Play
Shaun Hill ($5000) vs. Minnesota- Hill gets the nod from Dodds here largely due to the fact that FanDuel didn't expect him to be a starter when they came out with their week one pricing. He gets a questionable Vikings secondary with a bevy of young weapons at his disposal. All of our projections have Hill has the best value on the board. Expect a mid-range score for the lowest cost of any starting quarterback available.
FanDuel Bargain Buy
Derek Carr ($5400) vs. New York Jets- There are a lot of people suggesting the Jets defense this week, which may make this seem like a strange pick. The thing is, the Jets secondary has been decimated this offseason and Carr has looked outstanding in the preseason. This is a riskier pick than Hill, but it also comes with a higher upside. If the Raiders do even a halfway decent job of protecting Carr, he could put up top ten numbers against a secondary that may be one of the worst in the league.
Running Back
Value Play
Toby Gerhart ($6100) vs. Philadelphia- The Eagles high volume offense presents a lot of opportunities for the opposing offense, but it's usually in catch-up mode. The thing about the Jaguars is they are severely limited at wide receiver and will do everything they can to keep the ball out of the Eagles hands. Gerhart should be a volume monster in week one, and well worth his middling price tag.
FanDuel Bargain Buy
Danny Woodhead ($5700) vs. Arizona- I think a lot of people are shying away from the Chargers because of how good the Cardinals defense was last year. Unfortunately for Arizona, they've lost too many pieces up front and should be susceptible to both runs and catches out of the backfield. I expect the Cardinals to do a fine job locking up the Chargers receivers leading to a high volume target for the underrated Woodhead.
Wide Receiver
Value Play
Jeremy Maclin ($5000) vs. Jacksonville- Maclin's price is astonishingly low when you consider that he's the unquestioned number one in a high volume Eagles passing attack. Maclin is no DeSean Jackson, but at his current price he'd be a value if he was Riley Cooper. He's better than that, and there should be plenty of opportunities against the Jaguars. In an early season contest, expect Maclin to see the most targets from Nick Foles and put up top 25 numbers for a WR4 price tag.
FanDuel Bargain Buy
Denarius Moore ($4800) vs. New York Jets- Like Carr, this is a risky play with a very high ceiling. Moore spent the early preseason buried on the Raiders depth chart but he's emerged recently and is one of Carr's favorite targets. Moore has the big play ability that the Raiders desperately need and lack. He's the best bet to score a long touchdown and may even lead the Raiders in targets if the preseason is any indication.
Tight End
Value Play
Zach Ertz ($4500) vs. Jacksonville- Much like Maclin, it's just hard to figure out Ertz's pricing in this offense. The Jaguars have a decent set of linebackers, but nobody that can consistently cover Ertz. He has a huge upside for GPPs, especially at this price. If Ertz hits big it's easy to see him as part of a winning GPP lineup, if he doesn't he isn't costing you much anyway.
FanDuel Bargain Buy
Dwayne Allen ($4800) vs. Denver- Allen's injury plagued 2013 seems to have made people forget that he's the most talented tight end in Indianapolis. The Colts have little-to-no chance of stopping the Broncos on a regular basis, which should mean a lot of throws from Andrew Luck. While the Broncos have improved greatly in the secondary and the pass rush, I'm not sure there's anyone to stop Allen in the red zone. He should be a high volume guy with a solid chance for a touchdown, even if it comes in garbage time.
Kicker
Nate Freese ($4500) vs. New York Giants- Freese is a guy I like a lot even in seasonal leagues just because of how prolific I expect the Lions offense to be. In a week one matchup against the Giants he's a no-brainer at his price tag. Rookie kickers are often successful and this high flying offense should have plenty of scoring opportunities on Monday Night Football.
Defense
Detroit Lions ($4600 vs. Giants)- While Freese was a selection based on his season long viability, this one has as much to do with the opponent as anything. The Giants (and Eli Manning) were dreadful in 2013 and have been no better in the preseason. The Lions defensive line should supply a steady diet of pressure and Eli Manning will supply the turnovers. It's possible their corners get burnt for a couple of long touchdowns, but the positives should far outweigh the negatives.
