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Daily Fantasy Football is back for 2016 and FanDuel offers a variety of cash and tournament contests. Projecting and using player ownership to build lineups is an integral strategy to long-term success. Here are the key players and lineups for Week 1:
The Chalk Plays
Russell Wilson, $8,500: Saves a few hundred from top studs. Ideal home matchup and rushing upside.
Derek Carr, $7,700: The Saints were a historically good matchup for opposing pass games last year. Oakland comes to town this week. At a mid-tier price, Carr is a quality blend of ceiling and floor with Amari Cooper, Michael Crabtree, and a developing Clive Walford.
Dak Prescott, $5,000: Prices were set early for Week 1 on FanDuel. As a result, Prescott sports a bare bones cost to open the season. The Giants in Dallas is a promising matchup. Prescott has 50+ rushing yards and a touchdown rushing potential. The question mark is how Prescott will navigate his first regular season game through the air and how much Dallas will minimize his exposure to high-leverage throws down the field.
DeAngelo Williams, $7,100: At nearly $2,000 less than the top options, Williams has a near-equal ceiling and floor. The Steelers-Redskins game is a projected shootout.
Spencer Ware, $5,400: Like Dak Prescott, Ware benefits from the early price locks. Jamaal Charles is dicey to play much and Ware enjoys a likely positive game script at home against a very suspect San Diego rush defense. Using Ware unlocks an additional stud in lineups within the salary cap.
Antonio Brown, $9,300: Brown was money in terms of consistency last year. With Martavis Bryant out of the picture and Ladarius Green out, Brown has less competition for targets than a year ago. Death, Taxes, and a high target floor for Antonio Brown.
Alshon Jeffery, $7,400: Kevin White is on the injury report with a hamstring and was a sparse contributor in the preseason. Jeffery is a target hog and Jay Cutler is likely to lock on with the road matchup in Houston. Chicago's offense is mostly a question mark of usage outside of Cutler to Jeffery.
Jordan Reed, $7,400: With a similar ceiling and floor to Rob Gronkowski and $1,300 less, Reed is the chalk tight end play. Normally fitting in this salary at tight end is a challenge, but with quarterback values and Spencer Ware on roster speed dial, Reed is a priority in cash games this week.
Adam Vinatieri, $4,800: An accurate kicker in a home dome for less than $5,000 is ideal.
Seahawks DST, $5,000: Seattle is a strong play at home and Miami is a suspect offense with a middle-of-the-road quarterback traveling cross-country.
The Sneaky Plays
Matthew Stafford, $7,400: We did not see the full first-string Detroit offense in the preseason and Staford has been pounded down in perception this offseason after Calvin Johnson's retirement. On the road with a projected high Vegas total making Stafford a high-floor option.
Robert Griffin III III, $6,900: The Eagles were the second-best matchup for opposing quarterbacks last year (39 total touchdowns, nearly 5,000 yards). Griffin has a big-play set of weapons with Corey Coleman, Terrelle Pryor, and Gary Barnidge for Week 1. Griffin adds the rushing factor as well.
Ryan Mathews, $6,100: The Vegas total has simmered since Carson Wentz was announced as the starter, but Philadelphia is still a projected home favorite. Cleveland's rush defense was horrific in the preseason and Mathews is the clear lead back. While he is healthy in Week 1 and affordable, roll with Mathews in some lineups out of the gate.
Charles Sims, $4,700: The Falcons were the best matchup for pass-catching backs in 2015 (118 receptions, 944 yards). Sims dominated Doug Martin through the air last year with no indication of a change for 2016.
Mike Evans, $7,900: The Atlanta-Tampa Bay game is one of the higher Vegas totals and Evans is a high-floor target receiver. With Vincent Jackson back on the other side, Evans should see less attention on downfield targets. Evans is more than $1,000 less than the top receivers with a similar floor and ceiling.
Jordan Matthews, $6,600: The Eagles get the Browns (in Philadelphia) and Matthews is the lone sturdy target of the receiver corps for Carson Wentz in his first start. Cleveland allowed the second-most FanDuel points to wide receivers last year (nearly 34 PPG) and all targets behind Matthews are question marks to begin the season.
Coby Fleener, $5,400: Fleener has had negative reports of his slow integration of the New Orleans offense this offseson. However, the Saints (namely Sean Payton and Drew Brees have churned out tight end production over the years at an elite rate, regardless of the starting option. Fleener has a strong matchup in the projected shootout at home against Oakland gave up the second-most touchdowns to tight ends last year (11) and the fourth-most FanDuel points per game (12.4). Trust the long track record of the Saints and the matchup.
Sebastian Janikowski, $4,600: The Raiders long-range kicker is an ideal upside play in Week 1. Janikowski is in a projected shootout, in a dome (New Orleans), and is called upon to kick from 60+ at times.
