Football is back, and so is NFL DFS. If you’re new to Daily Fantasy Sports, you have come to the right place. For starters, I strongly encourage you to check out our NFL DFS Strategy Guide that dropped last week, as well as episode one of SODFS that went down last week on the TNFF Network.
The beginning of the year is my favorite time to play NFL DFS for a couple of reasons.
- The pricing is wild, as many players are priced far too low. For some of these players, this is the cheapest you’ll be able to get them all season long as prices begin to adjust as soon as Week 2. Take advantage of this.
- The is always a high influx of new players in all sports in terms of DFS early on in the year. As the season moves along, players will begin to slowly drift away if they’re not successful. You want to take advantage of this too. Play some cash, and build your bankroll why the newbies are still around for you to beat.
Top-5 Players to Target in NFL DFS
Dan Brown and I are going to jump into our top-5 favorite plays on Draftkings this week. There are no exact criteria, but we will be basing our picks off of things like price, matchup, projected ownership, and gut feeling. All of these things will determine who we want to go after the most while doing roster construction. We will do two players each, as well as a fifth player that we both agree on.
Let’s jump in.
Nate’s NFL DFS Favorites
Christian McCaffrey, RB, Carolina Panthers ($9,500)
Christian McCaffrey is the highest-priced player on Sunday’s main slate, but I’m not letting that stop me from rostering him. It’s certainly a hefty price to pay, but with so many great values our there in NFL DFS for Week 1, it’s really not too hard to get him in your lineup. The over/under on this New York Jets vs Carolina Panthers game is creeping up after starting at 43. It’s now up to 45 and may go even higher over the next few days.
With DraftKings being a full-point PPR scoring system, CMC is the perfect bring-back since I also like Zach Wilson and Corey Davis from the opposite side of the ball. You don’t always have to have a bring back, but it makes sense here. If the Panthers do happen to get ahead, McCaffrey could get some extra carries late in the game too. We want to play our studs, and I will be starting a lot of McCaffery in Week 1.
Tee Higgins, WR, Cincinnati Bengals ($4,700)
As much as I wanted to use the aforementioned Corey Davis here, it’s too hard to ignore that Cincinnati Bengals second-year wide receiver Tee Higgins is priced $200 dollars cheaper. This is absolutely going to be the cheapest that we will be able to get Higgins this year, and I have a feeling that his ownership may be lower than it should be as well. My reason for this is the arrival of rookie JaMarr Chase.
Chase was the teammate to Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow during their collegiate days at LSU, so the connection is there. Despite Cincy desperately needing help on their offensive line over the offseason, they decided to go with Chase in the first round of the NFL draft. I have no doubt that these two will link up again, but I think that there is a great chance that it takes him a bit of time to get up to speed. Let’s not forget, Higgins is explosive and very talented too as he proved during his rookie season in 2020.
The price is right. Grab him at the great value of $4,700 on Draftkings.
Dan’s NFL DFS Favorites
Najee Harris, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers ($6,300)
Najee should have a massive workload this season and is a lock to be top 5 in touches at the position. Coach Mike Tomlinson has a history of feeding his feature back, we saw it with Bell and Connor. Presumed backup Anthony McFarland has found his way to the IR, leaving Kalen Ballage as his backup.
The Bills defense gave up 4.5 yards per carry (19th) last year to opposing running backs. Now with Matt Canada’s scheme in effect, and what looked like an improved offensive line playing the preseason, Najee Should flourish in his debut.
Marvin Jones Jr., WR, Jacksonville Jaguars ($3,600)
Marvin rejoins offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell in Jacksonville. Jones is coming off a season where he put up 76 receptions for 978 yards and nine touchdowns. The buzz has been circulating on Marvin Jones being the potential WR1 for the Jags and with such a low price tag, I’d expect Jones to be one of the higher rostered players across most builds. Hoping that Urban Meyer’s new-look offense will be up-tempo and passing-friendly for rookie QB Trevor Lawrence to create some nice volume for the veteran wide receiver.
I think targeting a guy like Viska might allow you to differentiate your build compared to the field of your looking for a Jags stack in a GPP lineup. In cash games, Marvin Jones is a solid play and with such a low price tag, it allows you to fit some studs that can catapult your lineup to the top of the field.
In Agreement
AJ Brown, WR, Tennessee Titans ($7,100)
When it comes to AJ Brown of the Tennessee Titans, Dan and I both agree that he is in for a big week for NFL DFS to start the year. Brown has a tasty matchup with the Arizona Cardinals this week, in a game with a projected point total of 52 according to Vegas. Both teams will be putting up points, and with new teammate Julio Jones coming over from the Atlanta Falcons, defenses will be less likely to hone in on AJB on the opposite side of the field.
His price point is similar to many other players as the season begins, being that it’s certainly too low. $7,100 is just too cheap, and we’re going to hit smash as we insert him into our rosters. Additionally, there is also a good chance that his ownership will be a bit lower than it should be, as many NFL DFS players could be wary of Julio taking targets. We’re not afraid, and we’re encouraging you not to be either.
Be sure to follow @TrueNorthFFB, @DynastySons, @DanBrownNFL, and @Nate_FFL on Twitter. Subscribe to the TNFF Network on Youtube so you never miss a show! Also, get a first-hand look at last night’s SODFS Episode No. 2!
