DKGPP: Week 1 NFL Picks
Week 1 of the NFL season has finally arrived! After many months of playing nothing but PGA GPP's on Draftkings it is time to finally start cranking out the NFL picks from yours truly, The DFS Brotherhood. All of the players that we will discuss in this article are intended to be GPP plays, although some may be suitable for cash, we will try our best to avoid the obvious "chalk plays" in this article. So here we go:
New York Jets @ Buffalo Bills:
This game features some good opportunities for the Jets RB's, namely Bilal Powell. Bilal Powell is a PPR machine and I expect him to do the usual in this matchup vs. the Bills. The reason I like Bilal so much in this matchup is because of the narrative, the Jets are struggling at the QB position and I think they will feed the rock to Powell as much as they can, especially if he's moving the chains. Look to Bilal Powell in week one.
Atlanta Falcons @ Chicago Bears:
This matchup has some great opportunity for the Falcons. Let's see.. The Falcons are going to come out of the gate with a vengeance this year after losing the Superbowl to the Patriots, and the Bears are no exception. I think the players to target for the Falcons are obvious, so I am going to focus on one Chicago Bears player that I like a lot this week. Kendall Wright. There, I said it. Kendall Wright has stepped up big time for the Bears since Cameron Meredith had a season ending leg injury during the preseason. He seems to have a good report with QB Mike Glennon and I don't think that will stop this week. Wright converted some super clutch 3rd downs during preseason out of the slot and I see that happening again this week. This is a GPP play only guys, because at his price on DK ($3200) it wont take much to reach his optimal PP$ ROI.
Also: Taylor Gabriel (ATL)
Jacksonville Jaguars @ Houston Texans:
In this game I have my eyes set on one player in particular, DeAndre Hopkins. Hopkins ended up having a 1000+ yard season last year but it was a tough one to produce. They have been battling QB issues for a long time ever since Brian Hoyer left. Obviously, they acquired Clemson's star QB in the off-season but he will be starting behind Tom Savage until a decision is made otherwise. None of the less, Hopkins has a point to make this year and he is one of the only healthy receivers on the squad. Most of his team mates are on the sideline with nagging injuries and I expect Hopkins to be targeted a ton in this matchup.
Also: Lamar Miller
Philadelphia Eagles @ Washington Redskins:
This game has a star by the name of Alshon Jeffery making his debut as an Eagle. Alshon is a super athletic and all around talented athlete. Not only is he $5800 on DK this week but he is also extremely undervalued. This is a good spot to get a WR1 for a cheap price. In the preseason games Alshon was targeted enough times to justify a start in your DK lineups based on targets alone. The Eagles offense is looking much tougher this year and Alshon will benefit from that in week one.
Also: Zach Ertz is way too cheap at $3500 and would be an excellent play this week. I think Ertz will fly under the radar with other big names at the TE position being the focus of many people's lineups. This is a great week to get one of the best TE's at a ridiculously cheap price.
New York Giants @ Dallas Cowboys:
This one should be obvious. With Odell Beckham nursing a high ankle sprain from a nasty low-blow during the preseason, I am all over Brandon Marshall this week. Even if Beckham starts and plays a full game, I wouldn't be surprised if he served as a decoy most of the game. With Marshall starting opposite of Beckham it will be extremely difficult to cover both receivers. Brandon is only $5100 on Draftkings this week, and if he has a great game, you wont get him at that price again. This guy is a WR2 with WR1 upside as well all know. I aim to take advantage of this while we still can.
There are so many good plays this week you cant mention them all. Be sure to make contrarian lineups and be different than the rest of the crowd, that's how you take down the GPP's. Good luck and I hope you guys do well in your tournaments this week!
Austin Greenhalge,
Draftkings GPP
Twitter handle: @DKGPP
