After a long off-season NFL football is finally back, and so are the increasingly popular fantasy football tournaments run by sites such as FanDuel and DraftKings. The first week of the season can be more difficult when it comes to predicting which players will be the most successful. Thankfully, the game matchups for Week one this year have left fantasy football fans with a great pool of possible sleeper picks to help fill lineups.
NFL Week One Fantasy Football Steals
Quarterbacks
Nick Foles, Jacksonville Jaguars
Nick Foles and the Jacksonville Jaguars are set to match up against the Kansas City Chiefs Week one, which may make Foles a solid asset to any fantasy lineup. Kansas City notably lost a good chunk of their defensive talent over the off-season, including defensive ends Dee Ford and Justin Houston. Those losses weakened the Chiefs defense which will provide an opportunity for Foles to put up big numbers. Priced at just $6,500 on FanDuel, Foles is significantly cheaper than the majority of other quarterbacks and may be worth playing in Week one.
Jacoby Brissett, Indianapolis Colts
This one is high risk, but potentially high reward. Following the announcement of Andrew Luck’s retirement, Jacoby Brissett was promoted to starting quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts in their Week one matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers.
However, FanDuel’s rankings still have Brissett mixed in with all the NFL’s other second-string quarterbacks, leaving him at a price of only $6,000. Compared to the top-ranked quarterbacks for the week, that’s over a $2,000 price difference. The difference in fantasy points is generally at a much smaller gap between starting quarterbacks than it is for starting running backs or wide receivers. The money saved with this pick may allow fantasy fans to fill in other positions on their roster with high priced talent.
Wide Receiver
Adam Thielen, Minnesota Vikings
Adam Thielen’s current price on FanDuel is $7,400 for Week one, a pretty reasonable price for a player of his talent level. Thielen and the Minnesota Vikings take on the Atlanta Falcons, which should be a favorable matchup for Thielen. Vikings receiver Stefon Diggs, who usually splits targets with Thielen, is also battling a hamstring injury and looks unlikely to play Sunday. Diggs sitting out should only increase Thielen’s targets and production.
Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks
Tyler Lockett is priced on FanDuel at $6,800 as he faces the Cincinnati Bengals this week. Lockett had an impressive season last year and should step up and put up higher numbers now that he’s the team’s number one receiver following Doug Baldwin’s retirement. Lockett should be locked in as a safe pick at an affordable price.
Tyrell Williams, Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders receiver Antonio Brown’s likely suspension for Week one boosts Tyrell Williams‘ value way up. Williams was already set to start, but now will likely be Derek Carr‘s number one target. Oakland is facing the Denver Broncos, who have a solid defense, so while Williams may not put up any crazy numbers, he should certainly provide a reasonable return on his price tag. Williams is priced at just $5,400 and should easily put up numbers that exceed any other player priced around that area.
Running Back
Dalvin Cook, Minnesota Vikings
Priced at $7,400, Dalvin Cook is priced low for his skill set. Cook is facing the Atlanta Falcons defense, who gave up the most fantasy points to running backs in 2018. As the Vikings starting running back, Cook will see lots of carries and targets and should put up points comparable to the league’s top running backs.
Mark Ingram, Baltimore Ravens
For Mark Ingram‘s debut with the Baltimore Ravens, he faces a weak Miami Dolphins defense. Priced at just $6,600 Ingram should be a safe pick. In the past two seasons, while with the New Orleans Saints, he put up numbers which placed him in the top-10 running backs consistently. And that was while he was splitting touches with Alvin Kamara. As the sole starting back for Baltimore now, Ingram should continue to put up top-10 numbers.
Tight End
Hunter Henry, Los Angeles Chargers
In Week one, Hunter Henry should be able to put up numbers rivaling the league’s top tight ends, such as Travis Kelce or Zach Ertz, all while at a significantly lower price tag. Priced at just $6,100 Henry should be a no brainer as he faces the Indianapolis Colts. Henry is now fully healthy and should make his presence known. He should receive a lot of targets, especially while running back Melvin Gordon is holding out.
Jared Cook, New Orleans Saints
Jared Cook and the Saints face the Houston Texans Week one. The Texans have a strong defense, but they have been known to struggle in defending tight ends. Last season Houston gave up the fifth most fantasy points to opposing tight ends.
Behind starting wide receiver Michael Thomas, Cook should receive the second most passing targets for the Saints this week. Cook has shown great chemistry with quarterback Drew Brees during training camps over the off-season and could easily have an impressive debut with the Saints. Cook is priced at $6,000, a price which could easily return a huge payout.
Defense
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles start the season at home against the Washington Redskins. Although the third-highest priced defense at $4,600, this week provides very few matchups that guarantee a reliable defense. The price differential between defenses is nowhere near steep enough to risk taking a cheaper pick. The Eagles are facing a weak Redskins offense and should be a safe pick.
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