clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

NFL Fantasy Football Week 1: Start 'Em, Sit 'Em And FanDuel Picks

This is Mike's weekly spot to pick some over and underachievers in fantasy football plus some picks for your weekly FanDuel game.

Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Editor's Note: FanDuel is running a $1,000,000 fantasy football league in week 1. The Top 46,000 teams win cash with $100,000 paid to first place. Join now!

Welcome to the first week of NFL football and my start or sit column.

I've done this for a few years, but I've got a new addition with the FanDuel picks at the bottom. For normal leagues, I'll pick some players outside the top 10 and 15 who I think will play well as well as some higher rated players who I see underachieving using the ESPN rankings. Let's get to it.

Underachievers

  • Denver Broncos QB Peyton Manning: I am in the "prove it" stage with Peyton. He's also facing a tough defense in the Baltimore Ravens who have a now healthy secondary.
  • Indianapolis Colts QB Andrew Luck: The Buffalo Bills are a top 5 defense. You may not be able to bench him, but I would temper expectations.
  • New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees: He has a few things going against him on the road where he plays much worse than home as well as playing a top 10 defense in the Arizona Cardinals.
  • Buffalo Bills RB LeSean McCoy: He has been injured and is to much of a gamble this week.
  • Baltimore Ravens RB Justin Forsett: I see the Broncos owning a top 5 defense and not sure how Forsett will fit into the Ravens' new scheme.
  • Washington RB Alfred Morris: He does not play passing downs, and I expect them to fall behind which will limit his carries.
  • New York Giants WR Odell Beckham, Jr.: He has been the toast of the offseason, but the Dallas Cowboys were pretty solid against receivers last year.
  • Chicago Bears WR Alshon Jeffrey: We have not seen him all preseason, and Bears Head Coach John Fox is also a tad sketchy with injuries. I would stay away.
  • San Diego Chargers WR Keenan Allen: I just do not yet see him as a WR2 based on the match-up against the Detroit Lions and his projected opportunities.
  • Seattle Seahawks TE Jimmy Graham: The St. Louis Rams were top 5 defending the tight end last year, and I expect the same starting 2015.

Overachievers

  • Miami Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill: I expect big things all season from this QB. In what will be a theme all season, I will pick against most NFC East teams at QB.
  • Philadelphia Eagles QB Sam Bradford: Ride the train while he is upright in an awesome match-up.
  • Arizona Cardinals QB Carson Palmer: I expect the Saints to be a bottom 5 defense. Easy peasy.
  • Carolina Panthers RB Jonathan Stewart: The Jacksonville Jaguars have a decent defense, but I expect a full dose of Stewart due to the lack of receiver options.
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers RB Doug Martin: I am drinking the preseason kool aid here as I saw a different RB than past few years.
  • Dallas Cowboys RB Darren McFadden: He has been named the starter, and I think he scores and puts up 75 yards in his 15 touches.
  • Houston Texans WR DeAndre Hopkins: The Kansas City Chiefs are missing their best CB and best DT in Sean Smith and Dontari Poe. Also, Texans QB Brian Hoyer has shown he can feed a WR1.
  • Jacksonville Jaguars WR Allen Robinson: I expect at least 12 targets against an injured Carolina secondary.
  • Miami Dolphins WR Jarvis Landry: This is the start of his breakout year and becoming an every week starter.
  • Tennessee Titans TE Delanie Walker: He is their best mid range passing option. I see rookie QB Marcus Mariota leaning on him big time.

Here are my FanDuel picks for the week where I will give some higher and lower salaries I like at each position:

QB

RB

WR

  • Atlanta Falcons WR Julio Jones, $9,000: I expect an huge day that's worth the price.
  • Houston Texans WR DeAndre Hopkins, $7,800: I see double digit targets and a touchdown.
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Vincent Jackson, $7,200: He had similar stats to fellow Bucs WR Mike Evans. With Evans a questionable injury decision, VJax should soak up the targets.
  • Jacksonville Jaguars WR Allen Robinson, $6,100: He should get all the targets with no Julius Thomas.
  • Arizona Cardinals WR John Brown, $6,000: He spent the off season with his QB, Carson Palmer. I expect a very big season.
  • Green Bay Packers WR Davante Adams, $5,500: This is too easy, but if head-to-head just take it and run.
  • Philadelphia Eagles WR Nelson Agholor, $5,500: Playing a bad defense, this will be his cheapest week.

TE

  • Chicago Bears TE Martellus Bennett, $6,200: He is QB Jay Cutler's best option in a game they will have to pass.
  • Tennessee Titans TE Delanie Walker, $5,400: I think he becomes QB Marcus Mariota's best friend.

Thank you for reading and have a great week, feel free to ask any questions here or on Twitter.