I have been writing GPP articles for a few years, but this is my first time doing cash games. I’ve been better at cash games throughout my DFS tenure, but it’s hard to quantify why. I guess I’m a bit more risk-averse than many of the people out there, and getting in some good research on reliable players makes cash games so much simpler. Many of these guys have high floors and are easy plays, but that’s the point of this article! With that in mind, let’s look at this Week 1 slate.
The players below are the ones I’m looking at for cash game considerations for Week 1:
NFL Week 1 DFS Cash Game Lineup Advice
Quarterbacks
DraftKings
Jalen Hurts (QB – PHI) : $7,800 at NE
Hurts was the best cash game option last year, and we have to assume the same rules apply this season. The stud quarterback scored at least 15 DraftKings points in all but one game last year, leading all players with an average of nearly 27 fantasy points per game. That’s just what you want from a cash game player, and his rushing abilities give him one of the highest floors among all quarterbacks.
Justin Herbert (QB – LAC): $6,900 vs. MIA
Everybody loves the talent of Herbert, and you know tons of people will use him on this slate. With how prominent gambling is these days, people know who the highest-projected offenses are. That’s the Chargers, entering this matchup as a 3.5-point favorite in a game with a slate-high 51-point total. That means we have to use the quarterback for that offense, especially since Miami had a 30th OPRK against opposing signal-callers last year.
FanDuel
Justin Fields (QB – CHI): $8,300 vs. GB
Fields is usually more of a GPP option, but if he plays like he did in the second half of last season, he’ll be a cash-game play on every slate. The speedster had at least 21 FanDuel points in seven straight games before the final two weeks of last year. His rushing abilities really helped that, averaging over 102 rushing yards per game. Not many running backs are doing that, and it looks even better since Green Bay allowed the seventh-most rushing yards to quarterbacks last year.
Tua Tagovailoa (QB – MIA): $7,700 at LAC
Many people like to save at the quarterback position and Tua is the best play below $8K. This guy was a stud before some nasty concussions last year, scoring at least 15 FD points in nine of the 13 games he played. He averaged 22 FanDuel points per game in those outings and shouldn’t have any issues reaching that total against a Chargers team that allowed the third-most passing yards last season.
Running Backs
DraftKings
Austin Ekeler (RB – LAC): $8,400 vs. MIA
Ekeler is the safest play this week. He’s the workhorse back for the highest-projected offense and is at -200 odds to score a touchdown on DraftKings. He’s also projected to get 15 carries and 5-10 targets, so he should reach his 22-point average from last season. That was the highest total among all rushers, and there’s no better bet on this slate to get 20 DK points!
Raheem Mostert (RB – MIA): $5,900 at LAC
Jeff Wilson is out for Miami, so Mostert should get all the work he can handle. That makes him impossible to fade in the highest-scoring matchup of the week, especially since Mostert is below $6,000. In the five games that Mostert played at least 42 snaps, he averaged 16 carries and 89.2 rushing yards per game. That looks even better since LA had the worst yards-per-carry average in the NFL last year. Everyone will use Mostert, but so should you!
FanDuel
JK Dobbins (RB – BAL): $6,500 vs. HOU
Who’s the largest favorite on this slate? Yes, it is the Ravens! That means we must use their stud running back because Baltimore will run the ball all day as a 10-point favorite. Houston is projected to be one of the worst defenses in the NFL, surrendering the most fantasy points to opposing backs last season. The workload is the only genuine concern, but we’d be shocked if Dobbins didn’t find his way into 75 yards and a touchdown.
Raheem Mostert (RB – MIA): $5,400 at LAC
Everything we said about Mostert in the DraftKings write-up applies here. This guy could be looking at 20 carries for a high-powered offense, and this is way too cheap because these sites released the prices over a month ago. Facing the worst rushing defense only adds to his intrigue, and you better believe he’ll be the first piece in every lineup I create at this salary.
Wide Receivers
DraftKings
Justin Jefferson (WR – MIA): $8,800 vs. TB
Jefferson was the top pick in almost every season-long league, and that’s the sort of guy you want in a cash game lineup. He earned the top pick because of his consistency, scoring at least 19 DK points in 11 games last year. He also ranked second among all wideouts with 23 DK points per game and shouldn’t have any issues since Tampa was ranked 24th against opposing receivers last season.
Keenan Allen (WR – LAC): $7,300 vs. MIA
Why is Allen only just above $7K? This guy has been an $8K player throughout his career, posting one of the highest target shares in the NFL. That makes him tough to avoid since LA is the highest-projected offense on this slate, with Miami allowing the fourth-most receiving yards in the NFL last year. Keenan also scored at least 11 fantasy points in every game he finished last season, which is an absurd floor from a player in this price range.
FanDuel
Tyreek Hill (WR – MIA): $8,800 at LAC
If we want to stack this Miami-LA game, Hill has to be one of the best cash game options out there. Many people think of Tyreek as a boom-or-bust receiver, but he had at least 11 FanDuel points in 14 of 17 games last year. He was also one of the league-leaders in targets, ranking third at the position with 16.7 FD points per game.
Courtland Sutton (WR – DEN): $5,900 vs. LVR
It’s hard to believe Sutton is below $6K in such a tasty spot. This guy has always played well when given an opportunity, averaging 11 FD points per game in the 11 contests where he had at least seven targets last year. That looks like a lock here because he should be the focal point of the air attack with Jerry Jeudy nicked up. The matchup is magnificent too, with the Raiders allowing the fifth-most passing yards in the NFL last year.
Tight Ends
DraftKings
Kyle Pitts (TE – ATL): $4,500 vs. CAR
We’re not excited about Pitts, but this pricing is wild. Everyone loves to save salary at the tight end position, and it’ll likely make Pitts one of the most rostered players at this $4,500 price tag. Pitts has the potential to be a $6K player, so people should take this risk while he is currently so affordable.
FanDuel
Tyler Higbee (TE – LAR): $5,300 at SEA
Every fantasy manager knows Cooper Kupp is expected to miss this game, which means Higbee could be one of the key targets. That was the case when Kupp was out last season, with Higbee getting double-digit targets multiple times. That’s tough to find from such an affordable player, and we didn’t even mention that Seattle surrendered the most fantasy points to opposing tight ends last year!
Defense/Special Teams
DraftKings
Washington Commanders D/ST: $2,800 vs. ARI
This is a mistake from DraftKings! Arizona will likely have the worst offense in the NFL, and it doesn’t matter which D/ST they face. Washington is a solid offense too, so they’re a 7.5-point favorite in a game with a 38-point total. That means the Cards are the lowest-projected offense of the week, which is hard to believe with Washington priced 14th in salary at the position.
FanDuel
Baltimore Ravens D/ST: $5,000 vs. HOU
FanDuel always tends to be an easier site to fill out lineups because they allocate more salary. That means many people will use Baltimore, the highest-priced D/ST, since they enter this matchup as the largest favorite this weekend. The Ravens always have one of the best defenses in the NFL and they’re facing a Houston team that was at the bottom of nearly every offensive category last season.
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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.
