Nothing feels quite as good as that Week 1 Red Zone Sunday. Sitting on the couch and watching every team battle for 10 hours is truly something special, and I can’t wait to get back into the NFL DFS waters. This is an article I formulated last season, and the plays always seem to do well. That’s the point of cash game options, though, because our goal is to find the obvious guys who will be rostered heavily across DFS formats.
With that said, let’s dive into this week’s cash game options.
Week 1 Cash Game DFS Advice & Picks
The players below are the ones I’m looking at for cash game considerations for Week 1.
Quarterbacks
DraftKings
C.J. Stroud (QB – HOU): $7,500 at IND
Everyone and their mother are high on the Texans this season, and it feels like people think C.J. Stroud will take the step into superstardom. It’s easy to see why, with Stroud averaging 20 DraftKings points per game in a remarkable rookie season. That’s why Houston went out and added Stefon Diggs and Joe Mixon, surrounding Stroud with one of the best offenses in the NFL. Stroud scored 21 and 25 DraftKings points in his two matchups versus the Colts last season.
Anthony Richardson (QB – IND): $6,300 vs. HOU
Anthony Richardson only played four games last season, but he looked unbelievable in that limited time. The speedster averaged nearly 24 DraftKings points per game in his first three games, scoring four rushing touchdowns in that span. That sort of rushing is optimal from a fantasy perspective. People will roster him since he’s just $6,300 as a dual-threat quarterback with that sort of upside.
FanDuel
Josh Allen (QB – BUF): $9,200 vs. ARI
The highest-priced quarterback is always a cash game option. Hosh Allen has finished as a top-five quarterback in four straight seasons. He also scored at least 22 DraftKings points in 15 out of 19 games this year, leading all signal-callers with 26 DraftKings points per game. That makes him an easy option against Arizona, posting a 26th opponent rank (OPRK) against opposing quarterbacks.
Tua Tagovailoa (QB – MIA): $7,700 vs. JAX
Tua Tagovailoa was tremendous in the first half of last season, averaging nearly 20 DraftKings points per game through the opening 10 weeks. He fell off in the second half, but it looks even better since he averaged 25 DraftKings points per game at home in that span. Playing a road game in Miami is a disaster for any opponent, and it’s even worse when evaluating this secondary. Jacksonville allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks last season.
Running Backs
DraftKings
Bijan Robinson (RB – ATL): $7,700 vs. PIT
Bijan Robinson was slightly disappointing in his rookie season, but it was all due to his workload. The consensus is that Robinson should become a typical bell-cow back and there’s no denying his talent. People want to hop on that train before it gets rolling, and it will likely have Robinson as one of the highest-rostered players until we see a price bump or a replication of his rookie campaign. A home matchup with Pittsburgh isn’t too bad either, with the Steelers posting an 18th OPRK against opposing backs.
Kenneth Walker (RB – SEA): $6,100 vs. DEN
Denver was a disaster against opposing backs last season, surrendering the most fantasy points in the NFL. That’s big news for Kenneth Walker because Seattle is projected to play at one of the fastest paces in the NFL in its new offense. That should lead to Walker getting more opportunities. We’re talking about a player who’s been a top-20 back in his first two seasons. That makes the $6,100 price tag tough to justify, so be prepared to see him rostered everywhere.
FanDuel
Jonathan Taylor (RB – IND): $8,600 vs. HOU
Jonathan Taylor is the highest-priced player on DraftKings, so we have to say he’s a good value on FanDuel. He’s still the second-highest rusher, but we’ve seen Taylor finish as the top player in fantasy in 2021. Two shortened seasons have lowered fantasy owners’ expectations, but Taylor averaged nearly 20 FanDuel points per game in the second half of last season. That’s awesome considering his matchup. Houston posted a 26th OPRK against opposing running backs last season. That was clear when Taylor scored 27 FanDuel points in their Week 18 matchup.
Alvin Kamara (RB – NO): $7,100 vs. CAR
Alvin Kamara has finished as a top-10 back in nearly every season he’s played, but he’s not being priced like it. The versatile back is outside of the top 10 in terms of salary but still averaged over 15 FanDuel points per game. That should bode well since New Orleans is one of the largest favorites of the week. The Panthers surrendered the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing rushers last season.
Wide Receivers
DraftKings
Tyreek Hill (WR – MIA): $8,700 vs. JAX
Tyreek Hill is the favorite to win Offensive Player of the Year, finishing with at least 119 catches and 1,700 yards in back-to-back seasons. Not many players have done that in NFL history, with Hill scoring double-digit fantasy points in every game last year. That’s the floor you’re looking for from a cash game option, especially against a Jacksonville team that owned a 22nd OPRK against opposing receivers.
George Pickens (WR – PIT): $5,700 at ATL
George Pickens was a frustrating player to roster last season, but this is his show now. With Diontae Johnson in Carolina, Pickens should see a 25% target share as the top target in this offense. Everybody knows that, and it’s hard to believe he’s below $6,000 with that type of opportunity. In five games Pickens had at least eight targets, he averaged 22 DraftKings points per game.
FanDuel
Cooper Kupp (WR – LAR): $7,000 at DET
Cooper Kupp was the best receiver in football before last season, but we’re willing to bet he bounces back to that after an injury-riddled two years. Many people don’t remember Kupp led all players with nearly 30 DraftKings points per game while establishing a 20-point floor before 2023. That’s a godsend for a cash game option. He could recapture that form against a Detroit team that allowed the most fantasy points to opposing wideouts.
Joshua Palmer (WR – LAC): $5,000 vs. DAL
Everyone knows how badly this Chargers offense has been dismantled, with Joshua Palmer likely being the top receiver. That’s not a glowing endorsement, but being Justin Herbert‘s top receiver has to count for something. What makes it even crazier is that he’s just $5,000. He’ll likely be rostered everywhere since L.A. will have to throw a ton to keep up with Dallas.
Tight Ends
DraftKings
Kyle Pitts (TE – ATL): $4,600 vs. PIT
Everyone wants to get Kyle Pitts’ breakout season right, and this could be it. Adding Kirk Cousins should be what the doctor ordered because Pitts has the talent to be the best tight end in the NFL. Everyone knows that because of his draft pedigree. You better believe he’ll be one of the highest-rostered players as long as he’s below $5,000.
FanDuel
Dalton Kincaid (TE – BUF): $6,800 vs. ARI
With Buffalo removing Stefon Diggs, Kincaid may be Allen’s top target. That’s an optimal spot for any tight end, especially since Kincaid had at least 11 FanDuel points in seven of his final 12 games before getting knocked out in the Division Championship. All DFS managers know Kincaid is stepping into this role, and a matchup against a 16th-ranked Cardinals defense doesn’t scare us.
Defense/Special Teams
DraftKings
New Orleans Saints D/ST: $3,700 vs. CAR
Using a D/ST against the Panthers was a cheat code last season. Carolina ranked last in points scored and total yardage, scoring just 14 points per game. That’s terrifying against a top-10 Saints defense, which scored over 20 DraftKings points in their final matchup last season. That’s why New Orleans is a 4.5-point favorite in a game with a minuscule 41-point total.
FanDuel
Dallas Cowboys D/ST: $4,500 at CLE
I don’t necessarily love this matchup with Cleveland, but people will roster Dallas at just $4,500. This team was the best D/ST in the NFL last season, averaging nearly 10 FanDuel points per game. That makes it hard to believe they’re sixth in salary, especially since Cleveland had a 27th OPRK against opposing defenses.
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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.
