With all due respect to sideline reporter Sergio Dipp and his epic
debut on Monday Night Football, the most bizarre aspect of Week
1 was how poorly the three elite quarterbacks played in their respective
opening games.
Tom Brady failed to throw a touchdown pass against the Chiefs
on opening night, while Drew Brees salvaged his dreadful game
against the Vikings with a garbage time touchdown pass to Coby Fleener. To put the week in perspective, Sam Bradford, Trevor Siemian, Alex Smith, and rookie DeShone Kizer all delivered more
fantasy points than the trio of Aaron Rodgers, Brady, and Brees.
Week 1 is an excellent example of the importance of matchups
in daily fantasy and a reminder that talent is not always king
when it comes to putting up fantasy points. Be sure to keep that
in mind when setting your lineup for Week 2.
The following lineup review is from a $30 winning ticket in the
Millionaire Maker contest on DraftKings.
Quarterback: Russell
Wilson DraftKings Points: 9.32
Grade: D
Wilson was the top ranked quarterback on my board regardless
of price based on the fact that he appeared to have an excellent
matchup against a Packers defense that allowed the second-most
fantasy points to quarterbacks last season. I anticipated a positive
game script with Aaron Rodgers scoring a decent amount of points
against the Seahawk defense, forcing the Seahawks to match them
point for point.
What I didn’t anticipate was how well the Packers defense
would be at getting to the quarterback and shutting down the run.
The Seattle offensive line looked even more anemic than last year,
and the Seahawk running game did not provide the balance Wilson
needed to be effective.
I will make a mental note not to start Wilson on the road against
teams with a solid pass rush, as he was unable to get anything
done behind that line.
My poor running back and quarterback selections kept me from
making a decent payout in this contest, as fat and slow Eddie
Lacy could do nothing against the Packers, and DeMarco Murray
received a shockingly small amount of usage (12 total touches)
against the Raiders.
Buying into “revenge game” narratives can be a tenuous
task, as there is usually a reason why one team gave up on the
revenge-seeking player in the first place. Such is the case with
Eddie Lacy, an overrated player dating back to his college days
in Tuscaloosa. Never again Fat Eddie. Never. Again.
Murray’s lack of usage could be attributed to the fact
that the Titans were getting him back into game action after a
limited preseason, or it could be a sign of things to come. Regardless,
Murray has been flagged as a wait and see player who will not
be in any of my lineups in the near future.
With a weekly goal of at least 60 points from my wide receiving
corps, I came just two catches shy of earning an A for the week.
The no-brainer big dog of the group and the most expensive play
on my ticket was Brown, a player who averaged 115 receiving yards
per game in his last seven matchups against Cleveland.
The selection of Coleman was based on three factors. First, his
preseason rapport with DeShone Kizer was evident in how well the
two played this summer. Second, his relatively inexpensive price
tag considering the amount of volume I anticipated from Kizer.
And third, a matchup against a Steelers team that would likely
force the Browns to air it out in a positive game script. The
logic paid off with the former first round pick from Baylor posting
five catches for 53 yards and a touchdown.
Paul Richardson was a gut pick based on the idea of a home run
triple stack in what I thought would be a high scoring game for
Seattle. Of course, it turned out to be a drastic mistake with
Lacy and Wilson, but Richardson came through with 9.9 points.
Not great, but enough from a bargain bin priced player.
Tight End: Zach
Ertz DraftKings Points: 17.3
Grade: A
In a full PPR format like DraftKings, Zach Ertz was at the top
of my list based on the idea that Carson Wentz and Ertz would
hook up early and often against the Redskins. I love Ertz as a
player, but his value in standard scoring season-long leagues
is nowhere near his value in PPR leagues.
His 17.3 points was third behind Austin Hooper and Jessie James,
two players who were fortunate to each score two touchdowns. Predicting
touchdowns is a difficult task, and I would rather invest the
money in a player like Ertz who is a lock for at least five catches
per game.
A first quarter touchdown for Freeman saved me from what could
have been a horrible fantasy day for my second-most expensive
player. The Bears played the defending NFC champions tough and
should have won the game if Jordan Howard was able to make an
easy catch near the end of regulation. I still believe in Freeman’s
talent, but 39 total yards from one of the most expensive players
in DFS is quite disappointing, and I may only play Freeman in
home games against easy opponents.
Defense: Rams DraftKings Points: 28
Grade: A
I’m sure Scott Tolzien is a nice person, and perhaps he
could be a viable NFL quarterback in the right situation with
the right coach. But the preseason told me all I needed to know
about just how terrible he is running the Colts offense, and I
started the Rams in all of my DFS tickets this week.
Honestly, I was surprised to see that the Rams did not have even
a higher ownership rate than the 21.8% listed on DK. They seemed
like a no-brainer pick to me, and their dominating performance
against Indy is the primary reason why I walked away a winner
this week.
