FanDuel NFL picks, Week 1: Best DFS fantasy football lineup

FanDuel Week 1 picks and lineup advice: Tight End

Tight end is one of the more challenging positions to deal with in daily fantasy, as you will usually have a limited supply of players you are confident in before the options run dry. It is also one of the only positions where you may have to sacrifice some confidence in the player if the salary is right.

For example, Travis Kelce ($8,500) is obviously the premier play at the tight end position. However, this expensive price tag will set you back at other positions and possibly cause you to miss out on some of the top running backs and wideouts. For this reason, finding the right balance of salary and value is essential at tight end.

This week Kyle Pitts ($6,000) is the trendy pick to deliver value at the tight end position, and while the price tag is tempting, there is certainly plenty of risk paying up for a tight end in his first career NFL game. With Curtis Samuel recently put on IR, Logan Thomas ($5,600) looks to be in for a similar workload as last year, at least for the first few weeks. With Ryan Fitzpatrick being their first legitimate quarterback in a few years, Thomas could easily see double-digit targets, which is more than enough at his middling price point.

If you want to fully punt the position, Tyler Kroft ($4,700) could receive a few red zone looks as one of the only receiving options in the Jets offense against a Carolina defense that struggled against the tight end position last year.

FanDuel Week 1 picks and lineup advice: D/ST

Defense should always be one of the last positions you select, meaning you let the rest of your team dictate how much you are willing to spend on D/ST. This usually leads to hunting for a salary saver, of which there are plenty this week. The Denver Broncos ($4,100) are probably my favorite value this week against an injured and below-average offense in the Giants.

Strangely enough, I also like the Giants defense on the other side of the ball at $3,700. With Teddy Bridgewater under center for the Broncos, there should be some opportunities for turnovers. At only $100 more, the Minnesota Vikings ($3,800) have a much-improved defense against the Bengals. There should be plenty of opportunities for sacks against the Bengal’s awful offensive line that makes the Vikings defense appealing at their cheap price.

FanDuel Week 1 DFS Lineup

• QB Kyler Murray – $8,400
• RB  Dalvin Cook – $9,400
• RB Raheem Mostert – $6,100
• WR DeAndre Hopkins – $8,200
• WR Julio Jones – $7,000
• WR DeVonta Smith – $5,300
• TE Kyle Pitts – $6,000
• FLEX Chase Edmonds -$5,900
• D/ST New York Giants – $3,700

This lineup is certainly geared more for a tournament, and it targets the shootout potential of the Titans vs Cardinals game. With three pieces of the Cardinals offense and Julio Jones from the Titans, if the Cardinals come out firing and put up a large point total, this lineup could do some serious damage.

If you are a veteran DFS player, as always be disciplined and make sure not to go overboard just because it is the first week. If you are a new DFS player, play a mix of cash and tournament formats and look for single entry tournaments to maximize your chances at profit. Best of luck this week in your DFS endeavors and enjoy the start of the NFL season!