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Week 1 is upon us! And that means that it is time to scramble and get our flex spots and injury replacements settled into our final lineups. When selecting wide receivers, oftentimes people tend to either look at a name, the green number next to their name on DraftKings (opponent rank vs. position), or check who the Saints are playing. All joking aside, my hope here is to give you something else, a little more perspective when trying to choose a fantasy wideout because there is really more to it than the three steps that I listed above.
There’s the football game and then there is something else going on outside of the hash marks. That’s the battle between the cornerback and the wide receiver, a battle that can oftentimes define a game (see Panthers vs. Giants last season). Fantasy owners would be irresponsible if they didn’t make that matchup the defining factor in choosing their wide receiver plays each week – especially in DFS. Below I have listed each outside matchup (Left WR vs. Right CB, and Right WR vs. Left CB). I guarantee this will help you win some money.
| Off | Left WR | Def | Right CB | Analysis |
| ARI | Larry Fitzgerald | NE | Logan Ryan | Fitz is banged up right now, as he is battling an MCL sprain, and while he is expected to play through it, his effectiveness will certainly be limited. To say that he will be matched up with Logan Ryan is a bit misleading consideirng coach Arians loves using Fitzgerald in the slot and at H-Back often. In any event, it is tough to consider him anything less than a starting flex play, while he shouldn't be considered above a WR2 for Week 1. |
| ATL | Julio Jones | TB | Alterraun Verner | Jones is widely considered the "play of the week" for Week 1, and for good reason, as he absolutely torched the division rival Bucs last season (20 rec, 255 yds, and 1 TD in two meetings). Having said that, Tampa went out and upgraded their secondary in a big way this offseason, as they picked up former Pro Bowler Brent Grimes and spent a 1st round selection on Florida corner Vernon Hargreaves. All things considered though, Jones is likely to matchup with a familiar face in Alterraun Verner the most on Sunday – a corner whom he has had plenty of success against – so a boatload of points are to be expected out of Jones in Week 1. |
| BAL | Kamar Aiken | BUF | Ronald Darby | Aiken quietly had an impressive 2015 (75 rec, 944 yds, 5 TD's), yet right now is being considered the second WR option on the Ravens offense behind the always disappointing Mike Wallace. Aiken is facing a tough matchup in the Bills Ronald Darby, however he seems to always be an option undervalued by fantasy owners. He's an adequate flex PPR play if needed. |
| BUF | Sammy Watkins | BAL | Jimmy Smith | Smith is a big, physical, corner, however he may not have the speed to stick with Watkins this week. There is always an injury risk when starting Watkins, but his talent is always too much to pass up. Place him as your WR1 this week and don't think twice. |
| CAR | Kelvin Benjamin | DEN | Chris Harris | What a tough matchupfor Benjamin to return to after blowing up his knee last preseason, as Harris has quietly developed into one of the best corners in the league today. With word just coming out that coach Rivera is looking to limit the snaps of the now healthy 6-foot-5 receiver, what more do fantasy owners need to shy away from this matchup. I am not indicting Benjamin's entire season going forward, but in his return game, against one of the league's best corners, and now being rumored to be on a pitch count, Benjamin is far from a safe play this week. |
| CHI | Alshon Jeffery | HOU | Jonathan Joseph | Had he played all 16 games last season, Jeffery was on pace for nearly 1,500 yards and 10 touchdowns. Considering this, there really isnt a bad matchup for the fearsome red zone target. While Jonathan Joseph is no slouch at corner, there is no reason to shy away from this matchup. Jeffery is a strong WR1 for Week 1. |
| CIN | AJ Green | NYJ | Buster Skrine | Skrine often operates out of the slot as the nickel corner, so again this "matchup" is a bit misleading, however regardless of who Green takes on, he typically wins. He did have a scare recently in one of the final preseason games, but the lanky wideout insists that he is 100-percent fine. The Jets may have a good defense, but it is rare that a team can slow down Green. |
| CLE | Corey Coleman | PHI | Nolan Carroll | Based off of circumstance – the fact that he is the Browns WR1 by default – Coleman has actually gotten plenty of fantasy love this offseason, despite being a rookie. Nolan Carroll is by no means Deion Sanders, but Coleman is still a play that I would stay away from because of his preseason struggles and the expected ineptitude of this Cleveland offense in 2016. |
| DAL | Dez Bryant | NYG | Janoris Jenkins | Dez likely dropped dramatically in drafts that occurred after the Romo injury, but if you have been watching the Cowboys this preseason, both he and replacement Dak Prescott developed quite a rapport. I personally love this matchup because while a talented corner, Janoris Jenkins takes more chances than just about anyone else in the league. If Dez can execute a double-move or two, it's likely to be off to the races for #88. Consider him a WR1 in Week 1 with relative comfort. |
| DEN | Demaryius Thomas | CAR | Bene' Benwikere | It became en vogue to trash Thomas towards the end of last season, but let's just review his production in 2015, despite horrific quarterback play (105 rec, 1,304 yds, 6 TD's). Now, I am not confident in the ability of Trevor Siemian in the slightest, however I am not lying to you when I say that Thomas is drastically undervalued in Week 1 (17th WR in DraftKings; only $7,000). |
| DET | Golden Tate | IND | Vontae Davis | On Wednesday, Tate was limited in practice. Now the good news is that this is no cause for alarm, as Tate is likely just getting the Detriot #1 WR treatment (Calvin Johnson almost never practiced). The bad news is that he doesn’t particularly project well against Vontae Davis. The skinny on all of this information is that he will often line up in the slot, so his production won't directly be tied to Davis. Expect great PPR success for Tate against the Colts on Sunday. |
| GB | Jordy Nelson | JAX | Jalen Ramsey | This is an interesting matchup because it is a welcome back for one and a welcome to the NFL for the other. It's really tough to gague how this will play out, but I tend to favor the devil I know than the devil I don't. I'm going to bank on the fact that Nelson is 100-percent here and he will make it a tough day for the rookie Ramsey. |
| HOU | DeAndre Hopkins | CHI | Kyle Fuller | In each of his three seasons, Hopkins has improved statistically and mechanically as a wide receiver. He has now reached the point of elite status, and with the addition of a quarterback who can actually throw the ball this season, I see no reason that D-Hop's numbers won't once again go up. Now Kyle Fuller is no bum, but Hopkins is an elite talent. Expect him to get the best of Fuller on Sunday. |
| IND | Donte Moncreif | DET | Nevin Lawson | Many believe that this season Crief may end up passing TY Hilton as the Colts #1 receiver. And it's not unwarranted either, as the third year wideout has improved dramatically in each of his first two seasons. So far in the preseason, he and Andrew Luck seem to have picked up right where they left off prior to Luck's injury last season, so there is little reason to expect anything but the best from Moncrief going forward. This matchup seems to be a good place for him to kickoff 2016, as Lawson is an inexperienced corner with little name recognition that would keep Luck from throwing his way. |
| JAX | Allen Robinson | GB | Sam Shields | Beginning last season and continuing throughout this preseason, Robinson has become one of the most spectacular pass catchers in the game. And I'm not just talking touchdown production – of which he tallied 14 last season – but his ability to go up and get the ball and wrestle it away from defenders has become an elite trait of his. Sam Shields is a solid player, but will have fits with Robinson this week. |
| KC | Jeremy Maclin | SD | Jason Verrett | Verrett over the last two seasons has developed into one of the game's best man-up corners. Now while Jeremy Maclin is a good receiver in his own right, I do not view this one as a matchup in his favor. Having said that, Maclin is still unbenchable. Consider him a low-end WR2 this week. |
| LA | Kenny Britt | SF | Jimmie Ward | Never in my life have I advocated for Kenny Britt in any fantasy format and I am not about to today. This is not a comment on the ability of Jimmie Ward, but rather the lack of faith that I have in Britt as a reliable receiver. |
| MIA | DeVante Parker | SEA | Jeremy Lane | As of now, it appears that Parker is not going to play on Sunday, and if he does, it will be in a limited capacity. Coach Adam Gase is begging Parker for more toughness through nagging pain, but the young wideout seems hesitant. I would give him a week off to start the season if I owned him in fantasy. |
| MIN | Stefon Diggs | TEN | Jason McCourty | This analysis would be different if Teddy Bridgewater didn’t nuclear bomb his knee last week, but such is life in the NFL. All things considered here, I would consider Diggs an undesireable fantasy play in Week 1, especially considering he is taking on a talented CB in Jason McCourty. |
| NE | Danny Amendola | ARI | Brandon Williams | Another misleading WR vs. CB matchup here, because as we all know, Amendola will be lined up in the slot at least half of the time on Sunday night. Even if that is the case, he will likely be taking on the league's best cover safety and nickel back – Tyrann Mathieu – ultimately lowering his fantasy value even more for Week 1. |
| NO | Willie Snead | OAK | Sean Smith | Snead quietly just missed out on 1,000 yards in 2015 (984), and while no one is expecting him to become a #1 guy any time soon, he may be an undervalued asset in most formats. He seems to have won a starting role in a Drew Brees led offense, and has a history of producing despite projections by experts. Likely a lowly owned player, Snead may bring value to a DFS squad balling on a budget. |
| NYG | Odell Beckham Jr. | DAL | Orlando Scandrick | It's really tough to say that Beckham ever is at a disadvantage, so I will refrain from doing so here, however matched up agains Orlando Scandrick and potentially Byron Jones, Beckham will have his money's worth on Sunday. We know what he can do to Brandon Carr (see famous one-handed catch) but it is more likely that Beckham will see either Jones out of the slot, or Scandrick – the formerly press nickel extraordinaire – as his matchup on the outside in Week 1. OBJ is certainly an elite WR1 this week and going forward, but I don't see him living up to his near unmatchable expectations in this particular matchup. |
| NYJ | Brandon Marshall | CIN | Adam Jones | Jones has really done well for himself in turing his career around; going from a what could have been to a late blooming star. Despite these nice words, Brandon Marshall still tied for the NFL lead in TD's last season (14) and he is playing with a severe height disadvantage in comparison to the 6-foot-4 Marshall. Start B-Marsh with confidence, but let it be known that Pacman never backs down. |
| OAK | Michael Crabtree | NO | PJ Williams | Here are the untold facts about the "bust" Michael Crabtree. 1) he had more targets than Amari Cooper last season, 2) moretargets, 3) more touchdowns, 4) and will once again open the season as the Raiders "#1" WR on the depth chart. Considering all of this, Cooper is still a fine play, but Crabtree is still continuously more consistent and has the chance to get even better once teams begin to double-team Cooper. |
| PHI | Josh Huff | CLE | Jamar Taylor | Huff is a relatively talented player who can contribute on special teams well with his speed, however in 15 games last year he only racked up 300 receiving yards. I would pass on him on Sunday. |
| PIT | Antonio Brown | WAS | Josh Norman | This is potentially the matchup of the year and it's only Week 1. The best WR in the league vs. arguably the best CB, as Brown and Norman will go head-to-head for a good portion of the game. Norman has been known to give elite wide receivers fits, but I can never justify benching Brown. Still start him on Sunday, but don't be alarmed if he starts slowly out of the gates. |
| SD | Travis Benjamin | KC | Steven Nelson | Nelson is a solid corner, but he doesn’t possess the speed to keep with Benjamin deep. If Philip Rivers want's to take a break from targeting Keenan Allen over the middle, he should be able to find Benjamin running free on a couple of streaks. If you are balling on a budget, Benjamin has TD upside in Week 1. |
| SF | Torrey Smith | LA | Lamarcus Joyner | Torrey Smith hasn’t been relevant since his Baltimore days and that is not going to change anytime soon with Blaine Gabbert as his starting quarterback. Stay away from him in fantasy until he proves otherwise. |
| SEA | Doug Baldwin | MIA | Tony Lippett | Baldwin will face other CB's as well on Sunday because he often lines up in the slot, but regardless of which Miami DB he takes on, he is likely to win that battle. He hauled in 14 TD's last season and I expect a couple more from him in a blowout victory in Week 1. |
| TB | Vincent Jackson | ATL | Robert Alford | Jackson's numbers per game dipped slightly last season and it can likely be contributed to the fact that he battled a myriad of injuries. He seems healthy in 2016 and is again likely to come close to Mike Evans for the team lead in targets. He's not the player he once was, but fantasy owners can consider him a WR3/Flex play going forward. |
| TEN | Rishard Matthews | MIN | Xavier Rhodes | The Titans aren't expected to do much passing if they don't have to, as they plan on pounding the rock with DeMarco Murray, Derrick Henry, and their nasty offensive line. It's not an indictment on the Titans WR corps or Marcus Mariota, but the belief is that they will run the ball until it stops working. Considering that, stay away from Matthews early on in this fantasy season. |
| WAS | Pierre Garçon | PIT | Ross Cockrell | Here's what you can say for Garçon… He hasn’t missed a game in three years and is good for at least 700 yards per season. He's not a high TD guy by any means, but he holds replacement value in PPR formats. Give him a look as a WR4 or a Flex play at best for Week 1, despite having a favorable matchup. |
| Off | Right WR | Def | Left CB | Analysis |
| ARI | Michael Floyd | NE | Malcolm Butler | There is no doubt that Floyd has his hands full with Butler on Sunday night, however of all of the years to be in on him, this one is it. Floyd is in the midsts of a contract year and seems just a few big catches away from taking over as the Cardinals #1 target, ahead of Larry Fitzgerald. Consider him a WR3 going forward, with WR2 upside if everything goes his way this season. |
| ATL | Mohamed Sanu | TB | Brent Grimes | Grimes' production finally rebounded in 2015, as he made the Pro Bowl once again. Headed to Tampa Bay – a roster desperately in need of DB help – I like his chances of furthering his swagger as a team's #1 CB. His matchup on Sunday is nothing too intimidating to kick off the season, so he should handle himself well. Stay away from Sanu on Sunday. |
| BAL | Mike Wallace | BUF | Stephon Gilmore | As a rule, I typically never rely upon Wallace in any fantasy format. Having said that, I do acknowledge that he is slightly better than I give him credit for. In any event. Gilmore is a better CB than he is a WR so that alone would make me shy away from him on Sunday. Furthermore, people should acknowledge that Wallace is not even the best WR on his own team, so they should not be surprised if Kamar Aiken ends up being more productive in 2016. |
| BUF | Robert Woods | BAL | Shareece Wright | Robert Woods is adequate for a starting role in the NFL, but if this were baseball, he would be considered what they call a "replacement level player." His matchup against Shareece Wright is not particularly intimidating, however in terms of fantasy WR's for Bufflao, it's either Sammy Watkins or bust. |
| CAR | Ted Ginn Jr. | DEN | Aqib Talib | It should be interesting to see what Talib has got coming off of an offseason gunshot wound. Now while I frequently rank on Ted Ginn for his cinderblock hands, this is the type of matchup that Talib would love to save for later on in the season when he has his legs fully back under him. The fact is that Ginn scorched defenses for 10 TD's last season and dropped over a dozen other opportunities, so with a player coming off of a serious leg injury, I would expect him to win a few times on Thursday night. Now this is not to say that I am guaranteeing production out of Ginn because he can drop just about any perfectly placed pass, but I expect him to burn Talib at least a couple of times in Week 1. |
| CHI | Kevin White | HOU | Kareem Jackson | White is such an interesting case because while no one doubts his natural physical gifts and football talent, we still have yet to see him unleashed and he was really only a one-year-wonder in college. With such a small sample size of production, it is unclear what we should expect from him headed into 2016. My vote is always to make the player prove it first, so I would advise staying away from White until he begins to produce on a consistent basis. |
| CIN | Brandon LaFell | NYJ | Darrelle Revis | I really don't think I have to go into much detail here… LaFell is a career underacchiever and while Revis may have lost a step last season, he is still one of the best CB's in the league. If Tom Brady couldn't get LaFell involved, I don't have much faith in Andy Dalton... Pass on him this week and most weeks going forward. |
| CLE | Terrelle Pryor | PHI | Leodis McKelvin | To be honest, I am a fan of TP. When he was a freshman at Ohio State, I was one of the few advocates of him giving up on being a QB all together because he was such a matchup nightmare for defenses the few times that he split out wide. It took him a while to finally listen to me in the NFL, but based off of his preseason, Pryor appears to really be coming along at the position. Until Josh Gordon comes back, Pryor likely is the WR with the most TD upside in that Cleveland offense. That has to count for something, however this week matched up agains the talented McKelvin I wouldn't expect much production out of Pryor outside of the red zone. WR4 in my book |
| DAL | Terrance Williams | NYG | Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie | The Giants undisputedly have the two biggest risk takers at their starting CB spots in the league. Now I am no Terrance Williams enthuasist, but I do know that he is always a threat deep. Like I said for Dez, if Williams can bait DRC just one time, he might have an easy score on his hands. Williams posted career highs in receptions, targets, and yards in 2015, so another step forward for him isn't out of the question. As of now Williams is a flex start at best, but he won't get many better matchups going forward. |
| DEN | Emmanuel Sanders | CAR | James Bradberry | This is a tough draw for the rookie because Sanders' speed and percise route running are things that even veteran corners struggle to keep with. Luckily for Bradberry, Trevor Siemian is throwing Sanders the ball on Thursday night, so things may be a little easier than expected. Still though, Sanders has proven to produce throughout his career, despite some shoddy quarterback play. He's a WR2 this week. |
| DET | Marvin Jones | IND | Patrick Robinson | Robinson is a solid corner and Jones is a solid WR. Really this is a vanilla matchup with limited fantasy implications. Jones has about 70 yard receiving upside and isn't expected to get into the end zone. |
| GB | Randall Cobb | JAX | Davon House | Cobb only went over the 100 yard mark once last season and also disappointed in the TD department as well. That trend will hopefully change with the healthy presence of Jordy Nelson back on the field next to him. This is a favorable matchup for Cobb to kickoff the season, so expect his best on Sunday. |
| HOU | Will Fuller | CHI | Tracy Porter | Porter is more than a servicable veteran, however this matchup is surely one that he is losing sleep over headed into Week 1. Fuller is a dynamic rookie with speed that makes DeSean Jackson blush. He's got questionable hands and route running ability, but make no mistake, Fuller is a flat out playmaker. Expect the Texans to take at least a few shots to Fuller downt eh field on Sunday afternoon. |
| IND | TY Hilton | DET | Darius Slay | Hilton is a talented WR who struggled last season through some shoddy quarterback play. In Week 1, matched up against Darius Slay – one of the league's best man up corners – Hilton will have his hands full, but with the return of Andrew Luck, anything is possible. I expect a great matchup to watch between these two on Sunday. |
| JAX | Allen Hurns | GB | Damarious Randall | Hurns really broke out last season on his way to 10 TD's and over 1,000 yards receiving. His numbers are expected to come back down to earth slightly in 2016, but still he should be a solid WR3 play week to week. His matchup against Randall is not favorable on Sunday, but it is also no daunting task. Play Hurns as you would any other week here. |
| KC | Albert Wilson | SD | Brandon Flowers | Flowers is an excellent corner and Wilson can't say the same for himself at WR. That should be enough for fantasy owners to stay away from this matchup in Week 1. |
| LA | Tavon Austin | SF | Tramaine Brock | Brock can hold his own, but if Austin is on his game, he is a nightmare to stick with. This is partly because the Rams are so good at using a variety of ways to get the ball in his hands, but also because he is a rock solid WR when he needs to be. I would say there is no reason to shy away from Austin here, as this matchup favors his skillset. |
| MIA | Kenny Stills | SEA | Richard Sherman | You're kidding right? I will say no more… |
| MIN | Charles Johnson | TEN | Perrish Cox | Johnson is not expected to serve as even the number two option in this Vikings offense, and couple that with the fact that Shaun Hill will be throwing him the ball… You've got yourself a matchup to stay away from. |
| NE | Julian Edelman | ARI | Patrick Peterson | This is another misleading matchup because Edelman will mostly be lined up in the slot on Sunday night. That shouldn't change anything for fantasy owners however, because if he doesn't have one of the league's best CB's in Peterson taking him on the outside, Edelman will have the league's best cover safety/nickel CB locking him up in Tyrann Mathieu. This is not the week to start Edelman. |
| NO | Brandin Cooks | OAK | David Amerson | Amerson had himself a really nice season in 2015, as he proved that he wasn’t the bust that he was labeled so quickly. On Sunday however, he will be taking on one of the league's best deep threats in Brandin Cooks and one of the league's best QB's in Drew Brees. Cooks should cook him once or twice in the game because he's simply that fast. I would expect one touchdown from the burner. |
| NYG | Sterling Shepard | DAL | Brandon Carr | This is a bad matchup for Carr because he can typically handle himself against physical guys, however it's the percise route runners that give him fits. Shepard is arguably the best rookie route runner in recent memory, so I expect him to be picked on throughout this game. Shepard has himself a nice PPR matchup here against Dallas. |
| NYJ | Eric Decker | CIN | Dre Kirkpatrick | Without many people noticing last season, Decker racked up double-digit touchdowns in 2015. He has a touch matchup against Kirkpatrick on Sunday, but with most of the attention going to Brandon Marshall in the red zone, there is no reason that Decker shouldn't get open again like he did so often last season. WR2 here. |
| OAK | Amari Cooper | NO | Delvin Breaux | Despite playing on the league's worst defense in 2015, Breaux actually developed into one of the best man up corners in the NFL. He is drawing now slouch here in Week 1, as Cooper may be the next emerging receiver in the NFL. I expect both players to win some and lose some here, which should still make Cooper a favorable start. |
| PHI | Nelson Agholor | CLE | Joe Haden | Both players here are looking for redemption. Haden is looking to return to prominence as one of the league's best CB's, while Ahgolor is looking to prove that he was worth the first round pick that the Eagles spent on him two seasons ago. For now I will go with Haden here because of his proven historical production and because he seems healthy for the first time in two years. |
| PIT | Markus Wheaton | WAS | Bashaud Breeland | Breeland quitely developed into one of the NFC East's best cornerbacks last season (despite being beaten a few times by OBJ) and while many love Markus Wheaton this year, I believe in the ability of Breeland. Wheaton is a fringe fantasy start in my book anyway, so take that for what you will. |
| SD | Keenan Allen | KC | Marcus Peters | Antonio Brown vs. Josh Norman may be the main event, but Allen vs. Peters is the second headliner for sure in Week 1. Peters not only led the NFL in INT's last season, but he also as a rookie brought incredible swagger and emotion to the field. He will have his hands more than full in Keenan Allen on Sunday, as during 2015 – prior to his injury – he was the league's best PPR receiver. The presence of Deion Sanders coulnd't stop Philip Rivers from throwing Allen's way, so it should be interesting to see how many routes Peterson jumps for picks in Week 1. |
| SF | Aaron Burrbridge | LA | Trumaine Johnson | Johnson is a very talented CB while Burrbridge strikes no fear into the hearts of defenses. This one is relatively straightforward. |
| SEA | Jermaine Kearse | MIA | Byron Maxwell | Maxwell was frequently picked on last season in Philly. Kearse posted career highs across the board in 2015. I am not saying that I love Kearse this week, but this seems like a matchup in his favor to kick off the season. |
| TB | Mike Evans | ATL | Desmond Trufant | Another premier matchup here, as one of the league's best man-to-man CB's will be taking on one of the league's most physically imposing WR's. Due to the nature of the offensively favored rules, I tend to side with the WR's in these types of matchups, but don't be surprised if Trufant frustrates Evans for a while. |
| TEN | Tajae Sharpe | MIN | Terrence Newman | Sharpe is the wildcard of this Week 1 because if we go by his preseason, he may be the second coming of Victor Cruz. Terrence Newman might as well be as old as Methuselah so if Sharpe is going to breakout, this may be his chance. Give him a flex look if you are in a deeper league. |
| WAS | DeSean Jackson | PIT | William Gay | Regardless of who Jackson is playing, his projection is always the same: chance for 100 yards and chance of a touchdown; maybe three receptions though… All joking aside, there is no CB who can stick with Jackson's speed deep, but it is always a matter of if he and his QB can connect. There is always risk with D-Jack, but there is always a chance at reward too. |
Out of the listed matchups above, here are some of my favorite plays of the week…
ELITE PLAYS:
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Julio Jones ($9,400 on DraftKings) vs. Anyone on Tampa Bay.
As I stated above, Jones is a great matchup against anyone, so there is no reason to shy away from anyone on Tampa Bay here. He is expensive, yes, but he torched the Buccaneers in two games last season.
Allen Robinson ($8,300 on DraftKings) vs. Sam Shields.
Robinson is one of the more affordable elite options this week and has looked fresher than ever this preseason. He may not score 14 touchdowns again in 2016, but I guaranteed it will not be for lack of targets.
AFFORDABLE PLAYS:
Sammy Watkins ($6,900 on DraftKings) vs. Jimmy Smith.
The only thing ever holding Watkins back is his health. His speed should allow him to slip past the slower, more physical Smith a few times on Sunday, making a high value play for Week 1.
Doug Baldwin ($6,600 on DraftKings) vs. Tony Lippett.
Baldwin lit the league on fire down the stretch of last season and there is no reason to believe that he and Russell Wilson won’t pickup where they left off. Tony Lippett and the shoddy Miami secondary should prove to be no match for Baldwin in Week 1. It should also be noted that he probably has the best value in terms of potential production to price tag this week.
BARGAIN PLAYS:
Michael Crabtree ($5,500 on Draft Kings) vs. PJ Williams.
For all of the reasons I listed above, Crabtree should be considered every bit as much as the WR1 in this Raiders offense as Amari Cooper is. His $5,500 DraftKings price tag is disrespectful if you ask me, especially considering he is taking on a defense that finished last season as maybe the worst in league history. Play Crabtree with confidence in Week 1.
Sterling Shepard ($4,900 on DraftKings) vs. Brandon Carr
I outlined it pretty well I feel in the chart above. Carr just doesn’t matchup with the rookie Shepard well this week. His $4,900 price point in DraftKings is more than affordable if you are looking for a cheap flex play to round out your roster.