Figuring out value on who to slot into your DFS lineups can be quite difficult. You may have to sacrifice one position for another and hope for your sleeper pick to ball out. I will share with you my opinions on value at each position and why I believe a certain player should or shouldn’t be in your lineup:

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Quarterbacks to highly consider starting:

($$$$) Aaron Rodgers vs. Chicago Bears:
RosterWatch Matchup Tool Rating: 5th best
DraftKings – $8600
FanDuel – $9700

I know, I know – an obvious, chalky pick and he comes with a steep price. Keep in mind that the Bears ranked 30th in the league last year against opposing quarterbacks. Rodgers has Randall Cobb, and even though Jordy Nelson is out for the season, sophomore wide receiver Davante Adams is primed to have an explosive year.

($$) Ryan Tannehill vs. Washington Redskins:
RosterWatch Matchup Tool Rating: 2nd best
DraftKings – $7400
FanDuel – $8000

Tannehill has never been that ‘sure start’-caliber player, but the Miami Dolphins made sure to upgrade his protection and stock him up with dangerous weapons this offseason. These weapons consist of Lamar Miller, Kenny Stills, Greg Jennings, Jarvis Landry, Jordan Cameron and DeVante Parker. There are so many options for Tannehill to throw to and to ultimately score touchdowns. The Redskins were dead last in the NFL last year against opposing quarterbacks, so Tannehill is a viable option, especially if money is tight.

Quarterbacks to avoid:

($$$) Peyton Manning vs. Baltimore Ravens:
RosterWatch Matchup Tool Rating: 12th best
DraftKings – $8200
FanDuel – $9100

Manning is usually a safe-bet pick, especially with one of the best wide receivers in the league on his offense. Not in this case, though. Manning showed toward the end of last season that he is indeed on a decline. With his starting left tackle on IR and a rookie as the next man up, Manning could be in for a neck-jolting nightmare. Terrell Suggs against a rookie left tackle will not be pretty. Aside from Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders, Manning does not have a convincing wide receiving corps. The Ravens ranked 16th last season against quarterbacks, but that was without starting cornerback Jimmy Smith and Lardarius Webb was banged up for a few games as well. I’m avoiding Manning this week, especially with the hefty price tag.

($$) Joe Flacco vs. Denver Broncos:
RosterWatch Matchup Tool Rating: 12th worst
DraftKings – $6700
FanDuel – $8200

Flacco has one of the worst wide receiving corps in the NFL. His best target will be Steve Smith Sr., who will be matched up against a Top 5 cornerback in Chris Harris Jr. The Ravens invested a first round pick in Breshad Perriman, who is doubtful for the game. Starting opposite of Steve Smith Sr. will be Kamar Aiken, are you comfortable with that? Not me. The Broncos defense is arguably the best in the league, especially with Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware coming off the edge. Flacco is not worth a start, even with his cheap price.

Running Backs to highly consider starting:

($$$) Jeremy Hill vs. Oakland Raiders:
RosterWatch Matchup Tool Rating: 12th worst
DraftKings – $7100
FanDuel – $8600

Hill is a monster and is poised to have an awesome year and he is behind a pretty good offensive line. While the RosterWatch Matchup Tool shows the Oakland defensive front as greatly improved in run-stopping, the Raiders ranked dead last season against opposing running backs and their only proven threat is Khalil Mack. Hill should have a monster game and comes with a reasonable price.

($$) Chris Ivory vs. Cleveland Browns:
RosterWatch Matchup Tool Rating: The best
DraftKings – $4100
FanDuel – $6400

Ivory has not been a huge threat in the running game for the Jets in past years, but that is because he was never ‘the guy’. Well, this year is Ivory’s year and with Geno Smith out of football until he returns from his broken jaw, Ivory could see increased snaps. Ivory has had an exceptional preseason and with the coaching staff’s confidence should continue that into the regular season. Against a Browns defense who ranked 20th last season against running backs, Ivory could be a cheap option to possibly be a boom selection. He’ll have low-percentage ownership in DrafKings as it scores one point-per-reception and Ivory is not known as a threat out of the backfield.

Running Backs to avoid:

Cowboys and Rams running backs: These teams have no idea who is starting for them week 1 and may use a committee system in their backfield. I would not trust any of these team’s running backs. Better options out there.

($$) Joique Bell vs. San Diego Chargers:
RosterWatch Matchup Tool Rating: 10th best
DraftKings – $5200
FanDuel – $6500

Bell spent the entire preseason on the physically unable to perform list. He was a full participant at practice this week but it remains to be seen if Bell will get a workhorse load of touches with Abdullah on the come up. Bell is a cheap option but I don’t see the ‘boom’ possibility with him. I would explore elsewhere.

Wide Receivers to highly consider:

($$$$) Odell Beckham Jr. vs. Dallas Cowboys:
RosterWatch Matchup Tool Rating: 10th best
DraftKings – $9200
FanDuel – $8900

Is Beckham worth the steep price tag? He is if you’re willing to go cheaper in other areas. There is always EPIC boom potential with Beckham. He was eighth in the league in red zone targets as a rookie. Beckham missed the first four games of last season and ended up 5th in wide receiver points. Against a suspect Cowboys secondary that is missing its top cornerback in Orlando Scandrick, Beckham should ball out. Rolando McClain and Greg Hardy are also suspended, so there will be less pressure on Eli Manning than usual. Victor Cruz will miss this game, so Beckham will be leaned on even more. He’s always had big games against the Cowboys in his young career.

Wide Receivers to avoid:

($$) Sammy Watkins vs. Indianapolis Colts:
RosterWatch Matchup Tool Rating: 2nd worst
DraftKings – $7000
FanDuel – $7600

With Tyrod Taylor at quarterback and LeSean McCoy at running back, I don’t see a boom pick here. He will have an average game, especially coming off a hip injury. The Colts were 4th in the league against opposing wide receivers last season. With a suspect run defense, I think Rex Ryan will run the wheels off of McCoy. There are better and cheaper options than Watkins this week.

($$$) Mike Evans vs. Tennessee Titans:
RosterWatch Matchup Tool Rating: 14th best
DraftKings – $7700
FanDuel – $8300

Don’t get me wrong, this is probably a good matchup for Evans, but his health is a huge concern. Hamstrings are extremely likely to reoccur and his status for the Week 1 matchup is questionable. He remained sidelined for Thursday’s practice. With Jameis Winston not yet shining brightly either, it would be tough to go with Evans, especially with his price. Go with a cheaper, more reliable option.

Tight Ends to highly consider:

($) Greg Olsen vs. Jacksonville Jaguars:
RosterWatch Matchup Tool Rating: 6th best
DraftKings – $5300
FanDuel – $5900

Totally worth the asking price, he’ll be the top option on the RosterWatch Two-Step DFS Cheat Sheet that will be available for download to PRO subscribers on Saturday. Olsen is in for an awesome year. He may lead his team in targets with Kelvin Benjamin out for the year. The Jaguars were 19th in the league last year against tight ends. I would jump on Olsen.

($) Delanie Walker vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
RosterWatch Matchup Tool Rating: 8th best
DraftKings – $3400
FanDuel – $5400

Tampa Bay allowed the seventh-most yards and the second-most receptions to tight ends last season. Walker could be in for a huge game if Mariota is on. With a suspect wide receiving corps in Tennessee, Mariota could find a favorite target in Walker.

Tight Ends to avoid:

($) Vernon Davis vs. Minnesota Vikings:
RosterWatch Matchup Tool Rating: 5th worst
DraftKings – $3100
FanDuel – $5300

Davis was horrible last year, only eclipsing 40 yards once – and he only had 2 touchdowns all season. That trend will likely continue. The Vikings ranked 8th against tight ends last season. I would avoid Davis at all costs.

($) Jermaine Gresham vs. New Orleans Saints:
RosterWatch Matchup Tool Rating: 12th best
DraftKings – $2800
FanDuel – N/A

According to ESPN.com, “Carson Palmer has thrown to his tight ends in Arizona on just 16.9 percent of his attempts over the past two seasons, registering a lowly 52.5 QBR in the process”. That is not convincing at all. Furthermore, Bruce Arians has told RosterWatch that he likes his tight ends to block. Gresham is also not high on the Cardinals depth chart. Furthermore, Gresham is dealing with a hamstring, which kept him limited in practice Wednesday. He’s a must-avoid in daily despite what appears to be a reasonable matchup.

D/ST to highly consider:

($) Miami Dolphins vs. Washington Redskins:
DraftKings – $3000
FanDuel – $4700

I have the Dolphins D/ST is almost all of my standard leagues. Their first five games should be cake for them. The Redskins ranked 29th in the league last year against D/ST and the much-improved Dolphins should thrive against a turnover-prone QB in Kirk Cousins.

($$) Seattle Seahawks vs. St. Louis Rams:
DraftKings – $3400
FanDuel – $5000

This is usually an obvious defense to choose, but the Seahawks have a good matchup. The Rams offensive line is extremely suspect and their wide receivers are shitty nowhere near top-notch. Todd Gurley and maybe even Tre Mason will miss this game; the Seahawks should be a no-brainer if you have the money. For players playing in larger tournaments, you’ll need to have a defense that goes off to have any chance at taking down the grand prize, and the Seahawks give you your best chance of making sure that roster spot is a strong one.

D/ST to avoid:

($) San Francisco 49ers vs. Minnesota Vikings:
DraftKings – $2800
FanDuel – $4600

Being against the 49ers here, I like the Vikings offense a lot, too. I don’t have much faith in Colin Kaepernick, his offensive line, or his targets. The Vikings have a much-improved Teddy Bridgewater, Adrian Peterson, Kyle Rudolph, and a decent wide receiving corps. The 49ers have had arguably the worst offseason in history.

Chris’ Bang-For-Your-Buck picks (** denotes favorites):

Matthew Stafford, QB

Sam Bradford, QB

Doug Martin, RB

Tevin Coleman, RB

Isaiah Crowell, RB

**Alfred Blue, RB

**Golden Tate, WR

Amari Cooper, WR

Allen Robinson, WR

Kendall Wright, WR

**Davante Adams, WR

Nelson Agholor, WR

**Rueben Randle, WR

Terrance Williams, WR

Kyle Rudolph, TE

Larry Donnell, TE

**Tyler Eifert, TE

Chris’ Don’t Waste Your Money Picks (**denotes strong dislike):

Collin Kaepernick, QB

Giovani Bernard, RB

**CJ Spiller, RB

Brandon Marshall, WR

**Victor Cruz, WR

**Breshad Perriman, WR

Dwayne Bowe, WR

Owen Daniels, TE

Rob Housler, TE

**Nick Novak, K

Josh Lambo, K

Brandon Bogotay, K

**Dustin Hopkins, K

**Caleb Sturgis, K

**Josh Brown, K

Tom Obarski, K

Andrew Franks, K

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