Whats’s up everyone! Welcome into my first NFL Building Blocks of the season. In this article I will highlight my top graded plays for cash games. If you are interested in my cash game core plays + final thoughts cheat sheet for every main slate, you can click here.
Quarterback
Lamar Jackson- Jackson is the clear top Quarterback both in price and fantasy projection, carrying over from his monster 2019. He gets the Cleveland Browns at home who are without several key defensive starters. He posted nearly 30 DraftKings points per game against the Browns last season in two meetings. He is a tough fit on DraftKings due to the lack of value, but can easily be plugged into your main team on FanDuel.
Cam Newton- I expect QB ownership to be pretty spread out on DK, but the guy I’m focused on is Cam Newton. I’m higher on him than a lot of people this season, and I fully expect Josh McDaniels to be able to tailor this offense to his skillset on the fly. I think Matt Ryan is likely to feature high-ownership due to his ability to routinely reach the 300+ yard passing bonus. I think he’s a strong play in all formats, but with so many QB’s adding value on the ground these days it’s hard for me to roster one in cash that is a 0 with his legs. Now, we don’t know if Cam will run much at all in this offense, but we do know that with uncertainty at RB he is a solid bet to at least try to take it himself in the red zone. The Dolphins project to be one of the worst defenses in the NFL again this season, and I ultimately think Newton is just too cheap.
Other Options: Matt Ryan, Dwayne Haskins (punt)
Running Back
Christian McCaffrey- McCaffrey, like Lamar, needs no introduction after leading this position in snaps and touches last season. There is some uncertainty with it being a new offense, but Joe Brady should actually call an even more fantasy-friendly offense. They’re most likely going to play fast, and I expect this game to shootout. With so much unknown in terms of players touches being monitored throughout the league, betting on the safety of McCaffrey is something I can’t imagine fading. I actually think he will be sub-50% owned in cash games come Sunday.
Josh Jacobs- The Jacobs train has picked up steam as the week has progressed, and he’s now expected to be one of the highest-owned players on the slate. The problem is, it’s really hard to argue against him in this spot against the Panthers. Carolina lost seemingly every competent starter on defense, and they are coming off a season in which they allowed over 30 DraftKings points per game to opposing Running Backs. I don’t often play RB’s facing each other in cash games, but this week is different due to his cheap price tag.
Boston Scott- DFS players have been starved for value all week, and that changed on Saturday afternoon when news broke that Miles Sanders would sit out this first game. Scott is expected to lead the backfield in touches, with only Corey Clement and Jason Huntley behind him — Huntley was signed less than a week ago off of waivers. Scott is an explosive athlete that played extremely well down the stretch behind Sanders in 2019. He actually averaged 17 DK points per game over his last five contests, and is a plus in the passing game. I am concerned with how banged up this Philly offensive line is, but Scott is easily the top value play on the slate.
Other Options: Antonio Gibson, Alvin Kamara, Joe Mixon
Wide Receiver
Davante Adams- Adams totaled over 120 targets in 2019 despite missing a month of the season due to injury. The Packers responded by choosing not to draft a receiver, or sign any notable free agents. Adams is one of the best bets to lead the NFL in targets, and is too cheap priced at $7,300 on DraftKings. He has a strong history against Mike Zimmer’s defense, and will probably be the highest-owned receiver on DK.
Navigating the Mid-Tier- The mid-tier on DK is absolutely loaded, and I really think that this is where you will win Week 1. Making the right decisions in this $5,000-6,000 price range will be crucial. Here is a list of everyone that I have graded as cash game playable in that range…
DK Metcalf, Terry McLaurin, Marvin Jones, Marquise Brown, Henry Ruggs. That’s FIVE guys that are all in play for me. I’m not going to break each one of the down individually, but I just want you to know that if you feel strongly about one of those players you can 100% play them. Ruggs is a guy I’m choosing to take a stand, and I’ll talk about him below. Hollywood Brown gets a bump in matchup with Greedy Williams out for the Browns. He will still see a lot of Denzel Ward, but it would be nice to have some exposure to the top team total if I can’t force in Lamar on DK. Ultimately, I will update my decision in my Final Thoughts sheet posted on Saturday night.
Henry Ruggs- I’m taking a stand with Ruggs in Week 1 and will be well overweight to the field. He’s a freak athlete with top of the line speed, but is not a deep threat receiver like he’s made out to be. He did most of his damage after the catch at Alabama, and I think that Jon Gruden will look to get the ball in his hands often in the short/intermediate areas of the field. I already discussed how bad this Panthers defense projects to be after losing tons of talent in the offseason, and Ruggs and the Raiders can take advantage of that in Week 1.
Tight End
Spending up?- I never spend up at Tight End in cash games, but both George Kittle and Mark Andrews find themselves in smash match-ups. On DraftKings, I’m ruling out spending up entirely. However, on FanDuel, where salary is looser, it is a viable strategy. Kittle faces the worst TE-defense from last season and should be counted on more than usual with Deebo Samuel out. Andrews and the Ravens have the highest implied team total on the slate, and he should feast on the Browns suspect linebackers.
Logan Thomas- I’m personally completely skipping the mid-tier on DK and going shopping in the bargain bin. Everyone that follows me knows I have a thing for ultra-athletic Tight Ends, and Thomas is one of them. A former college QB, Thomas is best comparable to Austin Seferian-Jenkins per PlayerProfiler. He reportedly has really strong chemistry with Dwayne Haskins, and the Eagles are another team with a suspect group of linebackers. At only $2,800, he doesn’t need to do much to beat value and it helps me jump $1,000 or so at another position.
Written by Ben Hossler (Follow @BenHossler on Twitter)
