Football season is back, and so is daily fantasy.
Every week, we’ll be breaking down each position, giving you the information you’ll need to select the best daily fantasy team you can on Sunday.
Today, it’s the running backs (all prices courtesy of DraftKings):
DraftKings’ Top-10 running backs for Week 1:
- Todd Gurley ($7,800)
- Adrian Peterson ($7,600)
- David Johnson ($7,500)
- Ezekiel Elliot ($7,300)
- DeAngelo Williams ($7,000)
- Lamar Miller ($7,000)
- Devonta Freeman ($6,900)
- Eddie Lacy ($6,700)
- Mark Ingram ($6,600)
- LeSean McCoy ($6,400)
Best Value: Spencer Ware ($4,400)
If you don’t have Spencer Ware on your daily fantasy team this week, you’re making a massive mistake. At $4,400, Ware is the 48th most expensive running back in the NFL this week, and yet he could easily finish inside the top 10 in fantasy.
With Jamaal Charles already out for the week and with Charcandrick West dealing with an injury, too, Ware will be the starting running back on the league’s No. 1 rushing offense according to Football Outsiders’ DVOA. And he’ll be going up against the league’s 31st-ranked rushing defense, the San Diego Chargers.
Trust me, he’s going to put up numbers.
Most Overpriced: Thomas Rawls ($6,000)
Thomas Rawls was a revelation last season. An undrafted rookie, he averaged 5.6 yards per carry, had four 100-yard games and a 200-yard game in seven starts before his season was cut short by an ankle injury. And with Marshawn Lynch officially out of the picture, it looks to be his time to shine.
Unfortunately, there’s another back looking for some spotlight: Christine Michael.
With Rawls still not 100 percent, Michael has been named the Week 1 starter for the Seahawks and is coming in $2,300 cheaper than his backfield mate. If you’re going to select a Seattle running back this week, make sure it’s Michael, not Rawls.
Injury Corner: Carlos Hyde ($5,600)
There aren’t many things to be excited about on the San Francisco 49ers’ roster, but if there’s one guy you can consider for fantasy, it’s Carlos Hyde.
Coming into his third season, Hyde has shown flashes of talent, and as the only real option in the 49ers backfield, his upside is fairly high. Unfortunately, though, he’s currently dealing with a concussion and his status for Monday’s game is unknown.
You’ll want to keep a close eye on his status heading into Sunday.
Broncos Spotlight: C.J. Anderson ($5,900)
We should learn a lot about C.J. Anderson on Thursday.
The Broncos are going to need him to be a physical force this season, and it starts with him going up against one of the best rush defenses in the NFL. In the Super Bowl last year, Anderson rushed the ball 23 times for 90 yards (3.91 yards/rush) and a touchdown. If he duplicates those numbers this time around, he’ll have had a solid fantasy outing.
Be careful, though. We’re still not entirely clear on how Gary Kubiak plans to split the reps between Anderson and Devontae Booker. If he opts for more of a 50-50 timeshare, C.J.’s ceiling could be fairly low.
If you’re itching to get your fantasy season underway, make sure you sign up for DraftKings’ Week 1 Fantasy Football Millionaire Contest! They’re giving away $5 million in prizes, including $1 million to first place, and you can enter for free with your first deposit.
Spots are filling up fast, so enter now!
