While most of you have already finished drafting your season long lineups, there is still plenty of fantasy fun to be had. Don’t sit back and relax just yet. After an atrocious amount of injuries in the preseason, combined with returns and court dramatics, fans have been waiting for what seems like forever for opening week. If you are like me and you play Daily Fantasy, the season is your oyster, every day is a chance to start over. A new team every week and multiple entries make every game exciting. Never a dull moment. Why not do the best of both worlds? Season long and Daily!
The following five are my top running backs in the daily fantasy format, as well as my thoughts on week 1. Unlike standard leagues, there is a salary cap and players salaries vary from week to week. Depending on the site, the format for the roster may be different.
Note: Le’Veon Bell is not included in my rankings at this time because of his two-game suspension. He will be back in the mix in week 3.
1. Adrian Peterson– (Min@SF)
Suspended since week 2 of the 2014 season, Peterson is back on the field and the expectations couldn’t be higher. In 2012, Peterson got the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award after coming back eight months after an ACL and MCL tear. Let’s face it, Peterson is a “freak”. It is not often that the term “freak is used”, Randy Moss comes to mind, but Peterson is a rare breed. His ability to rebound from an ACL/MCL tear in that time frame and barely miss a beat speaks volumes. His agility, size, and pure athleticism are fascinating. Draftkings has Peterson going for $7,700, Fanduel at a whopping $9,200.
2. Jamaal Charles– (KC@Hou)
Coming off three straight 1000-yard seasons, no reason to think Charles won’t have a beast year. His ability to read a defense, combined with his speed and strength overpower the opponent. At only 28 years old, Charles is by far the top RB in the league. With an upgraded offensive line, Charles looks to head to his 5th straight Pro-Bowl. Draftkings has Charles #1 going for $7,900. Fanduel has Charles going #2 at $8,900.
3. Matt Forte- (GB@Chi)
Entering the final year in his contract with Chicago, look for Forte to be playing like his next contract depends on it. One of Cutler’s main weapons, at 29 Forte shows no signs of slowing down. Even though, Forte has been sitting at the top list of RB’s for the last few years, he is seemingly underrated, most likely due to who is handing off the ball. Forte is going 2nd currently for RB’s on Draftkings at $7,800. Fanduel has Forte at #3, going for $8,800.
4. Eddie Lacy– (GB@Chi)
Rolling into his 3rd year in the league, Lacy is off to the races. The 25-year old has the speed, power, and the capacity to run over the opponent with vigor. With Jordy Nelson out with an ACL tear, Lacy figures to be one of Rodgers main weapons. Furthermore, if he stays healthy, look for him to have a Pro-Bowl caliber year. He is going for $7,500 on Draftkings and he is all the way at # 7 on Fanduel for $8,500.
5. Marshawn Lynch – (Sea@Stl)
Coming off a devastating loss in the SuperBowl, Lynch will have no problem rebounding and staying true to his “Beastmode” ways. The Oakland native and 5X Pro-Bowler should rebound nicely, with a slight chip on his shoulder. Lynch is one of the best in the game, his ability to break tackles, catch the ball and block make him a fearsome opponent. Lynch is at # 7 on Draftkings at $7,300 and # 5 on Fanduel at $8,600.
Secondary:
C.J. Anderson: Draftkings-$7,000/ Fanduel-$8,400 (Bal@Den)
DeMarco Murray: Draftkings- $6,700/ Fanduel $8,500 (Phi@Atl)
Jeremy Hill : Draftkings- $7,100/ Fanduel- $8,600 (Cin@Oak)
My thoughts:
Stay away from:
Adrian Peterson and Jamaal Charles
Peterson is a steal on Draftkings at $7,700, but a rip off on Fanduel for $9,200. Peterson has not fared well against San Francisco in the past, if that holds true, that is a big chunk of change to waste. But, at $7,700, you can take a risk that this may be the game Peterson turns it around on SF. I don’t predict Peterson looking rusty. Furthermore, he will be looking to prove that a year off did not take anything off his legs. Yes, on DK, no on Fanduel.
Similar to Peterson, I would stay away from Charles on Fanduel. Charles is going up against a solid Houston D. Any defense led by aberration J.J.Watt is a dangerous one. They have a healthy Brian Cushing at inside linebacker and OL Jadeveon Clowney looks to make his first appearance as a Houston Texan. I would stay away from any RB against the Texans in Week 1.
Bargains:
Eddie Lacy is a steal. At $7,500 on Draftkings and just $8,500 on Fanduel Lacy is a go for this week against the Bears. Lacy should have no problem running all over the Bears who are projected to be one of the worst teams in football this year. Rodgers will want to prove that he is 100% and that they can survive wiothout Nelson. I predict a high scoring game for Green Bay.
Jeremy Hill against the Raiders. This is a no-brainer. He is a bargain on both sites. The game should be a close one, but the Bengals will look to get on the board early. Look for Hill to get plenty of opportunities.
Demarco Murray is my underrated player of the week. He is low valued on both sites. Experts are nervous to take a gamble because of the wear and tear put on his body last season as a member of the Cowboys. However, I believe that a change of scenery is going to be quite beneficial to the 27-year-old Vegas native. Murray will undoubtedly fit right in with Chip Kelly’s fast-paced offense.
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