T$'s Week 1 Fantasy Football Streamers and DFS Plays

Howdy gang! Football is back! Yes Lawd!! I should come up with a consistent content schedule - and one day I will - but until I find a groove in my travel schedule, you’re going to have to get it how I live. Honestly, there will only be a handful of cats that read this anyway so I ain’t tripping. And if I’m being real with ya, I’m doing this ish for me more than I’m doing it for you anyway. So with that being said, allow me to talk myself into a few Week 1 season long streamers and cash game daily fantasy plays.

My man Phillip “Philly” Rivers is squaring off against the Kansas City Chiefs defense on Sunday and he’s licking his fingers like they’re smothered and covered in some KC Masterpiece BBQ sauce. I’m actually a homemade BBQ sauce type of guy, but if I do purchase sauce, it’s Sweet Baby Ray’s all day, err’day. I just had to use the KC Masterpiece because we’re talking about the Kansas City but I digress. The 2017 Chiefs were one of the worst defenses in yards given up and now Marcus Peters is holding it down with Aquib Talib in LaLa Land. Look for Philly Rivers to grill, smoke and “whatever other BBQ reference you want to use” the Chiefs secondary on Sunday making him a solid cash game play in Daily Fantasy (Yahoo $31/ DraftKings $6400) though his salary is right at the cusp of being cash game viable for me. (I’m a baller on a budget when it comes to cash game QBs)

Can’t believe I’m including the “Ginger Fist” in this list, but yes, Andy Dalton (Yahoo $25/ DraftKings $5800) is one of my cash game/ streamer plays this week. We know Dalton has finished as a Top 5 fantasy QB before, but in most recent history, all he’s ever done is give us the “Ginger Fist” when we needed him most. So why would I depend on the Red Rifle in the first week of the fantasy season, you ask?! Well, because 1) I eat pain and suffering like Scooby Snacks for breakfast and 2) Dalton has a match up so good that he “shouldn’t” mess it up but the chances of him messing up are higher than you’d like - thus the “Ginger Fist” nickname. The Colts secondary is Team “No Brakes” because they couldn’t stop a damn thang in 2017 and I’m not expecting much improvement in ‘18. So with Dalton heading into a sneaky shootout with AJ Green, John Ross, a healthy Tyler Eifert and Joe Mixon’s pass catching ability out of the backfield, well...he better do what he’s supposed to do or apply vaseline generously….

If you know me, you know I’m a Stanford homer so don’t be surprised to see my boy, Run CMC, on this list. Christian McCaffrey (Yahoo $25/ DraftKings $6400) doesn’t have an amazing match up this Sunday vs the Cowboys but his usage should be off the hook, off the chain. In the 3rd preseason game, the Panthers gave Wild Caff - the worst nickname ever given to a Heisman Trophy candidate - 10 touches in the 1st drive of the game including some short yardage carries. Folks are worried about CJ Anderson vulturing carries and TDs in the Jonathon Stewart role - and we all know what Cam does in the red zone - but it seems like Carolina wants Run CMC to relive his Stanford, workhorse days. Now I don’t anticipate him getting as many touches as his college days but the anticipated increased volume at his price point makes him a no-brainer in cash games this week.

James Conner (Yahoo $11/ DraftKings $4500). No reason for me to waste a lot of words on this. Lev Bell isn’t playing. Poop Emoji weather is on the horizon. Conner is going to get all the carries. And in case you forgot, DeAngelo Williams got busy whenever he filled in for LeVeon in years past. Just Do It!

After watching tape and listening to folks I respect a lot, I’m on the Emmanuel Sanders train. Sanders (Yahoo $19/ DraftKings $5000) has been getting That Work in the slot and we all saw how Case Keenum loved to throw to his slot receivers in Minny last year. On top of that, the Broncos are facing a Seahawks defense that’s only intimidating in name alone. No Richard Sherman. No KJ Wright. No Michael Bennett. No problem for Manny Sanders to provide enough value for those price points given his number of projected targets. I’ll give you a hint; he received 8 targets in the 3rd preseason game.

I was on the Dede Westbrook train last year so that allowed me to peep the silly stats Keelan Cole was putting up at the end of the 2017 season first hand. Cole (Yahoo $11/ DraftKings $3800) was already starting for the Jags in ‘18 and now that Marqise Lee is out for the season, he should become the lead Jag in the WR corp. Now don’t get it twisted, Moncrief and Westbrook are going to get their burn, but even with that being the case, he should get enough targets to justify his price point on both daily fantasy sites. Now with that being said, I wouldn’t recommend rolling him out comfortably for season long yet, but he has a scrumpdiddiliumptious match up against the Giants’ pass defense this week.

I have Jordan Reed (Yahoo $19/ DraftKings $4000) on a couple season long teams and if you’ve ever owned Jordan Reed in fantasy football, you know one thing: play the dude when the dude is healthy. He’s healthy this week so squeeze every bit of juice out of him while he’s on the field because you’re not guaranteed tomorrow. Trust me!!

Jack Doyle (Yahoo $16/ DraftKings $3600) was the lead target for the Colts last year and I anticipate him receiving beaucoup targets in 2018 as well. Captain Andrew Luck is returning from a wounded side arm so I expect him to lean on his underneath receivers heavily as he continues to work his way back. Doyle led the Colts in red zone targets last year and his head coach, Frank Reich, was the only guy who targeted his tight end (Zach Ertz) more within 15 yards of the line of scrimmage. Those good ‘ol Warren Sharp nuggets of wisdom right there. O’Doyle Rules!!

In Yahoo DFS, I’m rolling with the Green Bay Packers D/ST at $12. I’ve heard all about the anticipated improvement of the Bears offense and it could be valid. Yet, you have to show me something before I put much weight into a hypothesis and Mitchapalooza really hasn’t shown me ish. Plus, the Packers drafted two corners I really liked in the draft, signed some key free agents and have a new defensive coordinator who should be able to get the most out of this unit. I anticipate a much improved defense in Green Bay and these boys are playing at home on Sunday Night Football. I’ll roll the dice for this price.

DraftKings has the Patriots D/ST priced at $2400. I understand DeShaun Watson played his ass off against the Pats last year but I don’t believe it warrants this much of a discount. Even though the Pats gave up a ton of yards last year, Bill Belichick’s defense only relinquished 18.5 points per game which ranked 5th in the league. Now if you can secure that caliber defense for Value Meal prices, how you gonna pass that up on in cash games?! Best believe the kid won’t!