PRESENTED BY DRAFT KINGS: Free $100,000 Fantasy Football Contest. Week 1 Quarterback Preview
We’re only two weeks away from the NFL season finally kicking off and seeing how our fantasy teams perform. Draft Kings is giving you the opportunity use your Fantasy Football knowledge to win a share of $100,000 in prizes during Week 1 absolutely free.
Picking the right quarterback is going to be a key to winning the $10,000 first place prize, which we’ll discuss in-depth below.
But first, here’s who we’re picking and why:
Taking Colin Kaepernick as your fantasy quarterback for an entire season is a risk, but against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 1 he should be in for a huge day. The Dallas defense is in shambles and with Kaepernick's ability to run and pass, he figures to give the Cowboy unit nightmares all game.
Meanwhile, the pairing of Alshon Jeffery and Brandon Marshall are going to get a massive amount of targets all season. Grabbing them against the Buffalo Bills who lost safety Jairus Byrd in free agency is a wise play. The Pittsburgh Steelers defense gives you great bang for your buck in this format and they should have little trouble shutting down a Brian Hoyer-led offense minus Josh Gordon.
Lastly, with all the attention DeSean Jackson, Pierre Garcon and Andre Roberts figure to attract in Washington, tight end Jordan Reed provides a nice outlet against the Houston Texans.
Picking a Quarterback against a Salary Cap.
You only have $50k to spend on nine players, and Manning is priced at $10,100 for Week 1. That’s a pretty sizeable chunk of your budget.
Player salaries are determined based on a combination of past and expected future performance, so Manning at the top is pretty unsurprising. So, how do you best use your cap space?
Well, your best bet is find guys like the aforementioned Kaepernick, who’s only the eighth most expensive quarterback this week. It’s all about finding that value.
Andrew Luck has shown great progress in his first two NFL seasons and with a healthy Reggie Wayne and new signee Hakeem Nicks, this could be the year he makes the leap into elite territory. The Broncos are going to score points against the Colts, and this one could easily turn into a shootout. If the Colts fall behind early, look for Luck to lead an aerial assault and put up some nice numbers in the process.