Fantasy football drafts around the world are nearing completion as we enter the final week before live NFL regular season action. You've done the research. Your team is assembled. You know who to start/sit heading into Week 1. What if I told you all of that fantasy football knowledge could earn you $100,000 next weekend? Here's how:
FanDuel is running the NFL Sunday Million contest with $1 Million in prizes for NFL Week 1. Yeah, that's not a typo: One. Million. Dollars ... including $100k going to first, $40k to second, $20k to third and tiered payouts from there all the way down to the 8,000th finisher.
It costs only $25 to join, presenting the opportunity to gain an incredible return on your investment and showcase your superior fantasy football acumen.
How does the contest work?
The contest runs for Week 1 games only, and will finalize after the SD @ ARI game Monday night.
You receive a fictitious salary cap of $60,000 to allocate over nine roster spots (QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, TE, K, DEF).
Each player is assigned a salary based on their projections and past performance. For example, Peyton Manning is the most expensive QB at $10,100 while a "middle of the road" QB like his brother, Eli Manning, costs just $6,600.
Your goal is to strike the right combination of "value picks" (players with a lower salary/ranking but will perform amongst the elite that week) and "top studs" (expensive players who will live up to their billing).
You can scroll down to the "player picks" section as a primer of which players to target in this Week 1 contest. Also, check out the lineup above (intended only as a sample) as a guide on how to allocate your salary and build a quality team.
What if I want to practice before joining real-money contests?
No problem. FanDuel offers plenty of free contests to join for fun, bragging rights or the ability to build your lineup-making skills.
You can also enter a variety of other contests from every buy-in level. This includes free games, $1, $5 and so on up to $500+ games. The contest types include:
Head-to-head leagues: Play against another user in a classic mono-a-mono fantasy showdown.
50/50 leagues and Double Ups: Finish in the top 50 percent of these leagues and double your money. These contests are nice because it only takes an "above average" lineup to win.
Tournaments: These contests offer the highest payouts (like the NFL Sunday Million listed above). You'll have to fend off hundreds and sometimes thousands of other players, but the rewards can be quite lucrative for a relatively small entry fee.
Week 1 Player Picks
As mentioned earlier, you will need to find a blend of value picks and top studs to field a quality team on FanDuel. Staying true to that theme, the following player picks are categorized as such, starting with the value plays that should enable you to reach up for some of the coveted top talent.
VALUE PLAYS
Andre Ellington - RB - ARI ($6,800): It remains to be seen just how much the Cardinals will use Ellington, but the good news is he doesn't require too many touches to put up a monstrous fantasy line. If Bruce Arians decides to give Ellington a full complement of carries, his upside is limitless.
Ryan Tannehill - QB - MIA ($6,500): Tannehill has been pegged as a late-round QB sleeper by many season-long fantasy players, and that sentiment carries into Week 1 against New England. The Dolphins may be playing "catch-up" in this game, forcing Tannehill to air out the deep ball. He racked up 312 yards and three TD's against the Patriots late last season.
Toby Gerhart - RB - JAC ($6,100): Gerhart will be the workhorse for Jacksonville this year, something that goes a long way considering we are in the age of "running back by committee.” The projected workload weighs heavily when determining daily fantasy value, making Gerhart's likely 20-plus carries intriguing.
Rueben Randle - WR - NYG ($5,500): Randle figures to play a key role in the Giants' short passing game, supplying him with plenty of targets against a Detroit secondary that allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing WR's in 2013.
Zach Ertz - TE - PHI ($4,500): The Eagles are expecting big things from Ertz this season, and we could potentially see why in a friendly matchup against Jacksonville, who ranked second-worst in terms of fantasy points allowed to opposing TE's in 2013.
TOP PLAYS
Jamaal Charles - RB - KC ($9,800): He receives more touches than any other player in the NFL. With Dwayne Bowe ruled out for Week 1, Charles should play an even larger role in the KC offense. You will likely have to fill out your WR slots with value plays to "reach up" for Charles, but he has a great opportunity against a Titans team that ranked 29th in fantasy points against RB's last season.
Calvin Johnson - WR - DET ($9,200): The only thing that can slow down Calvin Johnson is the injury bug. Fortunately for fantasy enthusiasts, Megatron is healthy and ready to roll out another 100-plus yard performance against the Giants. If you can fit his mega-salary into your lineup (by surrounding him with the cheap RB plays), don't hesitate.
Colin Kaepernick - QB - SF ($8,500): The Cowboys are a defense to pick on for daily fantasy purposes. Dallas ranked dead last in total yards allowed last season, and improvement to begin 2014 is unlikely. Expect Kaep's dual-threat ability to be on full display en route to a handsome fantasy line.
A.J. Green - WR - CIN ($8,300): Green can be considered a "core play" for your week 1 lineups, given he's such a reliable target and an extraordinary red zone threat. He toasted the Ravens for eight receptions, 151 yards and one touchdown last year. Replicating those numbers seems within the realm of possibilities.
Montee Ball - RB - DEN ($8,000): Knowshon Moreno is out of Denver, dubbing Ball as the primary ball carrier in the Broncos' explosive offense. A full compliment of carries, goal-line touches, and dump passes makes Ball a top five fantasy back based on supply alone.
A few parting tips ...
Don't spend more than you have to on a kicker! There are plenty of viable kicking options sitting around the minimum of $4,500-$5,000. Find a kicker going against a mediocre (or worse) defense, playing in a dome or other friendly weather conditions. Greg Zuerlein (STL) fits the bill for Week 1.
Focus on matchup potential when selecting a defense. The New York Jets may not be the best defense to acquire in season-long league given their questionable secondary. However, they have a nice matchup at home against a weak Oakland offense. They are a decent value considering the $5,000 price tag.
Download the FanDuel App FREE from the App Store. It is truly the best way to monitor your teams, and you can join a contest/set a lineup from anywhere!
