To help you win in your daily fantasy football contests this weekend here are some suggested plays, along with their Fantasy Feud price tag, brought to you by Matt De Lima.
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QUARTERBACKS
ELITE
Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints vs ATL - $190,000
This matchup could end up unraveling into a shootout. The last time Drew Brees played Atlanta, he laid an egg, throwing five INTs. Look for a redemption game from him in this regular season home opener.
Robert Griffin III, Washington Redskins vs PHI - $164,700
The worst kept secret this preseason was that RG3 would be starting in Week 1. In his two games against Philly last season, he completed 77-percent of his passes for 398 yards, six TDs and one INT with another 88 rushing yards.
MID-TIER
Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts vs OAK - $134,800
Just about any player against the Raiders should be considered a potential option. Oakland finished among the bottom 10 in fantasy points allowed to QBs last year. Andrew Luck is at a steep discount here.
Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco 49ers vs GB - $137,100
If the Green Bay Packers couldn’t stop Kaepernick in the postseason, what has changed from then until now? Kaep went nuts against the Pack in that game by passing for 263 yards, two TDs and one INT. He also ran for 181 yards and two TDs.
BARGAIN
Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears vs CIN - $112,000
For those who may have spent a little too much money on RBs and WRs, Jay Cutler presents a nice value as the 18th-priced QB while ranking 13th in my Week 1 ranks. Cincinnati’s defense is underappreciated, but they have no answer for Brandon Marshall.
Alex Smith, Kansas City Chiefs at JAC - $103,700
Like the aforementioned Cutler, Alex Smith isn’t likely to dominate, but he should be able to outperform his modest 23rd-ranked pricing. I have Smith ranking 17th in Week 1 against the hapless Jags’ defense.
RUNNING BACKS
ELITE
Jamaal Charles, Kansas City Chiefs at JAC - $133,500
In keeping with the Chiefs theme, Jamaal Charles is a whopping $50K less than Adrian Peterson despite the Jaguars allowing the fourth-most fantasy points to RBs last year. Charles is poised for yet another big season.
LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia Eagles at WAS - $133,500
With the fantasy community cooling on Bryce Brown in recent weeks, LeSean McCoy’s mid-summer value is in stark contrast to his return to the Top 6 in most redraft leagues. If Chip Kelly’s offense is even half as good as Oregon, McCoy should have no problems returning to his old form.
MID-TIER
Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville Jaguars vs KC - $105,000
MJD’s Week 1 status is still up in the air and that is reflected in his price. Should he be able to play against the Chiefs, he is a RB1 with a RB2 price tag.
Steven Jackson, Atlanta Falcons at NO - $116,500
New Orleans finished dead-last in allowing the most fantasy points to RBs last year. They gave up the most total yards and second-most TDs en route to a disastrous year on defense. This should benefit Steven Jackson, who will have his freshest legs under him in Week 1.
BARGAIN
David Wilson, New York Giants at DAL - $84,700
A lot has changed for David Wilson in the last couple months. Andre Brown is out for at least two months and head coach Tom Coughlin has gone out of his way to praise the second-year runner. Dallas finished third to last in fantasy points allowed to RBs in 2012.
Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans at PIT - $93,300
Another back that has unfairly been punished for what turned out to be a very good ’12 campaign is CJ2K. Pittsburgh does have an above average defense, no surprises there, but Johnson only needs one big run to produce big fantasy stats.
WIDE RECEIVERS
ELITE
Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions vs MIN - $147,200
In case you hadn’t heard by now, Calvin Johnson is one of the most talented receivers in the history of the NFL. He’s a must-start nearly every week, regardless of the opponent. This week is no exception and it only helps that Minnesota finished 25th in fantasy points allowed to WRs.
Brandon Marshall, Chicago Bears vs CIN - $141,000
FantasyFeud only offers 0.5 points per reception; however, that won’t slow me down in my preference for Brandon Marshall. He should come close to 200 targets again this year. The Bengals are great against the pass though so be mindful of that.
MID-TIER
Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals at STL - $100,000
Head coach Bruce Arians did wonders for Andrew Luck last season and he might be able salvage Larry Fitzgerald’s numbers due to a heavy reliance on deep balls. Fitz remains one of the more physically-gifted receivers out there.
Pierre Garcon, Washington Redskins vs PHI- $94,000
In order for Pierre Garcon to really make the leap as a receiver, he needs RG3 to stay steady in the pocket more often in order to deliver the football. This No. 1 receiver only had 67 targets in ten contests and 6.7 targets per game must increase sharply.
BARGAIN
Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City Chiefs at JAC - $79,100
FantasyFeud has grossly undervalued the Chiefs’ playmakers considering their opponent. Bowe is a Top 15 to 20 WR, yet he is the listed with the 33rd priced. He should only get better with Andy Reid and Alex Smith at his disposal.
DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia Eagles at WAS - $88,600
The injury to Jeremy Maclin reawakens the imagination of fantasy owners in regards to DeSean Jackson. He’s been a fantasy non-factor for multiple years and now finally has the opportunity and offensive scheme to maximize his ability.
TIGHT ENDS
ELITE
Vernon Davis, San Francisco 49ers vs GB - $76,100
Colin Kaepernick will need to throw the ball someone not named Anquan Boldin. San Francisco likes to use Vernon Davis all across the formation to create mismatches. Pricing Davis $20K less than Tony Gonzalez offers an excellent value.
MID-TIER
Jared Cook, St. Louis Rams vs ARI - $65,200
Scott Chandler, of all people, is ranked ahead of Jared Cook, which just goes to show there are mistakes to be exploited on every daily fantasy site. Cook is a high-risk/high-reward play since he has yet to prove his chemistry with QB Sam Bradford.
BARGAIN
Zach Sudfeld, New England Patriots at BUF - $41,400
All through the offseason and preseason, Zach Sudfeld has made a name for himself. Largely floating under the radar until very recently, Sudfeld is Aaron Hernandez’s replacement at a fraction of the cost.
TEAM DEFENSES
ELITE
New England Patriots DST at BUF - $85,000
Whether it is Jeff Tuel or E.J. Manuel under center, the Pats are facing one of the more mistake prone teams in the NFL. Buffalo ranked 11th in most fantasy points allowed to D/STs and have no answers at quarterback.
MID-TIER
Houston Texans DST at SD - $65,800
The Texans’ DST is predicated on stopping the run on early downs and forcing offenses to take chances on passing downs. This leads to sacks by J.J. Watt and turnovers by the rest of the group. The Texans have extremely good depth across the board which should really challenge the Bolts and their absentee ground game.
BARGAIN
Tampa Bay Buccaneers DST - $53,400
Tampa’s DST is currently going near the Top 5 in redraft leagues and admittedly, that’s probably a bit of a reach. The Bucs did add Darrelle Revis, Dashon Goldson and have one of the more underrated corners in Leonard Johnson. They’re one to watch and an excellent bargain at only about 20-percent above the DST minimum price.
Matt De Lima contributes his fantasy insights at FFToolbox.com, 4for4.com, and FantasyFeud.com. He is a diehard Virginia Tech and San Francisco 49ers fan living in Maryland. Follow him on Twitter @mattkdelima