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Carson Palmer a sneaky pivot play in Week 1 DFS

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer (3) makes a call against the San Diego Chargers during the first half of an NFL preseason football game, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2015, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Week 1 is a unique animal. With prices stagnating for weeks, as roles shifted around, there is a ton of value hanging out there. Digging deep into the player pool to diversify lineups, or to free up salary, is not as necessary now as it will be going forward. Enough bargains exist to litter your lineup with studs, reducing the need to use a “best of the rest” strategy, to pay up for diversification, or take fliers on long-shot players.

We will get into those approaches, and more, as the season progresses. For this week, let’s focus on picks with blow-up potential. Some will be more chalky than others, but that shouldn’t prevent us from making unique lineups. The first three running back picks, for instance, stack well with their team’s defense. Using barely owned players solely in the name of making a distinct lineup is a common mistake, and that’s especially the case this week.

Okay, on with the picks.

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Pat Thorman is a Lead Writer for PFF Fantasy and was named 2013 Newcomer of the Year by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association. You can follow him on Twitter at @Pat_Thorman

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