Welcome back after a long offseason and what seemed an even longer wait since FanDuel released Week 1 prices. By now even the least desperate of degenerates have tinkered with countless roster constructions. What felt like tight pricing when salaries first came out has been loosened with value spawned by inevitable preseason roster turmoil. The allure of unleashing several high-priced studs in one lineup will be too tempting for some to resist. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Yet we want to do enough zigging when others zag to differentiate tournament lineups, and one path to unique roster construction is pivoting from the high-salary/low-salary approach that will be popular this week. If we can synch a less common lineup building strategy with a bit less faith in Vegas game projections than usual — line makers are typically less accurate early in the season — it can help us in our quest for differentiation without going completely off the reservation. Unless going with Jay Ajayi in Seattle is your cup of tea.
Of course, if we’re building multiple entries, it doesn’t hurt to take several approaches — and who wouldn’t want to cram Todd Gurley, Antonio Brown, Julio Jones and Odell Beckham into the same lineup? But keep in mind our competitors have had weeks to figure out they can do it too. A four-stud lineup is sexy, but far from sneaky.
Below are some (mostly) mid-priced options for FanDuel tournaments. Happy Week 1 and good luck, everyone.
Quarterbacks
Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks, $8,500
The only projection in Seattle less certain than Jimmy Graham’s knee is the Seahawks’ running game, and the only thing more messed up is the offensive line. As double-digit home favorites, they will run the ball — whether with a rusty Thomas Rawls or an awakened Christine Michael. Yet Miami’s line is one of their few defensive strengths, while Seattle’s offensive line is projected to be the league’s worst after their run-blocking graded 29th last year. The Seahawks won’t hit the week’s highest implied total via their running game and returned interceptions alone.
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