DFS Top 30: Picking Receivers & Tight Ends For NFL Week One
One of the final pieces of your DFS NFL roster is the pass catchers. With the widest range in salary cap among the receivers and tight ends, finding the right guys at in these skill positions is often the most tedious part of filling a roster. Here’s a quick look at the Top 30 options for Week One of the NFL season.
Game-By-Game Breakdown
NY Jets @ Buffalo
Odds: Bills -6.5
Jets: There may be some value picks here but you’ll be hard pressed to find game breakers. Robby Anderson looks to be the Jets primary receiving target and he’ll come in at a very modest price. The Bills were a Top 10 defense against the pass in 2016 so be careful.
Bills: Jordan Matthews was injured during the preseason so he’s really a big question mark. That leaves rookie Zay Jones as a value option.
Atlanta @ Chicago
Odds: Falcons -6.5
Falcons: Here are two things to consider with the Falcons. First, Atlanta has a new offensive coordinator and Julio Jones will most likely see a larger role in the Red Zone. Second, Chicago does not have a lockdown corner on its roster. Both of those indicate that Julio Jones should be on your roster this weekend.
Bears: The loss of Cameron Meredith took away the top fantasy prospect Chicago has at receiver. This leaves Kendall Wright as the top target and one of the better value options out there.
Baltimore at Cincinnati
Odds: Bengals -2
Ravens: There’s not a play here that I’m interested in. The Ravens are going to run the ball and rely on defense. I’m not looking for any pass catchers from this roster but if I were it would be Jeremy Maclin.
Bengals: A.J. Green joins Julio Jones as one of the top receiver plays this weekend. The Ravens will play run-first defense and Green has made them pay for that in the past. I would avoid paying the price tag on tight end Tyler Eifert this weekend though.
Pittsburgh @ Cleveland
Odds: Steelers -8
Steelers: Martavis Bryant is back which makes both him and Antonio Brown great plays this weekend as defenses can’t commit to doubling both of them. Two quick cautions though, 1) Ben Roethlisberger isn’t as good on the road as he is at home, and 2) the Steelers will most likely run the ball a lot in this game.
Browns: Corey Coleman is one of the biggest “hit or miss” players in the NFL and with a rookie quarterback I’m not looking his way. If there were a play here then it would be Kenny Britt who comes in as a decent mid-range option.
Browns: Arizona @ Detroit
Odds: Even
Cardinals: Here’s your first tight end option that makes a lot of sense. The Lions were 28th in the league in points allowed to tight ends last season and Jermaine Gresham fits the bill of a guy who can make plays in the red zone.
Lions: Golden Tate is the best option for the Lions and he comes at a fairly modest price. My hesitation is that the Lions are so deep with pass catchers that one may not stand out very high above the others.
Jacksonville @ Houston
Odds: Texans -4.5
Jaguars: It’s really hard to pick a receiver from Jacksonville because of the inconsistency of Blake Bortles at quarterback. Rookie Dede Westbrook had a great preseason but now he’ll be running routes against first-team defenders. If you made me pick a player here then it would be Allen Robinson.
Texans: I’m equally unimpressed with Tom Savage at quarterback. I’m a big fan of DeAndre Hopkins but wouldn’t touch him this weekend as a DFS selection.
Oakland @ Tennessee
Odds: Even
Raiders: Next to Pittsburgh’s duo of Brown and Bryant the Raiders offer up Michael Crabtree and Amari Cooper. This is a dynamic tandem in every sense of the term and the two will grab up most of the passes thrown by Derek Carr. Either one of them would be an excellent addition to your roster this weekend.
Titans: The Raiders were Top 10 in fantasy points allowed to receivers last season which makes Tennessee receivers hard to target. Eric Decker and Rishard Matthews are two options to consider but there are better ways to go with other matchups.
Philadelphia @ Washington
Odds: Redskins -1
Eagles: Here’s your next tight end option. The Redskins were 26th against the tight end in fantasy points allowed last season and that opens the way for Zach Ertz to potentially have a big day. I’m also a fan of Nelson Agholor here as well.
Redskins: The Eagles were 29th in fantasy points allowed to a receiver last season which makes Terrelle Pryor a guy to look at as a value or mid-range pick. I would not recommend looking towards tight end Jordan Reed though.
Indianapolis @ LA Rams
Odds: Colts -3
Colts: With Scott Tolzein at quarterback instead of Andrew Luck there aren’t any receivers or tight ends to look at for Indianapolis. You want to avoid the Colts here.
Rams: Sammy Watkins looks to become the newest playmaker in the Rams’ offense but how much effect he’s actually going to have is still unknown. It may be better to take a wait and see approach with L.A. this week.
Seattle @ Green Bay
Odds: Packers -3
Seahawks: I like the combo of Doug Baldwin and Jimmy Graham against the Packers defense. Baldwin was solid DFS choice in 2016 and Graham may have the best matchup of any of the elite tight ends.
Packers: There aren’t any pass catchers for Green Bay that I’m willing to pay for. That isn’t a knock against Jordy Nelson and company as much as it is a compliment to Seattle’s secondary.
Carolina @ San Francisco
Odds: Panthers -6
Panthers: Tight end Greg Olsen would be the play here, if you wanted a Carolina pass catcher. I’m shying away due to his price tag and the fact that I think the Panthers run the ball a whole lot on Sunday.
49ers: There are points to be found against Carolina’s defense and if a guy is going to get them then it’s most likely going to be Pierre Garcon. He should be the most targeted receiver for the 49ers and could end the day with pretty decent numbers, even in a loss.
NY Giants @ Dallas
Odds: Cowboys -3.5
Giants: Tight end Evan Engram may be the best bang for your buck on Sunday. With the possible absence of Odell Beckham in New York’s passing game, he could be a top target in the red zone. The Cowboys were 32nd in the league in points allowed to the tight end last season.
Cowboys: Dez Bryant is a gamer that commands a large hit to your salary cap. On any given Sunday he could easily be worth the price tag but this doesn’t look like a great matchup for him. However, if there’s one receiver that can make you regret not selecting him then it would be Bryant.
New Orleans @ Minnesota
Odds: Vikings -3.5
Saints: If there were one thing we could guarantee about Drew Brees and the New Orleans offense it would be that they like to throw the football. The suspension of Willie Snead opens the door for tight end Coby Fleener to pick up even more targets than usual. Minnesota was middle of the pack against the tight end last season and Fleener is above average at the position.
Vikings: Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs become the third dynamic duo of the weekend. They’ll be going head-to-head with a bad New Orleans secondary and should have plenty of targets to share.
San Diego @ Denver
Odds: Broncos -3
Chargers: The Chargers are facing last year’s top pass defense. Stay away folks, keep a safe distance.
Broncos: Better quarterback play would put Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas higher on my list. As it stand, I’m staying away until Denver figures out where they’re going with their signal caller. They’ll probably still get a lot of targets but that doesn’t always equal success.
Top 30 DFS WR/TE’s For Week 1
- WR A.J. Green*****
- WR Julio Jones*****
- WR Martavis Bryant****
- WR Antonio Brown****
- TE Jimmy Graham*****
- WR Michael Crabtree*****
- WR Amari Cooper*****
- WR Adam Thielen*****
- WR Stefon Diggs*****
- TE Jermaine Gresham****
- TE Zach Ertz****
- WR Pierre Garcon****
- WR Doug Baldwin****
- WR Terrelle Pryor****
- WR Dez Bryant***
- TE Evan Engram***
- TE Coby Fleener***
- TE Greg Olsen***
- WR Nelson Agholor***
- WR Golden Tate***
- WR Sammy Watkins**
- WR Kendall Wright**
- WR Robby Anderson**
- WR Zay Jones**
- WR Eric Decker**
- WR Rishard Matthews**
- WR Jordy Nelson*
- WR Jeremy Maclin*
- WR Allen Robinson*
- WR DeAndre Hopkins*
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