Our final column of the weekend usually focuses most of its attention on pricing. Whatever we have wanted to do with our lineup is still driven largely by what we could afford to do. Thankfully, the start of a new season brings a relatively level playing field in terms of cost, where we can build quite the talented roster without breaking the bank.
Based on our expected Week 1 DFS game flow analysis and Week 1 Games to Target published earlier, we can carry our thoughts into actual lineup positions. The long list of players that fit the requirements set forth by the projected flow of the game was cut dramatically by the requirements set forth by salaries.
Below are Sporfolio’s DFS Week 1 Plays:
Quarterback
Cam Newton – While there is an understandable uncertainty around this Patriots team, the belief that they cannot handle this Dolphins roster is somewhat confusing to us. At the end of the day, we expect Bill Belichick to be more than capable of taking care of business in Week 1 against an inferior opponent. Part of that confidence comes from them unleashing the athletic beast that Cam Newton is. All reports indicate that Newton is at 100 percent physically, and if that is the case, then he should start returning to the form that allowed him to be one of the best quarterbacks in the league not that long ago. While the Dolphins defense should be better this year, they are still vulnerable, and Cam should be able to use his arms and his legs to turn in a big stat line in his Patriots debut.
Philip Rivers – Philip Rivers was not the first quarterback we named when going through potential options for Sunday, but he has slowly climbed the ladder of our internal depth charts. The Indianapolis Colts infamously dealt with Andrew Luck’s retirement shortly before the 2019 season and were searching for answers for basically 17 weeks. The hope in Indianapolis is that Rivers is said answer. If he is, we might see increased volume in the passing game as the Colts and Rivers get better synced over the course of the game — as well as make a statement.