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For the uninitiated, playing daily games on DraftKings can be an enjoyable experience, but equally sobering is the fact that season-long knowledge does not always translate to success in the daily space. Footballguys will bring you a series of value- and strategic-based selections from a number of seasoned daily veterans throughout the NFL season. Herein is another edition of “Tipandpick’s Tips and Picks,” where we will examine the salaries of players at each position on DraftKings and make value-based recommendations for both your cash games and tournaments.

Below you will find a list of recommended players for both formats. GPP players generally have high-upside, but are too risky for cash games; cash game players are consistent with high fantasy floors. In some instances, the value for a player is so strong, he may fall into both categories…let’s have a look.

TIPS AND PICKS

Let's take a deeper look into some of the players who I will be targeting for my cash game and tournament rosters this weekend. A short summary follows each respective table to fill in the gaps that led to the respective recommendations; that text represents only an overview of the methodology and rationale that goes into each recommendation.

UPDATED SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12th @ 8 AM (EST)

CASH GAMES

Quarterbacks: Both Matt Ryan and Jimmy Garoppolo make the cut for cash game options in Week #1. You might be asking yourself, "Where is Lamar Jackson?" On a week where the best cost savings comes with a $4.0K rookie running back on the Washington Football Team (Antonio Gibson), it's tough to justify Lamar Jackson's $8.1K price tag. Instead, Matt Ryan hosts a Seattle defense that got little pressure on opposing quarterbacks last year and lost several key pass rushers on their defensive line in the off-season, including Jadeveon Clowney and Quinton Jefferson. If the Falcons ease the wobbly-kneed Todd Gurley into the mix, the extra reps might fall on Matt Ryan's arm and his bevy of competent receivers. Alternatively, Jimmy G. is a cheaper option against Kliff Kingsbury's Cardinals. Kingsbury has been running a super-fast offense during camp, which might equate to additional snaps for both offenses. Garoppolo's primary receivers are banged up, but he has made due with less and can continue to lean on the uber-talented George Kittle. He needs only ~ 18 fantasy points to reach cash game value, which is well within reason based on our projections.

Running Backs: If you can afford to jam Christian McCaffrey into your cash game lineups, feel free--he will be rostered on over half of your competitors' lineups, so it might make sense to pair him with Antonio Gibson at only $4.0K to limit the opportunity cost associated with CMC's $10.0K salary. Gibson, a rookie out of Memphis, is projected to be the main beneficiary of the downfall of Derrius Guice earlier this Summer and the recent release of Adrian Peterson. His salary is the reason he will be popular in DFS circles this weekend, but you should be aware that Head Coach Ron Rivera has stated that Washington will employ a running back by-committee (RBBC) approach, which could limit Gibson's upside. A potentially safer route is to put Alvin Kamara and Josh Jacobs on the same roster for the same cost of the CMC-Gibson combo. Kamara and Jacobs should absorb bell-cow duties for their respective teams. Kamara is a PPR monster in a potential shootout and Jacobs gets a soft matchup against last year's worst-ranked DVOA rush defense that lost its best defender, Luke Kuechly, to retirement.

Wide Receivers: On a week where we have no barometer for how offenses will be employed due to the complete lack of a preseason, it stands to reason that rolling with no-doubt WR1's is the safest strategy for cash games. At the top of the list is Davante Adams, whose 2019 game log is absolute dominance; with Devin Funchess electing out of the season due to COVID, Allen Lazard is his stablemate, which bodes well for Adams getting double-digit targets on most weeks. Both T.Y. Hilton and Terry McLaurin have similar situations to that described for Davante Adams--little competition for targets and the unquestioned best receiver on their respective teams; Hilton gets an upgrade at quarterback this year in the form of Philip Rivers and McLaurin gets a matchup against the Eagles, who he toasted for 120+ yards during both games against the Birds in his rookie season. **On Friday, Kenny Golladay was downgraded to 'doubtful' with a hamstring injury. Even if he were deemed 'active' on Sunday morning, he should be removed from your player pool for opening weekend. Both Marvin Jones and Danny Amendola get a bump due to the Golladay news, with Jones being a fringe cash game option, but the recommendation is to avoid the Lions' passing game altogether. Making matters worse, off-season free agent right tackle signee, Halapoulivaati Vaitai, is also 'out' on Sunday.**

Tight Ends: If price were not an issue, George Kittle's name would probably appear in this space (ironically, it does now that I've typed that), but it's tough to justify Kittle's $7.2K salary for cash games at the volatile tight end position. Instead, the recommendation is to try to save salary here and roll with Zach Ertz ($5.8K) or Chris Herndon ($3.3K). Ertz is the more difficult decision because of his price point, but he should be the Eagles' primary receiver and can be had for only $200 more than this week's crowd-favorite Eagle, DeSean Jackson. Herndon is the preferred salary-saver because his implied gamescript and lack of competition for targets favors an easier path to the requisite 3x multiplier needed to justify his spot in your cash game lineups.

Team Defenses: Our projections like the Patriots' chances against the Ryan Fitzpatrick-led Dolphins at home this week. There are a lot of questions about how the Patriots will adjust to losing Tom Brady in the off-season, but there is little doubt that the Dolphins will have one of the worst offenses in the league once again. If price is not an issue, the Pats are a decent cash game option. A discounted alternative, the talented Chargers defense gets Joe Burrow in his rookie debut; with Joey Bosa and crew up front getting pressure on Burrow and a stellar defensive backfield, it would not be surprising to see the Chargers force a mistake or two from this year's number-one draft pick.

TOURNAMENTS

Quarterbacks: A case was made in the "Cash Games" section for why Matt Ryan carries both a high floor and upside this weekend. If he and Russell Wilson trade punches in a slugfest on Sunday, the result could be yet another 300-yard game for Matty Ice at home. A similar argument could be made for Tom Brady in his debut for the Buccaneers. Taking on the Saints, a pre-season favorite for Super Bowl contention, Brady could be tasked with keeping pace with Drew Brees, which would bode well for a barnburner on opening weekend. Elsewhere, most people have likely forgotten how dominant Matthew Stafford was prior to his season-ending injury in 2019; Stafford had 300+ passing yard and/or 3 passing touchdowns in 5 of the 8 games he played last year. With questions surrounding roles in the Lions' backfield, Head Coach Matt Patricia might put the onus on Stafford to find his receivers in space against the Bears. Downgrade Matthew Stafford due to key injuries to Kenny Golladay and Halapoulivaati Vaitai, whose absence will negatively affect their upside. In Cincinnati, Tyrod Taylor will get his first start in two years against the Bengals. We have yet to see what Taylor has left in the tank with regards to scrambling ability, but he has the best receiving corps of his life in the form of Keenan Allen, Hunter Henry, and Austin Ekeler out of the backfield. It should be prime grounds for a big day against a bottom-three DVOA pass defense from just a year ago.

• Sleeper: Targeting Mitchell Trubisky rarely feels like a sage strategy, but the combination of his salary and overall field exposure makes him a sneaky quarterback for large tournaments this weekend. With David Montgomery nursing a groin injury, the Bears' depth chart at running back is scant with only Tarik Cohen and Ryan Nall there to absorb the load. Nall is a former undrafted free agent with a grand total of 8 NFL snaps over a pair of years with the team and Cohen is more of a receiver than an everydown running back. For these reasons, if Montgomery is limited or inactive on Sunday, expect to see Trubisky get plenty of action. Without Darius Slay (now with the Eagles) to shadow Allen Robinson, last year's 28th-ranked DVOA pass defense could yield Trubisky a surprise performance to open the season.
• Fade: It will not be easy to fade the field on Lamar Jackson, but his percent-rostered numbers are likely going to close too high for his lofty salary. The Ravens drafted J.K. Dobbins to run alongside Mark Ingram in 2020 and Marquise Brown returns as a sophomore with 20 extra pounds of bulk to take the next step towards becoming an elite receiver. Given the additional talent and general health of skill position players, we should expect to see a Lamar Jackson scramble a bit less often than the ~ 12 carries per game that he accrued in 2019. By fading Jackson, you are saving salary at a relatively flush position and also building uniqueness from the 15-20% of rosters that cannot get away from him.