FanDuel Studs and Duds of Week 1
Welcome to the first edition of FanDuel Studs & Duds! You may be familiar with The Fantasy Footballers’ Studs and Duds segment. This will take a closer look at who shined and who disappointed specifically in FanDuel pricing and scoring the week before. If you’re new to DFS all together, read the The Beginner’s Guide To FanDuel DFS. First, we’ll take a look at the Expensive Studs; guys who were worth the big bucks. Second, the Value Studs; guys you got at a decent price, good value. Third, I’ll highlight the Super Bargain Studs; guys who were studs in a big way at little cost to you. Then, last and least, we’ll look at the Duds; guys who really disappointed relative to their cost.
All prices and point totals are from FanDuel. Not on FanDuel? Sign up with our special offer to get 5 free entries and try it out…
Expensive Studs
QB Andrew Luck vs. DET, $8700, 35.5 pts.
-385 passing yards, 4 TD, 21 rushing yards
Luck scared owners who paid the high price tag after an average first half but then exploded for 251 yards and three touchdowns in the second half in a devastating loss to the Lions. This was an obvious game to use Luck as the game was projected and finished as the highest scoring game in Week 1. It’ll be smart to stay away from him in Week 2 in Denver, but it’s looking like he’s back to his old self.
RB David Johnson vs. NE, $8800, 21.1 pts.
-4 receptions, 43 receiving yards, 89 rushing yards, 1 TD
Owners got their money worth on Sunday night as they saw Johnson play on 58 of 61 offensive snaps for the Cardinals. Johnson looked dominant catching the ball out of the backfield and jump cutting through the defense for those extra rush yards. The question of whether or not he’s the workhorse is clearly answered and he should return the hefty price with good production all season based on the volume.
WR Antonio Brown at WAS, $9300, 28.6 pts.
-8 receptions, 126 receiving yards, 2 TD
There’s really nothing else to say. Brown is flat out the best offensive player in the NFL. He gifted owners with a huge game to go along with his huge price tag on Monday night against the Redskins. Never hesitate to put Brown into your lineup, just know you won’t be the only one as he’ll be one of the highest owned players all year.
QB Drew Brees vs. OAK, $9200, 31.42 pts
-423 passing yards, 4 TDs
WR Brandin Cooks vs. OAK, $8400, 30.40 pts.
-6 receptions, 143 yards, 2 TDs, 11 rushing yards
WR A.J. Green at NYJ, $8900, 30 pts.
-12 receptions, 180 yards, 1 TD
Value Studs
QB Matthew Stafford at IND, $7400, 26.10 pts.
-340 passing yards, 3 TD, 5 rushing yards
Not only did Stafford lead the Lions on a great winning drive to win the game, he also could have won you some money. Tagged with the sleeper status in the offseason, he picked up right where he left off last season where he finished with 8 straight games over 20 fantasy points. Stafford should thrive in his new offense and should continue to stay hot with three fantastic matchups in the upcoming weeks.
RB C.J. Anderson vs CAR, $6700, 27.9 pts.
-4 receptions, 47 receiving yards, 92 rushing yards, 1 TD
Opening night of the NFL belonged to the former Cal Bear as he thrashed the Carolina defense. Volume won’t be an issue for Anderson as he got carry after carry and even broke off a screen for a touchdown. He should create great value once again as he faces a poor Colts defense at home in Week 2.
WR Willie Snead vs OAK, $6400, 27.7 pts.
-9 receptions, 172 receiving yards, 1 TD
The “Need for Snead” was on full display on Sunday, proving why he was almost a 1,000-yard receiver last season. Catching all 9 of his targets, Snead torched the Raiders secondary in the most exciting game of the Week. He and Brandin Cooks tied for a team high in targets, a trend that should become very familiar this season.
RB DeAngelo Williams at WAS, $7100, 32.10 pts.
-143 rushing yards, 2 TD, 6 receptions, 28 receiving yards
RB DeMarco Murray, $6500, 20.20 pts.
-42 rushing yards, 5 receptions, 35 receiving yards, 2 TD
RB Ameer Abdullah, $6300, 20.50 pts.
-63 rushing yards, 5 receptions, 57 receiving yards, 1 TD
RB Carlos Hyde, $6200, 22.30 pts.
-88 rushing yards, 2 TD, 2 receptions, 5 receiving yards
WR Larry Fitzgerald, $7200, 24.1 pts.
-8 receptions, 81 receiving yards, 2 TD
Super Bargain Studs
QB Alex Smith vs SD, $7000, 29.02 pts.
-363 passing yards, 2 passing TD, 15 rushing yards, 1 rushing TD
Probably with one of the gutsiest performances in Week 1, Smith led the Chiefs to their largest comeback win in franchise history. He also had a very uncharacteristic performance, throwing for over 315 yards for the second time in his career. With the Chiefs finding themselves down 21 points early, Smith was forced to throw. Don’t expect anywhere near this volume the rest of the year.
RB Spencer Ware vs SD, $5400, 29.4 pts.
-7 receptions, 129 receiving yards, 70 rush yards, 1 TD
Nice try, Andy Reid. Those who saw through the obvious coach speak of an RBBC were rewarded with a monstrous game from Ware. Finishing second only behind DeAngelo Williams, Ware was a focal part of the Chief’s offensive plan. His price will certainly go up, but as long as Jamaal Charles is out, he’s the guy.
WR Will Fuller vs CHI, $5600, 19.7 pts.
-5 receptions, 107 receiving yards, 1 TD
After an early week injury scare, Fuller burst onto the scene in his first NFL game. He actually led the team in targets over DeAndre Hopkins who finished 3rd in targets last season. With some serious speed, he has a chance to break off a long catch at any time. Brock Osweiler obviously trusts him so he’s not a bad hail mary play every week.
RB Danny Woodhead at KC, $5800, 20.50 pts.
-89 rushing yards, 5 receptions, 31 receiving yards, 1 TD
RB Theo Riddick at IND, $5100, 25.30 pts.
-45 rushing yards, 1 TD, 5 receptions, 63 receiving yards, 1 TD
Duds
QB Russell Wilson vs Dolphins, $8500, 12.92 pts.
-258 passing yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 16 rushing yards
Who would have guessed that the San Francisco 49ers would put up more than twice as many points as the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1? A sprained ankle severely limited Wilson for the most of the game, in turn, limited his production. If it wasn’t for a heroic last drive, his stats would have been even uglier. Stay away until he can recover him his ankle.
WR Brandon Marshall vs CIN, $7700, 4.7 pts.
-3 receptions, 32 receiving yards
Sometimes it’s just not your day and that’s exactly what happened to Marshall in Week 1. Between a rusty Ryan Fitzpatrick, good coverage, and the game plan, Marshall disappointed a lot of owners this week. The schedule doesn’t get any better and the New York Jets are already hit with an early Thursday night game. This slump could last a little while and it’s something you’ll want to avoid.
TE Gary Barnidge at PHI, $6300, 0 pts.
-0 receptions, 0 receiving yards
The goose egg. Barnidge was a non-factor in the Clevland Browns loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. He got just two targets, failing to catch either of them. With Josh McCown set to take over, this will be the outlier for the year. Barnidge became the waiver wire gem when McCown was the quarterback. Definitely take a wait-and-see approach before putting him into another FanDuel lineup.
RB Todd Gurley at SF, $8900, 4.7 pts.
-47 rushing yards, 1 reception, -5 receiving yards
RB Adrian Peterson vs. TEN, $8200, 3.1 pts.
–19 carries, 31 rushing yards
RB Devonta Freeman vs ATL, $8100, 6 pts.
-20 rushing yards, 4 receptions, 20 receiving yards
The new prices are already out for Week 2! Not on FanDuel? Sign up with our special offer to get 5 free entries and try it out…