This article is part of our FanDuel Fantasy Football series.
50/50 or Heads Up
In 50/50s, double-ups or heads-up contests, always aim for a lineup that has a higher floor rather than a higher ceiling. In 50/50 contests, the top half of all entries finish in the money, meaning you don't have to pick a high-ceiling lineup that shoots for the moon. Rather, build these lineups with the players who are safe and that can be counted on for production.
QB: Sam Bradford ($7,500)
Bradford is under center for what should be one of the higher scoring offenses and they didn't disappoint Monday night. They fell short of a comeback but Bradford still finished with 336 passing yards. Unfortunately, Chip Kelly didn't challenge what appeared to be a touchdown by Jordan Matthews or Bradford would have had two touchdown passes instead of only one. The Eagles should enjoy a friendlier environment this Sunday at home, and Bradford's price tag is more than reasonable. A floor of 15 fantasy points should be expected and the ceiling for this offense is much higher.
RB: Carlos Hyde ($7,000)
Hyde had an impressive debut lae Monday night and it appears the 49ers are ready to give him all the touches he can handle. He finished with a week-high 168 rushing yards and found the end zone twice. This week, he gets a Pittsburgh defense that didn't look good against the Patriots, as Dion Lewis finished with 120 yards from scrimmage. If Reggie Bush (calf) does not play, Hyde should be more involved with the passing game. His price is the 16th highest among the position, showing what a bargain he is.
RB: Chris Ivory ($6,900)
Ivory has taken over as the bell cow for the Jets and finished with 21 touches (one catch) for 99 total yards. He finished with two touchdowns and may have had more work had the Jets not turned to Bilal Powell late in the game to run out the clock. This week, the Jets travel to Indianapolis to take on the Colts and Ivory should be in for another heavy workload. Like Hyde, his price is nowhere near what it should be and going with mid-priced options here will allow the cap room to roster a couple of elite wide receivers.
WR: Julio Jones ($8,800)
Jones looked unstoppable against the Eagles and could be poised to make a run at the top fantasy wide receiver spot this season. The number of targets (11) and plays called specifically for him were reassuring and there's no reason to expect that to change this week. He should be highly owned after scoring 30.6 fantasy points in Week 1 and there's no reason to fade him in cash games.
WR: Calvin Johnson ($8,100)
One of the best strategies to use in DFS is to go back to the stud after they come off a bad game. Johnson had a rough first week against San Diego finishing with only two catches for 39 yards and it's difficult to imagine him having a second consecutive bad game. He's healthy this season and should still be considered an elite wide receiver option, yet he's priced below Randall Cobb and Keenan Allen.
WR: Jordan Matthews ($7,000)
Here's a great opportunity to pair up your quarterback with their top receiving option and it'll only cost you less than a quarter of your budget. Matthews will be looking to make up for the game-ending interception he was responsible for in Week 1 and gets the Cowboys, who are missing Orlando Scandrick. Again, Matthews should have had a touchdown last week and his price only rose $200 despite scoring 15.2 fantasy points.
TE: Tyler Eifert ($5,900)
Eifert was targeted an impressive 12 times in Week 1, turning them into nine catches for 104 yards and two touchdowns. He may have been one of the players living up to the preseason hype and gets a decent home matchup against the Chargers this week. Eric Ebron ran a nice route down the seam to score against San Diego last weekend and finished with 53 yards on only five targets (four catches). Eifert should have no problem making value at this price and this should be the last time we see him this cheap.
K: Zach Hocker ($4500)
Hocker made a fine debut for the Saints, nailing all four of his field goal attempts and his only PAT. He should have another good game this week, playing at home in a dome and going up against the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay gave up 42 points last week at home to Tennessee, and New Orleans shouldn't have any trouble scoring and giving Hocker opportunities for points.
DEF: Philadelphia Eagles ($4,300)
The Eagles have been an underrated fantasy defense likely because they tend to give up a lot of points. However, they forced a league-high 26 fumbles last season (two returned for touchdowns), were second with 49 sacks and had two pick-sixes. Tony Romo is down his top wide receiver and Joseph Randle put the ball on the ground once already.
Tournaments
For tournament lineups, you have to look at upside and use some "outside-the-box" picks if you want to cash. Don't use this lineup completely, as there is a lower floor here with a lot of players. A mix of studs with a few cheaper options could net the top overall prize.
This week, consider the following players who should be overlooked after poor Week 1 performances. Many of them will be passed up and some will be on cashing lineups in tournament formats.
RB: LeSean McCoy ($8,100)
It had to be disheartening for McCoy fantasy owners to watch the Bills score two rushing touchdowns and have him miss out on both. This week, McCoy should find bigger running lanes against the Patriots, who got torched by DeAngelo Williams for 127 rushing yards in Week 1. McCoy has had another week to heal and the price tag is going to keep his ownership extremely low.
WR: Brandin Cooks ($7,400)
Many expected Cooks to break out this season and there's still plenty of time for him to do so. He started slowly Sunday, finishing with only four catches for 49 yards while struggling against the physicality of Patrick Peterson. This week will be much easier sledding at home against the Buccaneers. The question is whether to combine Cooks with Drew Brees or to match him up with another quarterback in a contrarian move. The latter seem to be the "pot-odds" play considering Brees will be widely owned this week in both cash and tournaments formats.
WR: Davante Adams ($6,400)
He was a cash game darling at his low price last week and turned in a mediocre game with four catches for 59 yards. Adams has seen a bump in price and gets a tougher matchup this week against the Seahawks. The notable takeaway from Week 1 was that Adams led the team with eight targets. The big game from James Jones should have the defense keying on him near the goal line, which could soften the coverage on Adams.
TE: Greg Olsen ($6,000)
Olsen had a touchdown called back on what appeared to be a pretty innocent play or else he might have had a nice fantasy game. Instead, he put up a dud and his price rose a tad as well. That's going to chase away potential owners this week who will look elsewhere. Remember that Travis Kelce had a monster game against the Texans last week.
