DFS Football 101: Week 1 Cash Game Strategy

This article is part of our DFS Football 101 series.

One of the things I do with Week 1 at the QB/RB position in cash games is focus on the top 3-5 players at each position. But also are there any players who are significantly mispriced to where it makes them a must play?

With QB pricing a tad soft, and so much value in Week 1 already, I'm OK paying up a little. All four quarterbacks are in high projected total games and favored.

Marcus Mariota - $7,800
Cam Newton - $7,900
Ben Roethlisberger - $8,200
Aaron Rodgers - $8,300

Running Back

Much of the strategy last year was to pay up at both RB spots with a top-5 projected player. The only exceptions were Melvin Gordon and Jordan Howard, who crushed value every week. I'm looking at Christian McCaffrey as that guy in Week 1. He's got a great matchup against the 49ers, and I can see the Panthers getting him the ball in a variety of ways with big play potential.

Le'Veon Bell - $9,300
David Johnson - $9,400
LeSean McCoy - $8,500
Devonta Freeman - $8,300
Christian McCaffrey - $6,500

Wide Receiver

Because I'm choosing to pay up at the RB position, the WR is all about getting value and finding mispriced players. Look for a WR1 or WR2 with a good matchup against a weak secondary, favored, in a projected higher-scoring game with a decent QB getting him the ball. These are the nine wide receivers I will target in building cash game lineups between $6,000-$7,500.

Rishard Matthews - $6,100
Terrelle Pryor - $6,200
Larry Fitzgerald - $6,400
Martavis Bryant - $6,500
Jamison Crowder - $6,500
Pierre Garcon - $6,600
Davante Adams - $6,800
Michael Crabtree - $6,900
Doug Baldwin - $7,500

Tight End

TE is another position I look to save money on in cash games. I focus on targets and red-zone opportunities along with being a top-12 projected tight end. Another sneaky strategy is look for a tight end in which one of the top two wide receivers is out.

Jason Witten - $5,400
Martellus Bennett - $5,700
Zach Ertz - $5,900
Delanie Walker - $6,100

Kicker

Look for the cheapest kickers in the $4,500-$4,700 range. Teams that are favored with a high projected total or a projected close game. Domes are always a plus.

Blair Walsh - $4,500
Phil Dawson - $4,500
Ryan Succop - $4,600

Defense

Focus on the top defenses for the week. Build rosters with the least expensive and if you have money leftover to upgrade you can.

Rams - $4,600
Bills - $4,700
Steelers - $4,700
Texans - $5,100

Once I build my cheat sheet, I go to the RotoWire Lineup Optimizer and start playing around with building lineups. I start with the highest-ranked players I have based on salary, except the RB spot where I've decided to look at Johnson/Bell right off the bat.