If you’re looking to make some money this weekend through the daily fantasy football app of your choosing, you have come to the right place. Here I have compiled the ideal lineup that should have you rich beyond your wildest dreams by Monday night. I used pricing from Draft Kings because their commercials annoy me less.
QB - Patrick Mahomes
The Kansas City Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes looked like the real deal last Sunday when they sliced and diced an elite Chargers secondary en route to a 38-28 victory in Los Angeles. Mahomes threw for four touchdowns, even if two were shovel passes near the goal line and a third was a five-yard slant Tyreek Hill absolutely burned LA’s secondary on, but that’s the beauty of the Chiefs offense. They have surrounded Mahomes with so many elite weapons that he doesn’t have to be incredible. He can make dink and dunk all he wants until he’s lulled the defense into a sense of submission, and then he’ll unleash the 60-yard bomb. Combine Mahomes natural talent and the Chiefs plethora of weapons with the coaching ability of Andy Reid and you have fantasy euphoria. Mahomes currently stands as the 12th most expensive quarterback, but all signs point to him once again having a fantastic day against a weak Pittsburgh defense. I project another four-touchdown performance to go along with over 300 yards passing.
RB - Melvin Gordon
Chargers running back Melvin Gordon was a force last weekend, rushing for 64 yards on 15 carries while adding 102 yards through the air on nine receptions. He is an integral member of both LA’s ground and aerial attacks, and no matter the situation quarterback Philip Rivers consistently looks to get the ball in Gordon’s hands. This week against the Buffalo Bills, Gordon should be given the ball early and often as the Chargers look to get an early lead. Against a Bills defense that allowed 47 points to the Baltimore Ravens this Los Angeles unit should have a field day. Look for Gordon to have over 150 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns in a Chargers victory.
RB - Chris Thompson
The signing of Adrian Peterson muddled Washington’s running back situation, but after strong performances from both Peterson and Chris Thompson week one against the Arizona Cardinals it appears that Washington’s offense can support two fantasy viable running backs. Quarterback Alex Smith had built a reputation in his time in Kansas City as a “check down king,” and it has stayed with him in Washington. Against the Cardinals, Thompson collected six receptions for 63 yards and a touchdown to go along with five carries for 65 yards. He was a vital member of a surprisingly efficient Washington offense, and he should see similar production this week against an equally porous Indianapolis Colts defense. Last week against Indianapolis, Cincinnati Bengals running backs Joe Mixon and Giovani Bernard combined for six receptions and 65 yards. Thompson will eclipse both 50 yards rushing and receiving Sunday as Washington looks to start 2-0.
WR - Tyreek Hill
Believing in a big day from Patrick Mahomes in turn means believing in a big day for Tyreek Hill, so he’s a natural fit in this week’s lineup. The leagues fastest player looked explosive in his season debut, totaling 268 all-purpose yards and collecting a punt return touchdown as well as a receiving touchdown. He is an integral member of an electric Chiefs offense, and Andy Reid and the rest of Kansas City’s coaching staff is always scheming new creative ways to get the ball in his hands. The constant threat of the deep ball forces defenses to give Hill space, and in turn facilitate what he does best which is make people miss. There are few more dynamic players with the ball in the NFL, and he should build off a stellar week one as he goes against a weak Pittsburgh Steelers defense. Jarvis Landry, wide receiver for the Cleveland Browns, totaled seven catches for 106 yards in his week one matchup with the Steelers. He was mostly covered by Pittsburgh’s number one corner Joe Haden, who constantly looked one step behind the speedy Landy. I look for Hill to once again put up a monster day, pulling in over seven receptions and totaling over 150 all-purpose yards.
WR - Cooper Kupp
The Los Angeles Rams let the Oakland Raiders hang around last Monday night, but once the Ram offense came to life the night was over for the Raiders. Los Angeles offense projects to be one of the strongest in the league this year, and wide receiver Cooper Kupp is a valuable member. Kupp is looking to build off a strong rookie season and evolve into quarterback Jared Goff’s go-to target. Kupp pulled down five receptions for 52 yards and a touchdown in the win Monday night. Standing at 6’2, Kupp is by default the team’s goal line target, and should continue to receive a healthy amount of looks when the team needs some points. He has the surest hands of anybody on the team and is quickly evolving into Goff’s favorite target regardless of where they are on the field. Kupp will never put up the gaudy numbers of other number one options of elite offenses, simply due to the fact there are too many mouths to feed, but he is currently being way undervalued. Kupp will continue to generate production similar to that of a high end WR2/low end WR1 and should be a mainstay in your daily fantasy lineup if he continues to be valued around the likes of Kenny Stills and Will Fuller. I predict another solid day for Kupp, where he totals over 50 receiving yards and collects his second touchdown reception of the year.
WR - Keelan Cole
In last year’s AFC Championship game, the Jacksonville Jaguars had taken a lead in the fourth quarter against the New England Patriots. Behind the dominance of running back Leonard Fournette and a stingy Jaguar defense, it appeared Jacksonville was en route to a win in Foxborough and a Super Bowl appearance. But, unsurprisingly New England coach Bill Belichick had one final plan to execute. His idea was to sell out against the run, and force Jacksonville quarterback Blake Bortles to make throws and lead his team to victory. Bortles was unable, the Jaguars offense stymied, and the Patriots rolled to yet another Super Bowl berth. In this week two rematch, expect much of the same from New England defensively. Add in the fact Fournette looks sidelined with a hamstring injury and the Jacksonville passing attack has never looked more necessary. Placing your faith in Bortles is almost always a poor idea, but against an average Patriots offense I imagine Bortles will surprise everyone. The chances of an actually impressive performance from Bortles is miniscule, but throwing for over 200 yards and two touchdowns is not out of the question. When that happens, Jaguars wide receiver Keelan Cole is primed to be the main beneficiary. With the preseason injury to fellow wide receiver Marqise Lee, Cole has established himself as the team’s number one option in the passing game. Cole lead the team in receiving yards in Jacksonville’s week one victory against the New York Giants, and should see an uptick in production with the slight shift away from the running attack this week. Expectations should still be low considering Bortles is still throwing him the ball, but his high-level ceiling makes him the perfect play as your third wide receiver.
TE - George Kittle
The San Francisco 49ers faced the daunting week one task of traveling into Minnesota and playing the Vikings, and while most things did not go right there for the Niners there were a few bright spots sprinkled in. The most positive of those bright spots was the clear chemistry between quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and tight end George Kittle. Kittle lead the team in both receptions and receiving yards, totaling five and 90 respectively, and could’ve added a long touchdown catch if he hadn’t dropped a surefire score midway through the third quarter. This week San Francisco faces a much less daunting opponent, the Detroit Lions. Detroit, who just gave up 48 points to a rookie quarter, should be a welcome sight for Garoppolo who suffered his first defeat as a starter last week. With projected number one receiver Marquise Goodwin still sidelined with a deep thigh bruise, look for Kittle to once again be Garoppolo’s first look and to have another strong performance against a weak Lions defense. I project more than 100 receiving yards from Kittle and his first touchdown of the 2018 season.
FLEX - Lamar Miller
The Houston Texans have the league’s easiest schedule, but faced week one’s most difficult challenge as they traveled to Foxborough to take on the New England Patriots. There many of the flaws analysts targeted in the preseason exposed themselves, most namely the Texans horrendous offensive line and Bill O’Brien’s uninspired play calling. One area Houston looked significantly better than expected though was the running attack, where Lamar Miller ran with a quickness and agility typically reserved for running backs five years younger. On 20 carries Miller rushed for 98 yards and added one reception for 11 yards. This week against a banged up Tennessee Titans team this Texans offense should look much more similar to the unit that averaged over 40 points in quarterback Deshaun Watson’s final four starts last season. Miller remains the only viable option in Houston’s backfield, and through sheer volume should put up strong RB2 numbers for the rest of the season. This week against the Titans, look for Miller to rush for over 100 yards, add 30 through the air, and collect two touchdowns in a big Texan win.
D/ST - Broncos
The Denver Broncos defense is still stacked with talent, and against a self-imploding Oakland Raiders team look for the Broncos to silence the Raiders offense. Pass rushers Von Miller and rookie Bradley Chubb form a terrifying combination off the edges, and Chris Harris Jr. remains one of the league’s best corners. Last week against the Seattle Seahawks Denver forced three turnovers, picking off Russell Wilson twice, and recovered a fumble. They also embarrassed a struggling Seattle offensive line as they racked up six sacks. Against an equally inept Oakland offensive line, look for the Broncos to produce similar sack numbers this week. Putting Raiders quarterback Derek Carr under constant pressure is always a good gameplan, and Carr should once again throw multiple interceptions as Oakland’s season appears over before it ever really started.