BULL MARKET
RAMS
DraftKings: $3,100 / FanDuel : $4,900
The Rams defense is elite, and they will dominate of one of the worst offenses in the NFL this year. The Redskins want to establish the run, but the ferocious front 4 of the Rams will shut it down and force the pick 6 machine, Kirk Cousins, to have to throw….a lot. With six sacks in week 1, the Rams are a strip 6 threat every single game…and feature Tavon Austin as one of the best return men in the league, housing a punt in week 1 already.
TEXANS
DraftKings: $2,900 / FanDuel: $4,600
The box score isn’t representative of what truly happened on Sunday. Two turnovers inside the 20 yard line can cripple even a top notch defense. Bill O’Brien will get the offense rolling in week 2, which will help the Texans defense. They also play an absolutely miserable offense in Carolina, who has absolutely no fire power and struggled to move the ball on the injury riddled Jaguars defense.When starting a DFS defense I will always look for a good pass rush to create turnovers. Clowney looked explosive Sunday, and his reps will increase and to team up with Watt to create havoc on Panthers pass protections.
BENGALS
DraftKings: $3,000 / FanDuel: $4,600
Phillip Rivers and the Chargers’ offense looked good on Sunday. But they faced one of the league’s weakest pass defenses in the NFL. The Bengals are a veteran group with four former 1st round picks in the secondary. At home, the Bengals defense will continue their staunchy play. As the Bengals build the lead, Rivers will have to throw a lot and make a few of his signature dumb interceptions. The Bengals also welcomed back Michael Johnson, who gave them pass rushing threat opposite Carlos Dunlap. This translated to Dunlap receiving a 14.0 Pass rush rating from Pro Football Focus. The Chargers will also likely be without one of their best OL, DJ Fluker, which could cause some issues for the Chargers up front.
BEAR MARKET
GIANTS
DraftKings: $2,600 / FanDuel: $4,100
The Giants lack of talent on defense is well documented, and now they draw another offensive monster in week 2. Matty Ice looked comfortable in his new system, and I’m not sure that anyone can slow down Julio Jones. With the second highest over/under total of the week at 51, this one will feature a lot of points. Neither offense has a great run game and all the extra passes will create more scoring opportunities. Giants lack of pass rush and weak secondary make this a D to stay away from.
COWBOYS
DraftKings: $2,800 / FanDuel: $4,200
The Eagles got the rust off in week 1 against the Falcons. Bradford will exploit this weak Cowboys secondary. Chip’s uptempo offense will put Cowboys behind and prevent them from controlling the game with the run. Also, the Randy Gregory injury is a big one for Dallas. He was very disruptive in his first game and could have applied pressure on Matt Ryan to relieve the Cowboys secondary in this matchup….. Instead, Bradford will have plenty of time to pick apart big D.
SEAHAWKS
DraftKings: $3,000 / FanDuel: $4,700
If Nick Foles can put up 276 yards of passing on the Seahawks in week 1, how many will A Rod put on them? I won’t be starting any defensive groups against Rodgers this season. The Packers offense is too complete, with the ability to beat you on the ground or through the air. And A Rod is as efficient with the football as they come, rarely turning it over. It’s also safe to say that the Seahawks miss their vocal leader in safety Kam Chancellor whose contract holdout continues…theirs better bargains this week for defense.
COLTS
DraftKings: $2,900 / Fanduel: $4,300
Perhaps it was designed to keep Tyrod in the pocket, but there was absolutely no pass rush from the Colts on Sunday. The Jets will be able to dictate this game by running the ball, and it will restrict the Colts from cashing in on the INT prone Fitzpatrick. Without a legit pass rusher to cause some turnovers, I’m spending elsewhere. There are lot of defenses with much higher ceilings in this salary range that I’d rather consider over the Colts.
