The 3 worst values at running back in Week 1 DFS

The NFL regular season is only days away, and with the NFL season comes the season for daily fantasy football lineups. If you’re a daily fantasy player, you know that a successful lineup has to have a solid combination of big-name star power players that are known commodities with a few high-upside players that provide a little more bang for your buck.

If you pay up for a big name in your daily fantasy lineup, you definitely cannot afford for that player to put up a dud of a game in your lineup.

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So here are three running backs that will likely provide some of the worst value for Week 1. (Values from DraftKings.)

[Editors note: this article was revised after initial publishing to reflect the news of Ezekiel Elliott’s new contract with the Dallas Cowboys.]

David Johnson (ARI) - $7,700

Count me as in the camp that is still nervous about the Arizona Cardinals offense. Kyler Murray could very well turn into an above-average starting quarterback, but it will likely take some time before he gets his playing legs (and arm) under him. The Cardinals offensive line continued to struggle during the preseason, and until shown otherwise, it’s hard to put a lot of faith in DJ, especially against a solid defensive front from the Detroit Lions.

Saquon Barkley (NYG) - $9,000

Speaking of the New York Giants, they are without Odell Beckham Jr. after trading him to the Cleveland Browns and without Golden Tate due to a suspension to start 2019. That means the Giants will likely be facing stacked boxes from the Dallas Cowboys, so Barkley could have a tough time finding running room in Week 1.

Leonard Fournette (JAC) - $6,100

Fournette comes significantly cheaper than the other two backs on this list, but it’s more of a concern about the matchup for Jacksonville. The Jaguars face the Kansas City Chiefs whose defense struggled (to put it mildly) in 2018, but we know the power of the Patrick Mahomes-lead offense. If Kansas City pulls out to an early lead, the Jaguars could be forced to abandon the run and rely on the arm of Nick Foles to stay competitive.

I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is cdunnz) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.