If you played any fantasy football last year, whether it was daily or season long, you likely heard the name Zach Sudfeld at some point during your drafts or in the Week 1 build up. Training camp and preseason games seem to last forever, and it just allows for players to be touted beyond reasonable expectations. Sudfeld was supposed to be the man who filled the gap left by an ailing Rob Gronkowski and an imprisoned Aaron Hernandez, but instead he put up a big bagel and spent most of the game in Bill Belichick’s dog house.
So which players could be this year’s version of Sudfeld for Week One fantasy football action on DraftKings? Let’s take a look at some guys who may be a touch overhyped heading into the season.
Use these tips to help you win the $1,000,000 King of the Beach tournament!
1) Brandin Cooks ($4500 on DK) - Cooks is being touted as the replacement for Darren Sproles in New Orleans, which is a pretty high expectation for the rookie out of Oregon State. He’s dirt cheap on DraftKings for Week 1 and is sure to be a popular tournament play among the masses. While I’m sure the beat reporters are correctly reporting that he looks spectacular in training camp, he’s still yet to play any meaningful NFL snaps.
2) Andre Williams ($3700 on DK) - I look at this one more based on matchup than anything else. Williams could have a huge rookie season, especially given the recent news with David Wilson, but this Detroit defense was one of the best in terms of run-stuffing a season ago and has young pieces who are likely to be even better than the 2013 versions. Also consider the high-powered Detroit offense pushing the overall tempo of this game and leading to more passing situations, where you’re more likely to see a heavy dose of Rashad Jennings from the G-men.
3) Travis Kelce ($3200 on DK) - Kelce is the toast of preseason play so far, and being a rookie tight end he makes for a perfect Sudfeld candidate. He’s hauled in 6 of the 7 targets that have been thrown his way through two preseason games and turned those into 136 yards and 2 TDs. The week one matchup vs. TEN, a team who allowed the 6th most FPPG to Tight Ends in 2013, is juicy as well. But he’s still the TE2, and still in line to play strictly passing downs with Fasano being a significantly better run blocker. That makes Kelce high risk, and I’d pass for Week One until there’s a clearer view of what his snap counts will look like.
4) Jeremy Hill ($4400 on DK) – Hill has been spending his training camp edging out the Law Firm (BenJarvus Green-Ellis) for 2nd team snaps out of the Bengals backfield. He’s ranked as high as #68 on some experts season-long draft boards as well, but consider the fact that his role is going to be a watered down version of what BJGE did a season ago. Bernard is a year older and should see a heavier work load, leaving maybe 10-12 carries for Hill, especially in Week One. Even if his role were identical to that of the BenJarvus, BJGE only topped 12 fantasy points on DraftKings 3 times last season and never reached the 20 fantasy point plateau.
So there you have my top four candidates for Week One rookie busts. Each of these guys have been touted in recent weeks and could all be highly owned on DraftKings in the early going, but there are some major red flags associated with all four. Always be cautious when jumping on the rookie bandwagon before seeing how he reacts in real NFL action, and no the preseason never counts.
$5 MILLION is up for grabs in the DraftKings Daily Fantasy Football Kickoff Bash! Claim your FREE contest entry here >>
