NFL DFS Week 1 RB Coach: James Cook, Jonathan Taylor & De'Von Achane
Published: Sep 07, 2024
Welcome to the NFL DFS Week 1 RB Coach article! Last season, 18 teams scored a total of 20 points or fewer in Week 1, and with many offensive starters seeing limited or no game action this preseason, we could be in store for more low scoring games to start this season. With some quarterbacks and receivers needing a few plays or even a full half of football to shake off some of that preseason rust, inserting running backs who provide the best value and production into your DFS lineups is extremely important this week.
This NFL DFS Week 1 RB Coach article takes that into consideration and is focused on identifying those types of running backs as you build your NFL DFS lineups leading up to Week 1 kickoffs. As we build our Week 1 NFL DFS lineups, we’re going to be leaning heavily on our own player expectations. That’ll change as we start to see NFL teams in action and they reveal their offensive schemes and we begin to see RB usage trends develop.
As the season kicks off, the NFL DFS Week 1 RB Coach is looking to fill DFS lineups with running backs who will be heavily involved in their NFL team’s offensive scheme. Those running backs also need to play for a team that is favored to win and is expected to have a high point total. Of course, the NFL DFS Week 1 RB Coach is seeking out running backs who will be playing against opponents who have an exploitable run defense as well.
Ideally, the NFL DFS Week 1 RB Coach would like to keep it simple and play it safe to start the season but that’s a lot easier to do in cash games compared to GPP plays. Ultimately the obvious goal of the NFL DFS Week 1 RB Coach is looking for running backs who can provide value based on their price and expected fantasy point production.
NFL DFS Week 1 RB Coach For FanDuel & DraftKings Fantasy
Based on last season's trends and even taking into account offseason moves, there are a few defenses that the NFL DFS Week 1 RB Coach suggests you should be looking to target when deciding which running backs to include in your DFS lineups.
For instance, the Arizona Cardinals, New York Giants, Washington Commanders and Carolina Panthers defenses all gave up a lot of fantasy points to running backs last season and haven’t done enough to improve their ability to stop the run this past offseason.
You’ll want to continue to avoid the Baltimore Ravens, San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys run defenses and it will be interesting to see if the New York Jets can improve their ability to defend against NFL DFS running backs this season.
There’s a wide range of good options at the NFL DFS running back position. You can pay up for top tier talent this week but there’s some hidden gems that can allow you to use more of your capital on chalky quarterbacks, wide receivers and tight ends.
NFL DFS RB Top-Tier Picks For Week 1
Jonathan Taylor, RB Indianapolis Colts - DraftKings: $7,800 | FanDuel: $8,600
With Christian McCaffrey expected to play, but likely a little banged up, Taylor is one of the safest recommendations among the most expensive RB chalk that the NFL DFS Week 1 RB Coach can make this week.
The Houston Texans’ run defense took a hit this offseason when some of their key players left as free agents. This Texans-Colts matchup has one of the highest expected point totals on the slate and Taylor doesn’t have any running back on the Colts’ roster who’ll challenge him for carries this week or for this season, for that matter.
De'Von Achane, RB Miami Dolphins - DraftKings: $6,800 | FanDuel: $7,200
With the third highest implied team points total (26.5) on the slate you’re going to want a piece of this Dolphins offense in your DFS lineups. Yeah, the Dolphins have one of the best receivers in football on their roster, but they scored a ton of their points via their ground game last season.
Raheem Mostert is a little cheaper than Achane on both DraftKings and FanDuel and I’m OK with you putting him in your DFS lineups this week. However, Achane’s explosiveness makes him an intriguing choice that I find hard to pass up. Mostert has a good chance of punching one in against the Jags this Sunday but I’m paying up for Achane this week.
NFL DFS RB Mid-Tier Picks For Week 1
Zack Moss, RB Cincinnati Bengals - DraftKings: $5,800 | FanDuel: $6,900
The Bengals are a heavy favorite and should have an easy time of it against the New England Patriots this Sunday. The Bengals’ first official depth chart has Moss as the team’s RB1 and I’m anticipating that he’ll be the early down back with Chase Brown handling pass catching duties to start the season.
If the game plays out the way it’s expected to, the Bengals should jump out to a big early lead which will allow them to run the ball and run down the clock in the second half.
Zamir White, RB Las Vegas Raiders - DraftKings: $5,700 | FanDuel: $6,400
White averaged 21 carries and 4.73 per Y/A in his last four games of the 2023 season and he’ll be the Raiders’ primary RB in Week 1. The Raiders increasingly relied on the run as last season progressed and will likely continue to focus on their run game with Gardner Minshew under center to start the season.
White faces a Chargers defense that has improved its pass rush but still has question marks in their ability to stop the run. White’s lone 2023 TD came against the Chargers in Week 14 last season.
NFL Week 1 DFS RB Value Picks
Javonte Williams, RB Denver Broncos - DraftKings: $5,500 | FanDuel: $6,100
Jaleel McLaughlin’s role in the Broncos’ backfield will probably grow as the season progresses but Williams will be the primary back for Denver in Week 1. Williams heard all the rumors suggesting that he was on the chopping block too, and he did a reset.
He got himself into the “best shape of his life” and had himself removed from Sean Payton’s doghouse. Williams has got a great matchup against what was a porous Seattle Seahawks run defense last season. He’s two years removed from his knee injury and knows that he needs to get off to a quick start to solidify his role as the Broncos’ lead back this season.
Chuba Hubbard, RB Carolina Panthers - DraftKings: $5,300 | FanDuel: $5,600
Hubbard was a late round RB target for many fantasy football managers in season long drafts and finds himself as the Panthers’ primary back to start the season. He’s not a sexy pick but he’s got volume on his side.
From Week 12 on last season, Hubbard averaged 20 carries and just under 15 DraftKings fantasy points per game during that time span. His opponent, the New Orleans Saints, have a good defense but allowed an average of just under 22 PPR fantasy points per game to RBs in the last five weeks of last season.
NFL DFS RB Fades For Week 1
Bijan Robinson, RB Atlanta Falcons - DraftKings: $7,700 | FanDuel: $8,800
I might be wrong on this but if I’m going to spend top dollar on a RB in my first NFL DFS lineup of the year I want to make sure that he’s the primary back in that backfield.
Robinson probably is the alpha Falcons RB this season but I still would like to see what kind of a role Tyler Allgeier is going to have in Week 1 before I commit to spending top dollar on Robinson in my first DFS lineup of the year.
Jahmyr Gibbs, RB Detroit Lions - DraftKings: $6,500 | FanDuel: $8,000
The Lions and Gibbs are telling us that he will be a full go in Week 1 after spending much of his preseason nursing a hamstring injury. I’d like to see him in action before I commit to putting him in my DFS lineups moving forward, just to make sure that there are no lingering effects from the injury and from him not being able to practice fully this preseason.
I love the Lions’ matchup for their RBs. They’re home favorites in a game with a high expected points total. As the NFL DFS Week 1 RB Coach the Lions RB I’d rather spend my money on is David Montgomery. He’s $1,000 cheaper than Gibbs on FanDuel and you get a smaller $400 discount on him in DraftKings.
NFL Week 1 RB Play Of The Week
James Cook, RB Buffalo Bills - DraftKings: $6,900 | FanDuel: $7,600
Cook checks all the boxes that I’m looking for this week and while he’s a Top Tier pick, he’s $1,200 less than the most expensive FanDuel RB and $900 less than the most expensive DraftKings RB.
He has a great matchup against an Arizona Cardinals run defense that gave up the most fantasy points per game to the running back position last season, his team is heavily favored to win, and his team has one of the highest implied point totals for the week. Cook’s role in the Bills offense expanded as last season wore on. After Week 12 his average carries per game increased from 12.5 to 16.7.