7 DraftKings Bargains for Week 1
Shane Vereen, RB, New York Giants
DraftKings Price: $3,800
The New York Giants' Shane Vereen is one of a quartet of sub-$4,000 running backs you should consider if you decide to punt the position this week. The others -- Darren Sproles ($3,900), Chris Thompson ($3,700), and Charles Sims ($3,900) -- are all worthy plays, as well, and you should consider them if you are using multiple lineups. However, I like Vereen best for a number of reasons.
Vereen's season was cut short last year after suffering a triceps injury in Week 3. Before he went down, he was averaging 4.3 catches, 74.0 total yards, and 11.4 DraftKings points per game. He was well on his way to meeting or exceeding his 59-catch campaign from 2015. Now healthy, he'll need to once again bring back the passing-down magic that has made him such a threat in his career.
The Giants made a splash in the offseason by signing free-agent wide receiver Brandon Marshall, but their offensive line is still suspect. Going into the preseason, Pro Football Focus has them ranked 28th. If Eli Manning want to survive, he'll likely need to dump the ball off quickly in many instances. That means a lot of passes should be coming Vereen's way.
The Giants' Week 1 opponent, the Dallas Cowboys, gave up 92 and 89 catches to running backs in 2015 and 2016, respectively, ranking in the bottom 10 in the NFL each year. Given the full-PPR scoring setup on DraftKings, Vereen is an excellent punt option in cash games who can help you fit in high-end players such as Le'Veon Bell, who costs a whopping $9,800.
