Getty Saints RB Alvin Kamara
The NFL has blessed us with not one, but two Monday night matchups to close out week one of the 2019 season. Things kick off with the DeShaun Watson-led Hoston Texans traveling to the “Big Easy” to face off with Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints. We will then put a stamp on the weekend following an AFC West slugfest between the Denver Broncos and Oakland Raiders.
If a doubleheader to kick off the new work week wasn’t enough to get the juices flowing, there’s also the added benefit in terms of Daily Fantasy Football. Two Monday night games also means twice the amount of player options for our Monday Night DraftKings lineup.
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Optimal Lineup
In our DraftKings optimal lineup, we supply you with the best possible lineup to fast track you on your way to bountiful payout. All while staying within the $50,000 budget presented by Draft Kings.
QB: Joe Flacco, Denver Broncos vs. Oakland Raiders – $5,100
The best option at the quarterback position for the two Monday night tilts is clearly DeShaun Watson. However, Watson also happens to be the most expensive at $6,800. Due to the high price tag, we opted to play the matchup as opposed to the talent in our lineup.
Joe Flacco gets a welcoming matchup in his first career start as the Denver Broncos QB vs. the putrid Oakland Raiders defense. No team in the NFL surrendered more passing touchdowns than the Raiders did in 2018, with 38.
For all the flack “Pretty Boy Flacco” has endured over the years, he was more than serviceable before being yanked in favor of Lamar Jackson a year ago. Flacco averaged 295+ passing yards over the first seven games of 2018, tossing at least two touchdowns in four of those games.
RB: Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints vs. Houston Texans – $8,500
To kick off our running back depth chart we went with the obvious choice. Saints running back Alvin Kamara is the most expensive player to choose from for Monday night’s games, regardless of position. However, it would be awfully hard to pass up on the multi-faceted playmaker from New Orleans.
No player started hotter than Kamara in 2018. The running back averaged 36.3 fantasy points in DraftKings scoring format for the first month of the season. That average includes a whopping 46.1 points in the season opener. Kamara is as set and forget as they come in fantasy football.
RB: Josh Jacobs, Oakland Raiders vs. Denver Broncos – $5,000
Fittingly enough we team up Kamara with a player that was often compared to him during the player’s draft process. Oakland Raiders’ first-round pick Josh Jacobs can affect the game in a multitude of ways. Plus, with AB now in New England, Jacobs becomes Oakland’s number one playmaker.
WR: DeAndre Hopkins, Houston Texans vs. New Orleans Saints – $8,000
Not much to be said here, besides the fact that DeAndre Hopkins is arguably the best wide receiver in football. Nuk averaged 21.5 fantasy points per game in 2018, and that was with QB DeShaun Watson running for his life. The acquisition of Laremy Tunsil should buy Watson more time to find Hopkins in the passing game.
The Saints were the second-worst defense in fantasy at defending the wide receiver position a season ago.
WR: Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints vs. Houston Texans – $ 7,800
While the Houston Texans may be stingy at defending the run, they struggled mightily against the pass a season ago. Houston surrendered the 5th most passing yards per game in 2018.
Michael Thomas led the NFL in receptions in 2018 with 125 catches. Drew Brees will look for Thomas early and often against a team that let safety Tyrann Mathieu walk in free agency.
WR: Tyrell Williams, Oakland Raiders vs. Denver Broncos – $4,400
Tyrell Williams was brought to Oakland to serve as the team’s number one wideout, and then Antonio Brown came to town. Brown’s time in the Bay Area was short-lived, and now Williams regains a role he never really lost in the first place, the go-to target for QB Derek Carr.
TE: Darren Waller, Oakland Raiders vs. Denver Broncos – $3,400
Darren Waller is an enigma. He’s a former wide receiver from Georgia Tech who the Raiders coaching staff is enamored with. However, Waller has done little during his time in the NFL.
Still, Oakland is hungry for playmakers, and Waller is penciled in at the starter. Oakland loves throwing to the tight end. As is evident by the 68 receptions hauled in by last season’s starter at the position, Jared Cook.
FLEX: DaeSean Hamilton, Denver Broncos vs. Oakland Raiders – $4,200
DaeSean Hamilton is super slept on in fantasy circles. Yet, there is a high possibility Hamilton leads the Broncos in receptions this season.
Hamilton averaged 6.3 receptions in the final four games of 2018 and has the making of a PPR stud. Plus, not a bad defense to faceoff with if you’re looking to pad your stats.
DEF: Denver Broncos DEF vs. Oakland Raiders, Salary – $3,500
Oakland has no proven talent on the offensive side of the ball, and gift wrapped fantasy points to opposition’s defenses a season ago. Oakland allowed opponents to accumulate the 7th most fantasy points per game in 2018.
Denver ranked 8th in the NFL in sacks a season ago and will look to wreak havoc on Derek Carr tonight.
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