This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Football series.
TOURNAMENTS (GPP – GUARANTEED PRIZE POOL)
QB: Andrew Luck, IND vs. CIN ($31)
Luck hasn't played since 2016, so it's anybody's guess how well the first overall selection in the 2012 draft will perform in his first action back. GPP players crave the upside that comes with that uncertainty, and Luck could end up providing tremendous bang for the buck considering nine other quarterbacks in the Sunday-only slate cost at least $31. With starting running back Marlon Mack's (hamstring) status uncertain for Week 1, Indianapolis is likely to take an extremely pass-heavy approach.
RB: Saquon Barkley, NYG vs. JAX ($34)
Many owners will see the Jacksonville defense on the other end and immediately look elsewhere, but the Jaguars were actually nothing special against the run with 116.3 rushing yards allowed per game last season (tied for 11th most). Barkley has the skills to exploit that weakness, and the second overall selection in this past draft is reportedly completely over the hamstring injury that bothered him in the preseason. He's a riskier pick than the established commodities in this price range, but those willing to take that risk could be handsomely rewarded.
WR: JuJu Smith-Schuster, PIT at CLE ($26)
Antonio Brown routinely roasts the Browns, so Cleveland will likely send help his way often. Doing so should leave Smith-Schuster in single coverage a majority of the time, and the 21-year-old receiver knows how to capitalize in such situations. In the last seven games of his rookie season, Smith-Schuster recorded at least 75 yards five times while adding a touchdown in four of those contests. He rewarded owners looking to swing for the fences in last year's finale against the Browns, coming up with 143 yards and a touchdown on nine catches.
Other Against-the-Grainers
QB: Deshaun Watson (HOU, $35); Marcus Mariota (TEN, $29)
RB: Jacquizz Rodgers (TB, $10); Alex Collins (BAL, $26); Kenyan Drake (MIA, $21)
WR: Josh Gordon (CLE, $25); Corey Davis (TEN, $21); Will Fuller (HOU, $20)
TE: Austin Seferian-Jenkins (JAX, $16); Evan Engram (NYG, $20)
DST: Chicago Bears ($16); Jacksonville Jaguars ($20)
CASH GAMES (H2H, 50/50s and DOUBLE UPS)
Quarterback
Drew Brees, NO vs. TB ($33)
Brees is in an ideal situation for this season opener. He's at home -- where he averaged 284.8 passing yards per game compared to 257.0 on the road in 2017 – and facing a Buccaneers defense that allowed the most passing yards in the league last season. Additionally, New Orleans likely doesn't want to run Alvin Kamara into the ground while Mark Ingram serves his four-game suspension, which could lead to a more pass-heavy playbook.
Running Back
Chris Carson, SEA at DEN ($14)
Any time you can get a starting running back for $14, you should strongly consider doing so. Carson locked up the top job in Seattle with a solid preseason, and he should get a hefty workload, including goal-line looks, against the Broncos in Week 1.
Alvin Kamara, NO vs. TB ($37)
Even if Kamara doesn't get 20-plus rushing attempts, he should be worth paying up for. He actually had more receiving yards (826) than rushing yards (728) to go with 13 total offensive touchdowns last year, and Ingram's absence should provide even more opportunities for Kamara to make plays. Three of those 13 touchdowns came in the two meetings with the Buccaneers, along with 280 yards from scrimmage.
Wide Receiver
Danny Amendola, MIA vs. TEN ($12)
Amendola's a nice bargain at just $12. The 0.5 PPR format rewards players that make lots of short catches rather than chunk gains, and Amendola specializes in the former. DeVante Parker (finger) still isn't cleared to catch and Kenny Stills averaged just 3.6 receptions per game last season, so Amendola could well wind up leading Miami's passing game in targets against a vulnerable Titans secondary that allowed the eighth-most passing yards per game last season.
Stefon Diggs, MIN vs. SF ($28)
Diggs showed excellent chemistry with new quarterback Kirk Cousins in the preseason, and the 24-year-old receiver out of Maryland finished last season on a hot streak with touchdowns in each of his last three regular-season appearances plus another 207 yards and a score (you know the one) over two playoff contests. Look for him to pick up right where he left off against a 49ers defense that allowed the 11th-most receiving yards per game last year. San Francisco added cornerback Richard Sherman in the offseason, but he's unlikely to be close to his old self at this point after rupturing his Achilles in Week 10 of 2017.
Keenan Allen, LAC vs. KC ($36)
Allen was on fire to close out the 2017 campaign, racking up 58 catches for 797 yards and five touchdowns over the final seven weeks. Expect him to kick 2018 off with a bang in what could turn into an offensive shootout against the division rival Chiefs. Kansas City surrendered 247.0 yards per game through the air last year – fourth most in the league.
Tight End
Delanie Walker, TEN at MIA ($23)
Last season, Miami allowed the most catches (94), second-most yards (1,034) and second-most touchdowns (10) to tight ends. Walker's primed to exploit the Dolphins' inability to cover his position, as he's coming off four consecutive campaigns with at least 800 yards while averaging five touchdowns per season over that stretch.
Defense/Special Teams
Minnesota Vikings, MIN vs. SF ($13)
Minnesota's a great bargain at just $3 above the minimum, as the Vikings' defense is coming off a fantastic season in which they allowed the fewest yards (275.9) and points (15.8) per game. This unit opens the season at home against a San Francisco offense that let Carlos Hyde go in the offseason and watched expected replacement starter Jerick McKinnon suffer a season-ending ACL tear just eight days before this game.
Honorable Mentions
QB: Ben Roethlisberger (PIT, $31); Philip Rivers (LAC, $31)
RB: James Conner (PIT, $11); LeSean McCoy (BUF, $21); Alfred Morris (SF, $10)
WR: Michael Thomas (NO, $37); Devin Funchess (CAR, $20); A.J. Green (CIN, $31)
TE: Jack Doyle (IND, $16); David Njoku (CLE, $12)
DST: Baltimore Ravens ($20); Carolina Panthers ($16)
