NFL
Fantasy Football: 6 Historical Vegas Trends You Should Know for Week 1
What do the odds say about Week 1 for certain players, and how can your fantasy teams benefit?

Start the Eagles Defense Because of Line Movement

What is line movement? Well, during the NFL season, bookmakers usually post a spread with a total as early as possible so they can begin taking bets. For Week 1, these totals are posted back in April or May. These lines are adjusted in the following weeks and months due to transactions, injuries, weather reports, large bets on one side, etc.

Back in early May, Pinnacle Sports posted the total for the Philadelphia Eagles and Cleveland Browns game at 45 points, but it's dropped all the way to 41 points.

Back in March, I wrote an article about how line movement affects scoring for fantasy defenses. In 2015, when the total ranged from 39-42 points, that defense would score an average of 8.06 fantasy points per game. This score was higher than the league average of 7.44 points.

The low total of 41 is helpful, but line movement further solidifies this choice. As I mentioned earlier, the total has dropped four points. In 2015, when the total decreased by 4 or more points, the average score was 9.38 fantasy points per game.

The Philadelphia D/ST is the fifth-most expensive defense on FanDuel and costs $4,800, but the unit is worth the pricetag.

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