4 NFL FanDuel Value Plays to Target in Week 1

One of the crucial aspects of daily fantasy football is unearthing cheap production.

Our projections can help you do just that by allowing you to sort players by their point-per-dollar value. A lot of times, the top value plays come as a result of injury situations, meaning it's imperative to see inactives on Sunday morning before setting your lineups.

When looking for a salary-saving option, check out one of these main-slate players this week.

Week 1 of the NFL is here! We have a loaded 12-game slate, and there are plenty of options across the board. Let's take a look at some value options to help you afford the top stars on the main slate.

Henry Ruggs, WR, Las Vegas Raiders ($5,100)

The Las Vegas Raiders open up the season on the road to take on the Carolina Panthers, and they offer a bit of value in Week 1.

With an implied team total of 25.25 -- sixth-highest on the slate -- the Raiders are in a spot to score some points against a lackluster Panthers' secondary. Last season, the Panthers allowed 30.1 FanDuel points per game to opposing wide receivers, 11th-worst in the league. This sets up the Raiders for a successful day via the passing game -- so let's talk about their value.

Last week, the Raiders placed Tyrell Williams on IR, ending his season. This means rookie wide receiver Henry Ruggs could be one of the starters and a clear value option. He comes in at only $5,100 and is the seventh-best value option at wide receiver, based on numberFire's projections. If you are looking to spend up for some of the elite running backs, grabbing a starting wide receiver who is only $5.1K in a fantastic matchup is a solid option.

Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts ($5,400)

With one of the best matchups on the slate, the Indianapolis Colts have value in their backfield.

The matchup for the Colts is so strong due to the fact they are taking on the Jacksonville Jaguars, who allowed 27.4 FanDuel points per game to opposing running backs last season, the second-most in the league. With the Jaguars cutting or trading several players in recent weeks, the Colts come in as 7.5-point road favorites.

If the Colts are going to be in control of this game, you are going to want a piece of their running game -- specifically, Jonathan Taylor. The rookie is unofficially listed as the second-string running back behind Marlon Mack ($6,100), per Colts.com. While he might be second on the depth chart, we have Taylor projected for 14 rushing attempts, compared to 11 attempts for Mack. This should pique your interest since Taylor is cheaper -- for now -- and projected to see more volume.

All of this leads to Taylor coming in as the best-projected value option among running backs in Week 1.

DeSean Jackson, WR, Philadelphia Eagles ($5,700)

A classic NFC East rivalry has another chapter in Week 1, as the Philadelphia Eagles are on the road to take on Washington.

There is nothing like a nice revenge narrative to start off the season, and that leads us to DeSean Jackson ($5,700), who is set for a big game. The Eagles are dealing with a few injuries to their receivers -- notably, Alshon Jeffery, who was activated from the PUP list but won't be ready for Week 1, along with Jalen Reagor, who should be ready for Week 2. This could leave Jackson and J.J. Arcega-Whiteside ($5,300) as the starting wide receivers, but you want Jackson with his big-play potential.

Jackson played only two games last season, so if we look back to 2018, we see that he held an 18.9 Average Depth of Target (aDOT), which was fourth-highest in the league for receivers with over 20 targets. This shouldn't come as a surprise, since Jackson is averaging 17.4 yards per reception for his career.

numberFire's projections echo all of this, as Jackson is the second-best value at wide receiver in Week 1. To recap, a condensed set of receivers for the Eagles, a friendly salary, and a weak Washington secondary -- this has all the makings for a big game from Jackson.

Hayden Hurst, TE, Atlanta Falcons ($5,200)

The Atlanta Falcons are taking on the Seattle Seahawks to open the season, and there is plenty of fantasy value here.

With an over/under sitting at 49.5 -- tied for the highest on the slate -- you should be looking to get exposure to this game in DFS. But, can you do it without paying up for Julio Jones ($8,200) or Tyler Lockett ($6,800)? The answer is yes. Look to Falcons' tight end Hayden Hurst ($5,200), who is their new starting tight end this season. numberFire's projections have Hurst as the third-best value among tight ends on the main slate.

The Seahawks allowed 12.2 FanDuel points per game to opposing tight ends last season -- the second-worst in the league -- putting Hurst in an awesome spot to start his tenure in Atlanta on the right foot. His cheaper salary will allow you to pay up for some of the top stars on the slate or turn this into a game stack for tournaments.