7 DraftKings Bargains for Week 1

Rex Burkhead, RB, New England Patriots

DraftKings Price: $4,200

Projected Points: 13.8

Projected Value: 3.29

Look, the obvious value play at the running back position this week is James Conner. The second-year player is getting his time in the spotlight with Le'Veon Bell likely sitting on the sidelines due to ongoing contract issues. With how public this absence is, there is no doubt that Conner is going to be a favorite on DraftKings this week, especially for the low price of $4,500. As such, we're looking to see who else is available for your value dollar at the running back spot.

Rex Burkhead is one such player. The New England Patriots' back has flown somewhat under-the-radar this preseason, especially since suffering a minor tear in his knee in mid-August. The injury, however, was indeed minor, and Burkhead has been practicing for the past three weeks and is not on the Pats' Week 1 injury report.

Burkhead was the 28th back off draft boards in PPR leagues this year. He finished as the RB39 in PPR points last season, but his 12.98 DK points per game ranked 17th among all ball-toters who played in at least 10 games. Despite playing in only 10 games, Burkhead's eight combined rushing and receiving touchdowns ranked 11th in 2017.

The Houston Texans' defense presents a challenge with J.J. Watt on the field. Yet two out of the five running back corps he faced last season were able to score over 32 DraftKings points at the running back position.

Conner is certainly the first back you'll want to look to in cash games this week, but Burkhead offers a nice alternative in tournaments for a slight discount. We project him for 13.8 points and a value of 3.29 points per $1,000.