4 NFL FanDuel Tournament Pivots for Week 1

If you've played daily fantasy sports for a while, you realize by now the importance of being contrarian, especially in large-field tournaments. Being able to recognize which players are going to be owned by the majority of the field -- and to find players who you think have a similar point projection but will come at much lower ownership -- can help separate you from your opponents.

The purpose of this article will be to identify some players who will be the chalk at each position and how you can pivot off of them with high-upside options who could go overlooked.

Let's take a look at pivot options for Week 1.

Kirk Cousins, QB, Minnesota Vikings ($7,200)

Getting away from the chalk is something we all aim for in DFS tournaments, and that's the goal of this article.

The chalky options in NFL DFS can be very clear on a week-to-week basis, and getting away from that while still putting yourself in a spot for plenty of fantasy points is the goal.

This week, we can expect the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Kyler Murray to be very popular, and that shouldn't come as a surprise. They are all great fantasy options every week and in a position to start off the new NFL with plenty of points.

With all of these great options on the slate, lost in the mix could be Kirk Cousins, who has a fantastic matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals. It shouldn't be a surprise that the Bengals are one of the worst-ranked defensive units this season, and we should be looking to attack them at every chance we get. The Bengals allowed 19.0 FanDuel points per game to opposing quarterbacks last year, a level Cousins could certainly exceed.

Cousins clearly isn't an exciting or flashy fantasy option by any means, but he has shown the ability to push past 300 yards and 3 passing touchdowns if the matchup is good.

That is what Cousins has in front of him this week, and the opportunity to stack him with elite receivers such as Adam Thielen ($7,300) or Justin Jefferson ($8,000) makes a great tournament pivot away from the chalky options.

Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts ($7,900)

Can we turn to Jonathan Taylor this week?

The short answer is: yes. That's why his name is here, but the question is why? Why are we turning to Taylor this week? Well, he shouldn't be a popular as some of the other running back and can still provide plenty of FanDuel points.

The Indianapolis Colts are hosting the Seattle Seahawks, a game in which the over/under is set at 48.5 points with the Colts getting 3.0 points.

The Seahawks' defense was abysmal last season, and it's projected to be much of the same this year. They are in the middle of the road in their ranking overall, but more importantly, they have the 29th-ranked defensive line by PFF. This puts Taylor in a spot to excel as arguably the Colts' best offensive option.

T.Y. Hilton has been placed on injured reserve, leaving an inexperienced set of wide receivers to go alongside Carson Wentz, who is in his first year with the Colts. Wentz didn't play at all in the preseason after spending some time on the COVID list, and it has me concerned about the onfield connection between quarterback and wide receivers.

This could cause the Colts to lean on the run game a bit more, allowing Wentz to settle into the offense. This would put Taylor in a solid spot since the Seahawks allowed 21.0 FanDuel points per game to runnings back last season.

Taylor piled up 15 FanDuel points or more in the final six games of last season, and two of those games led to 29.5 and 37.9 FanDuel points. He has plenty of upside, and extra touches for him in this matchup will only benefit his production.

D.J. Moore, WR, Carolina Panthers ($6,700)

This isn't breaking news, but the New York Jets' defense is bad.

OK, that's a bit of a mean way to start things, but it's true. Well, actually, let me clarify, the Jets' secondary is bad.

The Jets made some clear improvements in the offseason, and their front seven should continue to excel, even with the loss of Carl Lawson for the year. However, their secondary hasn't changed all that much, presenting an opening for D.J. Moore.

Last season, Moore led the Carolina Panthers with a 13.7-yard average depth of target (aDOT) and also led the team with 1,193 air yards. More was also second on the team with a 24.6% target share but scored only 4 touchdowns.

Moore is an awesome receiver: he simply needs the ball in his hands, and the fantasy points will pile up.

With this game having a 44.5-point over/under, the third-lowest on the slate, Moore shouldn't be popular in tournaments. This gives Moore the chance to make the Jets look like they shouldn't even be cleared for takeoff.

T.J. Hockenson, TE, Detroit Lions ($5,700)

On a slate that features both Travis Kelce and George Kittle, we already know who should be popular.

This has been the story at tight end for a few seasons: when Kelce and Kittle are on the slate, you pay up for one of them. This is because tight end can be a bit of a wasteland after the top tier, and now you add in rookie sensation Kyle Pitts, and it's clear where the chalk will fall.

We want to get away from that chalk and look elsewhere, which could lead us to T.J. Hockenson this week. The Detroit Lions went through a major overhaul in the offseason, with Matthew Stafford leaving, Jared Goff joining, Marvin Jones leaving, and Tyrell Williams joining. To say the Lions have a weak receiving group would be an understatement, but Hockenson could provide to be the most consistent option.

Last season, Marvin Jones led the Lions in air yards, touchdowns, aDOT, and target share. Marvin Jones is now on the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Last season, Tyrell Williams didn't play and was on injured reserve for the Las Vegas Raiders. Does this put Hockenson in a spot to be the number one pass-catching option for the Lions? I certainly think it does, and since he shouldn't be chalky compared to Kelce, Kittle, or Pitts, I'm very interested in him this week.