5 Daily Fantasy Football Matchups to Exploit in Week 1

Detroit Lions Passing Offense

Marvin Jones could very well wind up being the chalkiest of the chalk at wide receiver this weekend. This isn't a matchup of which people aren't aware by any means, and they'll account for it by investing in a criminally underpriced wideout.

They just may not be aware of how well things truly line up for the Lions.

The Colts finished last year ranked 19th in Adjusted Defensive Passing NEP per play, a below-average mark, but it's not one that's going to make us shift our whole attack plan. But the team will be without cornerback Vontae Davis for the first month of the season, and that changes things radically.

Even with Davis largely healthy last year, there were nine different wide receivers who notched 100 receiving yards in a game against the Colts. Some of the names on that list -- Allen Hurns, Martavis Bryant, Brandon Marshall, and Danny Amendola -- should stand out to you. Each of those guys was either the clear second option on the offense or part of a solid one-two punch. That should tell you how well teams did when they avoided Davis through the air, and that's not something they'll have to deal with any more.

Then there's one final thing that may not be matchup-related, but you can bet it'll affect our DFS decision-making.

The Lions have fully committed to being a fast-paced offense, they're cheap, and they're playing a banged-up, below-average defense indoors. This is a great matchup on its face, but it looks even better the deeper you dig.

If you're looking to avoid Jones, there are still ways to get exposure to the Lions' offense without swallowing the high-ownership pill. The first would be to stack Stafford with tight end Eric Ebron, who had some good news at practice Wednesday.

The perk around Ebron -- other than avoiding the high-ownership Jones -- is that the Colts struggled against tight ends last year, too, allowing eight top-12 weekly scoring finishes, including such finishes for powerhouses like Owen Daniels, Michael Hoomanawanui, Cameron Brate, and Marcedes Lewis. Ebron wouldn't have faced Davis directly, but the increase in offensive efficiency does benefit him.

Finally, this is also a fun spot for running back Theo Riddick. Because the Lions are 3.5-point underdogs, you can assume they'll have to hit the air a decent amount. Riddick had a 15.9% target market share last year, meaning a high-volume passing attack would hugely benefit him. Because his price is right around that of potential popular plays like Christine Michael and James White, Riddick should be able to fly under the radar, giving him a bit more upside in a quality matchup.