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Week 1 of the XFL is here! We have two games on Saturday and two more on Sunday. We are somewhat flying blind in Week 1 for daily fantasy, as there are no official beat writers to report on camp battles and injuries, but we can piece together starters and offensive philosophies and we are slowly getting depth charts. We don’t know much about how these defenses will play, so I will hold off on factoring defenses into these picks. So, let’s get at it using DraftKings salaries!
Cardale Jones, DC Defenders ($10,200)
Jones gets quarterback guru Pep Hamilton to guide him and a likely pass-first offense is Jones can show any kind of efficiency. Jones also can run well enough to add to his stats on the ground. We know he is the starter and in an offense that will likely use him well. We also know he has a strong group of receivers, with AAF stud Rashad Ross, ex-Steelers slot man Eli Rogers and ex-Patriots receiver DeAndre Thompkins (check injury status). The Defenders are +500 to win the championship, making them a team the books have some faith in to play well.
Charles Kanoff, LA Wildcats ($6,000)
Josh Johnson is the highest priced quarterback on the slate, but he is considered a game-time decision. If he can’t go, Kanoff would get the start. Kanoff played at Princeton, completing 73 percent of his passes at nine-yards per attempts, totaling 3,474 yards, 29 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 10 starts. He looked good in their last scrimmage according to reports and at his price, he is someone to look toward if you need some value.
Jordan Ta’amu, St. Louis BattleHawks ($8,700)
St. Louis has two coaches schooled in the Air Raid offense, with Jonathan Hayes and Chuck Long as head coach and offensive coordinator. Ta’amu is a mobile quarterback, who should be able to bump his passing stats up with his legs. In his last year with Ole Miss, Ta’amu threw for 3,918 yards and 19 touchdowns, adding 342 rushing yards and six touchdowns on the ground.
Other good bets: Aaron Murray, Vipers ($9,000). Phillip Walker, Roughnecks ($7,800)
I am an avid fan and user (my username is cogresha) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.