Josh Johnson, Rashad Ross, Cardale Jones lead DFS salaries for XFL debut

The 2019 NFL season is a wrap, but that doesn’t mean football is over. And no, we don’t mean free agency and the 2020 NFL Draft.

The XFL is back! Vince McMahon’s 2001 failure is back in a new form with what seems like a slightly more structured format to build some sustainable success. The eight-team league kicks off this weekend, with two games on Saturday, February 8th and two games on Sunday, February 9th.

The new league features a host of rule changes that could speed up the game and create some more action. The talent level is a decided step down from the NFL, so the league is adjusting the game flow to bring a different kind of entertainment to the field.

The rule changes will impact what kind of numbers players put up, and that will be something to track as XFL daily fantasy football officially launches. DraftKings has partnered with the new league to offer DFS contests. Week 1 prices have arrived, which we’ve included in a table below.

Notable names dominate the pricing, with quarterbacks Josh Johnson, Cardale Jones, Matt McGloin, and Connor Cook all at or near the top. It’s worth noting Johnson has not been practicing this week and might not play in Week 1. Charles Kanoff is his backup.

Among non-QBs, wide receivers Rashad Ross, Mekale McKay, and Sammie Coates lead the way. Ross and McKay shined in the short-lived AAF, while Sammie Coates hade a decent 2016 with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Running backs are coming up further behind, with Christine Michael the most notable name and showing up atop the list of RB salaries. Kenneth Farrow and Cameron Artis-Payne are well known enough that we’ll see them on rosters.

It’s no surprise that defenses bring up the rear. D/STs in general are tough to call, but in a league with no baseline of information, it’s all the more interesting. Offenses will struggle with timing, which could benefit defenses. At the same time, the defenses have not had any time together, so who knows who much they might struggle.