Best running back picks for Week 1 XFL DFS

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!

Christine Michael, St. Louis BattleHawks ($8,400)

Michael has talent and looked great in flashes in the NFL, but had trouble sticking with a team. In his NFL career, from 2013-2018, he rushed 256 times for 1,089 yards and seven touchdowns and caught 26 passes for 135 yards and a touchdown. Michael went sixth in the XFL draft and should get the bulk of the running back touches.

Elijah Hood, LA Wildcats ($7,500)

The Wildcats might be without their starting quarterback Josh Johnson and burner wide receiver Tre McBride to start the season. Norm Chow has averaged more rushing attempts than passing attempts in his coordinating career and if Johnson can’t go or is limited at all as a runner, Hood should see a lot of work as the starter.

Kenneth Farrow, Seattle Dragons ($7,200)

The Seattle Dragons have the worst odds to win the XFL title and probably the least innovative coach in Jim Zorn. Zorn has mostly been conservative as a coach while his offensive coordinator Mike Daniels is balanced in his approach, but has had seasons where he let his quarterback loose. The Dragons roster more tight ends than any team in the league and I expect them to run the ball with their blocking help.

Cameron Artis-Payne, Dallas Renegades ($6,800)

Artis-Payne will start and likely be used as a receiver as well, especially with Lance Dunbar not listed on the Week 1 depth chart. If Dunbar doesn’t play, CAP should see a ton of work with only Marquis Young to take away touches. The Renegades will run their offense at a fast pace under Hal Mumme and if they end up with only two active running backs, Young could also have value, and at a much cheaper price.

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.