The NFL regular season begins on Thursday, September 7, as the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Detroit Lions. The preseason is underway, but DraftKings has already released its salaries for Week 1. This gives us an early look at how players are expected to be valued and insight into how matchups are evaluated. With no Travis Kelce to choose from, here is how the tight end position shapes up to begin the season.
Baltimore Ravens TE Mark Andrews will cost the most to roster in Week 1 with a $6,200 price tag. He will face the Houston Texans in a new-look Baltimore offense with Odell Bekcham Jr., Nelson Agholor and Zay Flowers. Still, he is expected to retain a high target share from quarterback Lamar Jackson.
T.J. Hockenson will be playing in his first full season with the Minnesota Vikings. With no Adam Thielen or Dalvin Cook on the roster, he should be second in line for targets behind Justin Jefferson and ahead of rookie Jordan Addison. Hockenson and the Vikings have a good matchup on paper against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and could be a solid add, costing only $5,900.
Irv. Smith Jr. ($3,600) and Zach Ertz ($3,400) are intriguing value plays at the position for Week 1. The former is now with the Cincinnati Bengals and should slot in as the TE1 in a pass-heavy offense. Ertz and teammate Marquise Brown are the best pass-catchers on the Arizona Cardinals. They will be playing without starting QB Kyler Murray, but Ertz could see a solid target share from the backup.
NFL Week 1 DraftKings DFS TE Salaries
| First | Last | Team | Opponent | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First | Last | Team | Opponent | Salary |
| Mark | Andrews | Ravens | Texans | $6,200 |
| T.J. | Hockenson | Vikings | Buccaneers | $5,900 |
| George | Kittle | 49ers | Steelers | $5,700 |
| Dallas | Goedert | Eagles | Patriots | $5,000 |
| Tyler | Higbee | Rams | Seahawks | $4,800 |
| Evan | Engram | Jaguars | Colts | $4,700 |
| Dalton | Schultz | Texans | Ravens | $4,600 |
| Kyle | Pitts | Falcons | Panthers | $4,500 |
| Cole | Kmet | Bears | Packers | $4,400 |
| Gerald | Everett | Chargers | Dolphins | $4,300 |
| David | Njoku | Browns | Bengals | $4,200 |
| Pat | Freiermuth | Steelers | 49ers | $4,100 |
| Greg | Dulcich | Broncos | Raiders | $4,000 |
| Juwan | Johnson | Saints | Titans | $3,900 |
| Chig | Okonkwo | Titans | Saints | $3,800 |
| Taysom | Hill | Saints | Titans | $3,700 |
| Irv | Smith Jr. | Bengals | Browns | $3,600 |
| Hunter | Henry | Patriots | Eagles | $3,500 |
| Zach | Ertz | Cardinals | Commanders | $3,400 |
| Cade | Otton | Buccaneers | Vikings | $3,300 |
| Jelani | Woods | Colts | Jaguars | $3,200 |
| Logan | Thomas | Commanders | Cardinals | $3,200 |
| Robert | Tonyan | Bears | Packers | $3,100 |
| Noah | Fant | Seahawks | Rams | $3,100 |
| Trey | McBride | Cardinals | Commanders | $3,100 |
| Austin | Hooper | Raiders | Broncos | $3,000 |
| Isaiah | Likely | Ravens | Texans | $3,000 |
| Hayden | Hurst | Panthers | Falcons | $3,000 |
| Dan | Arnold | Eagles | Patriots | $2,900 |
| Mike | Gesicki | Patriots | Eagles | $2,900 |
| Kylen | Granson | Colts | Jaguars | $2,900 |
| Brycen | Hopkins | Rams | Seahawks | $2,800 |
| Durham | Smythe | Dolphins | Chargers | $2,800 |
| Michael | Mayer | Raiders | Broncos | $2,800 |
| Albert | Okwuegbunam | Broncos | Raiders | $2,700 |
| Foster | Moreau | Saints | Titans | $2,700 |
| Jonnu | Smith | Falcons | Panthers | $2,700 |
| Will | Dissly | Seahawks | Rams | $2,600 |
| Donald | Parham Jr. | Chargers | Dolphins | $2,600 |
| Luke | Musgrave | Packers | Bears | $2,600 |
| Jordan | Akins | Browns | Bengals | $2,600 |
| Geoff | Swaim | Cardinals | Commanders | $2,500 |
| Jack | Coco | Cardinals | Commanders | $2,500 |
| Jimmy | Graham | Saints | Titans | $2,500 |
| Tyler | Ott | Ravens | Texans | $2,500 |
| MyCole | Pruitt | Falcons | Panthers | $2,500 |
| Colby | Parkinson | Seahawks | Rams | $2,500 |
| Tyler | Mabry | Seahawks | Rams | $2,500 |
| Noah | Gindorff | Seahawks | Rams | $2,500 |
| Griffin | Hebert | Seahawks | Rams | $2,500 |
| Hunter | Long | Rams | Seahawks | $2,500 |
| Davis | Allen | Rams | Seahawks | $2,500 |
| Christian | Sims | Rams | Seahawks | $2,500 |
| Nikola | Kalinic | Rams | Seahawks | $2,500 |
| Jack | Stoll | Eagles | Patriots | $2,500 |
| Grant | Calcaterra | Eagles | Patriots | $2,500 |
| Tyree | Jackson | Eagles | Patriots | $2,500 |
| Brady | Russell | Eagles | Patriots | $2,500 |
| Anthony | Firkser | Patriots | Eagles | $2,500 |
| Matt | Sokol | Patriots | Eagles | $2,500 |
| Scotty | Washington | Patriots | Eagles | $2,500 |
| Johnny | Lumpkin | Patriots | Eagles | $2,500 |
| Tre’ | McKitty | Chargers | Dolphins | $2,500 |
| Stone | Smartt | Chargers | Dolphins | $2,500 |
| Hunter | Kampmoyer | Chargers | Dolphins | $2,500 |
| Michael | Ezeike | Chargers | Dolphins | $2,500 |
| Tyler | Kroft | Dolphins | Chargers | $2,500 |
| Eric | Saubert | Dolphins | Chargers | $2,500 |
| Elijah | Higgins | Dolphins | Chargers | $2,500 |
| Tanner | Conner | Dolphins | Chargers | $2,500 |
| Julian | Hill | Dolphins | Chargers | $2,500 |
| O.J. | Howard | Raiders | Broncos | $2,500 |
| Jesper | Horsted | Raiders | Broncos | $2,500 |
| Cole | Fotheringham | Raiders | Broncos | $2,500 |
| John Samuel | Shenker | Raiders | Broncos | $2,500 |
| Adam | Trautman | Broncos | Raiders | $2,500 |
| Chris | Manhertz | Broncos | Raiders | $2,500 |
| Tommy | Hudson | Broncos | Raiders | $2,500 |
| Nate | Adkins | Broncos | Raiders | $2,500 |
| Mitchell | Fraboni | Broncos | Raiders | $2,500 |
| Josiah | Deguara | Packers | Bears | $2,500 |
| Tucker | Kraft | Packers | Bears | $2,500 |
| Tyler | Davis | Packers | Bears | $2,500 |
| Austin | Allen | Packers | Bears | $2,500 |
| Camren | McDonald | Packers | Bears | $2,500 |
| Jake | Tonges | Bears | Packers | $2,500 |
| Chase | Allen | Bears | Packers | $2,500 |
| Stephen | Carlson | Bears | Packers | $2,500 |
| Patrick | Scales | Bears | Packers | $2,500 |
| John | Bates | Commanders | Cardinals | $2,500 |
| Cole | Turner | Commanders | Cardinals | $2,500 |
| Curtis | Hodges | Commanders | Cardinals | $2,500 |
| Brandon | Dillon | Commanders | Cardinals | $2,500 |
| Armani | Rogers | Commanders | Cardinals | $2,500 |
| Noah | Togiai | Cardinals | Commanders | $2,500 |
| Bernhard | Seikovits | Cardinals | Commanders | $2,500 |
| Blake | Whiteheart | Cardinals | Commanders | $2,500 |
| Joel | Honigford | Cardinals | Commanders | $2,500 |
| Cameron | Latu | 49ers | Steelers | $2,500 |
| Charlie | Woerner | 49ers | Steelers | $2,500 |
| Ross | Dwelley | 49ers | Steelers | $2,500 |
| Brayden | Willis | 49ers | Steelers | $2,500 |
| Troy | Fumagalli | 49ers | Steelers | $2,500 |
| Darnell | Washington | Steelers | 49ers | $2,500 |
| Zach | Gentry | Steelers | 49ers | $2,500 |
| Connor | Heyward | Steelers | 49ers | $2,500 |
| Rodney | Williams II | Steelers | 49ers | $2,500 |
| Jesse | James | Saints | Titans | $2,500 |
| Lucas | Krull | Saints | Titans | $2,500 |
| Zach | Wood | Saints | Titans | $2,500 |
| Josh | Whyle | Titans | Saints | $2,500 |
| Trevon | Wesco | Titans | Saints | $2,500 |
| Kevin | Rader | Titans | Saints | $2,500 |
| Thomas | Odukoya | Titans | Saints | $2,500 |
| Justin | Rigg | Titans | Saints | $2,500 |
| Alize | Mack | Titans | Saints | $2,500 |
| Payne | Durham | Buccaneers | Vikings | $2,500 |
| Ko | Kieft | Buccaneers | Vikings | $2,500 |
| David | Wells | Buccaneers | Vikings | $2,500 |
| Dominique | Dafney | Buccaneers | Vikings | $2,500 |
| Tanner | Taula | Buccaneers | Vikings | $2,500 |
| Josh | Oliver | Vikings | Buccaneers | $2,500 |
| Johnny | Mundt | Vikings | Buccaneers | $2,500 |
| Nick | Muse | Vikings | Buccaneers | $2,500 |
| Colin | Thompson | Vikings | Buccaneers | $2,500 |
| Ben | Sims | Vikings | Buccaneers | $2,500 |
| Andrew | DePaola | Vikings | Buccaneers | $2,500 |
| Brenton | Strange | Jaguars | Colts | $2,500 |
| Luke | Farrell | Jaguars | Colts | $2,500 |
| Gerrit | Prince | Jaguars | Colts | $2,500 |
| Sammis | Reyes | Jaguars | Colts | $2,500 |
| Josh | Pederson | Jaguars | Colts | $2,500 |
| Leonard | Taylor | Jaguars | Colts | $2,500 |
| Mo | Alie-Cox | Colts | Jaguars | $2,500 |
| Will | Mallory | Colts | Jaguars | $2,500 |
| Pharaoh | Brown | Colts | Jaguars | $2,500 |
| Drew | Ogletree | Colts | Jaguars | $2,500 |
| Kaden | Smith | Colts | Jaguars | $2,500 |
| Harrison | Bryant | Browns | Bengals | $2,500 |
| Zaire | Mitchell-Paden | Browns | Bengals | $2,500 |
| Thomas | Greaney | Browns | Bengals | $2,500 |
| Mitchell | Wilcox | Bengals | Browns | $2,500 |
| Drew | Sample | Bengals | Browns | $2,500 |
| Devin | Asiasi | Bengals | Browns | $2,500 |
| Tanner | Hudson | Bengals | Browns | $2,500 |
| Nick | Bowers | Bengals | Browns | $2,500 |
| Christian | Trahan | Bengals | Browns | $2,500 |
| Cal | Adomitis | Bengals | Browns | $2,500 |
| Charlie | Kolar | Ravens | Texans | $2,500 |
| Travis | Vokolek | Ravens | Texans | $2,500 |
| Teagan | Quitoriano | Texans | Ravens | $2,500 |
| Brevin | Jordan | Texans | Ravens | $2,500 |
| Eric | Tomlinson | Texans | Ravens | $2,500 |
| Mason | Schreck | Texans | Ravens | $2,500 |
| Jordan | Murray | Texans | Ravens | $2,500 |
| Ian | Thomas | Panthers | Falcons | $2,500 |
| Tommy | Tremble | Panthers | Falcons | $2,500 |
| Giovanni | Ricci | Panthers | Falcons | $2,500 |
| Stephen | Sullivan | Panthers | Falcons | $2,500 |
| Parker | Hesse | Falcons | Panthers | $2,500 |
| Feleipe | Franks | Falcons | Panthers | $2,500 |
| John | FitzPatrick | Falcons | Panthers | $2,500 |
| Tucker | Fisk | Falcons | Panthers | $2,500 |