Week 1 of the NFL season is in the books, with plenty of action set to still go down. The Washington Commanders and Green Bay Packers kicked off the week on Thursday night, and there are 12 games across the Sunday afternoon slate. This includes a Super Bowl rematch between the Eagles and Chiefs, a Bears vs. Lions divisional matchup, and a potential Mac Jones vs. Spencer Rattler matchup for one of the worst quarterback battles of all time.
There are plenty of ways to get involved in the action with DraftKings Sportsbook and Daily Fantasy Sports. As you seek to maximize your DFS lineups, here is a look at a few players in line to outperform their price point to help give you an edge. This article will give my best lineup for the DFS content and the logic behind each selection.
Set your DraftKings fantasy football lineups here: NFL $3.5M Fantasy Football Millionaire [$1M to 1st]
Quarterback:
Dak Prescott ($5,900)
The Dallas Cowboys kicked off the season on a Thursday night matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles. They will now face another NFC East foe in the New York Giants with some additional rest on their side. Dak Prescott struggled in the opening week with just 7.8 fantasy points tallied based on DraftKings scoring. He completed just 21 of his 34 pass attempts for 188 yards without a touchdown. It was a weird game that included Jalen Carter being ejected before playing a snap and a lightning delay in the third quarter. Prescott has a better outlook against a Giants defense that was carved up for 21 points and 432 total yards by the Commanders. Prescott still has one of the strongest arms in football, and CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens make an impressive wide receiver group. Dallas needs to get back in the win column and will be counting on Prescott to air it out. Look for him to outperform his $5,900 price point and get plenty of chances against a Giants team that struggled to move the ball at all in Week 1. Expect Prescott to see the ball plenty and post a much friendlier stat line in Week 2.
Other Considerations: Jalen Hurts ($6,800), Matt Stafford ($5,800), Justin Fields ($5,700), Daniel Jones ($5,200)
Running Back:
Christian McCaffrey ($7,500)
There were plenty of concerns surrounding Christian McCaffrey heading into Week 1, with flashbacks of last season scaring fantasy football owners and 49ers fans alike. But McCaffrey answered by looking like the best version of himself on the field. The 49ers star rushed the ball 22 times for 69 yards and added 73 yards through the air on nine receptions. He posted 23.2 fantasy points, which ranked third among running backs this week. San Francisco will face off with the lifeless New Orleans Saints this week, with Brock Purdy’s outlook in doubt. While Mac Jones may face more of a stacked box, this also should lead to McCaffrey serving as the foundation of the offense even more so than is typically the case. Health was the only real concern with McCaffrey heading into the opening week, and he moved as fluidly and explosively as anyone could hope. Look for him to build off the strong start and post another strong DFS showing in Week 2.
Chase Brown ($6,800)
The Cincinnati Bengals did not burst out of the gates in Week 1 the way it was hoped, but managed to inch to an opening week victory over the Browns. Chase Brown had 21 rush attempts, but only managed to turn this into 43 yards, with his largest rush being only eight yards. He did manage to find the end zone and also added a pair of receptions. Expect Brown and the rest of the Bengals to be thrilled with not having to face a Myles Garrett-led defensive front as they face the Jaguars this week. Jacksonville allowed 113 rushing yards to the Carolina Panthers in Week 1 and will have far more weapons to worry about in this Cincinnati offense. Count on Chase Brown continuing to get the full workload at running back and play a role in both the rushing and pass-catching game. Expect this to be a breakthrough matchup in which Brown asserts himself as one of the top fantasy running backs and has a chance to be a points leader at the position this week.
Other Considerations: James Conner ($6,600), Alvin Kamara ($6,100), Javonte Williams ($5,800), Jaylen Warren ($5,400)
Wide Receivers:
Garrett Wilson ($6,500)
Despite coming up short with the game result, the New York Jets were one of the more positive takeaways of the opening week of football. Justin Fields was slinging the ball all over the field and put forth one of his most complete performances in the NFL. Garrett Wilson was one of the biggest beneficiaries of this, as he tallied seven receptions for 95 yards and a touchdown. His 22.5 fantasy points based on DraftKings scoring made him the eighth-ranked wide receiver last week. New York will now face the Buffalo Bills and will need to put some points on the board to remain in this game. Count on Fields continuing to air it out and for Wilson to remain the top pass-catching option. His nine targets in the opening week more than doubled the next highest on the team, and the Jets have already paid Wilson to be one of the top performers in the league. Count on this effort continuing into Week 2 and for Wilson to remain in the conversation for top DFS wideouts from start to finish this year.
Marvin Harrison Jr. ($5,800)
The Arizona Cardinals selected Marvin Harrison Jr. with the fourth overall pick in last year’s draft. They did not do a good enough job getting the Ohio State product the football in his rookie season. Harrison Jr. finished with just 62 receptions on his 116 targets for 885 yards and eight touchdowns on the season. Kyler Murray looked to have a clearer focus on getting Harrison Jr. the football in the opening week. He tallied five receptions for 71 yards and a touchdown against the Saints, posting 18.1 fantasy points on DraftKings scoring. Arizona will now set its sights on the Carolina Panthers, who allowed 378 total yards of offense to the Jaguars in Week 1. Carolina ranked 23rd in passing yards allowed and dead last in passing touchdowns conceded last year. The early signs have not been encouraging regarding their attempts to fix this, and Harrison Jr. is a caliber of talent above what they faced last week. Expect Arizona to continue making it a focus to get him the football, and for him to play is way into a higher price tier as the season progresses.
George Pickens ($5,800)
One of the biggest offseason moves by the Dallas Cowboys was to bring in George Pickens. The former Steelers standout still has all the talent in the world, and is still a work in progress in keeping his head on straight. He tallied three receptions for just 30 yards in the season opener, but should be in store for a better outlook against the Giants. Pairing Pickens with Prescott in your lineup allows for a potential double dip on a touchdown pass. Pickens has tallied over 1,000 yards in a season with Kenny Pickett as his primary quarterback, and Prescott paints a more optimistic outlook. Dallas will continue to establish an identity as a pass-first offense with Pickens a key part of this. Don’t be surprised if this game turns into a full-scale blowout with plenty of points to go around. Count on Pickens being a key part of this and putting forth a much stronger statistical effort this week.
Other Considerations: Courtland Sutton ($6,300), Tee Higgins ($6,100), Ricky Pearsall ($5,300), Calvin Austin ($4,700)
Tight End:
Tyler Warren ($4,500)
The Indianapolis Colts also have a case for most impressive opening week performance, with Daniel Jones looking like a different version of himself than what was seen on the Giants. Tyler Warren played a significant role in the 33-8 rout over the Dolphins. He led the team with nine targets and pulled in seven of these for 73 yards. He finished as the third-best tight end based on DraftKings scoring in Week 1. Warren also notched one rush attempt, which will be something to keep an eye on moving forward. Indianapolis selected the Penn State product with the 14th overall pick this year. An organization does not invest this much at the tight end position without the intent to use him and count on Warren continuing to be a key part of the offense. The Colts will face a Denver Broncos team with a strong defensive unit, and the tight end is a safety valve they will lean on. Expect Warren to continue to play a key role in the pass attack and be well worth the $4,500 pricetag this week.
Other Considerations: Sam LaPorta ($4,800), Jonnu Smith ($3,900)
Flex:
Josh Palmer ($4,400)
After spending the first four years of his career with the Chargers, Josh Palmer signed with the Buffalo Bills this offseason. The 25-year-old got off to a strong start, recording five receptions for 61 yards in the opening week. Sometimes, a new team makes all the difference for a player, and Palmer looks to have a key role on this Bills team. He was tied for second on the team with nine targets in Week 1. Buffalo will take on the New York Jets this week. While defense is expected to be a strength of this New York team, they allowed over 200 passing yards to Aaron Rodgers in the opening week, and Josh Allen should cause even greater problems. Expect Palmer to be a part of the equation once again. $4,400 feels like a good value for his caliber of talent and level of opportunity. Look for Palmer to continue to see his name be mentioned as a more notable fantasy option and put forth a strong showing in Week 2.
Defense & Special Teams:
New England Patriots ($2,800)
The Miami Dolphins are heading for disaster fast, and it is worth capitalizing on. They were dominated by the Indianapolis Colts in the opening week, in which they produced just 43 yards of offense in the first half and finished with eight points in the game. They will now face the New England Patriots, who are looking to bounce back from a 20-13 opening week loss to the Raiders. New England invested in their defense this offseason and tallied four sacks and 10 tackles for a loss in the season opener. Unless there is a miraculous turnaround this week, I struggle to see Miami putting forth any real form of competent offense. Tua Tagovailoa had a pair of interceptions and a fumble in the opening week. Expect the Patriots’ defense to have the upper hand in this matchup and be opportunistic in forcing turnovers when the opportunities present themselves. The pass rush looked strong, and the Dolphins are looking lifeless. Count on New England to be one of the top defenses this week and outperform the $2,800 price point comfortably.
Other Considerations: Rams ($3,100), Steelers ($3,100), Colts ($2,600)
