NFL Week 1 DFS Picks For FanDuel

It has finally arrived! As much as I enjoy the other sports I bet on in basketball and baseball, nothing compares to the exhilarating feeling that I get from watching football. The NFL main slates are the bread and butter of by betting income, so the first Sunday of NFL action feels like the best of holidays for me. I started off this season about as hot as possible with Thursday's prime time single game showdown lineup profiting a 5x return for our subscribers. Hopefully that level of success can be replicated on to the first main slate of the year. In total, the NFL Week 1 main slate features 13 games, so there are plenty of elite player options to choose from, especially since rookies and players with expected usage upticks are cheap. Let's dive in to the breakdown of the NFL main slate on FanDuel for Week 1!

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Top Play:

Justin Jefferson ($8100) -

Justin Jefferson is my favorite play for the Week 1 NFL main slate on FanDuel. This probably isn't much of a surprise to the dedicated fantasy consumers as Justin Jefferson will be popular site wide come Sunday, but there is a strong reason why he is being talked about so much. Justin Jefferson has recorded the most receiving yards of any player in NFL history through their first two seasons, and he is on pace for even more production this season as the Vikings offense is taking a more pass heavy approach. For a player that commanded a 29% target share and trailed only Cooper Kupp in receiving yards in 2021, this is a dream scenario. Although Jefferson was drafted hand-in-hand with Kupp as the top fantasy receiver, his salary of $8100 is just the fourth highest of all receivers on the slate, and Kupp isn't even on it. His immense target share and expected production makes Justin Jefferson a near lock in cash game formats, but there is room to fade him in tournaments if you desire, as there is a path to limited production if Jaire Alexander is able to nag him all game.

Best Value:

Saquon Barkley ($6800) -

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saquon_Barkley#/media/File:Saquon_Barkley_Falcons_vs_Giants_SEP2021.png

You can call me a homer for this pick if you want, but there is little basis in denying that Saquon Barkley is one of the best point per dollar plays on the Week 1 NFL main slate. Injuries have plagued Barkley since his historic season as a rookie, but he has looked as healthy as ever throughout this training camp and preseason, and you can't project that an injury will occur any time soon. His current salary of $6800 is only the 16th highest on the slate for backs, which is ridiculous value to target given the fact that he has been drafted as a top 12 back all offseason in season long fantasy formats. On paper, the Titans appear as a tough matchup as they allowed the second fewest rushing yards in the league a season ago, but the talent on their current front seven will be hard-pressed to replicate that high level of success. Although he will be popular across the site, there are few backs that possess the workhorse role and immense upside that Barkley provides, so meeting the field on his ownership is not an issue.

Best Game Environment:

Kansas City Chiefs @ Arizona Cardinals -

The best game environment for stacking purposes resides in Glendale, Arizona for an electrifying matchup between the Chiefs and the Cardinals. Not taking into account the offensive powerhouses that both of these teams are, Arizona usually possesses ideal football conditions with hot temperatures, little to no precipitation, and weak wind strengths. When you add Patrick Mahomes and Kyler Murray to the mix, you can expect some points to be scored. Vegas agrees with that outlook on this game as the current total of 53.5 is the highest on the slate, and the game should be close. Although James Conner is a player worth taking a look at, I would take top priority in stacking through the air in this one, with Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and JuJu Smith-Schuster atop my list for the Chiefs, and Kyler Murray and Hollywood Brown carrying the most appeal on the Cardinals.

Main Player Pool:

Quarterback:

Patrick Mahomes ($8700)

Kyler Murray ($8200)

Jalen Hurts ($8000)

Other great plays: Lamar Jackson ($8500), Justin Herbert ($8400), Aaron Rodgers ($7800), Kirk Cousins ($7300), Matt Ryan ($6900), Jameis Winston ($6700)

Running Back:

Christian McCaffrey ($9500)

Alvin Kamara ($8500)

Saquon Barkley ($6800)

Other great plays: Jonathan Taylor ($10200), Derrick Henry ($9700), Austin Ekeler ($9400), Dalvin Cook ($8400), James Conner ($7700), D'Andre Swift ($7600), Travis Etienne Jr. ($6200), Chase Edmonds ($5800), Dameon Pierce ($5400)

Wide Receiver:

Justin Jefferson ($8100)

Mike Williams ($6600)

Chris Olave ($5000)

Other great plays: Davante Adams ($8500), Ja'Marr Chase ($8200), Keenan Allen ($7400), Michael Pittman Jr. ($7200), Marquise Brown ($6900), Amon-Ra St. Brown ($6500), JuJu Smith-Schuster ($6400), Darnell Mooney ($6200), Michael Thomas ($6200), DeVonta Smith ($6100), Elijah Moore ($6000), Christian Kirk ($5800), Robert Woods ($5600), Brandon Aiyuk ($5600), Kadarius Toney ($5300), George Pickens ($5200), Romeo Doubs ($5000), Wan'Dale Robinson ($4700)

Tight End:

Travis Kelce ($8000)

Kyle Pitts ($6000)

Dallas Goedert ($5700)

Other great plays: Mark Andrews ($7900), Darren Waller ($7000), Hunter Henry ($5400), Pat Freiermuth ($5300)

D/ST:

49ers ($5000)

Colts ($4500)

Commanders ($3700)

Other great plays: Saints ($4900), Ravens ($4800), Titans ($4600), Eagles ($4100)