Week 1 DraftKings NFL GPP Picks

In the highly pressurized world that is fantasy football, making sure you zig when everyone zags and choosing the standout stars of the week every week will go a long way. DFS is like the wild west because some weeks some players might falter at the opportunity of a beneficial matchup while others will excel when no one thought they would. This might be your lucky day as we have done the research and analytical data analysis necessary to get you the right picks for your team. So sit back and relax as we show you the players you should get to earn that cold hard cash.

QB

Jalen Hurts ($6,400) vs Atlanta Falcons

Starting off the list is a guy who is going up against one of the worst passing defenses in the league last season. The Falcons were the worst passing defense last year and Hurts has a better cast of receivers to throw to this season. DeVonta Smith, Jalen Reagor, Zach Ertz, Dallas Goedert, Quez Watkins, and Miles Saunders are all excellent receiving options. Hurts has shown promise, like in his huge day against the Cardinals last season, and Hurts is one of the cheaper options at quarterback if you want to spend your money elsewhere.

Joe Burrow ($5,700) vs Minnesota Vikings

Another cheap guy going against a really bad defense, Joe Burrow should take off in his first game back from his horrific knee injury. The Vikings were the 5th worst passing defense last year and Cincinnati loves to throw the ball. The Bengals had the 15th most passing attempts last season and they would have had more if Burrow didn’t get hurt in the middle of the season. Burrow once had 60 attempts in a game, which just shows the amount of faith the Bengals have in him. This year, Burrow has one of the best receiving corps in the NFL in Tyler Boyd, Tee Higgins, and his college teammate Ja’Marr Chase, as well as an excellent, receiving back in Joe Mixon. A horrible Vikings defense plus a stud passing game of the Bengals has all of the makings of a huge day from Burrow.

RB

Jonathan Taylor ($8,000) vs Seattle Seahawks

Carson Wentz and Quenton Nelson both having foot injuries isn’t a good thing for the Colts, but having one of the best running backs in the NFL is. Meet Jonathan Taylor, he is an over 1,100 yard and 10 touchdown rusher in his rookie season and will look to dominate against one of the best rushing defenses in the league. Seattle ranked as the 5th best rushing defense in the league last year, but the catch is that they are very flawed at defense in the beginning part of the season. Over the past couple of years, the defense looks terrible at the start of the season while the offense looks unstoppable. Then the defense is an immovable object around Week 8 or 9 while the offense cools off. This is a good thing for Taylor considered he is a tough and big running back with some speed that will prey on the weaker Seattle defenders.

Mike Davis ($5,400) vs Philadelphia Eagles

The matchup against the Eagles is a favorable one for Mike Davis and the Falcons. In this bird on bird matchup, the Falcons have the edge in the rushing game as they have one of the better offensive lines in the league going up against one of the worst rushing defenses last season. Last year, the Eagles ranked 23rd against the run. Davis is now the lead man in Atlanta as Todd Gurley and Ito Smith are no longer on the team. He is the bell cow in the Atlanta scheme because of his sudden change of pace ability and great hands out of the backfield. Expect a lot of touches for Davis against a weaker Philly defense.

WR

Calvin Ridley ($7,900) vs Philidelphia Eagles

Atlanta is going to be throwing the ball a ton and Calvin Ridley should be the recipient of many of those passes. With Julio Jones out of the picture, Ridley becomes the new top dog in town, if he wasn’t already. Ridley has been a great draft selection for the Falcons as he has accumulated 3,061 yards, 26 TDS, and averaged 15.8 fantasy points per game last season while making defenders everywhere look silly with his incredible route-running ability. Rookie TE Kyle Pitts might not have been a bad thing for Ridley, as Pitts is another dynamic receiving threat that opposing teams will have to cover, leaving open spaces for Ridley. Atlanta loves to throw the ball, 4th most in the NFL last season, and are playing against one of the worst passing defenses in the Eagles, who ranked 25th against receivers last season.

Ja’Marr Chase ($4,800) vs Minnesota Vikings

I expect the scoreboard to light up frequently when the Vikings play the Bengals in Week 1. This means that both teams’ offensive players will get a chance to score points for fantasy owners, and this includes Ja’Marr Chase. Chase was the first wide receiver selected in this year’s draft and it was hard for Cincinnati to pass on him when he has fantastic hands, a sky-high vertical leap, and a great connection to their franchise quarterback, Joe Burrow. Chase is a difference-maker on the outside and he gets the opportunity to show why he was selected so high when he plays against the Vikings’ 27th ranked pass defense. Chase is strong and explosive and while he might be lined up against Patrick Peterson or Breshaud Breeland, he should still put up fantasy points in his first NFL game.

TE

Travis Kelce ($8,300) vs Cleveland Browns

Tight end is a position where you want to pony up the money and get one of the best around because a great tight end can end up contributing the same or more amount of points as your second running back and wide receiver. And Travis Kelce is the best in the business. Kelce has been unstoppable since joining forces with Patrick Mahomes and Tyreek Hill. He is even slotted to be picked higher than most running backs and wide receivers because of his great speed and the route-running ability for someone his height. The Browns were one of the worst defenses against tight ends last season as they ranked 4th worst in the NFL and have no answer to Kelce in this matchup. Expect Kelce to be one of the highest-scoring players once Week 1 is over.

Kyle Pitts ($4,400) vs Philadelphia Eagles

As the consensus best prospect that doesn’t play quarterback, Kyle Pitts is viewed as an unstoppable player coming out of Florida. He was selected with the 4th overall pick by the Falcons and was the first non-quarterback off the board. Pitts is a Travis Kelce like weapon for the Falcons as he moves super fast and is skilled for a man as big as he is. He also gets the benefit of playing against the Eagles, who had the 15th ranked passing defense in the NFL last season. As the number 2 option behind Calvin Ridley, Pitts should receive plenty of targets in a pass-heavy Atlanta offense.

D/ST

Buffalo Bills ($2,500) vs Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers’ offense struggled in the latter part of the season last year while Buffalo’s defense was peaking at the right time. Big Ben Roethlisberger is showing that he is nearing the end of his career as his arm was not as strong as it used to be. So the Steelers had to resort to short passes which defenses pounced on quickly. The Steelers also don’t have a stable running game, which is a staple of every good offense. This all goes in the Bills’ favor as they were great against the pass and weak against the run. The Bills had the 13th ranked passing defense thanks to guys like Tre White, Micah Hyde, and Jordan Poyer roaming the secondary. They had the 17th ranked run defense but players like Ed Oliver, Tremaine Edmunds, and rookie Greg Rousseau are still young and developing that part of their game. The Bills are the perfect counter to what the Steelers like to do on offense and should be considered when picking your DFS defense.