Daily Fantasy NFL Picks for FanDuel and DraftKings - Week 1 Sunday 9/8/24

We are back, baby. Can you even believe it? Just when you thought the Super Bowl had ended, here we are firing up Week 1 on DraftKings and FanDuel. Where did the spring and summer even go?

There's a ton to dive into with this new NFL season, and plenty of value even for the first DFS slate of the year. Let's dive in.

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Quarterbacks

Josh Allen FD 9200 DK 8000
Opponent ARI
Proj Points FD - 27.48 DK - 27.48

Why not start this off right with one of the most expensive and highest-floor quarterbacks we have? If you are looking for safety in the position, this is about as good as it gets. Allen projects the highest at the position entering the season against the Arizona Cardinals in a game with a 48 over/under and Bills -6.5.

There are some concerns about Buffalo’s new pass-catching core for sure without Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis, but Allen maintains a higher floor because of the rushing and use around the goal line.

Plus, it’s in an offense that wants him to throw against a Cardinals team among the bottom in terms of pressure rate last season. The game script here should play out well with the Cardinals, who are also likely to open it up. 

Anthony Richardson FD 8300 DK 6300
Opponent HOU
Proj Points FD - 21.66 DK - 21.66

The game is indoors in Indy, the total is at 49, and the Colts should be playing from behind in this one against a high-powered Houston offense. Richardson had 131 yards and four touchdowns on the ground in his first three games before getting hurt last season. That part of his game should remain intact this time around.

The biggest question is whether he can make due as a pocket passer. That still remains to be seen, though there were flashes in his short stint as a rookie. In all, we want our cash game quarterbacks to run for that high-floor potential. And that’s the name of this guy’s game.

Jayden Daniels FD 7000 DK 5700
Opponent TB
Proj Points FD - 19.11 DK - 19.11

Speaking of running, Jayden Daniels should do a lot of it, and he’s coming considerably cheaper than both the guys above. The second-overall pick crushed it on the ground in college at LSU, and early signs point to him doing it at the NFL level as well. The price on DraftKings is just too low going into this week, considering what he brings to the game on the ground.

Running Back

De'Von Achane FD 7200 DK 6800
Opponent JAX
Proj Points FD - 15.04 DK - 17.05

Looking for game-breaking speed from a guy who averaged about 7.7 yards per touch last season? Yeah, us, too. Achane was a massive riser in season-long leagues this year in the hope of an RB1-style role in one of the best offenses around. It could come to play out in this game.

The Jaguars struggled significantly against pass-catching running backs last season, and that’s good news for Achane who averaged more than four targets a game over his last six. Achane had just about 1K total yards last season, and it seemed like he barely played. This could be the lowest we see his price this season.

Kenneth Walker III FD 7400 DK 6100
Opponent DEN
Proj Points FD - 14.23 DK - 15.47

He should start off the season with something close to bell-cow duties, understanding that very few running backs (outside of CMC) really push toward this kind of role. The Seahawks are -6 home favorites against the Broncos, the sweet spot for running attacks, and Denver is coming off getting shredded on the ground last season.

Walker has 11 games of 10+ rushes last season and topped 17 eight times. He featured just enough in the passing game to keep the floor on the higher side as well.

Alvin Kamara FD 7100 DK 6700
Opponent CAR
Proj Points FD - 14.73 DK - 17.03

The wheels might be just about off of Alvin Kamara from a rushing efficiency standpoint, putting up just 3.9 yards per carry last season. But there are still elements of his game that translate to fantasy, namely that Derek Carr likes to check down and dump off in his direction over and over and over again. Kamara led all RBs in targets per game last season (6.6), and on full PPR DraftKings, that’s meaningful.

Also consider

James Connor, if you think he’s the every-down back. And if so, then the $6.1K FanDuel salary is probably just too cheap even in a game where they could play from behind. But Trey Benson is waiting there this season.

Wide Receiver

Drake London FD 6700 DK 6000
Opponent PIT
Proj Points FD - 14.61 DK - 17.8

New quarterback, new life for the Falcons offense? It sure seems that way going into this season, with the Atlanta guys all getting major offseason bumps across the board in fantasy drafts. There’s a lot to like here, and many are expecting a breakout from Drake London after being mired in an Arthur Smith slog-fest last year.

The great hope is that Kirk Cousins can turn Drake London into a Justin Jefferson-lite kind of WR considering the pedigree is more than there. After all, London was the 8th overall pick just two years ago. This should happen, and happen in a big way. Again, we might not have a chance to get him this cheap again.

Malik Nabers FD 6300 DK 5900
Opponent MIN
Proj Points FD - 13.29 DK - 16.3

We usually hate recommending rookie wide receivers in Week 1 of an NFL season, but this year’s class is a bit different than the typical incoming group. There are game-changers and game-breakers here for sure, and Malik Nabers could put up some monster numbers this season. Sure, Daniel Jones is still the QB, which isn’t amazing. But training camp and preseason film told an exciting story and this team will try to get him the ball every which way possible. At $6.3K on FanDuel, I think we can take the risk.

Tee Higgins FD 6800 DK 6100
Opponent NE
Proj Points FD - 13.83 DK - 16.75

The Bengals are in a weird spot with Ja'Marr Chase, who just practiced for the first time on Wednesday after “holding in” throughout training camp and the preseason. He’s going to suit up, but how close to full game speed will he be? It’s an interesting question, especially regarding Tee Higgins. If Chase isn't 100% here or even slightly limited because he barely tuned up, then Higgins could go off as one of the best WR2 guys around.

Also consider:

Rome Odunze who is coming just $4K on DraftKings. He’s the third option in the passing game, but could easily be second as the season goes on. Again, rookie WRs and all, but this is just too cheap.

Curtis Samuel & Khalil Shakir could be in line for major volume with Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis gone.

Tight End

Trey McBride FD 6400 DK 6100
Opponent BUF
Proj Points FD - 11.62 DK - 14.86

When Kyler Murray returned under center for the Cardinals last year, Trey McBride took an absolute leap. Over those eight weeks, McBride averaged 8.25 targets per game, good for a 6.6/67.3 average line. That’s elite usage out of the tight end spot, and if anything, he ran bad on the touchdowns, scoring only two in that stretch. He should be the number two option behind Marvin Harrison Jr. in this passing offense, and we love him on both sites.

Kyle Pitts FD 6300 DK 4600
Opponent PIT
Proj Points FD - 11.13 DK - 13.54

He cropped up on the injury report this week, but it doesn’t look to be anything more than minor/ maintenance. We are likely getting a clean bill of health for Pitts leading into Week 1. Much of what we said about Drake London applies to Pitts here as well. The offense is going to look much different with Raheem Morris as the coach and Kirk Cousins under center. The draft pedigree is there, and we’ve been waiting years for this dude to break out/ have schemes run his way. It should be the time.

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