I’ll be posting NFL DraftKings picks here. I cannot post lineups anymore, but I will list some players I like each week.
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Week 1: Main Slate (Superflex)
I will be covering the Superflex contest rather than the main slate this year. I’m doing this because I believe Superflex will be the future of DFS. There’s no reason to have defenses be in the main feature, and Superflex is so much more interesting. If you’re looking for regular DFS coverage, I still like the players below.
I can no longer post any lineups, per DraftKings rules, but I will list some of my player pool for this slate (in price order)…
Top Quarterbacks: Jalen Hurts (8600), Justin Fields (8300), Justin Herbert (7700), Kirk Cousins (7000), Anthony Richardson (6400).
Rather than barely touch on every player on this list, I’ll discuss my top plays at each position.
Jalen Hurts, $8,600: Jalen Hurts is expensive, but he’s worth it because Bill Belichick’s defenses usually struggle against mobile quarterbacks.
Justin Fields, $8,300: Justin Fields’ ceiling is incredibly high, and you don’t need to stack him with anyone.
Justin Herbert, $7,700: Justin Herbert will be highly owned, but he’s worth it against a Miami secondary that lost Jalen Ramsey to injury.
Kirk Cousins, $7,000: There’s a decent chance the Vikings fall behind the Buccaneers, so Kirk Cousins may throw a lot. I like the idea of stacking the entire Tampa-Minnesota game.
Anthony Richardson, $6,400: Anthony Richardson is an interesting option as one of the quarterbacks because you don’t have to stack him. In fact, it’s probably best that you don’t unless it’s a cheap tight end like Kylen Granson, or something.
Top Running Backs: Nick Chubb (7600), Bijan Robinson (7500), Derrick Henry (7200), Aaron Jones (5900), Cam Akers (5800), Khalil Herbert (5300).
Nick Chubb, $7,600: I believe Nick Chubb will win the rushing title this year. I also think he’ll be more involved in the passing game because Kareem Hunt is gone.
Bijan Robinson, $7,500: Bijan Robinson wasn’t drafted in the top 10 to play behind Tyler Allgeier. There might be some who are hesitant to use Robinson after what happened with Jahmyr Gibbs, but the Falcons won’t be able to sit Robinson if they want to beat Carolina.
Derrick Henry, $7,200: The Saints weren’t very good against the run last year, and Tennessee can certainly pull the upset.
Aaron Jones, $5,900: Aaron Jones will be more involved in the passing game with Christian Watson sidelined.
Cam Akers, $5,800: The Seahawks had the NFL’s worst run defense last year.
Khalil Herbert, $5,300: I don’t get why people aren’t higher on Khalil Herbert this year. He runs well, catches passes, and has game-breaking ability.
Top Wide Receivers: Justin Jefferson (8300), A.J. Brown (7200), D.K. Metcalf (6600), Calvin Ridley (6100), Chris Olave (6100), Mike Evans (6000), Chris Godwin (5800), Mike Williams (5600), Diontae Johnson (5200), Jahan Dotson (4900), George Pickens (4900), Kendrick Bourne (3300).
Justin Jefferson, $8,300: Probably the best spend-up option on the slate.
A.J. Brown, $7,200: It goes without saying that A.J. Brown is great to pair with Hurts.
D.K. Metcalf, $6,600: You no longer have to worry about Jalen Ramsey when D.K. Metcalf battles the Rams.
Calvin Ridley, $6,100: Calvin Ridley seems reasonably priced as a No. 1 receiver in an easy matchup. How is he only $200 more than Michael Pittman Jr., and only $600 more than Christian Kirk?
Chris Olave, $6,100: Like Ridley, Chris Olave seems greatly underpriced.
Chris Godwin, $5,800: I love both Buccaneer receivers in this easy matchup.
Mike Williams, $5,600: Mike Williams shouldn’t be $1,300 cheaper than Keenan Allen. I believe he’ll have a great year.
Diontae Johnson, $5,200: I like both Steeler receivers, as San Francisco’s cornerbacks aren’t great.
Jahan Dotson, $4,900: I’m a big fan of Jahan Dotson this year, even with Terry McLaurin set to play.
Kendrick Bourne, $3,300: Kendrick Bourne is the Patriots’ top receiver, yet he’s only $3,300.
Top Tight Ends: T.J. Hockenson (6100), Dallas Goedert (5200), Tyler Higbee (5000), Juwan Johnson (4000).
T.J. Hockenson, $6,100: T.J. Hockenson is a great player to stack with Cousins. The Buccaneers couldn’t do anything about tight ends last year.
Dallas Goedert, $5,200: The Patriots weren’t very good against tight ends this past season.
Tyler Higbee, $5,000: Tyler Higbee could see a million targets with Cooper Kupp sidelined.
Juwan Johnson, $4,000: Juwan Johnson is a solid, cheap option at tight end. The Titans were poor versus tight ends last year.
Players to Avoid: Joe Burrow (8000), Tyreek Hill (7700), Javonte Williams (5600). I don’t trust that Joe Burrow is healthy, so I’d avoid him and his receivers this week. … It’s tough to back Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, knowing that their offensive line won’t protect Tua Tagovailoa at all … Don’t trust running backs coming off torn ALCs.
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Week 1: Cowboys-Giants Showdown
I can no longer post any lineups, per DraftKings rules, but I will list some of my favorite players for this slate (in price order)…
Top Captains: Isaiah Hodgins (9600), Darius Slayton (8100), Jalin Hyatt (6900). There are lots of spend-up options I want in my lineup, so I’m targeting a cheaper captain. One of the Giants receivers makes sense with Darren Waller nursing a hamstring injury. Jalin Hyatt has the lowest floor of the three, but he also has a very high ceiling.
Top Spend-Up FLEX (in addition to Top Captains): Tony Pollard (11000), Saquon Barkley (10600), CeeDee Lamb (10400), Daniel Jones (9400). I wasn’t joking about wanting to play lots of spend-up options. I like all of these players, especially Jones, who seems like a strong captain if a ton of cheap options open up. I would make sure to include one of the two running backs.
Top Value: Jake Ferguson (4800). Play tight ends in showdown. It doesn’t take much for them to be in the winning lineup.
Top Punt Play: Daniel Bellinger (400). Daniel Bellinger needs to be in every lineup if Darren Waller is sidelined.
Player to Avoid: Dak Prescott (10000). The Cowboys could be missing two offensive linemen, and we’ve seen Dak Prescott struggle in the past when the blocking conditions haven’t been ideal.
If you’re looking for the best DFS content on the Web, sign up for Stokastic for the greatest projections and ownership data. Sign up with this link or use promo code WALTERFOOTBALL for 25% off!
Week 1: Bills-Jets Showdown
I can no longer post any lineups, per DraftKings rules, but I will list some of my favorite players for this slate (in price order)…
Top Captains: Gabriel Davis (10800), Allen Lazard (9600). These aren’t the sexiest capains, but it seems as though you need to get three of Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs, Garrett Wilson, Aaron Rodgers, and James Cook into your lineup. Besides, I like Gabriel Davis this year. He was limited by injuries in 2022, and he’s looked great in the preseason.
Top Spend-Up FLEX (in addition to Top Captains): Josh Allen (11400), Stefon Diggs (10600), Garrett Wilson (10400), Aaron Rodgers (9800). I definitely want to play Josh Allen and Aaron Rodgers. You then have to decide which No. 1 receiver to fade. You could be bold and fade both, which was a strategy that worked for me when I won a Falcons-Texans showdown in 2019 (I faded both Julio Jones and DeAndre Hopkins.)
Top Value: Dalton Kincaid (5000). Play tight ends in showdown. It doesn’t take much for them to be in the winning lineup.
Top Punt Play: C.J. Uzomah (800). I don’t see a punt play I like. C.J. Uzomah could fall into the end zone.
Player to Avoid: Breece Hall (8200). Avoid running backs coming off torn ACLs. Breece Hall won’t be getting a full workload.
If you’re looking for the best DFS content on the Web, sign up for Stokastic for the greatest projections and ownership data. Sign up with this link or use promo code WALTERFOOTBALL for 25% off!
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