Zay Flowers and the Top NFL DFS Sleepers for Week 1 at Draft Kings (2023)
There’s nothing like a good sleeper in fantasy football. If you’re into the season-long game, it may pay to study up on some of the best 2023 fantasy football steals.
For NFL DFS, it can change weekly, so spotting those cheap punts that can sway an entire GPP can be pretty powerful.
The top studs tend to show up, so stacking some values that saves you cash can ultimately help you score a huge takedown. Stop by my top week 1 NFL DFS picks if you want some of my favorite plays, but for the really cheap bargain bin options at Draft Kings, read on.
Sam Howell, QB, Washington Commanders ($4.9k)
Howell also doubles as one of my top week 1 NFL DFS picks. He’s also a sleeper, for a few reasons. First, because he might go overlooked.
Anthony Richardson is also pretty appealing at just $700 more, while there are numerous stud quarterbacks on the Draft Kings main slate to start the 2023 NFL season.
Howell is dirt cheap for a guy who offers a nice floor due to his rushing ability. He’s also got a nice array of weapons, even if Scary Terry can’t go in week one.
Ideally he’d have McLaurin to go to war with, but the cupboard is not empty beyond Washington’s top receiving weapon. Jahan Dotson and Curtis Samuel both exist, and a new offensive system could help Howell thrives right away.
Oh, and the Commanders are at home against a weak Cardinals team that ranked 25th against fantasy passers in 2022 and shows no real desire to win this season.
Deon Jackson, RB, Indianapolis Colts ($4.1k)
You also need to look at Evan Hull here, as the 5th round rookie did out-perform Jackson in Indy’s most recent preseason game.
One of these guys could be viable in week one, especially if Jonathan Taylor sits out or gets dealt. Trade rumors are heating up, after all.
JT could be gone, out, or limited, so there’s a pretty good chance someone like Deon Jackson sees a lot of work to start the 2023 season.
Jackson actually thrived in spot duty in 2022 when JT was dealing with injuries, too. He even specifically had a 28-point fantasy outburst against the same Jaguars team he’ll be facing in week one.
His pass-catching ability and experience in the system probably gives him the edge over Hull here. I think it’s fair to say Jacksonville puts up points in this one, too, which likely means Indy plays from behind and Jackson has a shot at a few catches.
One way or another, he may be good chalk, or he could just be an elite punt that people don’t buy into.
Zay Flowers, WR, Baltimore Ravens ($4k)
Anything under $5k definitely approaches NFL DFS sleeper territory for me. Zay is another guy that graced my week 1 NFL DFS top picks, but he’s also a sleeper.
Not only is he dirt cheap, but Flowers also carries a little risk. He’s not the locked in #1 option for Baltimore, after all.
That said, he’s the shiftiest wide receiver the Ravens have, and he’s looked fantastic both in camp and preseason games.
Odell Beckham Jr, Mark Andrews, and Rashod Bateman are all further ahead in the pecking order, but Baltimore figures to throw the ball more in 2023.
There is risk involved, but he can bust a big play at any time and he won’t be the focus of Houston’s defense.
Luke Musgrave, TE, Green Bay Packers ($2.9k)
I agree that confiding in rookie tight ends is not easy, but I think that old narrative could be flipped on it’s head in 2023.
There are a lot of quality, athletic, and NFL-ready tight ends coming into the league this year, and Musgrave appears to be one of them.
He has constantly got open and caught balls for the Packers all summer, and he figures to be the featured tight end from day one.
It’s worth noting that he’s one of Underdog’s favorite tight end sleepers for all of 2023, too.
Jordan Love has built up a rapport with him, and it makes sense that he’d work his way back to his intermediate target a lot if/when he gets into trouble.
Chicago defends tight ends well regularly, but they could be stretched out due to Christian Watson’s speed down the field, and Musgrave is quite the athlete, himself.
More than anything, you are punting the position with a guy we can safely say will log the majority of the tight end snaps for his team.
Las Vegas Raiders Defense ($2.3k)
It pays to punt your team defense, so one of my top week 1 NFL DFS sleepers has to be the Raiders. Is their defense actually elite? No, but they are a bottom 5 squad in terms of cost.
That, and they get to face a Denver offense that was shaky last year and hasn’t exactly looked elite so far this summer.
The Broncos are still installing a new offense, and now they’re without top wide receiver, Jerry Jeudy.
This is also a rivalry game, so all bets are understandably off here.
Ultimately, Las Vegas will be fired up for this game, and given what we saw out of Russell Wilson a season ago, I think this is a fine punt.
That does it for my favorite NFL DFS sleeper picks for week one. Hopefully these plays help you save some cash and nab some studs in your daily fantasy football lineups.
Good luck!
Writer at Daily Fantasy Fade
DFS Keanu has been covering fantasy sports, DFS, and props for the better part of a decade, all while fighting The Matrix and a litany of assassins.
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