Jordan Love and the Top NFL DFS Picks for Week 1 at Draft Kings (2023)
There is a ton of value to be had at Draft Kings in week one of the 2023 daily fantasy football season. You don’t need to take crazy deep dives, but some prices are too good to pass up.
Some studs are too beastly to ignore, too.
With a few monster projections going into the first week of NFL action, it pays to, well, not pay at some positions. But regardless of which path you take to your next takedown, I’ll highlight some nice values in my top week 1 NFL DFS picks.
Just keep in mind these are not the best plays of the slate – they’re not your locked in studs. They are reasonably priced options that look like excellent values and can complete a master build lineup.
Anthony Richardson, QB, Indianapolis Colts ($5.6k)
Nobody knows what AR15 is just yet. Heck, I’m not even sure he’ll start come week one. Indy did invest the 4th overall pick in him in this year’s draft, though, and he tops my 2023 dynasty rookie quarterback rankings.
Richardson has a built in floor due to his elite rushing ability. He also has a cannon for an arm and plenty of weapons to go to war with.
Needless to say, his ceiling could be special.
In week one, assuming he starts, he’ll face a Jaguars team that can put up a lot of points, and also ranked 30th in stopping running quarterbacks.
Whether he runs all over them or racks up points playing from behind, I love AR15 in week one.
Jordan Love, QB, Green Bay Packers ($5k)
To a slightly lesser degree, I’m also in on Jordan Love, even if unknown coaches are ripping him. He’s gotten heaps of praise all off-season, and he’s starting to connect on impressive plays down the field with his Green Bay brethren.
There’s no better time to deliver a splash performance than on the road in week one against the hated Bears, either.
Chicago’s offense got better this summer, but their defense still has a ways to go. That unit allowed the third most fantasy points per game to passers in 2022, and that may not change much this year.
Green Bay is young, but they are loaded with speed at every position. It is not crazy to think Love blows up in his first start sans Aaron Rodgers and crushes this price tag.
Sam Howell, QB, Washington Commanders ($4.9k)
One other cheap quarterback to consider is Howell. He is very unproven, but he was a stud in college and has a solid floor thanks to his underrated rushing ability.
Usually people will pay up for more safety at quarterback, but there are a lot of stud running backs and wide receivers worth rostering, so I prefer punting QB.
Howell may allow you to do that, and we needn’t look much further than his performance in Washington’s season finale last year.
Obviously this kid has a connection with his offensive talent, and his week one date with the Arizona Cardinals (25th vs. QBs in 2022) does not do anything to disinterest me.
Cam Akers, RB, Los Angeles Rams ($6.2k)
Obviously you can and should try to pay up for at least one stud running back. C-Mac, Austin Ekeler, and Bijan Robinson all look great.
However, paying up at both RB spots feels silly, and there’s a case to be made to load up WRs instead. That could bring you to the middle of the pack, where someone like Akers is just waiting to feast.
Akers has a rough Achilles history, but he smashed down the stretch for the Rams last year.
- Week 15: 15 touches, 100 total yards, 0 TDs
- Week 16: 25 touches, 147 total yards, 3 TDs
- Week 17: 20 touches, 133 total yards, 0 TDs
- Week 18: 24 touches, 128 total yards, 0 TDs
Akers got allll of the volume to close out 2022.
Provided that success translates to this season, Akers is going to look mighty appealing to start the season. He’ll be getting a familiar foe in the rival Seahawks, who allowed the 6th most fantasy points to running backs a season ago.
Miles Sanders, RB, Carolina Panthers ($5.6k)
For $600 less, you can drop down to Miles Sanders, who was a beast for Philly last year.
In fact, had the Eagles not turned to Jalen Hurts in the goal-line so often – and had they ever dumped off to their feature back – he would have had a truly remarkable season.
He was still great, though, and now he takes over as Carolina’s main guy on the ground.
Sanders still has potential for an even better season, which means he’s simply way too cheap right now. It may be bad that he’s facing a run-dominant opponent in week one, but if he and his Panthers can establish the run first, he could be an elite value.
Rachaad White, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers ($5.5k)
If you want to go super cheap (and Jonathan Taylor doesn’t suit up in week one), then look to someone like Evan Hull.
But until we know more, I’ll leave you with White, who is both one of the top 2023 fantasy football steals, and one of my favorite week 1 NFL DFS picks.
White is not necessarily that impressive, but he was a pass-catching gawd last year as a rookie, and for the moment, figures to be Tampa Bay’s three-down back.
If that sticks, White heads into a week one battle with a suspect Vikings defense that gave up the 9th most catches to running backs in 2022.
Christian Watson, WR, Green Bay Packers ($6k)
Watson is an enigma to a lot of fantasy football players going into 2022. While he’s a polarizing figure, he still has major upside, and flashed it during a short stretch as a rookie last year.
He lost Aaron Rodgers during the off-season, but Watson still has those same drool-inducing traits, and the aforementioned Love might be better than people think.
Watson also gets that Chicago defense, which was a bottom 10 unit in yardage allowed to receivers a year ago.
There is risk involved in what could be a slower game, but the Bears don’t really have anyone that can contain this kid. At just $6k, his price doesn’t relate to the ceiling he brings to the table.
Drake London, WR, Atlanta Falcons ($5.4k)
It gets even crazier with London, who developed quite the rapport with Desmond Ridder down the stretch in 2022.
Look at his stat line in the four games Ridder started:
- Week 15: 11 targets, 7 catches, 70 yards
- Week 16: 9 targets, 7 catches, 96 yards
- Week 17: 8 targets, 5 catches, 47 yards
- Week 18: 8 targets, 6 catches, 120 yards
He didn’t find paydirt, but London was super involved when ATL took it to the air.
That isn’t a lock to be replicated, but the picture is clear; Ridder liked going to London and he knew how to make it happen.
It’s true that Kyle Pitts is back and the Falcons remained interested in running the football. But London is too involved in this passing game to be this cheap.
Zay Flowers, WR, Baltimore Ravens ($4k)
If you’re looking for even more value in my top NFL DFS picks for week one, I’ll give you Zay Flowers.
A lot of dust needs to settle before the first game of the year, but right now he’s in line for a solid role in Baltimore’s maturing passing attack.
The Ravens are expected to pass the ball more, and the connection between Lamar and Zay is already growing.
The reality? I can’t count on guys like Odell Beckham Jr. and Rashod Bateman staying healthy in 2023, let alone be available for week one.
Even if they are there, Flowers may demand a bigger role, and he’s cheap enough to convince me to roll the dice.
Dallas Goedert, TE, Philadelphia Eagles ($5k)
Tight end is a great place to save money when looking for viable week 1 NFL DFS picks. Don’t get me wrong, T.J. Hockensen and Mark Andrews are solid plays, but there may be better ways to spend your cash.
Goedert is even almost too pricey, but he’s a key receiver in Philly’s offense, and he also has a good matchup on paper.
He faces a New England team that is notorious for stifling opponent’s top options. That could mean A.J. Brown or DeVonta Smith struggle here, and more passes end up being funneled to Goedert.
It can’t hurt that the Pats gave up the second most scores to the tight end position in 2022, either.
Greg Dulcich, TE, Denver Broncos ($4k)
Want to save more money at tight end? I get it, so I’m pointing you to Sean Payton’s new weapon in Denver.
Denver is kind of loaded offensively, but we saw Dulcich and Russell Wilson establish a connection last year. In fact, Dulcich made such an impact that he finished as TE29 in PPR leagues in just 10 games!
Is it possible he has an even bigger role than most are realizing? Yep!
Who knows if that translates to week one, but Dulcich has a role, he’s a terrific athlete, and he faces a Raiders defense that finished 23rd against fantasy tight ends last season.
Logan Thomas, TE, Washington Commanders ($3.2k)
The final guy to grace my list of top NFL DFS picks for week one will be Logan Thomas. He’s still the best tight end the Commanders have, and he could be a fun stacking option with Sam Howell.
Thomas finished as the TE3 in 2020, and we know that new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy knows how to feature an athletic tight end.
In addition, Washington faces Arizona to start 2023. The Cardinals were the very worst defense at stopping tight ends a year ago, so there’s a lot going for Thomas.
That does it for my favorite week one NFL DFS picks.
It’s still very early in August as I write this, so I know a lot can and will change before week one actually arrives. I’ll update my top NFL DFS week 1 plays if I am able, but unless these guys get hurt, I love the prices and matchups.
Obviously you’ll want to pay up for some studs, and I’ll work to get a post out on the top elite plays worth using in week one – and which ones I’d fade. 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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