X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

NFL Betting Picks for Week 1 (9/13/2020)

Never have I experienced a summer where it doesn't feel like the NFL season is about to begin. We all know why this year feels so different, but regardless, we have football! No one truly knows what to expect, but I think the product on the field is going to take a few weeks to get up to the par we are used to. For that reason, you should tread lightly when placing bets until we see more play out on the field.

I'll be bringing you the action all season long. I'm not a professional but I love researching stats and finding value. My goal is to provide you with information that can help you make informed bets, whether you agree or disagree with me. I "bet to lose" one unit on almost every play but will definitely label it if I do differently.

I'm here to bring you my best bets and recommendations for Week 1 of the 2020 NFL season. I'll be here at Rotoballer all season long and you can find me on Twitter @RotoStevieJ. I am always down to chat and spend most of my days and nights browsing for information or news. You can also follow me on the Action app (@sgjanik6) where I'll post every pick I have for a day and week. With that, I hope you enjoy, best of luck, and bet responsibly!

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers (-305, -7)

O/U: 47

The Cardinals have an obvious addition to their roster in DeAndre Hopkins. Head coach Cliff Kingsbury knew what he was doing by shipping off the oft-injured David Johnson for Nuk, it's a massive upgrade. These Cardinals finished 2019 with the 22nd ranked passing unit, averaging just 217 yards per game (YPG), but now second-year signal-caller Kyler Murray has an abundance of weapons at his disposal and that number should only go up, which in turn "should" improve the scoring output. Defensively, The Cardinals had a top 10 run defense but a bottom-five pass defense based on DVOA in 2019. They made some solid additions but it should be about the same this year.

It's not surprising the 49ers were NFC Champions in 2019, as their offense and defense were both one of the league's best units. They kept several key pieces and added Trent Williams to bolster an already strong offensive line. Jimmy Garoppolo won't blow the doors off of any opponent, but he doesn't need to with a rushing attack that averaged 4.8 YPG. Kyle Shanahan is one of the best offensive minds in the league and will utilize all of Raheem Mostert, Tevin Coleman, and even some Jerick McKinnon. On the defensive front, San Fran had the second-best passing defense by DVOA and they'll need all of that and more to check up this Cardinals offense.

Arizona was 5-1-2 against the spread as visitors with a new head coach in 2019. With a year under everyone's belt in the system and the addition of Hopkins, combined with one of the league's best returning run defenses, the Cardinals might give the Niners more trouble than some might think.

Pick: Arizona +7 (-110, Draftkings) 1 Unit

 

Las Vegas Raiders (-162, -3) at Carolina Panthers

O/U: 47.5

The NFL finally has a team in Vegas, and the Raiders have some interesting players to show for their new fan base. Sure, Derek Carr isn't the most exciting franchise quarterback (hence why they signed Marcus Mariota), but Josh Jacobs is set to really break out and that's who the Raiders are relying on. They averaged just 18.7 ppg on the road a season ago, and the addition of Nelson Agholor shouldn't change much. Defensively, the Raiders had one of the league's worst units, allowing 26 ppg and 354 YPG. They made some moves in the offseason to improve, but nothing noteworthy, so I wouldn't expect much of a change.

Carolina is undergoing one of the bigger transitions in the league this year, as Cam Newton and coach Ron Rivera was shown the door. They brought in Matt Rhule and Teddy Bridgewater to turn things around. This is Bridgewater's first go at being a franchise signal-caller, so it's natural to have second guesses about him running the offense. Then you remember Christian McCaffrey is around, followed by D.J. Moore and it takes a little weight off the quarterback's shoulders. Now if you want to bring up the defense, the Panthers are bad. They were worse at home in 2019 so they made some moves to improve, but again, no one to write home about.

Even with a new quarterback, this Panthers offense deserves more respect. While I'll be the first to admit that I love Jacobs and think I think he can carry them a long way, Carolina is in a better spot here at home. Give Bridgewater more credit than you might think because he has better weapons overall.

Pick: Carolina +3 (-110, Fanduel) 1 unit

 

Dallas Cowboys (-162; -3) at LA Rams

O/U: 52

It's no surprise to see the Cowboys as favorites for Week 1's Sunday Night Football. After all, they are +1500 to win the big one. Dak Prescott is still fighting for his long-term deal, but this offense averaged 27.1 ppg and about 297 passing YPG in 2019 so it's hard to believe management doesn't want to reward him. Ezekiel Elliott returns from a 1,300 yard, 12 touchdown season, along with receivers Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup, and newcomer CeeDee Lamb. This has the makings of one of the best offenses in the game. Defensively, Dallas was middle of the pack a year ago, but they went out and made some splash acquisitions in Everson Griffen, Dontari Poe, and Aldon Smith (who hasn't played since 2015 due to legal troubles). They allowed around 322 YPG and just 20 ppg on the road in 2019.

The Rams offense is already gaining a lot of traction before a game is played and that's on good merit. they averaged 24 ppg and 375 YPG a year ago. Sure, they let Todd Gurley go, but many would argue that benefits the unit. They replaced him with rookie Cam Akers and returners Malcolm Brown and Darrell Henderson Jr. Jared Goff is an underrated quarterback coming off a down year where he still threw for over 4600 yards. Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods are a dynamic duo and Tyler Higbee has garnered a lot of attention over the offseason, so look for things to improve this year. Their defense carried a little more weight against the pass than the run in 2019 and they allowed just under 23 ppg.

LA struggled at home in 2019, allowing over 24 ppg and averaging just 22 ppg themselves. Dallas had drastically worse offensive numbers away from Jerry's World last season, averaging just 22 ppg (10 less than at home), but their defense picked up the slack giving up just 20 ppg as visitors. At +/- 3, this spread is tight and for good reason. These offenses are stout and now they each face a defense with prior issues and haven't faced off against a real opponent in since the end of last season.

Pick: Over 51.5 (-110, Fanduel) 1 Unit



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Fantasy Football Advice




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Matt Sauer1 hour ago

Contract Selected By The Dodgers
Matt Olson1 hour ago

Having Slow Offensive Spring
Corbin Burnes2 hours ago

Having Strong Spring With New Team
Kyle Tucker2 hours ago

Goes Hitless In Monday Tokyo Series Opener
Chase Dollander2 hours ago

Strikes Out Seven In Latest Cactus League Start
Jake Bloss2 hours ago

A Candidate For Blue Jays' Fifth Starter Role
Sepp Straka2 hours ago

Eyeing Victory At Valspar Championship
Lance McCullers Jr.2 hours ago

Tosses Scoreless Inning In Tuesday Grapefruit League Debut
Clayton Kershaw2 hours ago

Transferred To 60-Day Injured List Tuesday
Cade Povich3 hours ago

Strikes Out Six In Five Hitless Innings On Tuesday
3 hours ago

Jalen Milroe Meets With Steelers On Tuesday
Seattle Seahawks3 hours ago

Teven Jenkins Visits With Seahawks
Sam Stevens3 hours ago

Looking To Get Back Into Form At Valspar Championship
Houston Texans3 hours ago

Texans Release Anthony Averett, Waive Two More
Los Angeles Chargers3 hours ago

Chargers Sign Andre James
Tampa Bay Rays3 hours ago

Even Reifert Returned To The Rays
New England Patriots3 hours ago

Garrett Bradbury Agrees To Two-Year Deal With Patriots
Jordan Spieth3 hours ago

A Boom-Or-Bust Candidate At Valspar Championship
Alex Smalley4 hours ago

Aims To Continue Strong Form At Valspar Championship
Kirk Cousins4 hours ago

Will Levis On The Trade Block?
Adam Scott4 hours ago

A Risky Play At Valspar Championship
Las Vegas Raiders4 hours ago

Raiders Re-Sign Zachary Carter
Shane Lowry4 hours ago

A Home Run Pick At Valspar Championship
Tampa Bay Buccaneers4 hours ago

Bryce Hall Re-Signs With Buccaneers
Stephan Jaeger4 hours ago

Looks To Continue Momentum At Valspar Championship
Evan Mobley5 hours ago

Will Play On Tuesday, Barring A Setback
Thomas Detry5 hours ago

Aims To Regain Form At Valspar Championship
Detroit Lions5 hours ago

Lions Re-Sign Pat O'Connor
Kris Dunn5 hours ago

Returns To Starting Five
Los Angeles Rams5 hours ago

Rams Agree To Terms With Nate Landman
Pascal Siakam5 hours ago

In Danger Of Missing Another Contest
Brandin Podziemski5 hours ago

Returning On Tuesday
Tim Jones5 hours ago

Vikings Add Tim Jones To Receiver Room
Myles Turner5 hours ago

Off The Injury Report For Wednesday
Damian Lillard5 hours ago

Will Play On Tuesday
Giannis Antetokounmpo5 hours ago

Cleared For Tuesday
Mecole Hardman5 hours ago

Signing With Packers
Tyrese Haliburton5 hours ago

Questionable For Wednesday Night
Gary Trent Jr.5 hours ago

To Play On Tuesday
Rondale Moore5 hours ago

Visits With Jets
Stephen Curry6 hours ago

Resting On Tuesday Night
Jon Gray6 hours ago

Rangers Place Jon Gray On 60-Day Injured List
Zach Dezenzo7 hours ago

Exits Early On Tuesday
Jason Delay7 hours ago

Optioned To Minors
Patrick Corbin7 hours ago

Joining Rangers
Slade Cecconi7 hours ago

To Open Season On Injured List
Craig Kimbrel7 hours ago

Signs With Braves
LaMelo Ball7 hours ago

Downgraded To Unavailable Versus Atlanta
Jayson Tatum8 hours ago

Sidelined On Tuesday
Romy Gonzalez8 hours ago

Undergoing MRI On His Oblique
Clint Capela8 hours ago

Not Playing Tuesday Versus Hornets
Richard Fitts8 hours ago

A Virtual Lock For Opening Day Rotation Spot
Aroldis Chapman8 hours ago

Appears To Be In-House Favorite For Saves
Shea Theodore8 hours ago

Returns To Practice Tuesday
Kristian Campbell8 hours ago

The Favorite For Second Base Job?
Trae Young8 hours ago

Available For Tuesday's Matchup With Hornets
Yu Darvish8 hours ago

Day-To-Day With Elbow Inflammation
William Karlsson8 hours ago

Nearing Return
Arthur Kaliyev8 hours ago

Done For The Year
John Gibson9 hours ago

A Game-Time Call Tuesday
Thatcher Demko9 hours ago

To Join Team For Upcoming Road Trip
LaMelo Ball9 hours ago

Downgraded To Questionable For Tuesday
Conor Garland9 hours ago

Iffy For Tuesday
Dylan Strome9 hours ago

Good To Go Tuesday
Corey Kispert9 hours ago

Out For Rest Of Season After Thumb Surgery
David Moore11 hours ago

Re-Signing With Panthers
Jauan Jennings11 hours ago

Could Be 49ers WR1 To Begin Next Season
San Francisco 49ers12 hours ago

49ers Likely To Add Running Back In NFL Draft
Najee Harris12 hours ago

Chargers Eyeing Explosive Complement To Najee Harris In 2025 NFL Draft
Shane Zylstra12 hours ago

 Heading Back To Detroit
Seattle Seahawks12 hours ago

Dillon Radunz Visiting With Seahawks
Minnesota Vikings12 hours ago

Jeff Okudah Signing With Vikings
Mattias Ekholm12 hours ago

Cleared For Tuesday's Contest
Zach Hyman12 hours ago

Returning On Tuesday
Russell Wilson12 hours ago

Browns Unlikely To Land Russell Wilson
John Klingberg12 hours ago

Not Playing On Tuesday
Justin Thomas13 hours ago

Continues To Spark But Hopes To Keep It Lit At Innisbrook
Alexander Romanov13 hours ago

Not Facing Pittsburgh On Tuesday
Tyler Seguin13 hours ago

Progressing In Recovery
Miro Heiskanen13 hours ago

Could Miss Opening Round Of Playoffs
Michael Kim13 hours ago

Looks To Rebound At Valspar Championship
Tom Kim15 hours ago

Looking For Putter Form At Valspar Championship
Rasmus Hojgaard15 hours ago

Looking For Form At Valspar Championship
Jericho Sims15 hours ago

To Miss Rest Of Regular Season Following Thumb Surgery
Ben Griffin16 hours ago

Needs To Find Ball-Striking Form Ahead Of Valspar Championship
Bradley Beal16 hours ago

To Sit Out At Least One Week Of Action
Stephen Curry16 hours ago

Could Be Rested Tuesday
Trey Murphy III16 hours ago

To Miss Rest Of 2024-25 Campaign
Tommy Fleetwood16 hours ago

Looks To Keep Short But Successful Run Going At Innisbrook
LaMelo Ball16 hours ago

Probable Tuesday
Eric Cole16 hours ago

Needs To Find A Spark At Innisbrook
Sam Burns16 hours ago

Looks To Rebound At Valspar Championship
Filip Gustavsson19 hours ago

Stops 28 Shots In Victory
William Nylander19 hours ago

Busy On Monday
Auston Matthews19 hours ago

Scores Twice, Adds Helper In Victory
Jake Allen19 hours ago

Leads The Way On Monday
Andrei Vasilevskiy19 hours ago

Shuts The Door Against Philadelphia
Jack Quinn19 hours ago

Dishes Out Two Helpers
Andrei Svechnikov1 day ago

Could Return To Action Thursday
Dustin Wolf1 day ago

Faces Maple Leafs Monday
Roman Dolidze1 day ago

Extends His Win Streak To Three
Marvin Vettori1 day ago

Suffers Back-To-Back Losses
Will Zalatoris1 day ago

Has Been Consistent At Least In 2025
Carson Young1 day ago

Makes The Cut In Second Straight Tournament
Xander Schauffele1 day ago

Struggles At The PLAYERS Championship
Nicolai Hojgaard1 day ago

Misses First Cut In 2025
Lucas Glover1 day ago

Produces Another Strong Showing At The PLAYERS Championship
Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos1 day ago

Suffers Second-Round TKO
Chidi Njokuani1 day ago

Scores TKO Win At UFC Vegas 104
Kurt Holobaugh1 day ago

Drops Decision At UFC Vegas 104
Alexander Hernandez1 day ago

Wins Decision At UFC Vegas 104
Cody Gibson1 day ago

Submitted At UFC Vegas 104
Da'Mon Blackshear1 day ago

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Brendson Ribeiro2 days ago

Gets Submission Win At UFC Vegas 104
Diyar Nurgozhay2 days ago

Suffers His First Loss
MMA2 days ago

Seung Woo Choi Suffers First-Round TKO Loss At UFC Vegas 104
Kevin Vallejos2 days ago

Finishes Seung Woo Choi In Debut
Tyler Reddick2 days ago

Solid Performance Is Derailed By Late Pit-Road Issues At Las Vegas
Ryan Blaney2 days ago

Struggles End In A Disappointing Exit Late At Las Vegas
Josh Berry2 days ago

Impressively Earns First Cup Series Win At Las Vegas
AJ Allmendinger2 days ago

Scores First Top-10 Finish Of Season At Las Vegas
Kyle Larson2 days ago

Leads The Most Laps, But Settles For A Top-10 Finish At Las Vegas
Ross Chastain2 days ago

Obtains A Hard-Fought Top-Five Finish At Las Vegas
Daniel Suarez2 days ago

Scores Career-Best Finish At Las Vegas, But Falls Short Of Winning
NASCAR2 days ago

Bubba Wallace Wrecks At Las Vegas But Shows Promising Speed
Alex Bowman2 days ago

Recovers From Loose Wheel To Finish Seventh
Austin Cindric2 days ago

Wins Stage 1, But Loose Wheel Foils Victory Bid
William Byron2 days ago

Loses Las Vegas Race On Strategy But Expands Points Lead
Ryan Preece2 days ago

Earns Best Career Non-Drafting Oval Finish At Las Vegas
Christopher Bell3 days ago

Quest For Four Wins In A Row Just Got More Difficult
Kyle Larson3 days ago

Should Contend For Another Win At Las Vegas
Ryan Blaney3 days ago

Once Again The Chalk DFS Pick At Las Vegas
Ross Chastain3 days ago

Fastest In Practice At Las Vegas
Chris Buescher3 days ago

Has Sneaky Upside This Weekend
Chase Elliott3 days ago

May Be A Sneaky DFS Option For Las Vegas Lineups
William Byron3 days ago

Expect William Byron To Compete For The Win At Las Vegas
Tyler Reddick3 days ago

Is One Of The Top DFS Options For Las Vegas
Denny Hamlin3 days ago

Could Denny Hamlin Be A Quality Driver For DFS At Las Vegas?
Roman Dolidze5 days ago

Set For A Rematch
Marvin Vettori5 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Chidi Njokuani5 days ago

Looks For His Third Win In A Row
Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos5 days ago

Looks For His 12th UFC Win
Kurt Holobaugh5 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 104
Alexander Hernandez5 days ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Cody Gibson5 days ago

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Da'Mon Blackshear5 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 104
Brendson Ribeiro5 days ago

Searching For Second UFC Win On Saturday

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Stefon Diggs - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Stefon Diggs Top Landing Spots: Updated 2025 NFL Free Agency Outlook

Stefon Diggs enjoyed a nice first season with the Houston Texans before he tore his ACL in Week 8. The veteran receiver was playing on a one-year deal and has yet to be signed by another team this offseason. Diggs enters his age 31 season in 2025 and has shown some signs of decline in […]


Davante Adams - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

NFL Free Agency Tracker - Updates On Every Free Agent Signing (2025)

The NFL offseason is starting to heat up, and the league's legal tampering period is set to begin on March 10 at noon Eastern. Free agents cannot officially sign until the new league year begins on March 12 at 4 p.m. Eastern, but deals will be agreed to, and news will be coming in quickly […]


Keenan Allen - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Keenan Allen Top Landing Spots: Updated 2025 NFL Free Agency Outlook

The 2025 NFL offseason continues to march forward as free agency enters its second week. Believe it or not, a few well-known veterans remain unsigned. One such player is former Chicago Bears wide receiver Keenan Allen. He did not have his best season in 2024, and the Bears ultimately chose not to re-sign him. Allen […]


Nick Chubb - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Nick Chubb Top Landing Spots: Updated 2025 NFL Free Agency Outlook

NFL free agency has entered its second week. Believe it or not, a few well-known veterans remain unsigned. One such player is former Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb. After missing most of the 2023 season with a major knee injury, Chubb returned to the Browns’ lineup at midseason. However, he struggled mightily upon his […]


Kenneth Walker III - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Kenneth Walker III - 2025 Dynasty Fantasy Football Outlook

At times, the dynasty fantasy football marketplace can feel like the Wild West. Player values move up and down based on any significant (or insignificant) transactions, news items, or social media posts. With that said, we must always think about how certain players should be valued. What’s a player’s current value? Are they overvalued or […]


Tyreek Hill - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Picks

2025 Fantasy Football Busts: Overvauled AFC Draft Avoids

There are 16 teams in the AFC (obviously) meaning that there are plenty of players in that conference that will bust, obviously. Identifying them isn't easy, of course, but since it's my job to research fantasy football as much as possible and deliver you the best possible content, I'll try anyway. I want you to […]


Bijan Robinson - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers

Who is the Dynasty RB1 for Fantasy Football: Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs, Ashton Jeanty 2025 Outlooks

The fantasy football world is seeing a change in the running back position. The 2017 NFL Draft class produced several elite fantasy football running backs. Christian McCaffrey, Alvin Kamara, and Joe Mixon have been three of the top fantasy running backs since their rookie seasons. Meanwhile, James Conner, Aaron Jones, Kareem Hunt, Dalvin Cook, and […]


J.J. McCarthy - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Draft Sleepers

Dynasty Fantasy Football Quarterback Sleepers: Undervalued Trade, Draft Targets (2025)

Pretty much every NFL season features quarterbacks breaking out for the first time. It's a big advantage for you in dynasty fantasy football to get out ahead of the breakouts and identify the players early. A revolving door of breakout QBs on your roster can give you plenty of leverage in trades, as you can […]


Kaleb Johnson - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks - NFL Draft

2025 Fantasy Football Rookie Drafts: Best, Worst Picks In Rounds 1-4

You don't want to draft the below players, trust me. There are busts in every year's rookie class, and while some of them are tough to predict, others show clear signs that they aren't worth their capital. Many players have great fortune in college, playing on great teams that elevate their production and thus the […]


Matthew Golden - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks, NFL Draft

2025 NFL Draft Wide Receiver Rankings: Top 5 Rookies

Last year’s wide receiver class was one of the best in recent history, totaling three top-10 picks and seven prospects coming off the board in the first round. Many have called this year’s class a massive downgrade compared to last year’s unit. Yet, the 2025 wide receiver draft class has several impressive prospects. There might […]


Brenton Strange - Fantasy Football Rankings, Waiver Wire, TE Streamers, NFL DFS

Winners and Losers of 2025 NFL Free Agency in Fantasy Football

NFL Free Agency has been quite the frenzy. At RotoBaller, we track it all for you right here! It might not always feel like it, but there have been a ton of impactful moves. And with every move comes a fantasy football impact, right? This article takes a look at some of the top winners […]


Jaylen Wright - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Fantasy Football Breakouts: Running Back Sleepers For 2025

The running back position is in constant flux in Dynasty fantasy football, as depth charts are constantly shuffled around, teams often decide to move on from productive players and replace them with cheaper or younger options, and players have their first good seasons in their careers. We're mostly concerned with that last point -- RBs […]


Albert Haynesworth - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Worst NFL Free Agent Signings Of All Time

With the free agency period for the 2025 NFL season now underway, many big-name players will find new homes as teams compete to sign anyone and everyone they think they need to help their squad. While many signings end up being good moves, or at least help their teams fill holes at certain positions on […]