🖥 TAP TO SAVE 50% WITH CODE THANKS
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
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

DraftKings NFL DFS Primetime Slate Picks for Week 1

Jorge Pucks offers his advice for the DraftKings Primetime NFL DFS slate on 9/13. Expert Week One daily fantasy football advice for your DraftKings DFS lineups.

We have finally arrived at week 1 of the NFL season and we are excited to see the primetime slate back up over on Draftkings. Below, I will go over my favorite plays from this three-game slate. We have some great matchups with some big-time names and I look forward to breaking this down for you!

All of these options are cash game and tournament viable unless I specifically say otherwise. If you have never played NFL DFS, here are a few thoughts that will help you construct your lineups. Stacking has been a staple in DFS for quite some time now and it is important to consider stacking when it comes to building tournament lineups. When playing NFL DFS, there are a lot of things to consider especially the game script and the overall flow of each game.

If you feel that a certain will be behind in the game, that could mean that there will be more passing plays which result in PPR points and yards. If a team is up early, you could anticipate a heavy dose of the running game in the second-half which means the featured running back could see more touches. Best of luck with your lineups and let's get to it!

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

 

NFL DFS DraftKings Primetime Slate

  • Dallas Cowboys (-134) @ Los Angeles Rams (+125)
  • Pittsburgh Steelers (-250) @ New York Giants (+210)
  • Tennessee Titans (-154) vs. Denver Broncos (+140)

 

NFL DFS Quarterbacks

Dak Prescott ($6,900 DK) - Dak carries the highest price point out of all of the quarterbacks on this slate but he also has arguably one of the best-receiving trios in the league. In the off-season, the Cowboys added college stud receiver CeeDee Lamb to their receiving room which already had two young receiving stars in Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup. The Rams do have a solid secondary led by Jalen Ramsey but with much of the defense's attention going to Zeke and the ground game, this should allow for Dak and company to take several shots downfield. 

Ben Roethlisberger ($6,400 DK) - Roethlisberger is back for the 2020 season and the Steelers offense as a whole is ready to go. Roethlisberger’s 2019 season was cut short due to an elbow issue but the longtime Steelers QB is ready to show that he is healthy and can still sling it. He is in a very favorable matchup against the Giants as they allowed 30 passing touchdowns in 2019 which was tied for the second-most allowed in the league. 

Jared Goff ($5,600 DK) - While Goff might not carry the highest upside out of all of the quarterbacks on this slate, he is certainly viable for your lineups. He is one of the lower-priced quarterbacks but Goff presents a good floor which could be good for your cash game lineups. In his last five games of the 2019 regular season, Goff averaged 23.3 DK points per game while throwing 11 touchdowns and only four interceptions during that stretch. 

 

NFL DFS Running Backs

James Conner ($6,300 DK) - Mike Tomlin came out and announced that James Conner is the bell-cow back for the Pittsburgh Steelers this season. Conner is a do-it-all kind of back that when healthy, excels in both on the ground and in the passing game. Before Conner was injured last season, he recorded over three catches per game and saw double-digit rushing attempts in his first eight games played. The matchup against New York is favorable as the Giants allowed opposing teams to gain 113 yards per game on the ground last season. 

Derrick Henry ($ 7,500 DK) - Derrick Henry could be one of the best overall plays on the slate. Even with him being priced up at $7,500, he has monster upside in this matchup. The Broncos will be without defensive star Von Miller which hurts both their rushing and passing defense. The Broncos allowed 111 yards per game on the ground while Tennessee while Henry averaged 110 yards per game in 18 games played last season. Tennessee is a run-heavy team and with the game script likely being in Henrys’ favor, he could see more touches as they drain the clock late in the game. 

Ezekiel Elliott ($7,700) - If you are looking to spend up at running back, Zeke could be the way to go. He offers a little bit of salary savings compared to Saquon but has one of the higher ceilings on the slate. Zeke totaled over 1,300 yards and 14 rushing touchdowns in 16 regular-season games last season. Dallas is more improved on offense by adding CeeDee Lamb to their receiving corps which will now force defenses to make the tough choice of stopping Zeke and the ground game or shift the focus to the big-time playmaking ability of the receivers. The Rams struggled defensively against the run last season as they were the 24th ranked defenses against opposing running backs. 

 

NFL DFS Wide Receivers

JuJu Smith-Schuster ($6,400)- With Big Ben back in the saddle at quarterback, JuJu could have a monster game. In the two games last year that they played together, JuJu was targeted 16 times for over 150 receiving yards. In the 2018 season, JuJu set career highs in receptions, yards, and touchdowns so the rapport and chemistry with Roethlisberger is there. The Giants secondary really struggled last year as they allowed the second-most receiving touchdowns in the league (22) and the fifth most receiving yards (2,680) to opposing receivers.

Cooper Kupp ($6,300)- Cooper Kupp must be in good spirits heading into this game Sunday night. He just finalized an extension for three years, $48 million which ensures that Goff will have his favorite pass-catching option for years to come. Kupp had a very strong season last year going for 1,161 receiving yards and hauling in 10 total touchdowns. He was on a hot streak as he closed out the final five games of the season recording a touchdown in every game. The chemistry with Goff is undeniable as he led the team in both receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns in the 1029 season. 

Jerry Jeudy ($4,300)- Jeudy was one of the top receivers in college at Alabama and could be thrust into the spotlight rather quickly come Monday night. The top receiving option for the Broncos, Courtland Sutton, suffered an injury earlier this week and is questionable for the game so this is a situation that is worth monitoring. Knowing this, Jeudy could be one of the bigger beneficiaries in terms of targets and snaps as he would replace Sutton as the top receiving threat for Denver. 

 

NFL DFS Tight Ends

Evan Engram ($4,300) - Engram is coming off of a Lisfranc injury but was a target monster last season for the Giants. In his nine games played last year, Engram saw 68 targets which means he saw an average of 7.5 targets per game. The Giants will lean on Engram with the lack of true receiving weapons on the outside which makes Engram a great play in all formats. 

Jonnu Smith ($4,300) - With Delanie Walker out of the picture, Jonnu Smith could see a larger role in this Titans offense as he assumes the starting tight end job. Last season, Smith averaged 6.5 DK points per game which isn’t stellar but factoring in that the Broncos Defense allowed the fourth-most receiving yards last season to opposing tight ends (974 yards), he could have a nice week 1 game at his price point.

 

NFL DFS Defense/Special Teams

Pittsburgh Steelers ($3,800)- The Steelers had one of the better fantasy defenses all last season. They averaged 11 DK points per game but a lot of those points came from their ability to create turnovers. They were second in the league when it came to interceptions (20) and were the best defense when it came to generating sacks (54).

Tennessee Titans ($3,000)- At $3,000, the Titans look to look to be in a great spot to use from a fantasy standpoint. While they were an average defense in terms of points allowed and yardage, they square off against a Denver offense that struggled in both the ground and passing game. Denver addressed their needs at the receiver position by drafting Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler but Tennessee added a strong defensive presence in Jadaveon Clowney which should help their pass rush. 



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 Week 1 Lineup Prep




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Aaron Gordon

Christian Braun Likely Out Until After Christmas
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Could Move Back to Leadoff Spot
Immanuel Quickley

Downgraded to Questionable Tuesday
Indianapolis Colts

Colts Officially Sign Philip Rivers
CFB

Florida, Wisconsin Among Suitors for QB Transfer Kenny Minchey
DK Metcalf

"Moving in the Right Direction" for Week 15
CFB

Bryan Harsin, Justin Wilcox Candidates for Washington State Head Coach Job?
Edwin Díaz

Edwin Diaz Agrees to Deal With the Dodgers
Kyle Schwarber

Returning to Phillies on Five-Year Deal
Riley Leonard

Diagnosed With Grade 1 PCL Sprain
Jamison Battle

Unlikely To Suit Up Against Knicks
Derik Queen

Posts Massive Triple-Double In Loss To Spurs
Jacob Toppin

Out For Season After Shoulder Surgery
Ben Sheppard

Out At Least 10 Days With Calf Strain
Miles McBride

Ruled Out With Ankle Sprain Against Raptors
CFB

Ole Miss Hiring John David Baker as Offensive Coordinator
Victor Wembanyama

Travels For NBA Cup Clash Against Lakers
CFB

Ty Howle the Top Target for Virginia Tech Offensive Coordinator Job
John Gibson

Secures Third Consecutive Win With Shutout
Nazem Kadri

Bags Three Points as Flames Offense Explodes
Joel Eriksson Ek

Ends Dry Spell With Three-Point Effort
Dennis Hildeby

Records First Career Shutout
Dakota Mermis

to be Evaluated Tuesday
Jacob Middleton

Hurt in Monday's Win
Mats Zuccarello

Exits Early Monday
Jamal Shead

Uncertain for Tuesday
Dru Smith

Questionable to Play Tuesday
Pelle Larsson

Listed as Probable for Tuesday
Davion Mitchell

Expected Back Tuesday
Tyler Herro

Likely to Return for Cup Clash Against Magic
RJ Barrett

to Miss at Least One More Week
Karl-Anthony Towns

Iffy for Tuesday
A.J. Brown

Continues Dominant Stretch With 100 Yards in Monday Night Loss
Saquon Barkley

Rips Off Long Touchdown Run in Monday Night Loss
Shohei Ohtani

to be Used More as Traditional Starting Pitcher Next Year
Yordan Alvarez

to Become Full-Time DH in 2026?
Mason Miller

Padres Plan to Keep Mason Miller in the Bullpen
Ranger Suárez

Orioles Interested in Signing Ranger Suarez
Anthony Volpe

Yankees Don't Expect Anthony Volpe to be Ready in April
Gerrit Cole

Targeting a Return in May/June
Riley Leonard

"Week-to-Week" With Strained Knee
NFL

Patriots-Ravens Week 16 Game Flexed to Sunday Night Football
Omarion Hampton

Making his Return on Monday Night
CFB

Heisman Trophy Finalists Announced on Monday
Justin Herbert

Officially Active Against Eagles
Indianapolis Colts

Colts Bringing Philip Rivers in for a Workout
Justin Herbert

Expected to Start on Monday Night
Trey Benson

Cardinals Could Hold Trey Benson Out Another Week
Keegan Murray

Available on Monday
Anthony Edwards

Set to Suit Up Monday
Jack Roslovic

Not Close to Returning
Dennis Schröder

Dennis Schroder Sidelined Again on Monday
Jake Walman

to Miss at Least Two More Weeks
Berkly Catton

Out Week-to-Week
Franz Wagner

Likely to Miss 2-4 Weeks
Nils Hoglander

Set for Season Debut Monday
Elias Pettersson

Misses Second Straight Game
Logan Cooley

Out Indefinitely
Brayden Point

Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point Back for Lightning Monday
CFB

Anthony Hill Jr. Declaring for 2026 NFL Draft
CFB

Ryan Walters a Candidate for Tennessee Defensive Coordinator Job?
Trey Hendrickson

Set for Core-Muscle Surgery, Expected to Miss Around Six Weeks
Drake London

Considered Day-to-Day Going into Thursday Night
Jayden Daniels

No Long-Term Concerns for Jayden Daniels
Zach Ertz

MRI Confirms Season-Ending Torn ACL for Zach Ertz
Tee Higgins

Back in the Concussion Protocol
Riley Leonard

Week 15 Status Uncertain Due to Knee Injury
Mike Evans

Could Return on Thursday Night
De'Von Achane

May Require Rest This Week
Daniel Jones

' Season Over With Torn Achilles
Rory McIlroy

Ends 2025 as the Year's Most Unburdened Player
Aaron Rai

Needs to Figure Out Putting Woes This Offseason
Jordan Spieth

Plays Better on Paper in 2025 Than Results Show
PGA

Chris Gotterup Needs to Find Better Touch and Consistency This Offseason
Hideki Matsuyama

Ends 2025 Season With a Bookend Victory
CFB

Tennessee Fires Defensive Coordinator Tim Banks
Scottie Scheffler

Comes Up Just Shy of Hero World Challenge Victory
Jordan Poole

Remains Sidelined on Monday
Merab Dvalishvili

Drops A Decision At UFC 323
Herbert Jones

Tagged as Questionable Against Spurs
Petr Yan

Reclaims Bantamweight Title
Alexandre Pantoja

Era Ends With Gruesome Injury
Joshua Van

Becomes Second-Youngest UFC Champion
Brandon Moreno

Suffers His First TKO Loss
Brandon Moreno

Tatsuro Taira Becomes First Fighter To Finish Brandon Moreno
Henry Cejudo

Payton Talbott Retires Henry Cejudo
Henry Cejudo

Retires After UFC 323 Loss
Jan Blachowicz

Bogdan Guskov Vs. Jan Blachowicz Ends In A Majority Draw
Jan Blachowicz

And Bogdan Guskov Fight To Majority Draw
CFB

Texas RB CJ Baxter Entering Transfer Portal
Mark Stone

Records Two Assists in Sunday's Win
Carter Hart

Defeats Rangers Sunday
Cutter Gauthier

Delivers Two Assists Sunday
Leo Carlsson

Nets Two Goals in Blowout Win
Logan Thompson

Posts First Shutout of the Season
Brayden Schenn

Leads Blues to Victory Sunday
Macklin Celebrini

Bags Three Points in Impressive Road Victory
San Francisco Giants

Jeff Kent Elected to Baseball Hall of Fame
Ketel Marte

Red Sox Interested in Trading for Ketel Marte
Kyle Schwarber

Pirates Make Four-Year Offer to Kyle Schwarber
CFB

Mississippi State, Rice Accept Bowl Bids as 5-7 Teams
CFB

Auburn, Florida State, Baylor Among Teams to Decline Bowl Bids
CFB

Rob Aurich Set to Become Nebraska's Defensive Coordinator
CFB

Notre Dame Opting Out of Postseason Amid College Football Playoff Exclusion
CFB

Kendal Briles a Candidate for South Carolina Offensive Coordinator Job
CFB

James Madison Playoff-Bound After Duke Wins ACC Title?
CFB

Notre Dame, Miami, Alabama on College Football Playoff Bubble
CFB

Brent Pry Could Return to Virginia Tech as Defensive Coordinator
Jose A. Ferrer

Mariners Acquire Jose A. Ferrer from the Nationals
Harry Ford

Traded to the Nationals
Cody Bellinger

Drawing Interest From the Phillies
MacKenzie Gore

Will the Nationals Trade MacKenzie Gore?
Byron Buxton

Twins Not Planning to Trade Joe Ryan, Byron Buxton
Petr Yan

Looks To Reclaim Bantamweight Belt
Merab Dvalishvili

Set For His Fourth Title Defense
Joshua Van

Can Become The New Flyweight Champion
Alexandre Pantoja

Set For Fifth Title Defense At UFC 323
Tatsuro Taira

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Brandon Moreno

Searches For His Third Win In A Row
Payton Talbott

A Favorite At UFC 323
Henry Cejudo

Set For His Retirement Fight
Jan Blachowicz

Set To Open Up UFC 323 Main Card
Bogdan Guskov

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
CFB

Emmett Johnson Leaving Nebraska for 2026 NFL Draft
CFB

Jam Miller Unlikely to Play in SEC Title Game
CFB

Penn State Expected to Hire Matt Campbell from Iowa State
CFB

Arkansas Targeting Ron Roberts for Defensive Coordinator Job
Jhostynxon Garcia

Pirates Acquire Jhostynxon Garcia From Red Sox
Cody Bellinger

Yankees Pushing Hard to Re-Sign Cody Bellinger
Alex Bregman

Cubs Have Renewed Interest in Alex Bregman
Kyle Tucker

Visits With Blue Jays