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Joe Nicely's DraftKings NFL DFS picks and lineup sleepers for the Week 1 (September 2024) Main Slate. His top daily fantasy football lineups to target for DraftKings DFS contests.
Hello, RotoBallers, and welcome back to our weekly DraftKings NFL DFS article! For those of you who don't participate in Preseason DFS, it's been a long wait for some NFL action on DraftKings. I hope you are as excited about the Week 1 Main Slate as I am!
If you've been a regular reader of this article for the last few years...welcome back. For those of you just joining the party for the first time, we're so happy to have you on board here at RotoBaller. This season we'll be breaking down the top plays at each position for the DraftKings Main Slate every week.
These DraftKings lineup recommendations are based on matchups, projected DK points and ownership, overall upside/talent levels, and opportunity, as well as factors such as Vegas odds, home-field advantage, and more. There are quite a few great plays available on DK for Week 1. Also, be sure to check out our weekly FanDuel DFS lineup picks and lots of other great NFL DFS articles and NFL DFS tools to help you win big! Good luck with your DraftKings DFS lineups – let's dominate this slate together!
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DraftKings Quarterbacks - Week 1 DFS Picks
Josh Allen - ARI @ BUF ($8,000)
We're certainly not sneaking up on anyone with Josh Allen, as his DFS dominance makes him one of the most obvious spend-ups on this Week 1 slate. The Bills signal caller led all QBs in DraftKings points per game (25.3) and total points (429.6) last season.
Josh Allen's PFF passing grade from a clean pocket ranks 1st in the NFL 💪
He should have clean pockets to work from against an Arizona defense that ranked 28th in pressure rate last year pic.twitter.com/4I2ZxXgaBM
— PFF BUF Bills (@PFF_Bills) August 31, 2024
Allen is once again primed for a monster season in 2024. Although his pass-catching weapons have been downgraded with the loss of Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis in the offseason, their absence arguably makes Allen a more dangerous DFS weapon, as he'll likely be forced to increase his already-impressive work on the ground.
He tied for the league lead at the QB position with 15 rushing TDs last year, and if it's possible, he'll need to carry this Buffalo squad on his back even more this season. The Bills carry a slate-high team total of 27 points into this matchup against a Cardinals defense that ranked 22nd in the NFL in DK points allowed to opposing QBs in 2023.
Jayden Daniels - WAS @ TB ($5,700)
A rookie NFL quarterback making his first pro start can always be described as a hit-and-miss proposition. That uncertainty opens the door to opportunity for us in Week 1 when it comes to a player like Jayden Daniels, who will make his pro debut against a Tampa Bay squad that allowed the fifth-most passing yards in the NFL last season.
After a monster collegiate career at LSU where he threw for over 3,800 yards and 40 TDs while rushing for over 1,100 yards and 10 TDs on the ground, the electric dual-threat will be Washinton's Week 1 starter.
Though there could be some bumps along the way for the rookie this season, his dynamic rushing ability and deep-ball passing proficiency give us a strong salary-considered combination of DFS floor and ceiling for just $5,700. I have a feeling Daniels won't be priced in this range for long.
Additional Week 1 QB Considerations: Kyler Murray ($6,400), Anthony Richardson ($6,300)
DraftKings Running Backs - Week 1 DFS Picks
De'Von Achane - JAX @ MIA ($6,800)
The electric Dolphins back displayed the sort of game-breaking ability that simply can't be ignored during his rookie NFL season. Achane ranked first in the league in explosive run rate last year and was the most efficient RB in the league, averaging 7.7 yards per touch.
With Raheem Mostert and rookie Jaylen Wright also in the 'Fins backfield this season, Achane will need to remain hyper-efficient. However, after missing six games due to injury in 2023, we can hope that a healthy Achane will see an increase in volume in his second year.
De’Von Achane Vs. Denver (Week 3)
➖51.3 Fantasy Points
➖22 Touches
➖233 Yards
➖4 TD’s https://t.co/gVHyM7LBc0 pic.twitter.com/5qDnptia2a— Austin Abbott (@AustinAbbottFF) August 29, 2024
He demonstrated his ridiculous DFS ceiling with a 54.2-point outburst in Week 3 last year and in the five games he logged over 10 carries he averaged 28.98 DK points. Achane kicks off the season with a matchup against a Jaguars defense that was especially susceptible to pass-catching backs last season. Jacksonville allowed the most receptions (109) in the NFL to the RB position in 2023.
Kenneth Walker III - DEN @ SEA ($6,100)
With Pete Carroll's tenure in Seattle finally over, the possibilities for the Seahawks offense are exciting. That's especially true for running back Kenneth Walker III, a player who's proven himself to be one of the most explosive rushers in the game across his two years in the NFL.
The 23-year-old battled through a plethora of injuries last season, ultimately missing two games and seeing limited action in four more. Despite those absences, rookie Seattle running back Zach Charbonnet failed to truly eat into Walker's workload when he was healthy.
Walker has reportedly dazzled in training camp while working in new Seattle offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb's system. There's a chance that he will evolve into a true three-down back in 2024. He'll open the season with an incredible opportunity against a Broncos run defense that was routinely shredded on the ground in 2023. Denver relinquished the league's second-most DK Points and rushing yards to the running back position last season.
Additional Week 1 RB Considerations: Bijan Robinson ($7,700), Joe Mixon ($6,600), Zamir White ($5,700)
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DraftKings Wide Receivers - Week 1 DFS Picks
Justin Jefferson - MIN @ NYG ($8,400)
The 2023 season was a turbulent one for Justin Jefferson. He missed seven games due to injury while also dealing with the absence of Kirk Cousins. While he doesn't have Cousins back this year, he does enter 2024 fully healthy and with a record-breaking contract extension secured.
With Sam Darnold, Justin Jefferson will be a top 5 WR for fantasy football…
TRUE OR FALSE? pic.twitter.com/wr7YKlrMPZ
— Kyle Yates (@KyleYNFL) August 24, 2024
Sure, some concerns come with Jefferson being forced to rely on Sam Darnold at quarterback, but we know he'll be heavily targeted in Minnesota's highly-concentrated offense. He received 10 or more targets in Minny's last four regular-season games of 2023, averaging 23.6 DraftKings points over those outings with a combination of Nick Mullens and Jaren Hall under center for the Vikes.
Though he's no Cousins, Darnold is a competent enough thrower to give Jefferson plenty of DFS upside in the season opener against a New York Giants secondary that allowed nearly 3,000 receiving yards to opposing wideouts last season.
Tank Dell - HOU @ IND ($5,500)
If you grew the perfect GPP wide receiver in a lab, his profile would look a lot like Tank Dell's. Although his rookie season ended brutally with a broken leg in Week 13, Dell had plenty of time to make an impression in 2023.
The diminutive dynamo formed an instant connection with fellow Houston rookie C.J. Stroud and the pair proceeded to strike fear in the hearts of secondaries during their first NFL campaign with Dell averaging 15.1 yards per reception on an aDOT of 14.3 - a mark that was the 14th-highest in the league last season.
Tank Dell is gonna do WHAT now!?
Check out Kyle’s (@LuckIsMadeFF) five BOLD predictions for the 2024 season
📝 https://t.co/yO3JLAgy90 pic.twitter.com/DaHzfyF43K
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) September 1, 2024
The offseason addition of Stefon Diggs to the Houston receiving corps adds some uncertainty to the distribution of targets for this group of Texans pass catchers - uncertainty that will likely give pause to plenty of DFS participants in Week 1. However, I'm willing to embrace the volatility of the situation with a relatively inexpensive gamble on Dell, who is capable of breaking a DraftKings slate in the absence of overwhelming volume.
Additional Week 1 WR Considerations: Tyreek Hill ($8,700), Drake London ($6,000), Khalil Shakir ($5,100)
DraftKings Tight Ends - Week 1 DFS Picks
Trey McBride - ARI @ BUF ($6,100)
The athletic Colorado State product experienced a true breakout campaign in 2023, his second in the NFL. Following an injury to veteran tight end Zach Ertz, McBride grabbed the reigns and never looked back.
An outburst of 25.5 DraftKings points in Week 8 was the first of four games with 22+ DK points for McBride across the last 10 weeks of the regular season. He posted two 100+ yard receiving games in the eight games Kyler Murray suited up for the Cardinals.
Despite the addition of Marvin Harrison Jr. to a thin Arizona receiving corps, McBride will likely remain the top pass-catching option in this offense early in the 2024 season. With several superstar tight ends not available on the Week 1 Main Slate, McBride's point-scoring floor is the highest we're going to find at the TE position.
Kyle Pitts - PIT @ ATL ($4,600)
I'm sorry, I apologize, I beg your forgiveness. You're probably all sick and tired of hearing about the Kyle Pitts breakout that seems to never come. I get it and I'm with you. However, it could maybe, possibly, perhaps finally happen this season.
You need to stop making your jokes about Kyle Pitts. pic.twitter.com/8xqnzIEiPK
— Adam Rank (@adamrank) August 27, 2024
The 2024 outlook for Pitts is bright for a couple of reasons. Former Falcons head coach and fantasy troll Arthur Smith is no longer in town to call plays for Atlanta backups, while a quarterback room that's doubled as a clown car for the last two years receives a huge upgrade with the offseason acquisition of Kirk Cousins.
Pitts remains an athletic unicorn at the tight-end position, and while it feels like forever ago, he did record over 1,000 yards receiving in his 2021 rookie season, which also happens to be the only time in his career that he's played with any semblance of a starting-caliber NFL quarterback (the corpse of Matt Ryan).
Additional Week 1 TE Considerations: Dalton Kincaid ($5,800), Evan Engram ($5,500), Jonnu Smith ($3,500)
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