The 2022 NFL regular season is set to begin on Sept. 8 with the Bills-Rams; however, we have a full slate of games on Sunday afternoon that will provide us with a ton of money-making opportunities in NFL DFS. Week 1 in daily fantasy football contests is always a bit of a crapshoot because some teams are vastly different than they were the previous season and we don’t have any stats to lean on. That being said, DFS players will still target stars and value sleepers throughout the league, and we have a mix of those our Week 1 DraftKings tournament lineup picks.
Of course, we also have some sleepers who could break out and set the tone for GPP tournaments. Before we break down our picks, here are the most notable scoring rules for DraftKings contests: Full-point PPR, four-point passing TDs, three-point bonuses for 100 rushing yards, 100 receiving yards, and 300 passing yards.
WEEK 1 DFS LINEUPS: FanDuel | Yahoo
DraftKings Picks Week 1: NFL DFS lineup for GPP tournaments
Sunday main slate, $50,000 budget
QB Lamar Jackson, Ravens @ Jets ($7,300). To kick off Week 1 of NFL DFS action, we are going with Jackson, who is looking to bounce back from a rough 2021 season. The dual-threat quarterback dealt with injuries and struggled last season, posting just 2,882 passing yards, 767 rushing yards, 16 touchdowns, 13 interceptions, and 22.3 FPPG. With a healthy Jackson under center, he should be able to score at least 20 fantasy points in what appears to be a favorable matchup in Week 1. When it comes to running the ball, Jackson will likely do most of the Ravens’ damage with JK Dobbins still working his way back from a torn ACL, and we have an outside shot at the 100-yard bonus.
WEEK 1 DFS: Best values | Best stacks
RB Alvin Kamara, Saints @ Falcons ($7,600). At our first running back spot, we are going to save some salary off the very top choices while still getting a stud. The Falcons are likely going to be one of the worst teams in the NFL this season, and last season, we saw Kamara go off against them, averaging 20.8 FPPG. In the regular season finale against Atlanta, Kamara posted 146 yards on 30 carries and two touchdowns (21.2 fantasy points). It would not be a surprise to see him go for another 20-point performance, especially with New Orleans having a healthy and explosive wide receiver unit to worry about.
RB AJ Dillon, Packers @ Vikings ($5,300). For the RB2 spot, we are going to take one of the best “handcuff” options in Dillon, who is in the “same tier” as Aaron Jones, according to his head coach. Last season, Dillon averaged 10.8 FPPG and scored eight total touchdowns. The former Boston College standout also put in work against the Vikings last year with 22.3 and 15.7 fantasy points, respectively. Dillon should get double-digit carries, a few catches, and hopefully find the end zone at least once.
WEEK 1 FANTASY PICKS: Sleepers | Busts | Start ’em, sit ’em
WR Tyreek Hill, Dolphins vs. Patriots ($6,800). The star wide receiver should have a field day against the Patriots, who lost standout cornerback J.C. Jackson in the offseason. Hill is a game breaker and someone that Tua Tagovailoa will be looking for early and often. He’s going to get a ton of targets opposite Jaylen Waddle and is always a candidate for a long TD and 100-plus yards. If the Dolphins can protect Tagovailoa, the passing game should be in great shape. We’ll take the chance and hope others are scared away by the matchup.
WR Michael Pittman, Colts @ Texans ($5,500). Pittman is surprisingly only $5,500, which fits perfectly for our Week 1 lineup. The young wide receiver enters this season as the unquestioned No. 1 wide receiver for the Colts. Last season against the Texans, the former USC standout only averaged 11.4 FPPG (two games); however, he did have six receptions (eight targets) for 77 yards in Week 13 against the Texans, so the potential for success is definitely there.
WEEK 1 FANTASY PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kicker
WR Mecole Hardman, Chiefs @ Cardinals ($4,600). With Tyreek Hill not in the fold anymore in Kansas City, the Chiefs offense will look slightly different this season, as Patrick Mahomes looks to spread the ball around more. All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce will still get his touches and targets; however, there will be opportunities for Hardman to make plays in Week 1. Last season, Hardman recorded 67 receptions for 814 yards and four touchdowns (9.2 FPPG). He does not need a ton of targets to score double-digit fantasy points, which makes him a nice boom-or-bust play under $5K in what should be a high-scoring game.
TE Dallas Goedert, Eagles @ Lions ($4,500). Goedert could see a few less targets in 2022 with the Eagles having both DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown on the outside at wide receiver, but he will also have a ton of favorable matchups — which start in Week 1 against the Lions. Detroit will look to slow down the Eagles’ running game, which crushed them when they played last season. Philly should have some opportunities in the passing game, and Goedert is the type of TE who could really make the Lions pay. Given his price, he fits perfectly into this lineup.
WEEK 1 STANDARD FANTASY RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kicker
FLEX Dameon Pierce, Texans vs. Colts ($4,800). At the FLEX spot, Pierce seems to be a solid choice, especially with how he performed in training camp. The rookie running back came in and took the job from veteran Marlon Mack, which was a surprise to some. Pierce is a physical running back that can run in between the tackles and will get double-digit carries in the season opener. We’re hoping the tough matchup and the fact coach Lovie Smith has been non-committal about Pierce starting scares people away and we get some lineup differentiation with him.
DEF Titans vs. Giants ($3,500). The Titans’ defense should not have any problems with a Giants’ offense that has a good running back in Saquon Barkley but leaves a lot to be desired at the wide receiver spot. It would not be surprising to see the Titans’ defense get multiple takeaways off of Daniel Jones, who had 14 turnovers in just 11 games last season. Jones also takes a lot of sacks (at least two a game in every season of his career), so expect the Titans to have a high floor to go along with the potential of a high ceiling.
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