Fear not, there is still one more game left to what has been an exciting Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season. Patrick Mahomes returns, quicker than expected but close to 100%, from a major knee injury to face the Denver Broncos. Given how good the Denver pass rush is, I’m not sure how nice of a welcome back it will be for Mahomes. Bo Nix is also coming off surgery in what should be an exciting matchup between two division rivals. The expectation, with an over/under of 43.5 points, is that it will be a low-scoring game. Playing with the benefit of home field advantage, the Chiefs are favored by 2.5 points. Now, let’s take a look at how our options rank for the DFS Showdown Slate.
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MNF Notes
Kenneth Walker, Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs made a major move this offseason to add Walker to their backfield. His presence is going to be extremely important as Mahomes shakes off the rust and gets back in the swing of things. Regardless of that, Walker is going to be heavily involved as the main option in Kansas City’s backfield. This comes after Walker rushed for 1,027 yards and five touchdowns last season while averaging 4.6 yards per carry. Now, there’s no competition for work. The quantity will continue to be there, but this is a tough matchup for Walker so it’s hard to expect too much.
Denver Broncos Defense
Even though Mahomes has been declared healthy, we know there’s going to be a fair amount of rust involved. It’s also unclear how much the Chiefs will ask from Mahomes. Last season, the Broncos defense had an insane 76 sacks along with 12 interceptions. We know that their game plan is going to be to pressure Mahomes, and that should lead to fantasy production.
Bo Nix, Denver Broncos
While we talk about Mahomes returning from injury, the same can be said for Nix after a postseason injury. As Nix enters his third NFL season, the time is right for him to take the next steps after passing for 3,931 yards and 25 touchdowns. He now has a new weapon in Jayden Waddle, and that should also help in his progression.
J.K. Dobbins, Denver Broncos
After a strong start to last season, Dobbins then suffered a season ending injury. He’s back to full strength but the problem, is that, with RJ Harvey and Jonah Coleman, there’s some competition for work. At this point, thought process is that Dobbins and Harvey will both have value with perhaps the slight edge going to Dobbins.
Pat Bryant, Denver Broncos
If we are going to follow the depth chart, the answer is Pat Bryant. Troy Franklin might have had the best 2025 season, Marvin Mims might have the best track record, but it’s seemingly Bryant who is listed third on the depth chart behind Denver’s starters. Now, we have to see how that translates tonight after Bryant had 35 catches for 412 yards last season.
Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs
Don’t forget about Kelce. He’s been a top option at the position for a long time and has a well-established chemistry with Mahomes. That doesn’t appear to be changing anytime soon after Kelce caught 76 passes for 851 yards and five touchdowns last season. The thought process is that Mahomes will have to have a quick release tonight. That means he’ll be dumping the ball off to his reliable tight end a lot.
Monday Night Football DFS Picks
| Rnk | Player | Pos | Team | DK | FD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bo Nix | QB | DEN | $9,800 | $11,800 |
| 2 | Jaylen Waddle | WR | DEN | $9,000 | $9,600 |
| 3 | Travis Kelce | TE | KC | $7,000 | $7,200 |
| 4 | Kenneth Walker III | RB | KC | $10,600 | $10,800 |
| 5 | Rashee Rice | WR | KC | $9,400 | $11,400 |
| 6 | Patrick Mahomes | QB | KC | $9,600 | $12,400 |
| 7 | Courtland Sutton | WR | DEN | $8,000 | $10,200 |
| 8 | J.K. Dobbins | RB | DEN | $6,400 | $8,800 |
| 9 | RJ Harvey | RB | DEN | $7,400 | $8,200 |
| 10 | Xavier Worthy | WR | KC | $6,600 | $7,600 |
| 11 | Broncos | DST | DEN | $4,800 | $6,800 |
| 12 | Harrison Butker | K | KC | $5,000 | $6,200 |
| 13 | Wil Lutz | K | DEN | $5,200 | $6,600 |
| 14 | Pat Bryant | WR | DEN | $3,200 | $2,400 |
| 15 | Troy Franklin | WR | DEN | $2,800 | $5,600 |
| 16 | Emmett Johnson | RB | KC | $2,600 | $4,400 |
| 17 | Marvin Mims Jr. | WR | DEN | $3,000 | $3,400 |
| 18 | Chiefs | DST | KC | $4,400 | $6,400 |
| 19 | Tyquan Thornton | WR | KC | $3,600 | $5,200 |
| 20 | Evan Engram | TE | DEN | $3,400 | $4,800 |
| 21 | Cyrus Allen | WR | KC | $4,000 | $1,600 |
| 22 | Jonah Coleman | RB | DEN | $2,400 | $2,800 |
| 23 | Noah Gray | TE | KC | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| 24 | Adam Trautman | TE | DEN | $1,600 | $3,800 |
| 25 | Brashard Smith | RB | KC | $1,400 | $2,000 |
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