NFL DFS Late Slate Picks for Week 1

Welcome back, DFS Degenerates, to the NFL DFS Late Slate for Week 1!

If the early games didn’t go according to plan, the late slate gives us another chance to forget those lineups and make some money. Week 1 presents a compact four-game slate containing several elite fantasy players, new offensive combinations, and uncertain backfields.

The four late slate games in Week 1 are:

• Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings
• Washington Commanders at Philadelphia Eagles
• Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Chargers
• Miami Dolphins at Las Vegas Raiders

With only eight teams available, roster construction is pretty concentrated. Finding one or two players who outperform expectations could be the difference between making money and simply making another donation.

Let’s look at the players I want in my Week 1 NFL DFS late-slate lineups.

Week 1 NFL DFS Late Slate Picks

Quarterbacks

Kyler Murray, Minnesota Vikings

Kyler Murray steps into a dream scenario in Minnesota under Kevin O’Connell, anchored by Justin Jefferson as his primary weapon. But for DFS, his rushing floor is the real cheat code: 40 yards on the ground delivers the same fantasy points as an extra passing touchdown. New-offense uncertainty usually keeps casual managers away, lowering his ownership. Take advantage: Murray pairs the highest ceiling and safest floor among all late-slate QBs at a discounted salary.

• FanDuel: $7,200
• DraftKings: $5,500

Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles

Jalen Hurts remains one of the safest fantasy quarterbacks because Philadelphia’s offense creates fantasy points for him in multiple ways.

He can produce through the air, break containment as a runner, and finish drives near the goal line. The Eagles have changed offensive coordinators, but they are not going to remove the most dangerous part of Hurts’ fantasy profile. They may push Jalen’s tush until it hurts.

• FanDuel: $8,300
• DraftKings: $6,600

Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

Herbert offers the best blend of matchup, projection, and price among the late-slate quarterbacks. Los Angeles carries one of the slate’s highest implied team totals against an Arizona defense that struggled to prevent explosive plays last season.

He works in cash games as a standalone play and becomes an appealing tournament stack with either Ladd McConkey or Quentin Johnston. Herbert gives us access to the late slate’s most favorable offensive environment without requiring the premium salary attached to Hurts. The double stack is not a bad idea with McConkey and Johnston; it will be like eating an In-N-Out Double-Double, just SO good.

• FanDuel: $7,600
• DraftKings: $6,100

Malik Willis, Miami Dolphins

Willis is the high-risk, high-reward option for tournament lineups.

Miami enters the season with an inexperienced receiving group. That limits Willis’ passing certainty but could increase his rushing opportunity. Designed runs and scrambles give him a path to production that does not depend on one of Miami’s young receivers immediately emerging.

Willis is not the quarterback I would use in cash games. He is the player I would consider when building a lineup designed to be different. Where there is a Willis, there may be a way.

• FanDuel: $6,500
• DraftKings: $5,300

Running Backs

Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles

Saquon Barkley is coming off a disappointing season by the standards established during his historic 2024 campaign. That does not mean the workload or ceiling has disappeared.

Philadelphia has installed a new offense expected to incorporate more outside-zone concepts, play action, and pre-snap movement. That system should give Barkley opportunities to attack space instead of repeatedly running into crowded defensive fronts.

On a four-game late slate, his combination of volume, receiving ability, and touchdown access makes him difficult to avoid.

• FanDuel: $8,100
• DraftKings: $6,900

De’Von Achane, Miami Dolphins

Miami may be rebuilding its passing game, but De’Von Achane remains one of the most explosive players in football.

Achane rushed for 1,350 yards and scored 12 total touchdowns last season. With Hill and Waddle no longer in Miami, the Dolphins have every reason to build their Week 1 offense around Achane.

His rushing workload creates a strong floor, while his receiving ability keeps him involved regardless of game script. The Raiders surrendered 126.9 total yards per game to running backs last season, making Achane one of the strongest plays on the late slate.

• FanDuel: $8,500
• DraftKings: $7,000

Tyler Allgeier, Arizona Cardinals

Allgeier is a salary-dependent tournament option, but he is no longer a primary recommendation if Jeremiyah Love is active without a meaningful restriction.

Arizona lists Allgeier first on its initial depth chart, but Love has progressed in practice, and the coaching staff has indicated that it does not expect to limit him. That creates committee risk in a difficult matchup with the Chargers.

Allgeier still has a path to early-down and goal-line work, but his ceiling depends on Love’s final status and the division of touches.

If Love is inactive or unexpectedly restricted, Allgeier becomes an inexpensive late-swap play. If Love is fully active, I will limit Allgeier to a small number of large-field tournament lineups.

• FanDuel: $5,900
• DraftKings: $4,900

Omarion Hampton, Los Angeles Chargers

Hampton is the running back I want to add to this slate. Arizona allowed 128.2 rushing yards per game last season, and the Chargers enter Week 1 as heavy home favorites with a 28.5-point implied team total.

That combination creates a favorable path to volume, red-zone work, and a positive game script. Hampton is more expensive than Allgeier, but the projected workload is considerably more dependable.

FanDuel: $7,300

DraftKings: $6,800

Wide Receivers

Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings

Pairing Murray with Jefferson is the most obvious Minnesota stack, and sometimes the obvious play is obvious for a reason. Jefferson remains one of the league’s most complete receivers and should dominate Minnesota’s target share. Green Bay must decide whether to devote additional defenders to Jefferson or create more running space for Murray.

Double JJ possesses the target floor needed for cash games and the multi-touchdown ceiling needed for tournaments. You spell that J-E-Double F-E-R-SON!

• FanDuel: $8,100
• DraftKings: $7,300

Christian Watson, Green Bay Packers

Christian Watson enters Week 1 as Green Bay’s undisputed primary receiver. Over the second half of last season (Weeks 8–18), he posted 61.1 receiving yards per game. With Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks off the roster, the Packers have significantly streamlined their target tree, setting the stage for a massive volume expansion.

The matchup aligns favorably with his strengths: Minnesota is expected to dial up aggressive blitzes against Jordan Love, a scenario where Watson excelled last season. His boundary role gives him an ideal launchpad to exploit the soft spots in the Vikings’ coverage scheme. Love will need to make quick decisions under pressure on Sunday, and feeding Watson should be at the top of his list. (I used “Elementary, my dear Watson” in my other article; oh look, I did here too)

• FanDuel: $6,400
• DraftKings: $5,900

DeVonta Smith, Philadelphia Eagles

A.J. Brown’s departure moves DeVonta Smith into the lead-receiver role in Philadelphia.

Smith no longer needs to share top billing with another established alpha receiver. Philadelphia will still run the football, but Smith should lead the team in routes, targets, and downfield opportunities.

Washington’s secondary underwent significant offseason changes, making its coverage difficult to project. I would rather trust the established connection between Smith and Hurts than speculate on how quickly Washington’s new defensive pieces will fit together.

• FanDuel: $7,500
• DraftKings: $6,600

Caleb Douglas, Miami Dolphins

If you need a bare-minimum punt play to fit elite superstars into your Week 1 DFS builds, Caleb Douglas is the ideal target. The third-round rookie enters the opener as Miami’s starting X-receiver with immediate snap leverage following the departure of Tutu Atwell. Douglas ran 71.4% of his preseason routes on the perimeter, aligning him perfectly against a Raiders defense that surrendered the eighth-most fantasy points per target to outside wideouts last season. At bottom-dollar salary, his combination of starting boundary volume and explosive big-play potential provides maximum cap relief with real upside.

• FanDuel: $4,600
• DraftKings: $3,000

Quentin Johnston, Los Angeles Chargers

Quentin Johnston offers explosive upside and top-tier tournament leverage for the Week 1 late window. Facing a heavily overhauled Arizona defense tagged as double-digit underdogs, Justin Herbert is set up for a clean passing script. Johnston showcased his vertical speed with a 65-yard touchdown in the preseason finale, underlining his big-play and red-zone potential. While teammate Ladd McConkey will draw heavy “chalk” ownership, pivoting to Johnston gives you crucial GPP leverage: a single deep score instantly vaults you past a massive chunk of the field at a fraction of the cost.

• FanDuel: $6,000
• DraftKings: $4,700

Ladd McConkey, Los Angeles Chargers

McConkey is the safer way to pair a Chargers receiver with Herbert. His route volume and intermediate role provide a more dependable target floor than Johnston, while Arizona’s vulnerable defense gives the entire passing game room to exceed expectations.

Use McConkey when prioritizing stability. Johnston remains the better leverage play when chasing a lower-owned deep touchdown.

• FanDuel: $6,500
• DraftKings: $5,900

NOTE: I am doing that double stack, then running to Five Guys, since we don’t have In-N-Out Doubles-doubles around here.

Tre Tucker, Las Vegas Raiders

Brock Bowers being ruled out removes the centerpiece of the Raiders’ passing game and creates targets that must go somewhere. Tucker is the most attractive salary-adjusted receiver positioned to benefit.

His speed provides big-play upside, and his price allows us to reach premium options such as Jefferson, Barkley, or Achane. Tucker is particularly appealing on DraftKings at only $4,000.

• FanDuel: $5,600
• DraftKings: $4,000

Tight Ends

Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals

Trey McBride is the undisputed focal point of Arizona’s passing attack and projects as the slate’s top tight end across targets, receptions, and receiving yards. As heavy 10.5-point underdogs against the Chargers, Arizona should be forced into a high-volume passing script where quarterback Jacoby Brissett continuously leans on McBride over the middle as his primary safety valve. Paying up for McBride gives you immense tournament leverage—if he explodes for a double-digit catch performance, you instantly vault past the field. For extra upside, stack him as a run-back option alongside Chargers wideout Quentin Johnston.

• FanDuel: $7,600
• DraftKings: $6,800

Tucker Kraft, Green Bay Packers

Before a season-ending torn ACL cut his campaign short last year, Kraft was averaging 14.6 PPR points per game behind excellent efficiency and run-after-catch production. He is now off the Week 1 injury report, removing the largest concern surrounding his availability. Minnesota presents a challenging matchup, but this remains a talent-and-price play. Kraft offers a strong ceiling if he immediately resumes his central role in Green Bay’s passing game.

• FanDuel: $6,300
• DraftKings: $4,500

Michael Mayer, Las Vegas Raiders

With Brock Bowers ruled out, Mayer becomes one of the late slate’s clearest salary-saving tight ends. He should inherit the starting role and a substantial share of the vacated middle-of-the-field routes in Klint Kubiak’s offense. Mayer does not need to reproduce Bowers’ production to return value at these prices. Even moderate reception and red-zone usage would allow him to outperform his salary while freeing room for premium running backs and receivers.

• FanDuel: $4,600
• DraftKings: $2,900

Defense

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami enters Week 1 with the NFL’s youngest roster, breaking in a new system with quarterback Malik Willis making his team debut. This creates an ideal script for defensive disruption. Las Vegas boasts superstar edge rusher Maxx Crosby and has heavily fortified its linebacker core by signing Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean. If Crosby and this retooled front seven pin their ears back and force the inexperienced Dolphins into obvious passing situations, the Raiders DST’s turnover and sack potential make it a slate-winning value play.

What I mean is that the Dolphins offense likely stinks, so play the Raiders defense.

• FanDuel: $3,800
• DraftKings: $2,900