There is a consensus for most of the top Week 1 NFL DFS picks across DraftKings and FanDuel. Josh Allen is the most expensive QB at both sites, despite Buffalo facing Houston's top-ranked defense. At running back, Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson are 1-2 on both platforms, with Ja'Marr Chase and Amon-Ra St.
Brown are first and second, respectively, at receiver. The only discrepancy comes at tight end when looking at who to fit under your NFL DFS salary cap as Brock Bowers tops at DraftKings, with Trey McBride first at FanDuel. Bowers (knee) is expected to sit on Sunday, but even the most skilled daily Fantasy football manager wouldn't be able to insert all of the aforementioned into Week 1 NFL DFS lineups.
You have to balance these highly-priced stars with more economical options, and finding the latter is what people often struggle with. Before making any NFL DFS picks for Sunday or locking in NFL DFS lineups on sites like DraftKings and FanDuel, be sure to check out SportsLine's advanced NFL DFS lineup optimizer. The DFS Optimizer uses info from the SportsLine Advanced-Data Projection Model and DFS Professional Millionaire Mike McClure to identify top DFS picks/plays for any slate on betting apps like DraftKings and FanDuel.
It simulates every game 10,000 times to help DFS players optimize and build winning DraftKings and FanDuel lineups. Optimize, export, and enter lineups confidently with injury updates, floor and ceiling player projections, and Vegas lines and picks all with one winning tool. Now, SportsLine's NFL DFS Optimizer has turned its attention to Sunday's 2026 NFL Week 1 schedule and just locked in its top daily Fantasy football lineups.
You can only see its optimal lineups at SportsLine. One of the optimizer's top DFS value picks for Sunday is Saints running back Travis Etienne at $5,900 on DraftKings and $6,800 on FanDuel. The Louisiana native returns home after four years with the Jags, and he's coming off 1,399 scrimmage yards and 13 scores.
On Sunday, the Saints play the Lions, who were 22nd in scoring defense a year ago, and Etienne has a history of shining in the season opener. His 143 rushing yards in Week 1 of last year were the second most he's had in any game, and he scored a touchdown in both the 2023 and 2024 season openers. See who else to pick here.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
