Welcome to our Daily Fantasy Football recommendations.
Each week we’ll walk through the main Sunday DFS slate, pointing out our top choices, potential sleepers and the best value plays at every position.
DFS differs from season-long fantasy — you get a fresh lineup every week with no drafts, trades or waivers to manage. Instead, you assemble a new team for that week’s games while staying under a salary cap.
On FanDuel you’ll have a $60,000 salary cap. Every player is priced based on recent performance, matchup and projected production. The challenge is balancing expensive stars with cheaper value plays to build the strongest lineup possible while staying under the cap.
Spending heavily on one elite player limits what you can afford elsewhere; rostering a lower-priced performer can free up salary to load other spots. Below are our favorite FanDuel plays for Week 1’s Sunday slate, with prices reflecting the app’s $60,000 format.
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Quarterback
Jared Goff (Detroit) — $7,800
Goff enters the season in a favorable situation. He’s coming off a third straight 4,500+ passing-yard season and has totaled 13,768 passing yards over the last three years. He’s also thrown at least one touchdown in 23 straight games, the NFL’s longest active streak. Next Gen Stats shows Goff led the league in 2025 with 20 touchdown passes against single-high safety looks — a matchup strength against a Saints defense that used single-high coverages at one of the highest rates last year (62.9%). With new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing installing his system, Detroit should have plenty of scoring chances, and at $7,800 Goff is an appealing mid-priced QB option.
Justin Herbert (Chargers)
The Chargers added Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator, bringing in one of the league’s most inventive offensive minds from stops in San Francisco and Miami. McDaniel now has Justin Herbert, one of the NFL’s most talented quarterbacks, to work with. The Week 1 opponent, Arizona, finished 2025 near the bottom of the league in several defensive categories — giving up 28.7 points per game (29th) and 369.8 yards per game (26th) — and was especially vulnerable through the air. With Los Angeles huge favorites, but Arizona still possessing playmakers that can force the Chargers to stay aggressive, Herbert projects as a strong scoring option.
Kyler Murray (Minnesota)
Murray should fit nicely into Kevin O’Connell’s offense, surrounded by elite targets like Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. He’s also typically excelled in season openers: in six career Week 1 starts he’s averaged 265.5 total yards and more than two total touchdowns per game, with just three interceptions. Green Bay will be without a key defensive leader recovering from a torn ACL for at least the first four games, and the Packers are adapting to a new defensive staff — factors that could open up passing lanes early. That combination makes Murray an attractive DFS target to start the year.
Running Back
Saquon Barkley (Philadelphia)
After a monster 2024 (2,283 scrimmage yards, 15 total TDs), Barkley dipped in 2025 to 1,413 scrimmage yards and nine total touchdowns. Week 1’s matchup against Washington, however, is encouraging: the Commanders surrendered 2,411 rushing yards last season (141.8 YPG, 30th), 4.78 yards per carry (27th) and 18 rushing touchdowns. Barkley has dominated this opponent since joining the Eagles — in four meetings against Washington since 2024 he’s topped 100 rushing yards and scored a rushing touchdown each time — making him a strong candidate for bounce-back production.
Ashton Jeanty (Las Vegas)
Jeanty’s rookie numbers were underwhelming (3.67 yards per carry), but much of that reflected playing behind a poor 2025 offensive line in a struggling Raiders offense. The team has aggressively addressed those issues: Klint Kubiak as head coach (coming off a strong Seattle offense), veteran offensive-line coach Rick Dennison, and a major investment up front with Tyler Linderbaum. Kubiak’s offenses have historically produced solid rushing numbers, and with the Raiders’ improvements along the line, Jeanty should benefit. He opens against Miami, which ranked near the bottom of the league against the run in 2025, making Jeanty an intriguing, affordable RB target.
Wide Receiver
Justin Jefferson (Minnesota)
Jefferson’s 2025 was hampered by quarterback instability — he saw multiple QBs and never got into a consistent rhythm. With Kyler Murray now at quarterback, Jefferson should enjoy a steadier target environment and a likely uptick in production. He’s also had big Week 1 performances in the past (notably a 9-catch, 184-yard, 2-TD opener in 2022 vs. Green Bay), and expect O’Connell to prioritize getting his star receiver going early.
Chris Olave (New Orleans)
Olave’s production surged once Tyler Shough became the Saints’ starter; in Shough’s eight starts Olave totaled 48 catches on 73 targets for 660 yards and six touchdowns. Week 1 brings a depleted Detroit secondary — both starting safeties are expected to miss time — and Detroit allowed significant receiving production to opposing wideouts last season. With Shough under center and favorable matchup conditions, Olave looks poised to carry momentum into the opener.
Tetairoa McMillan (Carolina)
After a strong rookie season (70 catches, 1,014 yards, seven TDs), McMillan figures to take another step forward. He opens against a Bears secondary that surrendered a lot of big plays in 2025 (second-most completions of 20+ and 30+ yards) and was among the league leaders in passing touchdowns allowed and yards per pass attempt. McMillan should see plenty of favorable matchups, including coverage against a cornerback who graded poorly last year, and if Carolina falls behind he could draw even more targets — all signs point to a breakout Week 1.
Tight End
Trey McBride (Arizona)
Tight end options are thin this week, and while McBride carries a high price, he’s worth it. Arizona is likely to play from behind in a game projected to be high-scoring, which historically puts McBride in the middle of the passing attack: when trailing in 2025 he posted 75 catches on 99 targets for 753 yards and eight TDs, with the majority of his production coming in come-from-behind situations. The Chargers also struggled defending tight ends last year, so paying up for McBride in Week 1 makes sense.
Defense
Cincinnati Bengals — $3,600
We generally like to punt the defense slot and find value at a cheap price. On paper, Cincinnati’s defense looked poor last season — among the worst in scoring, total yards, rushing defense and yards per play — but this unit was significantly upgraded in the offseason. The Bengals added veteran pass-rushing and interior strength, plus new secondary pieces via trades, free agency and the draft. At this bargain price against Baker Mayfield and a Buccaneers offense that struggled with turnovers late last season, Cincinnati is a viable cheap defense to roster in Week 1.
Fan Take:
These Week 1 DFS recommendations matter because they highlight which offseason moves and scheme changes are likely to have immediate fantasy impact — and they can help shape roster construction decisions across the league. If these matchups play out as expected, we’ll see coaching hires, personnel upgrades and injuries directly influencing game scripts and fantasy outcomes early in the season.
Source: www.foxsports.com
