Show Navigation
Show Menu

Week 1 DraftKings Cash-Game Picks

By Jared Smola 9:20pm EDT 9/8/23

Top Plays for DraftKings Head-to-Head and 50/50 Contests

As usual, the Week 1 pricing on DraftKings is softer than we’ll get on most slates this season.

There are lots of rock-solid value plays. Deciding where to spend up might be what determines whether we cash.

Here are the guys I’m considering for DraftKings Week 1 head-to-heads and 50/50s:

 

Quarterback

Sam Howell, Commanders ($4,900)

Howell isn’t a must-play in cash this week because of the soft pricing.

But he pops as the top dollars-per-point value at QB – and allows you to get two high-priced studs in your lineup.

Howell is coming off a strong preseason, completing 75.7% of his passes with 3 TDs and 0 INTs.

He gets a plus matchup vs. the Cardinals, who ranked 21st in adjusted fantasy points allowed to QBs last year and might be even worse this year.

Howell will have his full weaponry, with WR Terry McLaurin back from his toe injury.

And, perhaps most importantly, Howell brings rushing value. He ran for over 1,100 yards in his final college season, tallied 35 yards and a score on the ground in his lone start last year, and ran four times for 25 yards in about a game’s worth of snaps this preseason.

Howell presents a nice floor/ceiling combination for a $4,900 QB.

Also consider: Justin Herbert ($6,900), Geno Smith ($6,100)

 

Running Back

Austin Ekeler, Chargers ($8,400)

We gotta spend our money somewhere on this loosely priced slate.

Why not on an elite pass-catching back in the week’s most likely shootout?

Chargers-Dolphins sports a slate-high 51.0-point over/under. The Chargers’ 27.0-point implied total is highest on the main slate.

Ekeler boasts big TD upside, on top of his always lofty target projection.

He scored 24.4 DK points vs. Miami last season.

Joe Mixon, Bengals ($6,800)

The two concerns with Mixon during draft season:

  1. His off-field troubles resulting in a suspension.
  2. His inefficiency eventually leading to fewer touches.

Neither is a concern in Week 1. Mixon should dominate carries and see plenty of action in the passing game. 

And he gets a Browns defense that coughed up 5.0 yards per carry last year and finished 30th in adjusted fantasy points allowed to RBs.

Jamaal Williams, Saints ($5,100)

Cash games were made for this spot.

Williams doesn’t have a huge ceiling this week. He’s not an explosive player. And the matchup is tough against a Titans defense that allowed just 3.4 yards per carry to RBs last year.

But volume gives Williams a very high floor. 

RB Alvin Kamara serves the first of his three-game suspension on Sunday. And RB Kendre Miller will be out with his knee injury.

That leaves converted WR Kirk Merritt and likely practice-squad call up Tony Jones behind Williams in the backfield.

Williams is a virtual lock for 15+ touches with a good shot at 20. That makes him an auto-play in cash games at just $5,100.

Also consider: Rachaad White ($5,500), Raheem Mostert ($5,400)

 

Wide Receiver

Tyreek Hill, Dolphins ($8,200)

We gotta spend our money somewhere on this loosely priced slate.

Why not on a big-play, target hog in the week’s most likely shootout?

Hill obviously carries a lofty weekly ceiling. But his floor is high, too, thanks to big volume. Hill ranked third in the NFL last year with 170 targets.

That helped him tally 15+ DK points in 10 of QB Tua Tagovailoa’s 12 healthy games last season. That included a 24.1-point outing vs. the Chargers.

Deebo Samuel, 49ers ($5,500)

No fancy analysis here. Samuel is simply underpriced. He never dipped below $6,000 on DraftKings last season.

Samuel disappointed last year but is healthy and motivated coming into 2023. Expect him to remain the lead dog in San Francisco’s passing game – and continue to contribute a bit on the ground.

The groin injury that has TE George Kittle questionable doesn’t hurt Samuel’s Week 1 outlook, either.

Courtland Sutton, Broncos ($5,200)

WR Tim Patrick is out. We’ll see about WR Jerry Jeudy, who’s listed as questionable a little over two weeks after suffering what appeared to be a significant hamstring injury.

Even if Jeudy ends up active on Sunday, expect Sutton to operate as Denver’s lead WR in a plus matchup vs. the Raiders.

Sutton has averaged 65 yards and 0.5 TDs in his last four meetings with Vegas.

Also consider: Mike Williams ($5,700), Jonathan Mingo ($3,200)

 

Tight End

Hayden Hurst, Panthers ($3,000)

If you were with us this offseason, you know we were high on Hurst as a late-round, volume-based fantasy value.

He signed a surprisingly lucrative 3-year, $21.75 million deal with Carolina in free agency and joins a WR corps led by an aging Adam Thielen and a bunch of unproven youngsters.

Hurst should be busy right out of the gate with WR D.J. Chark out and Thielen banged up.

The matchup is good, too, against a Falcons defense that ranked 27th in adjusted fantasy points allowed to TEs last year.

Also consider: Luke Musgrave ($2,900)

 

Defense/Special Teams

Commanders ($2,800)

Don’t overthink this one.

The Commanders are home against a Cardinals team starting QB Josh Dobbs behind a leaky offensive line.

Arizona’s 15.5-point implied total is easily the lowest on the main slate.

More Week 1 DraftKings Picks

Related Fantasy Football

Fantasy Football Risers and Fallers

Fantasy Football Risers and Fallers

10:02pm EDT 9/1/23

This article will track the fantasy football risers and fallers in the Draft Sharks rankings throughout the summer. Find out who to target in your draft.

Read More »
Late-Round Fantasy Sleepers - Deep Finds

Late-Round Fantasy Sleepers - Deep Finds

10:02pm EDT 8/30/23

Are you a true fantasy diehard? These seven deep sleepers are for you. We dug deep to find late-round fantasy sleepers that can help you win a championship.

Read More »
Preseason Winners and Losers

Preseason Winners and Losers

11:56am EDT 8/30/23

Let's run through 21 fantasy football preseason winners and losers as we barrel toward Week 1. A must-read before your draft!

Read More »
Premium Content Premium Content15 Undervalued Fantasy Football Players (2023)

15 Undervalued Fantasy Football Players (2023)

1:18pm EDT 8/21/23

What's the best way to attack any fantasy football draft? Find the biggest values. Draft them. This list of 15 undervalued players does half the job for you.

Read More »
Fantasy Football Injuries – 11 Cautionary Tales for 2023

Fantasy Football Injuries – 11 Cautionary Tales for 2023

2:38pm EDT 8/17/23

Don't let fantasy football injuries ruin your season. Here's why you should be aware of the elevated risk with Christian McCaffrey and 10 other players.

Read More »
AFC East Wide Receivers (WRs): A Fantasy Football Breakdown

AFC East Wide Receivers (WRs): A Fantasy Football Breakdown

11:35am EDT 8/3/23

Tyreek Hill, Stefon Diggs, and Garrett Wilson will fly off the board early in your fantasy draft. Are they worth it? And which other WRs are worth targeting from the AFC East?

Read More »
Top Fantasy Wide Receivers (WRs) For 2023

Top Fantasy Wide Receivers (WRs) For 2023

2:50pm EDT 7/27/23

Landing a top fantasy wide receiver is more important than ever. Here are the wide receivers to target early in 2023 fantasy football drafts.

Read More »
Other rankings are stale  before the 2nd round.

Draft using the best dynamic tool in the industry. Our fantasy player valuations (DMVP) change during your draft in response to...

  1. Exact league settings - direct sync
  2. Opponent and Team Needs
  3. Positional scarcity & available players
  4. Ceiling, injury risk, ADP, and more!

You need a dynamic cheat sheet that easily live-syncs with your draft board and adapts throughout your draft using 17 crucial indicators.

Get your Draft War Room Today
Winning Your League Starts Here Trophy
Why Wouldn’t You Invest
$36 to Win Your League?

Check out thisleague-winning info

2023 Draft Package Now - Sept 15

$39

Get Instant Access
2023 In-Season Package Sept 5 - Mar 7

$39

Get Access Sept. 5
2023 DFS Package Sept 5 - Mar 7

$49

Get Access Sept. 5
Best Value – All Access Pass
DS Insider Membership All 3 Packages

$127 $36

Semi-annual
Get Instant Access
Draft War Room Included Draft War Room Draft War Room Draft War Room Included Draft War Room
Unlimited Live-Draft Sync Included Unlimited Live-Draft Sync Unlimited Live-Draft Sync Unlimited Live-Draft Sync Included Unlimited Live-Draft Sync
Award-Winning Player Rankings Included Award-Winning Player Rankings Award-Winning Player Rankings Award-Winning Player Rankings Included Award-Winning Player Rankings
3D Projections Included 3D Projections 3D Projections 3D Projections Included 3D Projections
In-Depth Player Profiles Included In-Depth Player Profiles In-Depth Player Profiles In-Depth Player Profiles Included In-Depth Player Profiles
Mock Draft Trainer Included Mock Draft Trainer Mock Draft Trainer Mock Draft Trainer Included Mock Draft Trainer
DMVP Trade Values Included DMVP Trade Values DMVP Trade Values DMVP Trade Values Included DMVP Trade Values
The Perfect Draft Included The Perfect Draft The Perfect Draft The Perfect Draft Included The Perfect Draft
Breakout & Comeback Player Included Breakout & Comeback Player Breakout & Comeback Player Breakout & Comeback Player Included Breakout & Comeback Player
Average Draft Position by Scoring Included Average Draft Position by Scoring Average Draft Position by Scoring Average Draft Position by Scoring Included Average Draft Position by Scoring
Scientific Injury Predictor Included Scientific Injury Predictor Scientific Injury Predictor Scientific Injury Predictor Included Scientific Injury Predictor
Insider Sleepers & Busts Included Insider Sleepers & Busts Insider Sleepers & Busts Insider Sleepers & Busts Included Insider Sleepers & Busts
In-Season Weekly Rankings In-Season Weekly Rankings Included In-Season Weekly Rankings In-Season Weekly Rankings Included In-Season Weekly Rankings
“Who Should I Start?” Tool “Who Should I Start?” Tool Included “Who Should I Start?” Tool “Who Should I Start?” Tool Included “Who Should I Start?” Tool
“Team Intel” Tool w/ Analysis & Notifications “Team Intel” Tool w/ Analysis & Notifications Included “Team Intel” Tool w/ Analysis & Notifications “Team Intel” Tool w/ Analysis & Notifications Included “Team Intel” Tool w/ Analysis & Notifications
Live-Sync Free Agent Finder Live-Sync Free Agent Finder Included Live-Sync Free Agent Finder Live-Sync Free Agent Finder Included Live-Sync Free Agent Finder
Trade Navigator Trade Navigator Included Trade Navigator Trade Navigator Included Trade Navigator
Player Shares Player Shares Included Player Shares Player Shares Included Player Shares
In-Depth Free Agent Gems In-Depth Free Agent Gems Included In-Depth Free Agent Gems In-Depth Free Agent Gems Included In-Depth Free Agent Gems
Buy/Sell/Hold Trade Advice Buy/Sell/Hold Trade Advice Included Buy/Sell/Hold Trade Advice Buy/Sell/Hold Trade Advice Included Buy/Sell/Hold Trade Advice
Strength-of-Schedule Data Strength-of-Schedule Data Included Strength-of-Schedule Data Strength-of-Schedule Data Included Strength-of-Schedule Data
DFS Lineup Builder DFS Lineup Builder DFS Lineup Builder Included DFS Lineup Builder Included DFS Lineup Builder
DFS Ownership Projections DFS Ownership Projections DFS Ownership Projections Included DFS Ownership Projections Included DFS Ownership Projections
Weekly Top Stacks Weekly Top Stacks Weekly Top Stacks Included Weekly Top Stacks Included Weekly Top Stacks
High-Stakes DFS Line-up Reviews High-Stakes DFS Line-up Reviews High-Stakes DFS Line-up Reviews Included High-Stakes DFS Line-up Reviews Included High-Stakes DFS Line-up Reviews
DFS Independent DFS Independent DFS Independent Included DFS Independent Included DFS Independent
Premium Insider Articles Included Premium Insider Articles Included Premium Insider Articles Included Premium Insider Articles Included Premium Insider Articles
Daily FF Email Updates Included Daily FF Email Updates Included Daily FF Email Updates Included Daily FF Email Updates Included Daily FF Email Updates
Breaking News Updates Included Breaking News Updates Included Breaking News Updates Included Breaking News Updates Included Breaking News Updates
To-the-Minute Game Day Inactives Included To-the-Minute Game Day Inactives Included To-the-Minute Game Day Inactives Included To-the-Minute Game Day Inactives Included To-the-Minute Game Day Inactives
All-Access Draft Sharks App All–Access Draft Sharks App Included All-Access Draft Sharks App Included All-Access Draft Sharks App Included All-Access Draft Sharks App Included All-Access Draft Sharks App
Get Instant Access Get Access Sept 5 Get Access Sept 5 Get Instant Access

Turn your phone into a draft weapon with our FREE APP

Download on the App Store Get It on Google Play