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Do you like spring football? Then you'll love this weekend. In addition to it being Week 9 of the XFL, it's also the first week of the USFL's second season. Which...it's been a while since one of these spring leagues got a second season, hasn't it been?
With DraftKings offering USFL contests again this year, I'll be here every week with lineup picks for the league. It looks like the plan at DraftKings is to do one four-game slate each weekend, even when there's a game on Thursday.
Below, you'll find my thoughts on the Week 1 DFS slate of USFL contests on DraftKings, which goes live on 4/15/2023 at 4:30 p.m. ET. Be sure to also read all our other weekly XFL fantasy football articles. Let's get to it, and good luck RotoBallers!
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DraftKings Quarterbacks - Week 1 XFL DFS Picks
J'Mar Smith - Birmingham Stallions - vs New Jersey Generals - $10,300
Let's get a big disclaimer out of the way first: we don't really know much about how this weekend will go. It's hard to find official depth charts, so we're going off of last year's stats and, sometimes, vibes.
Let's start with Birmingham, with J'Mar Smith, who I'm assuming will start. Smith completed just 54.6% of his passes last season for the Stallions, but finished third in the league in passing yards despite starting just seven of the team's 10 games.
His impact on the ground is also a big part of his fantasy value, as he had 37 carries for 191 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Smith added a lot of value in college as a runner, and he added that value in the USFL last year. Hopefully he does again.
McLeod Bethel-Thompson - New Orleans Breakers - vs Pittsburgh Maulers - $8,300
Bethel-Thompson is someone who really intrigues me. He was the starter in the CFL for the Toronto Argonauts last year, and he's been really solid up there in Canada, throwing 70 touchdowns in 74 CFL games, with 47 of those being starts.
I assume Bethel-Thompson will start for the Breakers because of his experience. He's not too much of a runner, but he did have a career-high 35 attempts for the Argonauts last year, so maybe there's something there. I also think Bethel-Thompson has something else working in his favor: his CFL career was good enough that I don't think he'd be in this league if he thought he might get benched early, even if he struggles. Maybe I'm wrong, but USFL Week 1 fantasy is more about hope than it is about anything else.
DraftKings Running Backs - Week 1 USFL DFS Picks
Darius Victor - New Jersey Generals - vs Birmingham Stalions - $9,300
Sometimes, you just have to go off last year's numbers, and Darius Victor was third in the USFL in rushing yards with 576, behind Jordan Ellis and Trey Williams, who was Victor's teammate with the Generals.
This week, Williams has been ruled out. He practiced Thursday despite an ankle sprain, but there was either a setback or the team wanted to play it safe. But with Williams out, Victor should have full control of this backfield. He rushed for nine touchdowns last year despite splitting snaps.
Garrett Groshek - Pittsburgh Maulers - vs New Orleans Breakers - $4,800
This one is really intriguing, because the Maulers running back depth chart really doesn't have a ton going on. It'll either be Madre London or Garrett Groshek leading the way, and neither guy really screams out a ton. But Groshek is $2,100 cheaper, so this is really just a dart throw at some possible value.
Last season, it was London who performed better, rushing for 415 yards to Groshek's 329. But the two combined for just one touchdown, so it's not like there's one that really stands out there as the red-zone threat. I know London looked better to end last season, but...IDK, y'all. Might be worth it.
DraftKings Wide Receivers and Tight Ends - Week 1 USFL DFS Picks
Marlon Williams - Birmingham Stallions - vs New Jersey Generals - $9,500
Since "did well in 2022" is one of my major criteria this week, Marlon Williams was third in the USFL in receiving yards last season, catching 31 of his 59 targets for 466 yards and four touchdowns. With J'mar Smith back under center for the Stallions, there should be some good continuity here, which will help Williams continue to be among the league's top wideouts.
Bailey Gaither - Pittsburgh Maulers - vs New Orleans Breakers - $7,000
That same continuity won't exist in Pittsburgh, where Vad Lee started last year, but James Morgan will probably start this season. But Gaither should be fairly QB-proof, as he finished with 24 catches for 328 yards and four touchdowns last year despite Pittsburgh struggling under center.
In fact, I think the QB change is probably great news for Gaither. It's a path to potentially higher-quality targets, something that should boos his overall upside.
Chris Rowland - Philadelphia Stars - vs Memphis Showboats - $3,000
I feel like I spent most of last season thinking Rowland was going to be better than he was. The former Tennessee State star caught 21 passes for 215 yards and a touchdown.
There's not a lot to say here, other than Rowland looked good on the eye test last year, and he'll be catching passes from Case Cookus, who is a really good QB as far as a league like this is concerned. Maybe he sees the field. Maybe he doesn't. At $3,000, it's a risk I'll take.
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