NFL DFS Lineup Picks For FanDuel, DraftKings - Vikings vs. Bears Monday Night Showdown (Week 1)

John's top NFL DFS lineup picks for DraftKings, FanDuel -- Vikings vs. Bears MNF slate for Week 1 Monday Night Football (Sept. 8, 2025). His NFL daily fantasy sleeper picks.

Welcome back, RotoBallers! We’ve finally made it to the 2025 football season -- and we have a very fun matchup here to lead off Monday Night Football in Week 1, as J.J. McCarthy and the Minnesota Vikings head to Soldier Field to take on Caleb Williams and the Bears. 

Thanks to today's advanced analytics, I'll do my best to provide you with as much in-depth analysis as possible regarding positional matchups and the like to help put some lunch money in your pocket. Let's make some coin this season, gang, and get right to it.

I will provide you with daily fantasy football picks on DraftKings for Monday Night Football, Vikings vs. Bears on September 8. These NFL DFS lineup picks can vary from higher-priced players and elite options to lower-priced players and value picks. For questions, follow me on X @LucidMediaDFS, or sign up for RotoBaller premium to chat any time!

• 2025 fantasy football rankings
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• Wide receiver (WR) fantasy football rankings
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• Quarterback (QB) fantasy football rankings
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• Dynasty fantasy football rankings

MVP/Captain - NFL DFS Lineup Picks

Caleb Williams - QB, $13,800 (DK), $19,800 (FD)

Key Stats

• 2024 Stats: 3,541 passing yards, 20 passing touchdowns, six interceptions, 489 rushing yards. 

I’ll lead things off with the Bears’ second-year quarterback, Williams. The Bears had an exciting offseason as they brought in offensive guru and top head coaching prospect Ben Johnson. Johnson led Detroit to back-to-back top-five offensive seasons and now gets his opportunity to work with the 2024 top draft pick.

Williams had a quiet rookie campaign, and while this Minnesota Vikings defense proves a tough matchup, Johnson’s Lions teams have scored 30+ points against them in five straight games dating back to 2022. 

Bears are finalizing a deal to hire Ben Johnson as their head coach. (via @tompelissero) pic.twitter.com/3gsGxegg5i

— NFL (@NFL) January 20, 2025

My model projects Williams to throw for 232.64 yards and 1.49 touchdowns and 0.61 interceptions, while adding 26.98 yards and a 12% chance of scoring a touchdown on the ground. 

Justin Jefferson - WR, $16,200 (DK), $11,400 (FD)

Key Stats

• 2024 Stats: 108 receptions, 1,591 receiving yards, 10 touchdowns. 

Both of my top 1.5x slot picks for Monday Night Football are on the higher end price-wise, but I’m valuing floor production over ceiling production here.

There aren’t very many players with a higher floor than Jefferson, who’s established himself as one of the top two receivers in the league without debate. Jefferson draws a difficult matchup against Jaylon Johnson and the Bears’ secondary, who have given him some trouble in the past. 

Nevertheless, my model projects Jefferson to catch 7.81 of 11.38 targets for 86.91 yards and gives him a 39% chance of scoring a touchdown. 

Other Captains/MVPs: J.J. McCarthy, Rome Odunze, Adam Thielen

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Flex Plays - NFL DFS Lineup Picks

Aaron Jones Sr. - RB, $7,400 (DK), $8,600 (FD)

Key Stats

• 2024 Stats: 268 rushing attempts, 1,186 rushing yards, seven touchdowns. 

I’ll stick with the Vikings side of the ball for both of my flex picks here as we take a look at Aaron Jones next. The Vikings brought in Jordan Mason this offseason to run as a committee with Jones, but it’s been made relatively clear that Jones is the head of that committee coming into Monday Night. I’ll be sure to have lineups with Mason, but if I were picking one, it would be Jones. 

My model projects Jones to rush for 59.36 yards on 13.15 carries, while adding 1.78 receptions on 2.14 targets for 14.08 yards and a 46% chance of finding the end zone.  

J.J. McCarthy - QB, $9,000 (DK), $13,600 (FD)

Key Stats

• 2024 Stats: No stats. 

I’ll slot in the Vikings’ second-year quarterback McCarthy in my second flex spot. McCarthy’s rookie campaign effectively ended before it started in 2024 when he tore his meniscus in Minnesota’s first preseason game. Sam Darnold took things from there and turned in what was an impressive season, leading Minnesota to 14 wins and a playoff berth. Darnold is now in Seattle, and this is McCarthy’s team moving forward. 

My model projects McCarthy to throw for 219.68 yards and 1.61 touchdowns to just 0.49 interceptions, while adding 8.78 yards on the ground.

Other Flex Options: D’Andre Swift, Rome Odunze, T.J. Hockenson, Jordan Mason

Value Plays - NFL DFS Lineup Picks

Colston Loveland - TE, $5,800 (DK), $8,000 (FD)

Key Stats

• 2024 Stats: No stats. 

While McCarthy is not technically a rookie, he’ll be playing in his first NFL game. The same goes for my first value pick, Loveland, whose outlook I absolutely LOVE in this upcoming season.

Loveland, the 10th overall pick of the 2025 draft, has been highly praised leading up to his NFL debut. With high praise comes high expectations, and I believe that Loveland is fully prepared to exceed those expectations in Ben Johnson’s offense. 

My model projects Loveland to haul in 4.34 of 6.17 targets for 46.24 yards and has a 29% chance of scoring a touchdown. 

Adam Thielen - WR, $4,400 (DK), $3,400 (FD)

Key Stats

• 2024 Stats: 48 receptions, 615 receiving yards, five touchdowns. 

After talking about two guys making their NFL debuts, it’s only right to wrap things up with a seasoned veteran. Thielen makes his return to the purple and gold in 2025 after being traded from Carolina just over a week ago.

Thielen looks to provide some depth for the Vikings, with Jordan Addison being suspended for the first quarter of the season. With the aforementioned Jaylon Johnson likely following Justin Jefferson around all game, I love the spot that Thielen’s in as a safety blanket for McCarthy. 

"It's been great to have Adam back in this building" - Offensive Coordinator Wes Phillips on Adam Thielen pic.twitter.com/eAFig7fd27

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) September 4, 2025

My model projects Theilen to catch 3.84 of 5.91 targets for 42.69 yards. He has a projected 21% chance of finding the end zone. 

Other Value Options: Luther Burden III, Jalen Nailor, Olamide Zaccheaus

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