NFL DFS Lineup Picks for FanDuel, DraftKings - Patriots vs. Seahawks Opening Night Showdown

September 8, 2026

Koby's top NFL DFS lineup picks for the Patriots vs. Seahawks Opening Night game on FanDuel, DraftKings. His NFL daily fantasy sleeper picks for Wednesday, September 9, 2026.

Welcome back, RotoBallers! The day has finally come- the day we have waited just over 211 days for football to come back, and what better way to start it off than the way we ended it last season. The New England Patriots travel to Seattle to take on the Seahawks as they look to avenge their loss from last year's Super Bowl. 

It feels so good to be finally back. I've been itching for the first week of football to be back, and I'm stoked to watch these two juggernauts face off once again. It's a bit odd starting on a Wednesday, but that just means one less day until football starts once again! Let's dive in!

I will provide you with daily fantasy football picks on DraftKings and FanDuel for Opening Night Football in Week 1 -- Patriots vs. Seahawks on September 9, 2026. These NFL DFS lineup picks can vary from higher-priced players and elite options to lower-priced players and value picks. 

MVP/Captain - NFL DFS Lineup Picks

Drake Maye - QB, $15K (DK), $18.6K (FD)

To get us started, I'm going with Drake Maye. The Patriots went and got Romeo Doubs and A.J. Brown to build around this offense, which should give Maye a better year. He was already having a stellar season, and now he adds two legit weapons to the offense. This could be a dangerous Patriots team if they can stay healthy.

On top of all that, they are going up against a Seahawks defense that gave up the third-fewest rushing yards per game, while allowing the second-fewest rushing touchdowns. This Patriots team might be down TreVeyon Henderson, which could lead Maye to throw more often. The Seattle secondary is a bit banged up, and that is a good sign for Maye and company. Look for the Patriots to push the passing game down the field.

Time for the first #NFL prop?

Drake Maye o31.5 pass attempts -115 Fanatics

Seattle had the top-rated run defense in the league last year.

Opposing QBs went over this number 60% of the time - including 43 attempts by Maye in the Super Bowl.

— "Thunder Dan" Palyo (@ThunderDanDFS) September 4, 2026

Sam Darnold - QB, $14.1K (DK), $17.4K (FD)

What a resurgence we saw from Sam Darnold in the last two years; I know the Seahawks are patting themselves on the back for that one. Most of the starters are returning from this offense outside of Kenneth Walker III, but they got an elite draft pickup in Jadarian Price. There has been a lot of uncertainty around that, and with the Patriots also having a stellar run defense, I'll ride with the QBs today to lead me to the money.

I do expect the first drive of this game to be a bit rusty with most of the starters not playing in the preseason, but after that Sam Darnold should be able to lock in and guide these guys down the field. He wasn't an extremely high-scoring fantasy guy last season, but I think Darnold takes a step up and we start seeing him launch downfield. I'm hoping for a battle between these two QBs this week.

Other Captains/MVPs: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, A.J. Brown

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Flex Plays - NFL DFS Lineup Picks

Romeo Doubs - RB, $6.6K (DK), $8.2K (FD)

It is much easier to build a lineup with Romeo Doubs in it compared to Brown; you are saving $2-3 K in salary by taking a dip down. Doubs was efficient for the Packers last season, and I think with a larger target share in New England, he should do well. I expect the majority of targets to be divided between him, Brown, and Hunter Henry. That's a lot less competition than he had in his time in Green Bay.

I believe a lot of the focus will remain on Brown, while Doubs is able to expose the depleted secondary. In the end, I do think he has much more value at this price, and should make for a fantastic pairing alongside Maye.

Cooper Kupp, $5.2K (DK), $5.4K (FD)

I know we are getting an aging Cooper Kupp, but I still think he has gas in the tank, plus this price legit makes no sense. I can't imagine why Kupp, who had a 20% target share last season, compared to Rashid Shaheed's 8.4%, is cheaper. All of that is trumped by JSN, obviously, but I think a lot of focus is going to be on JSN, which is why it worked out so well for Kupp and the Seahawks in the Super Bowl.

Kupp was targeted 12 times, catching six of them for 61 yards at the Super Bowl last season.  The Patriots were solid against WR1 last season, and I don't see them taking their focus off JSN; otherwise, they will get burned. I'm leaning towards Kupp making another splash and showing he hasn't lost his touch yet.

Other Flex Options: Hunter Henry, Seattle D/ST

Value Plays - NFL DFS Lineup Picks

George Holani - RB, $4.2K (DK), $5K (FD)

This one might end up pretty chalky, but with everything up in the air right now about the Seattle backfield, it could be a sneaky good play. All the focus has been on Jadarian Price this offseason, but it seems like George Holani has made a name for himself among the coaching staff.

It's been reported that Holani will see 3rd downs, short-yardage, and goal-line carries. The goal-line carries are massive here; if he gets a touchdown, that is automatic value. Whether all this holds up or not is the big question. That being said, the Patriots' run defense was fairly solid last year as well, so if he doesn't get a rushing touchdown, the value is automatically cooked.

If you are taking Holani, make sure to mix in other value guys; don't put all your eggs into one basket.

Andy Borregales - K, $5K (DK), $6.2K (FD)

This could very well be one of those games where we see a bunch of field goals run up, and then next thing you know we have two kickers and a defense in the optimal lineup. Both defenses have been phenomenal. Andy Borregales had a solid 85% success rate on Field Goals and just over 96% on PATs. Borregales will look to build on a solid rookie season and get off to a solid start.

The Seattle defense allowed the sixth-lowest number of TDs scored in the red zone. This means that teams are having to kick a field goal more often than not when it comes to the red zone. Borregales has quite the leg, and he is getting closer to that 60-yard mark. His longest was 59 last season, but he was able to nail all four of his 50+ yarders. If the Patriots continue to put more trust in him, then he could be looking at another solid season.

Other Value Options: Jason Myers, DeMario Douglas, AJ Barner

Sample NFL DFS Lineup

Here is a lineup option I like for the Opening Day slate on FanDuel. Note that sample lineups are not intended to be used in contests by readers, but instead to show the type of roster construction that I am considering when building my lineups.

More DFS Analysis and Lineup Picks