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FanDuel Picks for Daily Fantasy Football Week 1: DFS Lineup Advice and Sleepers

Welcome to RotoBaller's daily fantasy football FanDuel article. In this article, I, Justin Bales, will be taking you, the reader, through the best plays of the week for this upcoming Sunday. These recommendations are based on matchup, recent performance, overall upside and talent level, and other factors, such as Vegas odds, home field advantage, and more.

FanDuel DFS Quarterback

Matthew Stafford (at IND, $7,400)  

Stafford is an interesting fantasy option early in the season. He flashed great upside at times last year, but he is far from a sure-fire fantasy producer. This season, the Lions are expected to run at a much faster pace after ranking near the bottom of the NFL in pace last season. That means Stafford is going to be throwing the ball more this season, and he gets a great matchup against the Indianapolis Colts this week. The Colts are dealing with multiple injuries in their secondary, and Stafford is the type of quarterback that can take advantage of that. This game has one of the higher over/unders on the slate, and the Lions are underdogs. Stafford should be throwing the ball early and often, and his price tag is only going to stay this cheap for so long.

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FanDuel DFS Running Backs

Todd Gurley (at SF, $8,900)  

Gurley is a running back that I have no problems paying up for this week. He’s a huge part of the Rams offense, and he was a fairly consistent option with elite upside his rookie season. He’ll be looking to take a jump this year, and he starts with a great matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. They were one of the worst defenses in the NFL against the run last season, and that likely is not going to improve this year. They hired Chip Kelly as their head coach, which means they will be playing at a lightning fast pace, which will allow Gurley more opportunities as the game progresses. Another major reason to use Gurley is game script. The Rams are small favorites in this game, which means Gurley will be the focal point of their offense from start to finish. They likely are not going to be forced to throw the ball, and Gurley is a safe option in all leagues this week.

 

DeMarco Murray (vs MIN, $6,500)  

Murray is a sneaky option this week. People may avoid him because of the threat of Derrick Henry, but the Titans have made it clear that Murray is the lead back; at least for the time being. He’s coming off a terrible season in an offense that didn’t fit his style of play. He’ll likely feel much more at home for the Titans, who are going to be a run heavy offense this season. He gets a decent matchup against the Minnesota Vikings, who have a solid defense, but struggled at times against the run last season. Murray is far from a safe option, but he is oozing with potential, and he comes with a cheap price tag. It would be wise to use him before it skyrockets.

 

FanDuel DFS Wide Receivers

Sammy Watkins (at BAL, $7,300)

Watkins is a huge liability in season long leagues because of his injury risk, but that’s what makes daily fantasy football so much fun. When he isn’t injured, he’s an elite fantasy option, as he had two games with more than 150 yards and one touchdown last season. He will be the main target in the Bills passing offense, and while they are a run heavy team, Watkins should see more than enough targets to hit value. He gets a great matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, and it’s going to be difficult for Jimmy Smith and Shareece Wright to handle him. Watkins has similar upside to some of the other elite wide receivers this week, but his price tag is more reflective on his injury history than his talents. Take advantage of that.

 

Marvin Jones Jr. (at IND, $5,500)

Jones will likely be owned by everyone and their mother, and for good reason. He’s one of the top targets for the Lions, who will be playing at a much faster pace this season. Jones looked outstanding in preseason and he should continue to be a huge part of the offense. His price tag is a bit ridiculous, as he’s cheaper than both Golden Tate and Anquan Boldin, and there is a real possibility that he outscores both of them. He gets a great matchup against the Colts, who are dealing with injuries in their secondary, and Jones is a great player to start your cash games out with.

 

FanDuel DFS Tight End

Clive Walford (at NO, $4,700)

Walford is a young player, who should continue to grow with one of the most promising offenses in the NFL. He gets a matchup against the New Orleans Saints this week, and this game should be a complete shootout. The Saints have terrible defense, and Walford is a cheap player that is playing for a team that should end up with one of the best offenses of the slate. Walford is a big target in the red zone, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him catch a touchdown this week. Keep in mind, there are other mouths to feed in Oakland, though, so Walford does come with a bit of risk.




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REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Moritz Seider

Assists on Two Goals Against the Sabres
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Kevin Gausman

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Mac Jones

Boosts his Dynasty Stock With Solid First Year in San Fran
Alex DeBrincat

Picks Up Three Points Versus Buffalo
Bobby Portis

May Miss Another Game Saturday
Tez Johnson

Could be Buried on the Depth Chart Again in Sophomore Season
Kevin Porter Jr.

Unavailable Against Spurs
Ka'imi Fairbairn

One of the NFL's Best Kickers Heading into His 10th Season
De'Aaron Fox

to Return to Action Saturday
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Exits Early Friday
Kelly Oubre Jr.

Ready to Return Saturday
Michael Penix Jr.

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Al Horford

to Be Re-Evaluated in One Week
Vít Krejčí

Vit Krejci Remains Sidelined Friday
Robert Williams III

Will Suit Up Friday
Khris Middleton

Sits Out Friday's Game
Tre Johnson

Back From Three-Game Absence Friday
Isiah Pacheco

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Won't Return Friday
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Returns to Action Friday
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Available Against Warriors
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Listed Questionable Saturday
Stephen Curry

to Sit Out At Least Two More Games
Noah Clowney

Cleared to Return From Four-Game Absence
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May Sit Saturday
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Available Friday
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Available After Two-Game Absence
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Starts Friday
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Won't Play Friday
Connor Zary

Returns to Practice
Samuel Honzek

Won't Return This Season
Damon Severson

Labeled Week-to-Week
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Leaves Road Trip Due to Injury
Mikko Rantanen

Could Return Saturday
NFL

Jordyn Tyson to Hold A Workout for Teams in April
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Shane Baz

Orioles Agree to Five-Year Extension
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Rico Dowdle

Remains Likely to Split Carries in Pittsburgh
NFL

Can KC Concepcion Be a Dynamic Playmaker in the NFL?
Rashid Shaheed

Is Rashid Shaheed Limited to a Downfield Role in Seattle?
Marcus Mariota

Remains an Injury Away from Playing Time in Washington
Najee Harris

to Meet With Raiders Next Thursday
Damar Hamlin

Bills Re-Sign Safety Damar Hamlin to One-Year Deal
Tanner Bibee

Shoulder Issue Not Considered Serious
NFL

Nicholas Singleton Relying on Traits Over Tape for Early Draft Capital
J.K. Dobbins

Positioned for Another Strong Season in Denver
NFL

Malachi Fields' Draft Stock Looks to Be Sliding
Barrett Hayton

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Should See Feature Role Following Big-Market Deal
Tony DeAngelo

to Miss 1-2 Weeks
Sam Steel

Makes Early Exit Against Islanders
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Ty Simpson Garnering First-Round Buzz
Damon Severson

Exits With Upper-Body Injury Thursday
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Returns At UFC Seattle
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Breaks Finger Thursday
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Jakub Dobes

Defeats the Blue Jackets on Thursday
Noah Cates

has Two-Point Game on Thursday
Cristopher Sánchez

Cristopher Sanchez Makes a Statement on Opening Day With 10 Strikeouts
Kevin McGonigle

has Four Hits in Impressive MLB Debut
Nico Hoerner

Cubs Agree to Six-Year Deal With Nico Hoerner
Jacob Misiorowski

Shows Off his High-Strikeout Upside in Opening Day Win
Marcus Foligno

Available Against Panthers
Tony DeAngelo

Unavailable Thursday
Anthony Mantha

Good to Go Thursday
Paul Skenes

Greeted Harshly by Mets on Opening Day
Brandon Lowe

Hits Two Home Runs on Opening Day
Ketel Marte

Active, Leading Off on Opening Day
Kevin McGonigle

Batting Sixth in MLB Debut
Jeremy Peña

Jeremy Pena Not in the Lineup on Opening Day
JJ Wetherholt

Batting Leadoff in MLB Debut
Jackson Chourio

Placed on Injured List with Fractured Hand
Francisco Lindor

Officially Starting on Opening Day
Ryan Fox

a High-Upside Value in Houston
Marco Penge

a Boom-or-Bust Option in Houston
Aaron Rai

Looks to Bounce Back in Houston
Jason Day

a Volatile Option at the Texas Children's Houston Open
Harris English

Eyes a Bounce-Back at the Texas Children's Houston Open
Ben Griffin

Looks for Turnaround at the Texas Children's Houston Open
Rickie Fowler

Brings Strong Form Into Texas Children's Houston Open
Ryan Gerard

Can Continue Rolling at Texas Children's Houston Open
Pierceson Coody

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Rasmus Hojgaard

Trying to Get Back on Track at Texas Children's Houston Open
Michael Thorbjornsen

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Harry Hall

Looking for Consistency at Texas Children's Houston Open
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Continues Building Momentum
Scottie Scheffler

Withdraws From Texas Children's Houston Open
Luke Clanton

Might Have a Problem in Houston
Sam Stevens

Happy to See Houston This Week
Keith Mitchell

Tries to Rebound After The Players Championship
Will Zalatoris

Returning This Week at Houston
Wyndham Clark

Trending in the Wrong Direction Heading to Houston
Shane Lowry

Seeking Better Luck in Houston This Weekend
Lerone Murphy

Suffers His First Loss
Movsar Evloev

Edges Out Lerone Murphy
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Notre Dame Ranks No. 1 in Returning Production for 2026
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Sam Patterson

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Michael Page

Wins Lackluster Decision
Austen Lane

Suffers First-Round TKO Loss
Iwo Baraniewski

Delivers 28-Second TKO
Tyler Reddick

Overcomes Adversity for Fourth Victory of the Season At Darlington
Brad Keselowski

Falls Short of Darlington Victory Despite Domination
Ryan Blaney

Recovers From Pit-Road Struggles to Score Career-Best Darlington Finish
Carson Hocevar

Rallies to Finish Fourth at Darlington
Kyle Larson

Decent Performance Ends with Technical Issues At Darlington
Tyler Reddick

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Kyle Larson

a High-Risk, High-Reward Driver at Darlington
Ryan Blaney

Is Getting Better at Darlington
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Not Slowing Down at Darlington
Chris Buescher

Should be a Top-10 Contender at Darlington
Austin Cindric

a Sleeper at Darlington
Erik Jones

Quickest in Practice at Darlington
Denny Hamlin

Qualifies Ninth for this Week's Cup Race at Darlington
Chase Briscoe

Is One of the Top DFS Options of the Week for Darlington
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Christopher Bell

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Ross Chastain

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Kyle Busch

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