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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.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

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

Lamar Jackson

NFL to Review Practice "Situation" Surrounding Lamar Jackson
Bryce Young

Hopeful to Play in Week 9
Patrik Laine

Ruled Out for 3-4 Months
Brandon Montour

Ready to Face Oilers
Pierre-Luc Dubois

Available Saturday
Roman Josi

Out Week-to-Week With Upper-Body Injury
Anze Kopitar

Set to Rejoin Kings Lineup Saturday
William Nylander

Good to Go Saturday
Morgan Rielly

Returns to Action Saturday
Drake London

Downgraded to Questionable with Hip Injury
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Activated from Injured Reserve, Set for Season Debut
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Out Again on Saturday
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Sidelined Versus Denver
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Ruled Out Against Memphis
Kristaps Porzingis

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Ruled Out on Saturday
Chet Holmgren

Available to Face the Hawks
Tyrod Taylor

Ruled Out for Week 8 Due to Knee Injury
Terry McLaurin

Will Return in Week 8 After Four-Game Absence
Deebo Samuel Sr.

"Good to Go," Will Play in Week 8
Lamar Jackson

Will Not Play in Week 8, Expected to Return in Week 9
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Chris Olave

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Kirk Cousins

Highly Likely to Start in Week 8
Jonathan Lekkerimaki

to Miss 2-3 Weeks
Matt Duchene

Expected to Remain Out Saturday
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Undergoes Surgery
Tyson Kozak

to Miss Rematch With Maple Leafs
William Nylander

Injured on Friday
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Rejoins Maple Leafs
Dalton Schultz

Will Play Against 49ers in Week 8
Bryce Harper

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Josh Hart

Available Versus the Celtics
Karl-Anthony Towns

Cleared to Face the Celtics
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Sidelined on Friday Night
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Won't Play on Friday
Nick Leddy

to Sit Out at Least Two Games
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Set to Miss Time
Jason Zucker

Expected to Play Friday
Pierre-Luc Dubois

Misses Fifth Straight Game Friday
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Could Return to Practice Next Week
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Out on Friday
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Officially Ruled Out for Week 8
VEG

Carter Hart Signs Two-Year Deal With Golden Knights
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Ruled Out For Week 8
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Starting at Second, Batting Cleanup in Game 1 of World Series
Lamar Jackson

Officially Listed as Questionable to Play in Week 8
D'Andre Swift

Officially Questionable to Play in Week 8 Due to Groin Injury
Jae'Sean Tate

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Mario Bautista

Aims To Extend His Win Streak
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Hopes To Get A Title Shot With A Win
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Remains Out Friday
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Looks To Remain Undefeated
Ja'Kobe Walter

Iffy for Friday Night
Aleksandar Rakic

In Dire Need Of Victory
Daniel Gafford

Listed as Questionable for Friday
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Sits Out Friday's Game
Rasmus Sandin

Won't Play on Friday
CFB

Texas Tech QB Will Hammond Will Start vs. Oklahoma State Saturday
CFB

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CFB

Arizona State WR Jordyn Tyson Will Not Play In Week 9
Zack Wheeler

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William Contreras

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CFB

Utah QB Devon Dampier Listed as Questionable on Big 12 Injury Report
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Tony Vitello Named New Manager of the Giants
Francisco Lindor

has Elbow Surgery, Expected to be Ready for Spring Training
PGA

Alex Noren is a Smash Play at Bank of Utah Championship
Maverick McNealy

Look Out For Maverick McNealy This Week in Utah
Justin Lower

Unlikely to Flip The Script at Bank of Utah Championship
Stephan Jaeger

Looking for Repeat Performance in Utah
CFB

Behren Morton Will be Listed as Questionable on Wednesday
Max McGreevy

a Longer Shot to Contend in Utah
Jackson Suber

on the Bubble for the PGA in 2026
Greyson Sigg

Improving at the Right Time This Fall
Seamus Power

Hopes to Make More Birdies This Week
Patton Kizzire

May Struggle Once Again in Utah
Beau Hossler

Up and Down Heading to Bank of Utah Championship
Adam Hadwin

Looking to Find the Weekend in Utah
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Enjoying the Fall Golf Season
Tom Hoge

Sputtering into Bank of Utah Championship
Sahith Theegala

On the Upswing Heading into Utah
Andrew Putnam

Looks to Find Form in Utah
Matt McCarty

Looks to Defend Title in Utah
Ben Kohles

a Strong Value Play at Bank of Utah Championship
Max Homa

Trending Up Entering the Bank of Utah Championship
Nick Dunlap

Searching for Spark at Bank of Utah Championship
Quade Cummins

Struggling to Find Form Ahead of Bank of Utah Championship
Jason Day

Making a Spot Start at Bank of Utah Championship
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Bo Bichette

Plans to be Ready for World Series
Brandon Woodruff

Expects to Be Ready for Opening Day
Reinier de Ridder

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Brendan Allen

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Kevin Holland

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Mike Malott

Wins Third Fight In A Row
Marlon Vera

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Aiemann Zahabi

Gets A Razor-Thin Split Decision Win
Jasmine Jasudavicius

Suffers First-Round TKO Loss
Manon Fiorot

Gets Back In The Win Column
Davey Grant

Suffers Submission Loss
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Gets First-Round Submission Win
Matt Frevola

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