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The wait is finally over. The 2023 NFL season is set to begin this week. After staring at Week 1 DFS salaries for weeks, we'll be creating lineups via hand or optimizers again. The thrill of sweating lineups throughout each Sunday will be a weekly occurrence until after the Super Bowl concludes in February.
In this weekly article, we'll be taking a look at stacks and bring-back options that are ideal plays in GPPs (guaranteed prize pools) on DraftKings and FanDuel. Salaries and scoring formats can differ on both sites, making some players much better options on one site compared to the other.
When looking at stacks and bring-back players each week, you have to take into account potential game scripts and correlation. Before the first week of the season, here are my favorite stacks and bring-back options in NFL DFS on DraftKings and FanDuel.
Week 1 DFS Stacks on DraftKings, FanDuel
Baltimore Ravens vs. Houston Texans
- Lamar Jackson ($8,000 DK, $8,900 FD)
- Mark Andrews ($6,200 DK, $8,000 FD)
- Rashod Bateman ($5,300 DK, $6,100 FD) or Odell Beckham Jr. ($5,000 DK, $5,700 FD) or Zay Flowers ($4,000 DK, $5,500 FD)
The Baltimore Ravens are a team that holds lofty expectations entering the 2023 campaign after replacing Greg Roman with Todd Monken as offensive coordinator. As a result, Jackson is expected to finally play in a more pro-style offense, allowing him to prove that he's a talented passer along with his electric playmaking. There aren't many quarterbacks that possess a higher ceiling than Jackson and he'll go up against a new-look defense of the Houston Texans in Week 1.
Considering the change at offensive coordinator, double-stacking with Jackson could be extremely viable this season and something we can take advantage of in Week 1. Andrews is the No. 1 option I'd target in Baltimore's offense. If you're someone who does multiple entries in tournaments, use different combinations of the wide receivers. Of the three, I'd rank them Bateman, Flowers, and Beckham in terms of who I'd prefer to stack with Jackson.
Bring-back options:
- Dameon Pierce ($5,800 DK, $6,200 FD)
- Nico Collins ($4,700 DK, $5,800 FD), or Dalton Schultz ($4,600 DK, $5,200 FD)
After taking CJ Stroud in this year's draft, the Texans' offense should see improvement in 2023. Dameon Pierce is severely underpriced for a running back who should dominate touches in the backfield and see an uptick in scoring opportunities after finding the end zone only five times in 2022.
One of Stroud's strengths as a signal-caller is his ball placement and that should benefit a wide receiver like Nico Collins in the passing game. Collins could lead the Texans in targets this season after producing five games of 10-plus points on DraftKings in 2022. Dalton Schultz can be a reliable target for a young quarterback like Stroud upon joining the Texans following his time being a security blanket for Dak Prescott.
Los Angeles Chargers vs. Miami Dolphins
- Justin Herbert ($6,900 DK, $8,100 FD)
- Austin Ekeler ($8,400 DK, $9,000 FD)
- Keenan Allen ($7,300 DK, $8,000 FD) or Mike Williams ($5,700 DK, $7,100 FD)
Another quarterback who saw an expected positive change at offensive coordinator is Justin Herbert. Instead of Joe Lombardi's safe approach on offense, Herbert will now be manning a Kellen Moore offense that tends to have more explosive plays transpire. Herbert is one of the most talented quarterbacks in the NFL and his big-play and touchdown potential is through the roof. Especially against a Miami Dolphins defense that will be without Jalen Ramsey to begin the season.
Stacking a running back with a quarterback isn't always ideal, but Austin Ekeler is one of the exceptions after he ran 395 routes in 2022 (most among RBs) and led the league with 20 total touchdowns. Keenan Allen and Mike Williams are the two wideouts to target in this offense, with Allen being the preference on DraftKings because of the full-point PPR (points per reception) scoring on the green site. Gerald Everett and Quentin Johnston are also viable options if you enter tournaments, though the rookie pass catcher might need time before we can trust him in DFS.
Bring-back options:
- Tyreek Hill ($8,200 DK, $8,800 FD)
- Jaylen Waddle ($7,100 DK, $7,900 FD), or Raheem Mostert ($5,400 DK, $5,900 FD)
The showdown between the Chargers and the Dolphins holds the highest projected total (51 points) among games on the main slate, making it a game I want a piece from in the majority of my lineups. Getting to Tyreek Hill as a bring-back piece will be tough at his salary, but targets will be tunneled to him and Jaylen Waddle in this offense. There isn't any indication that Waddle is in jeopardy of missing the season opener despite the electric wideout dealing with an abdomen injury in recent weeks.
With Jeff Wilson Jr. and rookie De'Von Achane dealing with injuries, Raheem Mostert appears to have the starting job at running back in Week 1. Even though the Dolphins aren't a run-heavy offense, the Chargers surrendered the most yards per attempt (5.4) and the fifth-most yards per game (145.8) in 2022, making Mostert a nice value option on both sites.
Minnesota Vikings at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Kirk Cousins ($6,300 DK, $7,500 FD)
- Justin Jefferson ($8,800 DK, $9,500 FD)
- T.J. Hockenson ($5,900 DK, $7,200 FD) or Jordan Addison ($5,100 DK, $5,500 FD)
Kirk Cousins is never an exciting quarterback to target in fantasy football or DFS, but he is a solid option to target in the right matchups. The Minnesota Vikings figure to be a pass-heavy team again and Justin Jefferson is unquestionably the receiver with the highest ceiling after posting league-best numbers in targets (181), receptions (135), and receiving yards (1,835). There's also positive regression in store for Jefferson when it comes to receiving touchdowns this season.
T.J. Hockenson recently inked an extension with the Vikings and he built a nice rapport with Cousins throughout the 2022 campaign. Jordan Addison is a player to target early before his salary increases as he'll be replacing Adam Thielen, who ran the second-most routes (619) a season ago, putting him only behind Jefferson.
Bring-back options:
- Mike Evans ($6,300 DK, $6,500 FD)
- Chris Godwin ($5,900 DK, $6,800 FD), or Rachaad White ($5,500 DK, $6,400 FD)
Not many teams are taking a bigger step backward at quarterback than the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as they go from an aging Tom Brady to Baker Mayfield this season. Even with Mayfield under center, Chris Godwin should see plenty of targets out of the slot in Tampa Bay's offense. Mike Evans is dealing with a groin issue ahead of his 10th season in the NFL and he's seeking his 10th straight 1,000-yard season to begin his career.
Rachaad White is expected to begin the season as the featured back for the Buccaneers following the departure of Leonard Fournette. The second-year back caught 54 passes as a rookie with Brady operating the offense. While his receiving numbers could dip with Mayfield, he's still a solid option on both sites unless someone else in the backfield begins to steal valuable touches.
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