NFL DFS Week 1 QB Coach: C.J. Stroud, Jayden Daniels & Sam Darnold
Published: Sep 07, 2024
Week 1 of the NFL season is finally here and with it comes the NFL DFS Week 1 QB coach as I bring you my top NFL DFS QB plays for the Week 1 NFL DFS main slate over on DraftKings and FanDuel.
As the season progresses, we will be tracking our top plays, hits and misses but with a clean slate to start the season we will jump right into our NFL DFS top picks, values and fades at the QB position.
NFL DFS Week 1 QB Coach For FanDuel & DraftKings Fantasy
With this being Week 1 of the NFL season we actually have a smaller DFS main slate than usual with the NFL giving us a primetime game on Friday to go along with the Thursday, Sunday and Monday night football matchups.
With this being the first week, this NFL DFS Week 1 QB coach article also misses a lot of the “top tier” talent as the NFL schedule makers have Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Jalen Hurts, Jordan Love, Matthew Stafford, Jared Goff, Aaron Rodgers and Brock Purdy on primetime.
That said, this slate isn’t completely void of talent as we look to see if C.J. Stroud can build upon his impressive rookie season and speaking of rookies we have Jayden Daniels, Caleb Williams and Bo Nix all making their regular season debuts.
NFL DFS QB Top Tier Picks For Week 1
Josh Allen, QB Buffalo Bills - DraftKings: $8,000 | FanDuel: $9,200
There are a ton of questions coming into the 2024 season for Josh Allen after the team traded away lead wide receiver Stefon Diggs in the offseason and did little to bring in a true number one receiver as his replacement.
Instead, they drafted Keon Coleman and then signed Curtis Samuel and Marquez Valdes-Scantling to bulk up their receiver room with expectations that second-year tight end Dalton Kincaid becomes one of Allen’s top targets.
Allen’s DFS upside this week comes from his rushing upside and the home matchup against the Arizona Cardinals.
Allen’s elite rushing touchdown potential, and the Cardinals porous defense could allow for Allen to be used as a solo play this week if you are uncomfortable with any of his receiving targets.
Tua Tagovailoa, QB Miami Dolphins - DraftKings: $7,000 | $7,700
I am really bullish on Tua and the Dolphins passing offense this season and for obvious reasons as Tagovailoa led the NFL in passing yards last season and this offense scored the second most points per game.
That said, I am closely monitoring the injury situation with Jaylen Waddle for this week and if he isn’t good to go, I may end up downgrading Tua in this matchup.
As for the matchup itself, assuming everyone is active, there is a lot to love as Miami begins the year at home against the Jaguars in a game with a slate high 49.5 game total.
NFL DFS QB Mid-Tier Picks For NFL Week 1
Anthony Richardson, QB Indianapolis Colts - DraftKings: $6,300 | FanDuel: $8,300
Injuries robbed us of a full season from Anthony Richardson last year but in the few games we did get to see him play we were able to get elite fantasy production as he finished with over 20 fantasy points in his two full starts and in one game, he had 17.7 fantasy points in just a half.
So, we enter the 2024 season knowing what his upside will bring and his Week 1 matchup against the Texans should be an exciting one.
We aren’t really expecting a ton of production from Richardson throwing the football but if he comes out of this game with 200 yards passing and another 80 yards rushing with a touchdown, he will more than pay off his value.
Trevor Lawrence, QB Jacksonville Jaguars - DraftKings: $6,200 | FanDuel:$7,400
I’m once again in on the Jaguars offense this season. Last year, it was hit or miss from their passing attack with Lawrence struggling to convert in the red zone which in turn created a big season for running back Travis Etienne.
That said, I really believe in the talent that Lawrence has and with Christian Kirk moving back into the slot and the investment in Brian Thomas at wide receiver along with the signing of Gabe Davis and Evan Engram coming off a career year I can see the potential that this offense can have.
Their Week 1 matchup has the highest game total on the board at 49.5 points and Jacksonville is just a 3.5-point road underdog to the Miami Dolphins.
We know the Dolphins play at a fast pace and push the ball downfield which should keep this game in a shootout mentality which should be great for Lawrence in DFS if he can convert.
Kirk Cousins, QB Atlanta Falcons - DraftKings: $6,100 | FanDuel: $7,500
I’d like to think that when Cousins went to the Falcons the entire DFS community cheered in unison as the highly talented players on the Falcons offense now have a quarterback that can throw the football.
We also have a new coach and offensive coordinator in Atlanta that should put his skill position players in spots to make an impact.
Cousins has always been a solid DFS play during his years with the Vikings thanks to his volume passing upside.
In Week 1 the Falcons are home against a Steelers team with a questionable offense that could put the Falcons offense on the field a lot with quick series and turnovers.
NFL Week 1 DFS QB Value Picks
Caleb Williams, QB Chicago Bears - DraftKings: $5,900 | FanDuel: $7,100
The number one overall pick gets to make his regular season debut at home against the Tennessee Titans.
If you are Williams, you have to love what the Bears did this offseason as they acquired Keenan Allen from the Chargers and signed D’Andre Swift in free agency. They also use the eighth overall pick on receiver Rome Odunze to just surround you with offensive weapons.
Williams looked the part during the preseason, making a ton of great throws while also flashing some nice mobility.
The Titans defense last season really struggled against the pass and while they have made some efforts to improve on that side of the football in the offseason, this is still a great matchup and given the price tag, a great bargain for Williams.
Jayden Daniels, QB Washington Commanders - DraftKings: $5,700 | FanDuel: $7,000
Daniels impressed during the preseason showing off both the mobility that could make him a DFS darling and some impressive arm strength and accuracy at times which breathes life into this Commanders offense that it had been lacking over the past few seasons.
Again, the calling card for Daniels is going to be his rushing ability and anything we get out of him throwing the football will be the cherry on top.
For his Week 1 matchup he does start on the road which I don’t exactly love but the Buccaneers defense was shaky at times last season and with this newly energized Commanders offense coming to town under Kliff Kingsbury who should get the most out of his young QB, I’m willing to give him a go at this value price tag in Week 1.
Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers - DraftKings: $5,600 | FanDuel: $7,200
On the opposite side of the matchup with Daniels is Baker Mayfield who had a strong first season in Tampa Bay when many were ready to count him out.
What we love about Mayfield is the weapons around him as Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are one of the league's better receiving duos and running back Rachaad White was an elite pass catcher for Mayfield when he needed to check down.
The Commanders secondary was horrific last season, and we don’t expect their defense to be too much better this season which means Mayfield will have the green light to be taking shots downfield.
NFL DFS QB Fades For Week 1
Dak Prescott, QB Dallas Cowboys -DraftKings: $7,100 | FanDuel: $7,800
Listen, there won't be many weeks this season where I'm looking to face the Cowboys but with the season opening on the road in Cleveland against a solid Browns defense, I have my concerns.
The Cowboys running game has a ton of questions and CeeDee Lamb missed training camp with his contract holdout.
I just don't see Dallas and the Dak Prescott led offense firing on all cylinders out of the gate here, so it's a fade for me.
Joe Burrow, QB Cincinnati Bengals - DraftKings: $6,500 | FanDuel: $8,400
The spread on this game is 9.5-points and honestly it will probably be an even bigger margin of victory when it is all said and done as the Bengals open the season at home against a Patriots team that some predict will have the worst record in the league this season.
It's not that I think Burrow will perform poorly, but that I don't think the Bengals will need to throw a ton in this one for Burrow to really pay off his price tag when compared to others around him in the player pool.
Sure, he may throw two touchdowns but without the yardage the fantasy upside feels sub-par, and this doesn't even take into account that Ja'Marr Chase may continue to holdout and not play.
NFL Week 1 QB Play Of The Week
C.J. Stroud, QB Houston Texans - DraftKings: $7,500 | FanDuel: $8,500
All eyes are on C.J. Stroud in year-two after his impressive rookie season which led the Texans to the playoffs.
This offseason the Texans went and traded for Stefon Diggs and signed Joe Mixon to add more weapons to their offense and help their young QB take that next step.
What we have in Week 1 is what NFL fans should hope is the beginning of a long and exciting rivalry as Houston heads into Indianapolis to face off against Anthony Richardson and the Colts.
Stroud struggled last season on the road but had no issues against the Colts in either matchup, averaging over 20 fantasy points per game against his divisional foe.
With an offense of Stefon Diggs, Nico Collins, Tank Dell, Joe Mixon and Dalton Schultz at his disposal, Stroud is my NFL DFS QB play of the week.
NFL DFS Week 1 QB Projections
Check out the NFL DFS Week 1 projections table below to help build your NFL DFS Week 1 lineups. Be sure to also check out not just our NFL DFS Week 1 QB coach piece, but the rest of our NFL DFS Coaches, Watch List and NFL DFS Playbook as you build your NFL DFS Week 1 lineups!