The 2022 NFL season kicks off tonight and, with that, Week 1 NFL DFS officially begins. Are you ready? Are you excited? We certainly are. After all, we just spent the last three months intently studying NFL team breakdowns, DFS strategies and all sorts of fantasy football player rankings to get us ready for this exact moment. Now, websites like DraftKings and FanDuel offer contests that include every Week 1 game from tonight through Sunday, but we are going to focus on the NFL tonight only for this piece as we make our way into the season’s first DFS Showdown slate.

Tonight’s action should be a phenomenal way to kick off the 2022 NFL season as we start with the Super Bowl match-up we never got to see. Remember that brutal overtime loss the Buffalo Bills suffered in the AFC Championship? Well, they get their chance to show everyone what they missed back in February as the Bills now head west to take on the defending Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams. Both teams have dealt with some coaching and personnel changes during the offseason, but both remain powerhouses and have favorable odds to win their respective conferences.

Now before we begin, please take a moment to understand what exactly you are getting yourself into by playing single-game Showdown Slates. We love to have some skin in the game, for sure, but these slates are, for all intents and purposes, a lottery ticket. Sure, there are times when the chalk hits and everyone shares in the prizes, but, more often than not, you need to hit on that random dart-throw that differentiates your lineup from that of the herd in order to claim the top prize. As a result, we encourage you to play responsibly and not over-invest. Stick to the GPP contests (single-entry preferred), don’t blow your whole bankroll, and understand that, unless you are a max-entry player, you should prioritize having fun.

OK. Lecture over. Let’s get to tonight’s action.

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Buffalo Bills at Los Angeles Rams

Spread: Bills -2.5

O/U: 52

Weather: Cloudy with temperatures in the mid-80s w/ winds blowing NW at 8-10mph

Notable Injuries:

Buffalo Bills

Los Angeles Rams

Final 2021 DVOA Defensive Rankings

Buffalo Bills

  • vs Pass: 1st 
  • vs Run: 11th  

Los Angeles Rams

  • vs Pass: 6th 
  • vs Run: 5th 

**Please note that players not listed below are not necessarily a complete fade and any player listed can certainly be used as the MVP/Captain. These are merely suggestions for players to use when setting Showdown lineups.

MVP/Captain

Josh Allen, QB LAR – Price-permitting, everyone loves jamming a quarterback into their captain seat, especially if he’s got that 300-yard, multi-touchdown upside like Allen does. There was all sorts of talk from new offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey about balancing the offense more with a stringer ground game, but given the Rams defensive line and the addition of inside linebacker Bobby Wagner, rushing yards may be tough to come by. Allen should set up nicely with his receivers to attack the Rams downfield and let’s not forget his penchant for picking up rushing touchdowns inside the green zone.

Cooper Kupp, WR LAR – While you never like to upset the apple cart, will the departure of Kevin O’Connell have an adverse effect on the Rams passing game? Probably not. New OC Liam Cohen was the Rams tight ends coach last season so he is very familiar with the system which is being left in place under Sean McVay. Kupp lines up all over the field and is incredibly elusive in coverage. Matthew Stafford has used him as a bit of a security blanket and that is unlikely to change this season. The fact that the Bills are missing Tra’Davious White in the secondary should help boost Kupp’s overall value.

Matthew Stafford, QB LAR – Just like Allen, Stafford is expected to take control of this offense and while there have been elbow issues throughout the summer, he is good to go and ready for tonight’s game. The elbow may come back to be a thing a little later on in the season, but for tonight, we aren’t concerned. He’s got Kupp to rely on, as always, but he also has an incredible asset in Allen Robinson. We’ve heard Cohen also talk about balancing the offense and running more, but if you’re investing heavily in someone from this offense, Stafford is a great pick. 

Stefon Diggs, WR BUF – This actually might be a little contrarian as most people just assume Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey will shadow Diggs throughout this game. But if you’ve watched over the past year or two, Ramsey doesn’t shadow receivers anymore. Diggs will be moved all around the field so that he’s not opposite Ramsey all night and he should be fed a significant share of the targets. Using him in the captain seat should save you a few bucks too.

Mid-Tier

Allen Robinson, WR LAR – After a miserable season in Chicago last year, Robinson is ready to break out today and show his new team just how smart they were to invest in him. Obviously, he plays second fiddle to Kupp, but we’ve watched the likes of Robert Woods and Odell Beckham thrive in this offense while Kupp draws the heavy coverage. Robinson is old enough to know “you never get a second chance to make a first impression,” so look for him to try and stand out.

Gabe Davis, WR BUF – Now that the Bills have full committed to Davis as their Z-receiver, the masses are expecting a big breakout season for the third-year wideout. He’s got the speed to stretch the field and we watched last year as he caught 13 passes for over 20 yards, so expect Allen to take a few deep shots downfield to him. Just keep in mind that he is likely to be very chalky this evening so if you are looking to go against the grain, he might not be the right choice for you.

Cam Akers, RB LAR – Things appeared to be slow-going for Akers this summer as he continues to work himself back into game-shape following a ruptured Achilles tendon. He did not look good in his late-season comeback last year and the team handled him with kid gloves throughout camp. However, he returned to full practices all of last week and we know Cohen wants to do some more ground work this season. He can also be expected to handle any goal-line work the Rams find themselves in tonight.

Darrell Henderson, RB LAR – He’s a quality pass-catching, change-of-pace back the Rams will weave into the game plan tonight and he is likely to handle the majority of the third-down work. He was dealing with an undisclosed injury late in camp, but like Akers, he was back at full-practice early last week. It’s tough to predict just how committed to the run Cohen and McVay will be, but also keep in mind that, if this game becomes a shootout, Henderson will likely be on the field more for receiving work.

Isaiah McKenzie, WR BUF – While most people stare at Davis, McKenzie could be the ultimate sleeper in this Bills offense. A quick glance at the target distribution for the Bills last year shows you that it was slot-receiver Cole Beasley who saw the second-most targets on this team. Davis split his share with Emmanuel Sanders, but even combined, they fell short of Beasley’s totals. McKenzie will be the third receiver on the field and while he can play all over the field, he is expected to work primarily out of the slot. And that price tag? Super-tasty.

Dawson Knox, TE BUF – He’s a very happy camper now that he just inked a new four-year, $53.6 million extension that includes $31 million in guaranteed money. He saw a career-best 71 targets last year which he turned into 49 catches for 587 yards and nine touchdowns and while we should always expect some sort of touchdown-regression, you have to love his steadily increasing red-zone target share.

Devin Singletary, RB BUF – Wil the Bills commit to the run? That’s the big question on everyone’s mind right now. Singletary was absolutely dominant for fantasy owners and DFS players down the stretch last season as the Bills gave him the ball more in the last six games (including the playoffs) than they had all season and the results were spectacular with one 100-yard effort, three more games with over 80 yards and eight touchdowns. It’s still likely a three-way split in the Buffalo backfield, but Singletary should see the bulk of the work.

Tyler Bass, K BUF – Kickers tend to be overlooked by most in Showdown contests, but as you may have caught in today’s Morning Alarm Newsletter, our own Jon Impemba suggests you don’t ignore them. Bass was 28-for-32 (87.5-percent) in field goals last year, was perfect on 51 extra-points and had two successful kicks of more than 50 yards. The Bills won’t hesitate to bring him in as they know they can’t leave any points on the field. 

Matt Gay, K LAR – If you prefer to tail the Rams scoring, then Gay is the kicker you will want to add to your lineups. He was 32-for-34 (94.1-percent) in field goals, he missed just one extra-point in 49 attempts and he had four successful kicks of more than 50 yards. He’s easily one of the best in the league.

Dart Throws

Ben Skowronek, WR LAR – If you’re just trying to get a little weird and contrarian, then Skowronek just might be your guy. Van Jefferson is out with a knee injury which pushes Skowronek up the depth chart and onto the field for three-receiver sets. You won’t see a strong target share, but he’s got the speed to stretch the field and if Stafford is looking to take a quick, deep shot downfield, he could beat be the guy to beat the coverage on a post pattern.

Tyler Higbee, TE LAR – There is little to no buzz about Higbee right now because he barely took the field this summer as he was recovering from a sprained MCL he suffered in the NFC Championship game. He sees a decent target share throughout the season, clearing 80 targets in two of his last three seasons, so if you want to try going contrarian here (the Bills ranked 13th in DVOA against the tight end last year), you can give him a look.

Khalil Shakir, WR BUF – The ultimate dart-throw here as Shakir seems buried on the depth chart as the fifth wide receiver. However, he was very impressive this summer and there is no reason to think that the Bills won’t give him a look if they want to spread the field and go with a four or even five-receiver set. He’s got a little more excitement surrounding him than Jamison Crowder and the price tag is super-low.

James Cook, RB BUF – If you think Cook is in-line for some carries tonight near the goal-line then you can certainly give him a look as a low-key option. You’ll need the touchdown from him if you want to cash in a GPP. We know the Bills eventually want him as their bell-cow, but he did have some struggles during training camp, so expect a split in this backfield and keep your expectations in check.

Zack Moss, RB BUF – An even bigger dart-throw here out of the Bills backfield, but if you recall Moss’ usage in the past, the Bills did like him a lot near the goal-line. It seems highly doubtful that his ownership percentage will even crack 10-percent, so if you’re playing multiple lineups and give him a shot, maybe it pays off. Like I said at the top of this article, playing the Showdown slate is like buying a lottery scratcher and Moss is the coin you use to scratch.

Be sure to check out the rest of the NFL DFS Coaches and DFS Watch List throughout the week!

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