4 Best FanDuel NFL DFS Stud Picks for Week 1

Hitting on high-salary players is the first step to having success in NFL DFS on FanDuel.

These players take up the biggest chunk of your salary cap, and they need to deliver quality performances for your lineup to reach its ceiling.

With some help from our NFL DFS projections, here are four studs to target on this week's main slate, which starts at 1 p.m. ET.

All betting odds come from the NFL odds at FanDuel Sportsbook and may change after this article is published.

NFL DFS Stud Plays for Week 1

Baker Mayfield, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

FanDuel Salary: ($7,900)

With several of the usual top quarterbacks off the main slate and the two highest-salaried quarterbacks in less-than-ideal matchups, we could see a pretty diverse pool of QBs across Week 1 NFL DFS contests. If I'm allocating a large chunk of salary to the position, however, Baker Mayfield is who I'm targeting.

Baker is fresh off a career year -- one which saw him average 23.1 FanDuel points (FDP) per game. He finished third in passing yards and completion percentage while tying for the second-most passing touchdowns in the league.

Now, Mayfield's 7.2% touchdown rate (second in the NFL) hints at some touchdown regression coming over the course of the full season. But that doesn't mean we need to fade Baker right off the bat -- not when this matchup is so good.

Not only are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers indoors, they're up against a Atlanta Falcons side which finished 28th in adjusted pass defense last season. They permitted the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks while facing the sixth-highest pass rate over expectation, according to SumerSports. Atlanta allowed the third-highest passing Success Rate and the second-most passing touchdowns in the NFL.

Mayfield was responsible for some of that, netting 23.4 and 27.3 FDP across two dates with Atlanta. He completed a cool 76% of his attempts in those two games, throwing for three touchdowns in both outings.

Granted, Atlanta made some improvements to their defensive backs in the offseason. But they're still just 17th in PFF's preseason secondary rankings, so this is hardly a defense to shy away from.

With a stellar floor/ceiling combination, Baker Mayfield is my top stud quarterback to target on FanDuel's Week 1 NFL DFS slate.

Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers

FanDuel Salary: ($8,100)

Christian McCaffrey has a chance to start the season strong after spending most of 2024 on the sidelines. After a lost season, CMC enters the year healthy and the clear top back on an offense desperate for playmakers. Considering how dominant he was in his last full healthy season (22.6 FDP), he still warrants consideration as the weekly RB1 in DFS.

That's how our NFL DFS projections view him, at least. We peg CMC for a position-leading 18.3 FDP in Week 1. Even with his high salary, McCaffrey still projects as the third-best point-per-dollar value (2.26x) among main slate flex options.

I can certainly get behind that median expectation given his track record, as he scored at least 18 FDP in 11 of 16 regular season games back in 2023. But we know there's slate-winning upside every time CMC steps onto the field, and that's what we're chasing in DFS.

In a Week 1 date with the Seattle Seahawks, we could see that upside rear its lovely head once again. The Seahawks ranked just 14th in adjusted run defense last season, and they were an above-average fantasy matchup for opposing running backs. In 2024, Seattle allowed the sixth-most yards per carry and the ninth-most rushing yards over expectation per attempt to the position. They also gave up plenty of work through the air, permitting the 10th-most receiving yards to RBs.

With the Seahawks sporting PFF's 24th-ranked linebacker unit and 23rd-ranked defensive line, I don't think we need to downgrade CMC too much despite the game being played in Seattle. With the superstar back and healthy, he's a borderline must-roster at $8,100 and the clear RB1 regardless of salary.

Ja'Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

FanDuel Salary: ($9,200)

Not only is Ja'Marr Chase the highest-salaried wide receiver on the Week 1 main slate, he's rocking the heftiest tag of any player, period. That's more than justified given Chase's 2024 campaign (20.9 FDP) and his Week 1 projection (18.7 FDP).

The 25-year-old is coming off the best season of his career. As the top option for a Cincinnati Bengals offense which easily led the league in Pass Rate Over Expected (PROE), Chase won the receiving Triple Crown, pacing all pass-catchers in receptions (127), yards (1,708), and touchdowns (17). He was a legitimate week-winner on multiple occasions, peaking with games of 39.3, 41.1, and 52.9 FDP.

That's the kind of upside we're chasing in DFS, and it makes him well-worth getting to in Week 1.

To start the year, Chase will face a Cleveland Browns team which finished 27th in adjusted pass defense in 2024. They gave up the most FDP per target and yards per route run to opposing wide receivers, all while permitting the sixth highest target rate. In two head-to-head matchups with the Browns, Ja'Marr Chase scored 15.1 and 19.4 FDP. He scored in both meetings.

Cleveland should be better against the pass this season -- they're 15th in PFF's preseason secondary rankings -- but this is largely the same group that Chase torched last season.

With plenty of value up and down the board, Ja'Marr Chase is someone to prioritize on FanDuel's Week 1 NFL DFS slate. That's true whether you're targeting the best Week 1 NFL DFS stacks or if you'd rather just deploy him as a one-off.

George Kittle, TE, San Francisco 49ers

FanDuel Salary: ($6,500)

I can't say I love the idea of pairing CMC alongside George Kittle in lineups where Brock Purdy isn't my quarterback, but I'd be hard-pressed to leave both out of my lineup. And given Kittle's potential role in the passing game, there's certainly rationale to play both Niners regardless.

With Deebo Samuel traded and Brandon Aiyuk on the PUP list, Kittle enters the 2025 season as San Fran's top target in the passing game. While Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings figure to see their fair share of looks, Kittle's splits without Samuel and Aiyuk warrant thoughtful consideration in DFS this week.

Over the past two seasons, there have been 14 games where Kittle played over half the snaps and at least one of Samuel or Aiyuk did not. In those games, Kittle averaged 85.4 receiving yards with a median fantasy output of 13.9 FDP. He commanded a 22.1% target share, 25.9% air yards share, and 26.4% red zone target share. Though two of those games saw Kittle fail to net more than 1.2 FDP, he reached double-digits in 11 of 14 games. He cleared 100 yards in five of those.

Only once in that sample did Kittle play without both wideouts -- a situation he finds himself in on Sunday. A 25% target share is well within Kittle's range of outcomes against the Seahawks -- a defense which faced the eighth highest tight end target share in 2024 and yielded an above-average yard per route run mark to the position.

We know the yardage upside is there if he's getting looks. As the top target in an offense with a 23-point implied total, George Kittle is the stud tight end to target on FanDuel's Week 1 NFL DFS slate.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.