The NFL is back, and what better way to get the juices flowing than by getting involved with Draftstars and NFL fantasy. The season kicked off with a bang on Friday morning Australian time, with the Chiefs kicking off their campaign for a third straight Super Bowl with victory over the Ravens. The Eagles also got their season started with a win, sneaking by the Packers in Brazil. But now, the main dance, Monday morning’s slate of NFL games in week 1, let’s get it!
Draftstars has a huge $40,000 guaranteed contest to kick off the season with a near $4,000 first-place prize. There's also qualifiers for the NFL Star which offers a massive $50,000 prize pool!
There are plenty of other contests for everyone to get involved, no matter your budget, so head over to Draftstars now and get your lineups in!
NFL 2024-25 Daily Fantasy Tips: Week 1
Quarterbacks
Josh Allen - $18,460
Allen was the QB1 in fantasy last season, and it would be a surprise to see him not there again this year. I do have slight concerns about the fact he only played a few snaps in pre-season, but he gets an A1 matchup in week 1 and should eat. The Cardinals conceded the fifth-most points to opposing quarterbacks last season and haven’t improved enough to worry Allen. The Bills finally come into a season with lower expectations, and I believe this will help them this week where Allen will dominate.
Tua Tagovailoa - $14,540
Tua finished season 2023/24 as the QB9 in fantasy, averaging 16.7 points per game. This average dipped towards the end of the season, and it’s easy to forget just how good Tua and the Dolphins were in the opening weeks of the season. This week, he takes on a Jags defence that conceded the 8th most points to quarterbacks last season, and with a new defensive co-ordinator might struggle to stop this Dolphins offense in week 1. Doesn’t have the high upside of a Josh Allen, but a 25-30 score at this price is a solid investment.
Runnings Backs
Rachaad White - $13,110
White was a volume monster last year, ranking fourth in snap share, seventh in opportunity share, and fourth in weighted opportunity, whilst also ranking top 10 in carries (2nd), red zone touches (9th), and targets (9th). And whilst the Bucs have a new offensive coordinator this season, White should continue to get fed, particularly this week against a Commanders defence that conceded the second most points to opposing running backs last season.
Kenneth Walker III - $11,790
I am optimistic for Walker this season, and if he can remain injury free, I believe he will be a highly sought-after running back all season. I like him even more this week, as he goes up against a Broncos rush defence that had the second-most missed tackles per attempt last season, whilst allowing the third-most rushing yards per game, and fourth-highest explosive rush rate. I also like the chances of the Seahawks getting out to a lead in this game against a rookie quarterback, which should allow them to lean on the run game.
Rhamondre Stevenson - $9,230
Stevenson was highly regarded coming into last season; however, he was never able to really get going early in the season. However, towards the end of the campaign, Stevenson showed what he has to offer, with his stats in the three games he managed to get through in the middle of the season elite, averaging 21 touches and 113 yards per game, good for RB4 in that span. This week, he gets to take on a Bengals defence that was horrible against the run last season, as they allowed the fifth-highest missed tackles and fifth-highest explosive rush rate in the league, whilst also allowing the seventh-highest rushing yards per game.
Wide Receivers
Justin Jefferson - $15,560
I get the feeling JJ won’t be this price for long, and surely the only reason behind this is the fact Sam Darnold is starting at quarterback. Regardless, Jefferson is a WR1 in every aspect of the saying, and I love him this weekend against the Giants secondary. The Giants conceded the fifth-most points to opposing wide receivers last season, and whilst they do have an above average CB1 (Deonte Banks), Jefferson has shown he is matchup proof in fantasy. Jefferson averaged the third-most fantasy points per game of any wide receiver last season, and this was despite suffering through injury, and losing his QB1 Kirk Cousins. Look him in.
Mike Evans - $12,200
Evans gets an A1 matchup this weekend, against the worst secondary in the league as the Bucs take on the Commanders. Yes, Evans is another year older, but he showed no signs of slowing down last season, coming in as WR7 in fantasy. The one concern I have over the Evans play is the possible inclement weather in Tampa, however if the weather remains manageable, I would be surprised if Evans didn’t put up a solid 15-20 score this weekend.
Khalil Shakir - $9,080
There are a lot of unknowns in the wide receiver room for the Bills this season, after losing both WR1 (Diggs) and WR2 (Davis) from last seasons roster. Whilst most are expecting Dalton Kincaid to take a substantial portion of the target share, don’t sleep on Shakir, who showed last season he has a high ceiling. This is a low floor / high ceiling play, but if Shakir can command his share of targets against a poor defence in the Cardinals, he has 20+ point scoring potential. A WR3 or FLEX play with high upside, Shakir will get into several of my teams this weekend.
Tight Ends
Evan Engram - $9,820
Engram was a pleasant surprise last season in fantasy, eventually coming in as the TE9 in fantasy. With Calvin Ridley gone from the Jaguars offense, Engram should continue to see a high volume, with quarterback Trevor Lawrence having a great connection with the ex-Giant. This week, the Jags take on a Dolphins defence that allowed the fourth-highest fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends last season. Not a huge touchdown threat, however with his volume, if he can jag a touchdown, he will be close to TE1 this week.
Chig Okonkwo - $5,320
Okonkwo was a disappointment last season, after having a mini-breakout season in 2022. Whilst I’m not banking on him turning back the clock to 2022 this season, this week he has a great matchup against the Bears who allowed the fourth-most receptions and sixth-most receiving touchdowns, whilst allowing the 10th-most fantasy points to slot tight ends last season. Okonkwo isn’t going to get you TE1 numbers, however he is a solid saving if you can’t afford the likes of Kincaid and McBride, who should be pushing for TE1 this weekend.
D/ST
Seattle Seahawks - $6,810
The Seahawks have brought in Mike McDonald as their new Head Coach, and there’s no doubt he will have his hands all over this defence, which should be vastly improved on last season. The Seahawks also get a great week 1 matchup against the Broncos, who are predicted to only score 17 points this week and are starting rookie quarterback Bo Nix. Rookie quarterbacks are well known at turning the ball over, and I expect this Seahawks defence to create turnovers this weekend. The Broncos allowed the sixth-most sacks last season and won’t be much better this year.
Dallas Cowboys - $5,420
The Cowboys price is lower than usual as they are underdogs and, on the road, however they are taking on a Browns offense that I’m not convinced are going to score what the market is predicting. The Cowboys’ defence last year was terrific, creating turnovers and sacks, and they have the personnel once again to be in the top part of the league in both categories again. I think the Cowboys are good enough to get the win this weekend and should keep the Browns to under 20 points.
Suggested Draftstars Lineup
