The Week 1 NFL DFS Yahoo main slate begins Sunday at 1 p.m. EDT and features 13 games, as the entire league will be in action except for the teams playing on Thursday Night Football (Cowboys-Eagles), Friday night (Kansas City-Chargers) and Monday Night Football (Vikings-Bears). Here are the top NFL Yahoo DFS picks for Sunday's Week 1 Yahoo DFS football contests.
Playing in guaranteed prize pool (GPP) Yahoo DFS football contests is about chasing upside, while lineups geared toward head-to-head, 50/50 or double-up formats should prioritize high floors. The players you want to target for these different contest types aren't mutually exclusive, but winning a GPP tournament usually requires finding a hidden gem or going against the grain in a spot or two, while building a solid base of the same chalk plays you would use anywhere. Against-the-grain plays typically consist of big-name players in tough matchups or boom-or-bust types with uncertain roles.
Keep in mind that Yahoo DFS football contests use 0.5 PPR scoring rather than full PPR, which lowers the comparative value of wide receivers and running backs (in that order) while especially affecting high-volume pass-catchers. NFL DFS Yahoo lineups consist of one QB, two RBs, three WRs, one TE, one FLEX (RB/WR/TE) and one D/ST unit. Suggested Yahoo DFS picks for Week 1 include a pair of veteran RBs who can excel as both rushers and pass catchers, as well as a rookie TE.
QUARTERBACK
Kyler Murray, ARI at NO ($31): Murray is one of the NFL's premier dual-threat QBs. His 7.3 yards per carry led all NFL players with at least 50 rushing attempts last season, and Murray has exceeded 20 passing TDs in all four seasons during which he played at least 12 games. If 2024 first-round pick Marvin Harrison makes a second-year leap, Murray would have two excellent playmakers to throw to along with TE Trey McBride, but it's Murray's rushing prowess that makes him especially appealing in Week 1 against a Saints defense that tied for the seventh-most rushing yards allowed to QBs in 2024. Arizona's likely to control possession and run plenty of plays on offense, since the Saints have second-year QB Spencer Rattler, who is 0-6 as a starter in the NFL, under center.
Honorable Mentions:
Jayden Daniels, WAS vs. NYG ($37); Baker Mayfield, TB at ATL ($34); Tua Tagovailoa, MIA at IND ($26)
Against the Grainers:
Bryce Young, CAR at JAC ($29); Drake Maye, NE vs. LV ($25); Michael Penix, ATL vs. TB ($22)
RUNNING BACK
Christian McCaffrey, SF at SEA ($32): McCaffrey has averaged 118.6 scrimmage yards per game the last two seasons. He appeared in only four games in 2024 due to injuries, but the star RB has looked healthy and effective throughout training camp and seems poised to reclaim his spot among the league's elite producers at his position. With 10 RBs valued above him in Sunday's Yahoo DFS football main slate, McCaffrey's a nice value in Week 1 against Seattle given his three-down capabilities. McCaffrey has exceeded 100 scrimmage yards in all four of his games against the NFC West rival Seahawks as a member of the 49ers.
Austin Ekeler, WAS vs. NYG ($16): Despite significant training camp hype, rookie seventh-round pick Jacory Croskey-Merritt is listed fourth on Washington's RB depth chart behind Ekeler, Jeremy McNichols and Chris Rodriguez. That could just be a bit of gamesmanship on coach Dan Quinn's part, but it's possible Ekeler is indeed poised to lead the team's backfield after Brian Robinson was traded to San Francisco. Even if he's limited primarily to passing situations, Ekeler looks like a nice value with a decent Week 1 touch floor against a standout Giants defensive line that could force a lot of check-downs.
Honorable Mentions:
James Conner, ARI at NO ($35); Chuba Hubbard, CAR at JAC ($32); Jerome Ford, CLE vs. CIN ($18)
Against the Grainers:
Ashton Jeanty, LV at NE ($29); Tony Pollard, TEN at DEN ($23); Travis Etienne, JAC vs. CAR ($19)
WIDE RECEIVER
Mike Evans, TB at ATL ($33): Evans remains the top option in Tampa Bay's passing game on the heels of 11 consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, and he could see additional volume due to the early absences of Chris Godwin (ankle) and Jalen McMillan (neck). Rookie first-round pick Emeka Egbuka ($15) could also see substantial attention from QB Baker Mayfield, who tied for second in the NFL with 41 touchdown passes last season, but Evans has a far higher floor and isn't hurting for ceiling against a Falcons defense that gave up a league-high 22 touchdown catches to WRs last season. Two of those came from Evans in his only 2024 meeting with Atlanta.
Nico Collins, HOU at LAR ($31): Collins is similar to McCaffrey in that he would almost certainly be pricier if not for injury woes, but Houston's standout No. 1 WR is healthy heading into Week 1. He has missed seven games over the past two seasons but has 2,303 receiving yards (85.3 per game) and 15 TDs in 27 games played over that span. The Rams' offseason pursuit of Jalen Ramsey fell through, leaving the team without significant improvements to a secondary that tied for the fourth-most TDs allowed to WRs last season (20).
Ricky Pearsall, SF at SEA ($22): Pearsall took a while to get healthy and then expand his role, but the 2024 first-round pick finished his rookie season in fine form, posting 14 catches for 210 yards and two TDs over the final two games of the campaign. He's poised to pick up where he left off after building chemistry with QB Brock Purdy during training camp while the 49ers dealt with myriad injuries in their WR room. Brandon Aiyuk (knee) is on the PUP list to start the season and Jauan Jennings (calf) may not be able to suit up even with a revised contract in hand, so Pearsall's a nice buy-low Yahoo DFS pick for Week 1, as his valuation could grow substantially from its current mark if he capitalizes on the reduced competition for targets.
Honorable Mentions:
Drake London, ATL vs. TB ($33); Tyreek Hill, MIA at IND ($26); Chris Olave, NO vs. ARI ($16)
Against the Grainers:
Garrett Wilson, NYJ vs. PIT ($25); Travis Hunter, JAC vs. CAR ($24); Tetairoa McMillan, CAR at JAC ($21)
TIGHT END
Tyler Warren, IND vs. MIA ($13): Warren's valuation is likely to grow as his rookie season unfolds, making the 14th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft a potentially strong bargain in Week 1. He has little competition for the starting TE role and is coming off a tremendous final college season at Penn State, totaling 1,233 yards and 11 touchdowns through the air as well as 218 yards and four TDs on the ground. Daniel Jones tends to eschew the deep ball in favor of shorter passes, and Warren could well emerge as the Colts' new starting QB's top short-area target.
Honorable Mentions:
Brock Bowers, LV at NE ($24); David Njoku, CLE vs. CIN ($21); Evan Engram, DEN vs. TEN ($15)
Against the Grainers:
Mark Andrews, BAL at BUF ($20); Kyle Pitts, ATL vs. TB ($12); Brenton Strange, JAC vs. CAR ($11)
DEFENSE
Miami Dolphins at IND ($12): The Dolphins' defensive accomplishments in 2024 were overlooked because the team missed the playoffs due to injuries and ineffectiveness on offense, but they actually gave up the fourth-fewest scrimmage yards per game (314.3). Daniel Jones has just a 10:13 TD:INT in 16 starts over the past two seasons with the Giants, plus he has put the ball on the ground via fumbles eight times over that span, losing three of them. The D/ST position is usually a good spot to save cap space in Yahoo DFS football contests given the position's lower fantasy scoring ceiling and volatility, and the Dolphins come in just $2 above the minimum valuation.
Honorable Mentions:
Pittsburgh Steelers at NYJ ($18); Arizona Cardinals at NO ($16); Las Vegas Raiders at NE ($10)
Against the Grainers:
Cincinnati Bengals at CLE ($15); San Francisco 49ers at SEA ($12); New England Patriots vs. LV ($10)
