NFL Week 1 salaries have arrived on DraftKings! I’ll be writing up a breakdown of my immediate reactions at each position with some elite plays to pay up for along with some places you can find value. Plenty can change over the next six weeks, but it’s still fun to take an early look at the slate and see where the edges may lie.

Set your DraftKings fantasy football lineups here: $5M Fantasy Football Millionaire [$1M to 1st + ToC Semifinal Entry]

Expensive: Justin Herbert ($7,600)

Los Angeles Chargers vs. Las Vegas Raiders

The Chargers and Raiders are both teams getting a lot of hype heading into 2022 (as is the entire AFC West). The Raiders are expected to be a high-flying offense this season, but didn’t do much to improve a below-average defense that has weaknesses in the secondary.

The total is set at 52 in this one, and I think we have the potential for a shootout in a matchup that should favor Herbert. He threw for three touchdowns in both matchups against the Raiders last season, including a whopping 383 passing yards in that memorable season finale that went into OT. Look for Herbert to be an MVP candidate and get off to a hot start in a plus matchup at home.

Value: Jameis Winston ($5,300)

New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons

We have some key pieces returning from injury for the Saints in Winston (who tore his ACL in the middle of last season) and Michael Thomas ($5,700), who is practicing for the first time in 18 months. New Orleans is going to be pretty deep at WR this season and gets an extremely favorable matchup on the road in Atlanta.

The Saints are growing favorites in this one, and the Falcons have essentially refused to improve what has been an awful defense for years. New Orleans totaled 55 points in its two games against Atlanta last season, and both of them were after Winston went down. The Falcons are expected to be in contention for the worst team in the NFL, and I think that starts in Week 1 with Jameis and the Saints hanging a high number on them. Winston isn’t afraid to go downfield, and this is the ideal defense to do that against.

A lot of people will be on Jonathan Taylor ($9,100) in Houston, and rightfully so. But Matt Ryan ($5,500) is a surprisingly cheap pivot play with cheap targets to stack him with. Of course, we also have the Baker Mayfield ($5,500) revenge narrative, hosting the Browns right out of the gate.

Other Options: Matt Ryan ($5,500), Baker Mayfield ($5,500)

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All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests. The contents contained in this article do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups.

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