4 FanDuel NFL Studs to Target in Week 1

Hitting on high-salary players is the first step to having success in daily fantasy football 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.

Here are four studs to target on this week's main slate.

All betting odds come from the NFL odds at FanDuel Sportsbook.

Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens

FanDuel Salary: ($8,900)

Lamar Jackson is healthy, paid, and ready to go in his new offense.

In an offseason where they signed their franchise quarterback to a five-year, $260 million contract, the Baltimore Ravens loaded up and retooled the offense by inking Odell Beckham, drafting Zay Flowers, and bringing on Todd Monken as the new offensive coordinator.

The changes should allow the oftentimes slow-burning Ravens offense to play more up-tempo and possibly make more big plays -- which should translate to plenty of fantasy points for Jackson and company.

Sure, there may be an adjustment period, but they get a soft Week 1 matchup as they host the Houston Texans.

The Texans are in the midst of a rebuilding phase and should be one of the NFL's worst teams in 2023. As such, the Ravens have a slate-best 26.75-point implied total and are 10.0-point favorites.

With Mark Andrews returning to practice on Wednesday, Lamar should have his full range of targets to go along with his legs. The lone concern here is that if the score gets really lopsided, Baltimore may take its foot off the gas later in the game.

However, numberFire's model has Jackson as the top QB this week, projecting him to put up 24.1 FanDuel points -- 1.6 more than anyone else.

Austin Ekeler, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

FanDuel Salary: ($9,000)

Eighteen touchdowns. That's what Austin Ekeler did last season as the lead back of the Los Angeles Chargers.

Ekeler gets to take part in what profiles as the best game of the slate for DFS.

The Bolts' matchup against the Miami Dolphins should be a high-scoring affair. The total is a slate-leading 50.5 points, and the spread is just 3.0 points -- hinting at a potential back-and-forth shootout, which is the dream scenario for DFS.

Ekeler can thrive in this game environment.

A year ago, Ekeler averaged 18.8 FanDuel points per game, and it wouldn't be all the surprising if he was around that number again this season. The Chargers' offense should be one of the best in the league, and it's possible new coordinator Kellen Moore will take this attack to even new heights.

numberfire projects Ekeler for 18.0 FanDuel points and ranks him as the slate's RB1. He's a great way to get exposure to what should be a high-scoring affair.

Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings

FanDuel Salary: ($9,500)

What does Justin Jefferson have in him for an encore after last season? Whatever it is, it should be special.

In Week 1 last year, Jefferson went off for 9 receptions, 184 receiving yards, and 2 touchdowns -- totaling 34.9 FanDuel points. He knows what it takes to go big early in the season, and he's worth finding salary for in Week 1 versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Buccaneers bring back Carlton Davis and Jamel Dean this year, so it's a quality defense. But Minnesota has an enticing 25.50-point implied total, and Jefferson has proven -- time and time again -- that he can erupt in any matchup.

At a projection of 16.5 FanDuel points, per numberFire, Jefferson is the slate's second-best wideout.

Tyreek Hill, WR, Miami Dolphins

FanDuel Salary: ($8,800)

Year 2 of Tyreek Hill in the Mike McDaniel-led Miami Dolphins offense should be another one full of targets, receptions, yards, and touchdowns.

The big question coming into last season was what would Hill look like sans Patrick Mahomes. The answer was far more exciting than maybe anyone expected as the star wideout had arguably his best season to date as the focal point of the Dolphins' offense. Hill showed that he can still be an elite, game-breaking receiver without Mahomes.

The speedster finished his first season in Miami with 119 receptions, 1,710 receiving yards, and 7 touchdowns -- good enough to be the overall WR2 in fantasy.

Taking part in a superb game environment in the Dolphins-Chargers affair (50.5-point total, 3.0-point spread), Hill is capable of producing a ceiling game right out of the gates.

numberFire projects Hill for 16.6 FanDuel points, ranking him as the slate's WR1.

Interested in playing NFL DFS? Head over to FanDuel’s daily fantasy football lobby to see all the offerings for this week's slates.

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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.