5 Best NFL FanDuel Picks Plays for Week 1's Sunday Main Slate

Week 1 is full of high-profile NFL games on Sunday, and that means a great slate for FanDuel Picks.

Here are some of my favorite picks for Sunday's main slate.

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FanDuel Picks NFL Plays for Week 1 Sunday

Drake London More Than 5.5 Receptions (Mild)

Last season in starts by Michael Penix Jr., Drake London averaged 7.3 catches on 13.0 targets for 117.3 receiving yards. He commanded a 39.8% target share, and his game-by-game reception tallies were 5, 7, and 10 in those games.

After being held to 4 catches in his first meeting last year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, London went for 12 catches (plus 154 yards and a score) in the second meeting.

The games between these teams last year were offense-friendly, and London is set up for a dominant target share again in 2025.

Bucky Irving More Than 95.5 Rushing + Receiving Yards

Sticking in the same game where I'm expecting some offensive production, Bucky Irving also stands out at 95.5 rushing plus receiving yards.

After a Week 11 bye last year and excluding a Week 14 game with limited snaps, Irving averaged 128.3 scrimmage yards per game -- including the playoffs -- over a seven-game sample.

Irving had 96 or more scrimmage yards in four of these seven games; he yielded 92, 84, and 83 in the three others.

The Atlanta Falcons were eighth-worst defense by rushing success rate allowed to RBs in 2024.

Rashid Shaheed Less Than 42.5 Receiving Yards

There's definitely risk in this one, as Rashid Shaheed proved to be one of the best deep-ball receivers in 2024 before a season-ending injury. He averaged 58.2 receiving yards over six contests.

But with Spencer Rattler under center, we can question Shaheed's ability to convert on the deep ball. Rattler finished with pretty bleak efficiency in 2024 (-0.32 EPA per drop back and a 37.1% passing success rate) last year.

Among 40 qualified quarterbacks, Rattler was fourth-worst by completion rate on passes traveling at least 10 yards downfield.

Brenton Strange More Than 27.5 Receiving Yards

Brenton Strange should be freed up to command a sizable target share with Evan Engram no longer with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

A season ago, Strange averaged 24.2 receiving yards per contest as a whole while playing on 55.6% of the team's offensive snaps and running 42.1% of their routes.

In eight games without Engram last season, Strange averaged 4.9 targets and 34.4 receiving yards per game while garnering more than 27.5 yards in just three of the eight (when he went for 60, 73, and 65).

However, the Jaguars are facing the Carolina Panthers this week, a team that allowed the highest average depth of target (aDOT) to opposing tight ends and also ranked in the top 10 for most yards per route run allowed to the position.

David Montgomery Less Than 42.5 Rushing Yards

David Montgomery had 43 or more yards on the ground in 7 of 15 games a year ago, and this week, the Detroit Lions could find themselves trailing the Green Bay Packers.

While home field advantage doesn't mean quite as much in Week 1 as in most weeks, we've seen the breakout of Jahmyr Gibbs, and it's hard to put the toothpaste back in the tube at this rate.

Yes, the Packers up front are more beatable via the run game after their recent deal that landed them Micah Parsons in exchange for Kenny Clark and picks, but the Lions are also dealing with changes to their offensive line and their offensive coordinator.

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.