Falcons at Vikings Single-Game FanDuel NFL DFS Picks for Sunday Night Football

Two teams on the opposite end of Week 1 fourth-quarter comebacks cap Sunday's NFL action as the Minnesota Vikings host the Atlanta Falcons.

With an average early-season total of 44.5 points, the Vikings are 3.5-point home favorites:

For those unfamiliar with single-game NFL DFS on FanDuel, single-game slates feature five flex spots with identical scoring to the main slate. However, kickers are included in these contests, and there is an "MVP" roster slot. The MVP receives 1.5 times his total fantasy points, but beginning in 2025 on FanDuel, their salary also increases 1.5 times.

Here are players worth considering for tonight's game.

All NFL projections via our numbers at FanDuel Research, and NFL odds references are to FanDuel Sportsbook.

Falcons at Vikings NFL DFS Picks

MVP Candidates

Justin Jefferson ($20,400 MVP/$13,600 FLEX)

Until Jordan Addison returns, Justin Jefferson should be a pretty safe bet in fantasy. Jefferson overcame a nightmare three quarters from J.J. McCarthy to still post 12.8 FanDuel points (FDP) in Week 1. He saw seven targets, which was amazingly 35.0% of the team's total. He also saw two of McCarthy's three red zone attempts come his way. Atlanta's secondary let Emeka Egbuka catch two long touchdowns, and Mike Evans had 104.0 air yards. Jefferson can make those plays down the field, too.

J.J. McCarthy ($16,800 MVP/$11,200 FLEX)

Both quarterbacks are a little bit dicey. The Falcons generated pressure on 15 of 37 drop backs last week, and we saw how J.J. McCarthy fared in three of four quarters on Monday. At the same time, Michael Penix Jr.'s second road start against Brian Flores' credentialed unit isn't a great assignment, either. Of the two, the Falcons' secondary likely provides the most opportunities, and McCarthy's 25 rushing yards -- including a TD -- showed a little upside to scoot in his first NFL action.

Drake London ($15,300 MVP/$10,200 FLEX)

Do not dismiss the idea of Drake London at MVP. London's tyrannical run with Penix at QB continued against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, drawing 15 (!) targets despite just running 80.4% of routes after exiting with a shoulder injury. The wideout seems to be feeling better as he's entirely dodged Atlanta's injury report. Minnesota's revamped secondary still let D.J. Moore post 88.2 air yards, and Rome Odunze caught a touchdown. It's possible they're not quite as strong as they were last year, ranking as the NFL's sixth-ranked schedule-adjusted pass D in 2024.

Flex Targets

Bijan Robinson ($13,800)

FanDuel's new format means your MVP must return salary-based value -- not just the most overall FDP. Bijan Robinson just doesn't seem to have the role or matchup to be that guy in this one. Robinson (12 carries) still failed to separate from Tyler Allgeier (10), and the Vikes were second in schedule-adjusted rush D last and held the Chicago Bears' running backs to just 3.1 yards per carry last week (YPC). Robinson's passing usage (16.7% TGT) is worth a flex spot, but I prefer others at the salary-based multiplier.

Jordan Mason ($7,000)

We were wondering if Jordan Mason, off a super efficient year with the San Francisco 49ers, would push Aaron Jones for work Minnesota, and it didn't even take a week. Jones caught a long touchdown, but Mason handled 17.0 adjusted opportunities (carries plus 2x targets) to Jones' 14.0 and played 100% of the team's snaps in the red zone. In a game where the Vikings are favored, Mason is a low-salary option with a good combination of floor and upside.

Kyle Pitts Sr. ($5,800)

Kyle Pitts caught over 1,000 yards in his rookie season, so "breakout" might not be as fitting as "revival". Either way, Michael Penix delivered on his promise to get Pitts more involved in Week 1, funneling him eight targets for 9.4 FDP without a touchdown. The most encouraging sign for Pitts is a consistent snap rate (77.5%) for the first time since that first campaign. Darnell Mooney's return should eat into both London and Pitts' gaudy volume from last week, but their salaries aren't bad to find out if a lot of it can stick.

Jalen Nailor ($3,800)

Consider me puzzled why Jalen Nailor isn't the Vikings' second-highest-salaried wideout. Nailor ran 91.7% of routes last week to Adam Thielen's 66.4%, and the veteran's bad drop inspires hope that "Speedy" sticks in that WR2 role. He suffered through McCarthy's struggles for three quarters as Jefferson sparked most of the comeback, but perhaps the quarterback's increasing confidence allows him to funnel Nailor more work on Sunday night.

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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.