We've got an NFC South clash in Monday night's first game, with the Carolina Panthers hosting the New Orleans Saints at 7:15 p.m. ET. The Saints are 3.0-point road favorites in a game with a 39.5-point total.

For those unfamiliar, 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, making this spot crucial.

FanDuel Research's Brandon Gdula has done a deep dive on single-game strategy, and numberFire has projections if you select the game from the slate tab. It's worth checking out both before making your lineups.

MVP Candidates

Given this game's 39.5-point total, there aren't a lot of high-ceiling options we can feel good about plugging in at MVP. numberFire's projections have just two players -- both quarterbacks -- projected for more than 11.7 FanDuel points.

Derek Carr ($16,000) looks like the best MVP play on the slate. He was solid in his Saints debut, throwing for 305 yards and a score in a matchup versus a tough Tennessee Titans defense. The Panthers' D presents a softer matchup, especially with Jaycee Horn out.

The negatives with Carr are that he doesn't offer much with his legs and might be the chalk MVP, but he paces numberFire's projections at a clip of 15.3 FanDuel points.

Bryce Young ($14,500) comes at a nice salary discount from Carr but is short on appealing weapons and is likely in for a tough Year 1 in 2023. He finished Week 1 with 146 passing yards, 1 touchdown and 2 picks at the Atlanta Falcons. This is a tougher matchup as the Saints' defense looked legit in Week 1, holding Ryan Tannehill to 198 yards while forcing three interceptions.

While there's not a ton of things working in Young's favor, he's a signal-caller on a single-game slate, so he has to be on our radar. He'll also likely be less popular than Carr and is projected for just 1.2 fewer FanDuel points.

My favorite MVP play is Chris Olave ($15,500). The second-year wideout opened 2023 with an impressive showing, gobbling up a 30.3% target share and 35.8% air yards share in Week 1 and amassing 8 grabs for 112 yards. Horn's absence is a boost to Olave's outlook, and if this game sticks to the low-scoring script, Olave could lead the slate in scoring. numberFire has him at 11.7 FanDuel points, tops among non-QBs.

Running backs Miles Sanders ($13,500) and Jamaal Williams ($14,000) are also worth a look as multiplier options.

Williams -- who is a slate-best +125 to score a touchdown, per the NFL odds at FanDuel Sportsbook -- faceplanted with the backfield to himself last week, and it appears Kendre Miller ($6,500) is likely to play today after practicing on Thursday and Friday.

If Miller ends up sitting, Williams would be a safe bet to handle a lot of volume -- he got 20 total touches in Week 1. If Miller plays, it's anyone's guess how the Saints' backfield will split things. But Williams is a viable play tonight as the probable lead back on a favorite.

In spite of playing just 56.4% of the snaps, Sanders got 18 carries and 6 targets in Week 1, including two red-zone touches. That'll work.

It could be tough sledding tonight against a New Orleans defense that is usually stout versus the run, but volume is volume. Sanders -- who is +165 to reach the end zone -- projects for 11.5 FanDuel points and will probably fly under the radar at MVP. I'm intrigued.

Flex Breakdown

Among the players we haven't yet mentioned, Michael Thomas ($12,500) stands out, although the salary isn't very friendly.

In the opener, Thomas saw a 24.2% target share, logging 8 targets and playing 20.0% of the snaps. It was a solid role, and his +250 anytime TD odds for tonight aren't that far off Olave's +200 odds.

The Saints' other notable wideout is Rashid Shaheed ($13,000). The salary might scare away the masses, and that's fair given that Shaheed played just 48.6% of the snaps in Week 1. He's got big-play potential, though, eating up a 27.2% air yards share with a 16.3-yard average depth of target.

Juwan Johnson ($7,500) is a quality value piece. He logged a 70.0% snap rate last week and handled 5 targets, catching 3 for 36 yards. Carolina kept Kyle Pitts to only three looks in Week 1, but it's hard to tell if that says more about Atlanta's offense or the Panthers' D.

The aforementioned Miller -- the 71st overall pick in the past draft -- is a decent value shout, too, if he suits up. While we have no idea what his role will be, Miller generated some buzz this offseason.

On the Carolina side, it's difficult to talk yourself into any of the skill players outside of Sanders. numberFire's projections have Adam Thielen ($9,500), Chuba Hubbard ($10,000) and D.J. Chark ($8,000) all pegged for between 6.0 and 7.0 FanDuel points. Of that trio, if forced to roster one, I'd throw a dart at Thielen, who played 87.2% of the snaps last week and whose slot role could keep him away from Marshon Lattimore.

Both kickers are viable and make sense in what looks like a low-scoring affair. At a projection of 8.5 FanDuel points, Eddy Pineiro ($8,500) is actually the top point-per-dollar play of the slate, per numberFire. Blake Grupe ($9,000) is forecasted to score 7.9 FanDuel points.

The same goes for the defenses, particularly the New Orleans D/ST ($9,000) against a rookie passer. The Saints' D/ST projects for 7.6 FanDuel points, and the Carolina D/ST ($8,500) comes in at a projection of 6.7 FanDuel points.

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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.