It’s time to get serious about NFL DFS picks. What better way to do that than building the perfect DraftKings lineup? We’re going to do just that with some smart stacking, sharp contrarian plays and leveraging tools like the NFL DFS Sims from Stokastic. This Week 1 breakdown walks through three sharp lineup constructions using different stacks, all aimed at helping you cash in on the main slate and compete for the top prize. Let’s get into the NFL DFS Week 1 picks and strategies that could take you to the top.
NFL DFS Week 1 Picks: Build the Perfect DraftKings Lineup with Sims
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Stack No. 1: Buccaneers Air Attack + James Conner
Let’s start with a slightly chalky but highly concentrated NFL DFS stack: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
With Chris Godwin expected to miss Week 1 and rookie Jalen McMillan also out, targets should funnel almost exclusively to Mike Evans and first-round rookie Emeka Egbuka. The Falcons allowed the second-most passing touchdowns in the league last year and ranked dead last in completion percentage allowed (69.9%). This sets up a smash spot for the Bucs passing game.
To round out the lineup, James Conner makes for an excellent running back play. He’s low-owned, not injured (yet) and faces a Saints defense expected to regress significantly against the run. If Spencer Rattler struggles for the Saints and the Cardinals get up big, Conner could be in line for a bell-cow workload.
Stack No. 2: Dirt-Cheap Browns Stack + McCaffrey
Next, we take a contrarian shot with a cheap Cleveland Browns stack against a Bengals defense that was getting shredded in the preseason, even by second-stringers.
Veteran quarterback Joe Flacco is volatile, but that’s exactly the kind of risk worth taking in DFS GPPs. If the Bengals jump out to an early lead, Flacco may be forced to air it out. Pairing him with Jerry Jeudy and David Njoku gives you inexpensive access to a full stack with upside. Njoku, despite offseason hype around Harold Fannin Jr., remains the TE1.
Oh, and we’re jamming in Christian McCaffrey. At just $7,300, McCaffrey is way too cheap for someone with his ceiling, especially early in the season when he’s at full health.
Stack No. 3: San Francisco Value Attack
The final stack builds around a San Francisco 49ers passing game that’s thin on bodies but full of potential.
Brandon Aiyuk is likely out, and Deebo Samuel is gone. That leaves George Kittle and Ricky Pearsall to soak up targets. Kittle and Brock Purdy have established chemistry, and Pearsall has been heavily involved in camp due to injuries across the roster.
With Pearsall priced at $4,500 and Kittle at $5,800, this stack opens up salary elsewhere, like for Jonathan Taylor, who is healthy and underpriced in Week 1.
Simulating the Perfect NFL DFS Lineups
Using Stokastic’s Single Lineup Simulator, these stacks were run through a three-max entry approach:
Lineup 1 – Core Tampa Stack
Lineup 2 – Add 10% Randomness with Cleveland
Lineup 3 – San Francisco Stack + 10% Randomness
All three builds offer viable paths to success in large-field tournaments, and by slightly adjusting randomness in the sim settings, you can get a more unique, GPP-friendly lineup.
