DFS XFL DraftKings Picks and Advice for Week 1

DFS XFL DraftKings Picks and Advice for Week 1

If some of you have been around long enough, you’ll know that I did XFL DFS columns way back in 2020, before the shutdown. Me and my Co-Host on the Armchair Fantasy Show and also did a weekly podcast on the XFL as well. In that Covid-shortened season, Tim Strobel and I crushed XFL DFS and we are hoping to do the same again. Unfortunately, we won’t be able to do a weekly podcast this season, but I plan to put out as many columns as I can. Let’s get to Week 1…

Quarterback

Brett Hundley (LV) @ ARL $9,400 *Luis Perez is expected to start. At $7,700, he will be a popular play.

Despite the fact that Hundley will only have about two weeks with the team, having just signed with the team 10 days ago, he is the expected Week 1 starter and offers immediate potential. He has rushing upside, having rushed 36 times for 270 yards and two TDs across nine starts in 2017 as a member of the Green Bay Packers.

Jordan Ta’amu (DC) vs. SEA $9,600

I’m not 100 percent sure why Ta’amu isn’t the highest-priced quarterback on the slate, but I’ll take the discount. He led the USFL in both passing yards and touchdowns last season, and in the 2020 version of the XFL was third in yards and led the league in completion percentage.

Running Back

Abram Smith (DC) vs. SEA $7,900

Smith was the No. 1 overall pick for a reason. In his senior season at Baylor in 2021 he ran for 1,601 yards on 257 carries (6.2ypc) and 13 touchdowns. And, according to XFLBoard.com, the Defenders have the third-best offensive line and potentially the best quarterback with USFL’s passing yards and passing touchdown leader, Jordan Ta’amu, who will prevent the defense from stacking the box.

Jah-Maine Martin (ORL) @ HOU $7,100

Those that have followed me for a while know that I do preseason NFL DFS advice columns in August, and sometimes my picks just come down to position scarcity. If a team only has two running backs on the roster, well, they are going to get all the touches, and that’s exactly the case with the Orlando Guardians. They only kept two running backs on their initial roster, Martin and Devin Darrington. Darrington played only one season in college for Virginia and had a total of 32 carries in 12 games. I doubt he sees much action — which means wheels up for Martin.

Wide Receiver/Tight End

Josh Gordon (SEA) @ DC $9,000

Yes, that Josh Gordon. Likely to be the highest-owned player on the slate simply on name value alone, Gordon has by far the most NFL pedigree, and as recently as last season, was rumored to be making a return to the NFL. I doubt he ever makes it back into the NFL, but if he can show even a quarter of what he showed in his breakout season, he’s underpriced.

Cedric Byrd (HOU) vs. ORL $5,300

Byrd ran a 4.37 40 at his pro day but went undrafted in the NFL likely due to his size, 5-foot-9 175lbs. In his final season at Hawaii, Byrd put up 1097 yards and 10 touchdowns on 98 catches. His teammate, Deontay Burnett is likely the more popular choice of the Houston wide receivers, but his athletic profile pales in comparison to Byrd. In a semi-pro league like this, speed kills — even more than it does in the NFL.

Sal Cannella (ARL) vs. LV $5,400

Cannella is the only tight end I’m going to suggest, but with good reason. Cannella had the sixth-most catches in the USFL last season, and his QB was Kyle Sloter, who also happens to be his QB in the XFL. Sloter was second it passing yards in the USFL, and he and Cannella will look to bring that same chemistry to the XFL.

Lucky Jackson (DC) vs. SEA $4,900

I have to pick one of the WRs from DC to stack with Ta’amu, so I’ll take the cheapest one that’s listed as a starter in Jackson. Of the three starters, Jackson had the best college season by far with 1,133 yards and four TDs on 94 catches. The other receiver, Josh Hammod, had his best season as a Junior where he had only 369 yards and four TDs on a mere 28 catches. Jequez Ezzard is the most expensive of the three WRs, but his college is so small, I couldn’t even find his stats on Sports-Reference. I was able to find some stats of his at NFLDraftBuzz.com, but I’d rather take the cheaper player and see what they can do before I spend up for a player I can barely scout.

Defense

Houston Roughnecks vs. ORL $3,000

Defense is a crap shoot in NFL DFS. It’s even more so in the XFL. I’m just taking the cheapest defense in Week 1 so I can pay up everywhere else. Which honestly is what I do most of the time in NFL DFS as well.

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