DraftKings Main Slate GPP And Cash Games

DraftKings Main Slate

There are 12 games on the main slate this week. You have to decide if you are playing: a) cash games or tournaments; and b) if you are selecting your player pool by game environment or matchups, or a combination of both.

Game Environment

When you rely on game environment, your player pool strategy is taking into consideration the complete context of the game. You are considering the pace of the game and the overall scoring potential of specific matchups.

In this case, you are targeting specific games. This usually means targeting games that have an over/under above 47 points. Being Week 1 and all there are other games that have shootout potential, but these are the games that Vegas predicts will have the highest total.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Cincinnati Bengals -3.5, 50.5

New Orleans Saints @ Detroit Lions -7, 49.5 o/u

Chicago Bears -3 @ Carolina Panthers, 47.5 o/u

Baltimore Ravens -3.5 @ Indianapolis Colts, 47.5 o/u

Arizona Cardinals @ Los Angeles Chargers -9.5, 47.5 o/u

Note that the Chargers have the highest predicted team point total.

Matchups

This is exactly as it sounds: you are laser-focused on the matchups and raw scores of each player.

Here are some of the better matchups.

Quarterbacks

Joe Burrow v Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Geno Smith @ Tennessee Titans

Jalen Hurts v Washington

Justin Herbert v Arizona

Running Backs

Bucky Irving @ Cincinnati

Tony Pollard v New York Jets

Tyjae Spears v New York Jets

Saquon Barkley v Washington

Omarion Hampton v Arizona

Wide Receivers

Garrett Wilson @ Tennessee

DeVonta Smith v Washington

Tetairoa McMillan v Bears

Amon-Ra St. Brown v New Orleans

Tee Higgins v Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tight Ends

Dallas Goedert v Washington

GPP Tournaments

In tournaments, you want to be different. Don’t be afraid of chalk, but this week, make yourself different. Ownership projections (%) courtesy of One Week Season.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Cincinnati Bengals

If you believe in the 50.5-point total, this is the game to stack. Keep in mind, in Week 1, approximately 60% of games go under their point total.

QB Baker Mayfield, $5,900 (4.58%) + WR Chris Godwin $5200 (6.82%) / WR Ja’Marr Chase $7800 (30.0%) + WR Tee Higgins $6300 (11.68%)

Mayfield is 3-0 in Week 1 games while he has been at Tampa Bay. He has nine touchdowns and zero interceptions with a 114.5 passer rating in Week 1 games.

Joe Burrow is 2-4 in Week 1 games. He has five touchdowns and five interceptions with a 76.4 passer rating.

*This build leaves you $4,960 for each of the remaining five positions. *

New Orleans Saints @ Detroit Lions

Game played indoors. Last season, the Saints were 10th in offensive plays per game (63.2), and the Lions were 14th (62.5).

QB Tyler Shough $5600 (9.11%) + WR Devaughn Vele $3500 (6.99%) + TE Juwan Johnson $3700(11.37%)/ $ RB Jahmyr Gibbs $8000 (44.59%) + WR Jameson Williams $6000 (8.98%)

Jordyn Tyson will not play in this game. Last season without Tyson, Johnson averaged six targets per game, finished with 102 targets and 77 receptions. He was fifth among all tight ends in yards after catch (362), had a 21% first-read target share, and this was on a team that was fourth in pass plays per game.

*This build leaves you $5800 for each of the remaining four positions.*

Chicago Bears @ Carolina Panthers

TE Colston Loveland $ 5300 (9.17%) / WR Tetairoa McMillan $6100 (9.65%)

I am less bullish ( or bearish) on stacking this game. But remember, head coach Ben Johnson has stated that one of his goals for the season is to beat the 37.9 points per game record of the 2013 Denver Broncos.

Baltimore Ravens @ Indianapolis Colts

QB Lamar Jackson $6800 (5.54%) + Baltimore Defense $3000 (3.02%)

New head coach Jesse Minter and new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle on the Ravens side, whereas the Colts are bringing back the 2025 gang. The watch for this game is the Ravens’ new center Jovaugh Gwyn versus the Colts’ DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart.

* This leaves you $5743 for each of the remaining seven positions. And notice that you have gone under 10% ownership with these two picks. Get you some chalk.*

Arizona Cardinals @ Los Angeles Chargers

QB Jacoby Brissett $5100 (1.61%) + WR Marvin Harrison Jr. $5000 (5.86%)/ RB Omarion Hampton $6800(12.79%)

Because they were in a negative game script more often than not, the 2025 Cardinals with Brissett under center averaged a league-leading 41.6 pass plays per game and were third in pace of play (2.07).

The Cardinals do have a new head coach, Mike LaFleur, and a new offensive coordinator, Nathaniel Hackett. They are also expected to trot out first-round selection Jeremiyah Love, who was limited in preseason with an ankle injury.

*This leaves you $5517 for the remaining six players.*

Cash Games

Cash games are where you are going to employ your matchup strategy, looking for the best raw-number players.

QB Justin Herbert $6100 (10.19%) RB Jahmyr Gibbs $8000 (44.59%) TE Michael Mayer $2900 (31.65%)

Per OneWeekSeason.com: Herbert’s projections are 20.08 fantasy points with a ceiling of 28.26; Gibbs projects at 22.92 with a ceiling of 30.36, and Mayer projects at 7.58 with a ceiling of 12.58.

This build allows you $5500 for each of the remaining six positions.

DFS Week 1

We are using last year’s stats to predict this week’s outcomes. It’s not a great system, but it slightly evens the playing field.

Remember your basics: when playing GPP, you need to differentiate yourself from the pack. It doesn’t necessarily mean avoiding all chalk at all costs; it just means getting creative with your non-chalk pieces, and even how you stack your chalk pieces can give you leverage.

When playing Cash games, go for a high ceiling but also a high floor.

As always, good luck!