In the competitive landscape of daily fantasy football, with millions of people playing every week trying to build a “perfect” lineup, it helps if your lower-cost and dart-throw picks work out. It’s not too early to strategize and look ahead at some weekly favorites.
NFL DFS odds and salaries can change up every week, but the high-ceiling guys will typically remain high-ceiling throughout the season. Based on offseason movement, these should be players to keep an eye on as offering massive upside every week while looking to put together a winning lineup.
Colts QB Anthony Richardson
The situation Anthony Richardson landed in—with the Colts hiring former Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen, who helped construct a top offense around Jalen Hurts—should be ideal for him from both a real-life and fantasy perspective. Whenever Richardson is under center, which could be as early as Week 1, he’ll unlock tremendous rushing potential to do serious damage and offer weekly overall QB1 upside in fantasy football.
Eagles RB Rashaad Penny
There have been some whispers that Rashaad Penny is not a lock to make Philadelphia’s roster, but the former Seahawk can be a major force behind an elite offensive line. Penny is among the best big-play backs in football, and even if his quarterback takes many of the valuable goal-line touchdowns, the big-play ability is there to quickly rack up points with trademark long touchdown runs. Penny isn’t likely to be priced that high to insert into daily fantasy lineups, and he could be an early value.
Seahawks RB Zach Charbonnet
Second-round running back Zach Charbonnet can be seen as a bit of a replacement for Penny on a Seattle team that wants to run the ball under Pete Carroll despite a receiving corps of DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Kenneth Walker III is going to lead the Seahawks backfield, but keep in mind that Charbonnet was taken even higher than Walker. There’ll likely be weeks where the UCLA product gets more touches than Walker, which could lead to big point totals at a lower salary.
Bills WR Gabe Davis
This is an early outlook and things can change, but as of now the Bills have not signed DeAndre Hopkins and added complementary pieces at wide receiver this offseason to this point. So, Gabe Davis—who, remember, dealt with a high-ankle sprain in 2022—remains the No. 2 wideout for Buffalo. As he’s shown the past two years in particular, the weekly ceiling remains sky high as a daily fantasy option.
Vikings WR Jordan Addison
USC rookie receiver Jordan Addison joins a Vikings team that parted ways with veteran Adam Thielen, and it sounds like they expect the rookie to immediately step into the WR2 role. Addison has a pro-ready game, and he gets to play with Justin Jefferson commanding a ton of attention from opposing defenses. Like Thielen and K.J. Osborn (who remains with Minnesota) have, Addison can go off any week in an offense that wants to throw the ball.
Broncos TE Greg Dulcich
Second-year tight end Greg Dulcich profiles as someone that can leap into the top-five among fantasy tight ends while playing in Sean Payton’s offense, so he’ll be an easy potential early-season value to pinpoint in daily fantasy lineups. The Broncos have a crowded group of pass catchers, and there will hopefully be more clarity throughout the summer; but Dulcich is set for a sizable role as the team’s top tight end.