XFL Fantasy Football: Week 1 DraftKings Player Selections

The XFL presents the DraftKings/DFS community with a four game slate this weekend! Let’s take a look at this week’s games from a fantasy football perspective!

In this article, I will discuss my DraftKings player selections with regard to position. It should be noted that I am not providing a specific lineup. I am providing DraftKings options at each position in an effort to assist the reader in generating a unique lineup.

Quarterback

Phillip Walker-Houston Roughnecks $7,800

Due to the fact this is week 1 of a new league, locating the best plays for DFS is somewhat of a challenge. However, in my opinion, the smart strategy from a fantasy perspective in a situation like we are presented with this week is to identify the offensive philosophy of each team. By doing so, you can determine which teams want to throw the football to succeed on offense or run the ball.

Having stated that, I am going with Houston’s Phillip Walker as my quarterback this week. For those readers that are not aware, the head coach of the Houston Roughnecks is June Jones. Jones has a long history of building offenses that succeed passing the football early and often. June Jones was successful in college and professional football with this approach.

As a fan of the CFL, I watched the June Jones led Hamilton Tiger Cats torch defenses through the air on a consistent basis. Jones is not a coach that directs the quarterback to throw to running backs or tight ends much. Jones primary focus has always been to throw the football to the wide receiver position on a consistent basis.

I fully expect that Houston will continue that offensive approach this week. Additionally, I certainly think that the Roughnecks will find success doing so. Having said that, Houston quarterback Phillip Walker should have an outstanding game from a fantasy football perspective.

It should also be noted that Walker arrives on the DraftKings slate at a price of only $7,800. That is likely due to the fact that when DraftKings completed the pricing on players for this week’s contests it was widely believed that Connor Cook (DraftKings price $9,400) would be the starting quarterback for Houston. In my opinion, getting Walker in your lineup at such a low cost allows you more lineup flexibility. For me, that is always a good thing!

Running Back

Cameron Artis-Payne-Dallas Renegades $6,800

As of this writing, it is not clear who the starting quarterback will be for Dallas this weekend. Landry Jones will be the starter if healthy. However, current reports indicate that his status for week one is uncertain due to injury. Having stated that, in the event that Landry does not play, I think there is a chance that the Renegades may incorporate more of the running game into the offensive game plan due to Landry’s absence. If that does occur, I think former Carolina Panther Cameron Artis-Payne has a chance to have a nice game from a fantasy standpoint.

Additional running backs I like this week: Jhurell Pressley-DC Defenders $7,900: Elijah Hood-Los Angeles Wildcats $7,500

Wide Receivers

Sammie Coates-Houston Roughnecks $9,300

First of all, Sammie Coates certainly has NFL talent. After all, the man was drafted to play in the NFL for a reason. Coates, a former third round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2015, played in the NFL from 2015-2018. His most productive NFL season came as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2017. In the 2017 season, Coates accumulated 21 receptions, 435 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns. Unfortunately for Coates, he was unable to sustain a long NFL career. He last played in the league in 2018 for the Houston Texans.

Now that have I outlined that Coates has clear NFL talent, we can turn our attention to why I am placing him in my Draftkings lineup this week. I noted earlier in this article that the Houston Roughnecks will be have a pass first offense. I also indicated earlier in this article that Houston head coach June Jones has historically utilized his wide receivers at a very high rate in his offensive game plans. I expect that to continue in the XFL. I think Coates plays very well this week and puts up a high number of fantasy points!

Additional wide receivers I like this week: Eli Rogers-DC Defenders $9,100: Nelson Spruce-Los Angeles Wildcats $8,500

Defense

Dallas Renegades $4,700

Due to the fact this is week one of the XFL season, it is hard to know just how good the personnel on each XFL team’s defense actually will be. However, my strategy for this week is to identify a defense that is playing a team that is projected to NOT be good this season. As of this writing, the Action Network indicates that the St. Louis Battle Hawks have a projected win total of 3 games. Considering the fact that the XFL has a ten game regular season, a projected three win season is certainly not good! Guess who St. Louis plays this week? You guessed it, the Dallas Renegades!

As always, good luck!