The 2026-27 NFL season began this week, and on the menu for Sunday is a 12-game main slate. Below, I’ll be using various FantasyLabs tools to find some of the best NFL DFS leverage targets for Week 1.
Specifically, I will be focusing on ownership projections and leverage scores within our FantasyLabs Models to identify undervalued targets. Leverage scores are a combination of a player’s projected ceiling and ownership. In other words, a high ceiling combined with a low ownership projection means a high leverage score.
Note: These leverage scores can also change as projected ownership and projections change throughout the weekend.
As news breaks throughout the week and we adjust our projections (powered by the award-winning expert ranker, Sean Koerner), player ratings in our Player Models will change as the projections change. For updates, visit the models directly.
And don’t forget about the tools that FantasyLabs has to offer, like our Lineup Optimizer to effortlessly create up to 300 lineups, or use our Lineup Builder if you like to hand-build your lineups.
Or you can just use our NFL DFS sims to effortlessly create advanced lineups.
Finally, make sure to check out all the projections available for purchase within the FantasyLabs Models. Subscribers now have the option to purchase Derek Carty’s THE BLITZ from our Marketplace.
You can also combine them to create your own aggregate projections:
NFL DFS High-Leverage Stack
Jalen Hurts ($6,600) + DeVonta Smith ($6,600) + Dallas Goedert ($4,100)
With most of the field gravitating toward the Lions, Saints, and Bengals for stacks, the Eagles are getting slept on and bring big upside – Hurts, Smith, and Goedert are all projected for single-digit ownership on DraftKings, according to our projections.
All three players are underpriced, and they are in a great spot hosting the Commanders. Washington gave up the second-most yards per pass last season (7.6), and the Eagles’ implied team total is the fifth-highest on the slate (25 points).
Hurts is coming off another strong season, averaging 7.1 YPA and throwing for 25 touchdowns to six picks. As a rusher, Hurts ranked second in carries (105), fourth in touchdowns (eight), and sixth in yards among quarterbacks (421). The dual-threat quarterback rushed on 11% of his snaps, and he finished seventh in DraftKings points per dropback (0.59).
With A.J. Brown out of town, Smith and Goedert should both have great seasons as Hurts’ main weapons. In games Brown missed over the last two seasons, Smith produced 16.5 DraftKings PPG (three games), and Goedert generated 15.5 DraftKings PPG (five games).
In those contests, Smith saw a target on a team-high 30% of his routes, and he averaged an elite 2.6 YPRR. Goedert’s usage was also excellent, as he commanded a target on 25% of his routes and averaged 2.2 YPRR. Smith saw five targets over 20 yards and four red-zone targets, while Goedert saw four red-zone targets.
Hurts hooking up with both Smith and Goedert for touchdowns is a possibility, and this stack has slate-winning upside.
NFL DFS Running Back Leverage Pick
Kenneth Gainwell ($5,200)
Nobody is going to roster Gainwell in his Buccaneers debut, and he is a great contrarian way to attack this slate-high total between the Buccaneers and Bengals (50.5 points).
Gainwell signed a two-year, $18 million deal to join Tampa Bay this offseason after a career-best season with the Steelers. Gainwell produced 1,023 scrimmage yards and eight touchdowns despite playing behind Jaylen Warren.
Gainwell averaged 4.7 YPC, and he saw a target on 25% of his routes while ranking 10th in YPRR among backs who saw 20+ targets (1.44). Gainwell averaged only 11 touches per game, but he still finished as the No. 17 running back in fantasy scoring, averaging 13.1 DraftKings points per game.
Gainwell finished fifth in DraftKings points per touch (1.19) and ninth in DraftKings points per snap (0.43). The 27-year-old will share the Buccaneers’ backfield with Bucky Irving, but we just saw Gainwell thrive despite sharing the Steelers’ backfield with Warren.
Irving should be the primary ball carrier, but Gainwell will still see carries and likely serve as the main receiving back for this offense. Given this, there is a chance Gainwell sees more touches than Irving vs. the Bengals, as the Buccaneers are likely to face a negative game script as 3.5-point road underdogs.
Cincinnati allowed the most yards per play in the league last season (6.2), and Gainwell went off for a season-high 29.5 DraftKings points when he faced the Bengals as a member of the Steelers, thanks to 7/81/2 through the air.
Gainwell could thrive in this matchup again, and he is a worthwhile gamble at only $5,200.
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NFL DFS Wide Receiver Leverage Pick
Jalen Coker ($4,600)
Coker really came alive at the end of last season. The wideout erupted for 31.4 DraftKings points in the Panthers’ Wild Card loss to the Rams, marking the fourth time in his final six games that he scored 15+ DraftKings points.
Over this six-game stretch, Coker led the Panthers in targets (34) and YPRR (2.17). He saw a target on 20% of his routes while running a route on 84% of his team’s dropbacks. His usage included six targets over 20 yards and three red-zone targets.
Coker’s impressive finish to last season earned him a three-year, $35 million extension with the Panthers this offseason. The team clearly has big plans for Coker, and the receiver is in a terrific spot to stay hot this weekend against the Bears.
Last season, Chicago gave up the fifth-most yards per pass (7.1). Coker ran 55.6% of his routes from the slot last season, and the Bears defense allowed the most touchdowns (17) and second-most yards (1,673) to players who lined up in the slot.
Coker is way underpriced for his upside at only $4,600, and he is projected for only around 3% ownership on DraftKings, according to our projections.
NFL DFS Tight End Leverage Pick
Harold Fannin ($4,200)
Fannin’s salary has dropped from $5,000 at the end of last season to just $4,200 for Week 1. Fannin was awesome in his rookie season, finishing as the No. 3 tight end in fantasy scoring despite missing one game.
Fannin averaged 11.9 DraftKings points per game, and he ranked sixth at his position in DraftKings points per snap (0.24). Fannin closed the season with five straight outings of double-digit DraftKings points, most notably an outburst of 28.4 DraftKings points vs. the Titans.
Fannin ranked second on the Browns in both targets (103) and routes (436). The tight end saw a target on 24% of his routes, including 14 red-zone targets and six targets over 20 yards.
The Browns spent two high draft picks on KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston earlier this year, but it will likely take time for both players to get acclimated. Fannin should be Cleveland’s top pass catcher in Week 1 vs. the Jaguars. Although Deshaun Watson starting at quarterback is worrisome, Fannin thrived as a rookie despite playing with some very questionable quarterbacks: Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel, and Shedeur Sanders.
As 8.5-point underdogs, the Browns are going to air it out, and Fannin has the potential for double-digit targets. The Jaguars gave up the sixth-most catches to tight ends last season (104), and Fannin is expected to get overlooked, especially with Michael Mayer projected to be super chalky. In our projections, Fannin is forecast for only around 5% ownership on DraftKings.
Pictured: Jalen Hurts, DeVonta Smith
Photo Credit: Imagn Images
