NFL DFS Plays Week 1: Low ownership picks for DraftKings

Defense/Special Teams

Highest Ownership Projected: Commanders, Buccaneers, Dolphins, Seahawks

I hate nothing more than having to pay up at defense when that money can be spent upgrading from a WR2 or a WR1 or leveling up your quarterback. That said, a lot of the best, low-owned plays this week sit in that mid-3K range that I typically avoid. The best option as of now appears to be the Jacksonville Jaguars ($3500) who get to face off against a rookie QB in Anthony Richardson who likes to run around and take chances while also missing their leading back in Jonathan Taylor. At 3-5 percent ownership, the Jags are a home run in Week 1.

The Packers ($2800) were in the middle of the pack last season for defensive scoring and made some small upgrades in the offseason including drafting Luke Van Ness. They have also done a pretty good job at containing Justin Fields who they face this weekend. With a limited number of playable options under $3K, the Packers fit nicely into a lineup at $2800 with 2 percent or less ownership.

Lastly, despite all of the slander I have posed against the Raiders ($2200) in this week's post, they are in a pretty good spot this week if you are purely looking at it from a DFS standpoint. The Broncos, despite bringing in a championship-pedigree coach in Sean Payton, did not make huge improvements to their offense in the offseason. They are also missing 3 of their top 5 WRs and still have Russell Wilson who has yet to prove that he is worth the contract that the Broncos gave him. At $2200 and no more than 2 percent ownership, this is likely the best 'bottom of the barrel' option to give you the ability to squeeze in some high-priced studs elsewhere.