Week 1 of the 2022 NFL season got off to an amazing start on Thursday, and Sunday’s games did not disappoint either. They were filled with all the excitement you would expect from the first week of football, from heroic game-winning performances to a variety of upsets filled with heartbreak for those betting the favorites. The action continues tonight with an outstanding Monday Night Football game as Russell Wilson leads his new team, the Denver Broncos, into Seattle to face his former team, the Seahawks, a game that has the NFL DFS world buzzing.
The Broncos went through a complete overhaul during the offseason as Nathaniel Hackett stepped in as the new head coach and Wilson stepped in as their new field general. The Seahawks also went through transitions of their own, from a new quarterback to a new defensive coordinator looking to restore the reputation of the once-storied Legion of Boom. Most DFS players are likely to lean on the Broncos for most of the scoring, but you can’t count out the likes of the Seattle receivers or what head coach Pete Carroll has in store for his opponents.
Here’s a look at some of the top plays to fill out your lineups on DraftKings and Fanduel.
MVP/Captain
Russell Wilson, QB, DEN
Will the Broncos let Russ cook, or is new head coach Nathaniel Hackett wearing the chef’s hat? I think we all know the answer, as this offensive scheme was revamped and built around Wilson and his style of play, so yeah, he’s expected to cook, especially during his first trip to Seattle. The Seahawks’ new defensive coordinator likes to use Cover-3 with a splash of Cover-2, which means Wilson should have no trouble carving up their different zones. He’ll use the short, high-percentage passes to help move the chains and open things up for his deep work downfield. Expect some early, emotional nerves, but once he’s dialed in, this could be a big game for him.
Courtland Sutton, WR, DEN
The big question on everyone’s mind has been which receiver will Wilson show the most love to, and we believe it’s Sutton. He’ll line up on the outside and run a variety of crossing routes and post patterns to handle the intermediate and deep zones. His size and speed should give him a strong advantage over the Seattle corners, so expect a lot of celebrating as Sutton relishes in his new quarterback.
Rashaad Penny, RB, SEA
The Broncos did some nice things to enhance what was a pretty putrid run defense last season, but with Randy Gregory at less than 100 percent and D.J. Jones being more of a run-stuffer up the middle, the outside zone blocking you’ll see from Penny should help offset the offensive line struggles we expect to see all year. Not enough to have us believing Penny will be a stud, but with Kenneth Walker likely out with his hernia surgery, Penny should see the bulk of the backfield touches.
Mid-Tier
Javonte Williams, RB, DEN
This should prove to be a solid coming-out party for Williams and the Broncos’ new outside zone running scheme as the Seahawks don’t really have a ton of speed in their linebacking corps. Williams should get a ton of work as Hackett and OC Justin Outten definitely want to establish the running game early, which will inevitably help Wilson and the offense in the long run. Williams will eventually handle the bulk of the carries but don’t be alarmed when Melvin Gordon steps in at times. This ground game is a work in progress, but Williams should prove tonight why he is and should be the team’s top guy.
Jerry Jeudy, WR, DEN
I’m a big fan of Jeudy in the full-point PPR format, as I expect him to be the guy Wilson peppers with the sideline targets. He’ll see his red zone work as well, but if we’re looking to assess labels for the Broncos wide receivers, Jeudy probably profiles more as a “move the chains” type guy than he does as a big-play guy. That’s not to say Russ won’t take his chances with a deep shot or two to Jeudy depending on the coverage, but it doesn’t look like it will be Jeudy’s priority role.
Geno Smith, QB, SEA
Well, you can’t ignore the Seattle quarterback, especially when he has two premier wide receivers and a solid pass-catching tight end at his disposal. I wouldn’t expect a whole lot of production from Smith as Pete Carroll is always a run-first coach, but the expectation is that the Seahawks will be playing from behind, and Smith will have to air it out.
DK Metcalf, WR, SEA
He’s a beast of a physical specimen and should garner a heavy target share from Smith in this game. The Denver secondary has some serious coverage talent on Patrick Surtain, Ronald Darby, and free safety Justin Simmons, but Darby is beatable, and Metcalf, when lined up against him, will likely expose some of his defensive shortcomings. Metcalf should also shine across the middle for the Seahawks as they also look to get Smith into a rhythm with the short, high-percentage passing.
Tyler Lockett, WR, SEA
As we’ve seen in the past, Lockett tends to be the guy who handles much of the deep-passing work for Seattle, or at least that’s what he used to do. We can probably expect similar things from him this year, though again, the arm of Smith is questionable at best. Lockett could have a nice night tonight, but he might be better suited to have Drew Lock with his hero-ball under center.
Broncos Defense
With new defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero putting his stamp on the defense, we could find ourselves in great shape playing the Denver defense. He studied under Vic Fangio and spent five seasons with the 49ers as a defensive assistant and then coordinator. With the uncertainty of Geno Smith and a very bad Seattle offensive line, we could see a string sack total, maybe some interceptions and, if we’re lucky, a turnover or two that could lead to a touchdown.
Melvin Gordon, RB, DEN
The Broncos will keep Gordon involved early and likely give him some runs between the tackles. He could even get some short-yardage work near the goal-line should the Broncos find themselves down there. His usage will likely be stronger here early in the season as the Broncos work out the kinks of a new offensive system, but how well that plays for DFS purposes is a bit of an unknown.
Albert Okwuebunam, TE, DEN
Everyone’s favorite name to mispronounce takes over as the No. 1 tight end for Denver, and as we’ve seen in the past, Wilson likes to work the ball to his tight ends, especially inside the red zone. With up-and-comer Greg Dulcich opening the season on IR, Albert O should see the full complement of targets for the position, and he could find himself doing a little end zone dancing as well.
Noah Fant, TE, SEA
He didn’t get a whole lot of preseason work this summer, but Fant is still expected to be the No. 3 target for Smith in the Seahawks’ passing attack. Just how much work is unknown, but he’s a wide-bodied tight end who could be utilized inside the red zone tonight and in games moving forward.
Placekickers
Both Brandon McManus and Jason Myers should be in play. The Denver offense should be able to put up some points, and McManus could get some nice field goal opportunities as Wilson and his offense continue to get acquainted during the game. Myers should get some opportunities, especially if the Seahawks offense starts to stall out in Denver territory.
Dart Throws
Dee Eskridge, WR, SEA
He’s as good a dart throw as any from the Seattle side. They drafted him in the second round last year and had high expectations for him as a No. 3 receiver. If he can build on that, perhaps he finds himself catching a pass in the back of the end zone.
KJ Hamler, WR, DEN
He’s questionable for tonight with a knee issue, but if Hamler does play, he could be a very intriguing threat for the Broncos. Hamler has incredible speed and elusiveness. If Wilson can find him and lead him across the middle, Hamler could be off to the races.
For additional NFL DFS Week 1 coverage, check out our full coverage on Fantasy Alarm
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