Week 1 has arrived! Two games have already been played, but we still have a full slate on Sunday. Let’s dive into our top Week 1 anytime touchdown scorer picks, while you can also find out our experts’ NFL picks for EVERY game in Week 1.
Texans vs Colts anytime touchdown scorer pick: Jonathan Taylor (+105)
Line available at DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing.
Jonathan Taylor and Anthony Richardson barely had time to gel together last season due to Richardson’s shoulder injury in Week 5 ending his season — the first week that Taylor returned. The dynamic duo is bound to be a problem for opposing defenses, especially in the run game. Richardson will have his fair share of designed runs in Week 1 against the Texans. The ‘books have his rushing attempts line set at 9.5. But we’re turning to Taylor to score at +105 on DraftKings.
Taylor found the endzone 8 times last season, including one against the Texans in Week 18 — when he ran for 188 yards. When Taylor finally found his footing last season, he averaged over 99 yards per game and a touchdown in his final 8 games. With no Zack Moss to potentially vulture red-zone carries, Taylor has a great chance to find the endzone in Week 1 in this AFC South showdown against the Texans as 2.5-point underdogs on the road.
Broncos vs Seahawks anytime touchdown scorer pick: Kenneth Walker III (+100)
Line available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing.
After a great start to his 2023 season that included five touchdowns in his first four games, Kenneth Walker III slowed down towards the end of the year, including missing two games. His over 61% snap share through the first four weeks made him an easy target to back – the hope is a similar workload in Week 1 against the dreadful Denver Broncos defense as FanDuel Sportsbook has his rushing attempts line set at 16.5.
The Seahawks come into Week 1 as 5.5-point favorites at home with an implied team total of 23.5 points. D.K. Metcalf and Jaxon Smith-Njigba are primed to have solid campaigns in 2024. Still, Walker elevates this offense to a new level and will be on full display against a Broncos defense that allowed the 10th most rushing touchdowns in football last season and 5 yards per carry — worst in the NFL.
Rookie Bo Nix is walking into 1 of the most hostile environments in football. As 5.5-point favorites, the Seahawks should be gifted plenty of drives in excellent field position for Walker to convert into 6 points. Back him on FanDuel at +100 while the rest of the market is coming in at -110.
Commanders vs Buccaneers anytime touchdown scorer pick: Mike Evans (+135)
Line available at DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing.
Finding the best value in props makes a difference by year’s end. FanDuel has Mike Evans’s touchdown prop at +110, while DraftKings is coming in at 25 cents better. Mike Evans and the Buccaneers come into 2024 as reigning NFC South champions for the third year in a row. But the Atlanta Falcons are ready to overtake them — let’s see what Evans and the Buccaneer’s offense have in store in Week 1 against a woeful Commanders secondary.
The Commander’s secondary unit one was one of the worst in the NFL last season. They lost the likes of Kendall Fuller and Kamren Curl but added cornerback Mike Sainristil in the 2024 Draft and other free agency additions. A defense that is improved on paper and run by Dan Quinn, this unit is still projected to finish at the bottom of the league. Evans is ready to add another 1,000-yard season to his resume, but more importantly, find the endzone like he did 13 times last season — tied for the most in the NFL with Tyreek Hill.