If you’re itching for some football DFS and can’t wait, the XFL is here for you! The league has been revived and features a boast of familiar faces to football fans, such as Josh Gordon, Wade Phillips, Martavis Bryant, Ben DiNucci, Geronimo Allison, Paxton Lynch, and many others.
Lineup construction is different for the XFL than for NFL DFS. Only six offensive players make the roster, with one quarterback, one running back, two WR/TE spots, and two flexes. That means we don’t have to roster a tight end and can load up on high-upside wide receivers. It also means tight ends could be much lower owned, which could be an edge.
The scoring system is carried over from the NFL, with the lone exception being three-point conversions counting for…three fantasy points. Yes, the XFL has three-point PATs, which are attempted from the 10-yard line.
You can find all of our XFL projections in our Player Models.
Also, don’t forget that for large-field tournaments, you can utilize our Lineup Optimizer to effortlessly create up to 300 lineups, or use our Lineup Builder if you like to hand-build your lineups.
XFL DFS Week 1 Quarterback Picks
Top Play: Brandon Silvers ($8,200 DraftKings): Houston Roughnecks vs. Orlando Guardians
The top play at the quarterback position for this weekend is Brandon Silvers, as he’s the signal caller for the Houston Roughnecks, led by head coach Wade Phillips. The offense will be coordinated by A.J. Smith, who’s a young and fairly inexperienced offensive mind. He has lots of ties to Hal Mumme’s Air Raid system and has also coached alongside June Jones.
We can expect Houston’s offense to feature a lot of high-percentage looks to get the ball in playmakers’ hands and make plays happen after the catch. Silvers leads the position in Points/Salary, and his offensive system will likely lead to lots of fantasy opportunities this weekend.
Top Value: Drew Plitt ($7,300 DraftKings): Arlington Renegades vs. Vegas Vipers
Many were surprised by the Renegades’ decision to start quarterback Drew Plitt over Kyle Sloter, but here we are. Sloter has a lot of experience, but it appears that Plitt’s athletic abilities are greatly valued. Plitt was a three-year starter for Ball State from 2019-2021, where he averaged 3,017 yards per season, completing 62.4% of his passes and posting just over a 3:1 touchdown to interception ratio. He also added 11 rushing touchdowns over the three years, showing some ability to add fantasy value on the ground.
Renegades head coach Bob Stoops led the 2020 Renegades as well, where they posted a league-high 70.6% pass rate and were third in plays per game at 64. We will likely see a similar approach to this Renegades offense, giving Plitt a lot of volume to produce.
He’s second among all quarterbacks in Points/Salary.
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XFL DFS Week 1 Running Back Picks
Top Play: Jah-Maine Martin ($7,100 DraftKings): Orlando Guardians at Houston Roughnecks
Orlando selected Jah-Maine Martin in the fifth round as the team’s first running back and is listed as the starter. Martin had an impressive college career, carrying the ball 446 times for 2,795 yards and punching in 36 touchdowns. Highlighted by his stellar 2019, where he carried the ball 151 times, averaging 8.3 yards per carry and finding the end zone 20 times. We probably won’t see much passing game usage out of him, as he totaled 22 catches in three years.
It’s not definite that Martin doesn’t see passing work, as the other three backs on the roster don’t have much experience as elite pass-catchers. However, at a minimum, Martin should handle a large chunk of work on the ground.
Top Value: Max Borghi ($4,500 DraftKings): Houston Roughnecks vs. Orlando Guardians
Max Borghi is listed as the starter in Houston’s offense and is stepping into what appears to be a valuable role. If offensive coordinator A.J. Smith’s offense is anything like his mentor Hal Mumme’s 2020 offense, then the 30.4% target share is eye-popping. At just $4,500, Borghi could be diving into an elite pass-catching role.
Borghi racked up a career-high 86 receptions in his sophomore season at Washington State. The 22-year-old back is expected to “take care of the backfield”. A lot of early-season XFL is speculation, and we have strong reason to believe Borghi will take an elite role at such a cheap price.
XFL DFS Week 1 Wide Receiver/Tight End Picks
Top Play: Josh Gordon ($9,000 DraftKings) Seattle Sea Dragons at DC Defenders
Everyone playing XFL DFS is likely foaming at the mouth to play Josh Gordon, and rightfully so. He’ll likely still have a big physical advantage over any player guarding him despite not playing meaningful NFL snaps since 2019. The Seattle offense is led by June Jones, who led the Houston Roughnecks to the second-highest pass rate in the 2020 XFL.
We will likely see a lot of 3 and 4 WR sets, with Ben DiNucci under center. DiNucci may have floundered in the NFL, but he can surely compete and support a pass-catcher of Gordon’s caliber in the XFL. Gordon was listed as a starter on the depth chart and will likely see a lot of work.
He’s the top wide receiver play on the board.
Top Value: Jontre Kirklin ($3,100 DraftKings) Houston Roughnecks vs. Orlando Guardians
Jontre Kirklin comes in near the minimum price and is listed as a starter on Houston’s depth chart. Kirklin slots in at 6’0, 185, and ran 71.9% of his routes on the perimeter at LSU. At such a cheap price in this Houston offense that is likely built on short, high-percentage throws, Kirklin may be able to smash value.
Kirklin leads all receivers in Points/Salary and will likely see a price bump in the coming weeks if his usage is what we’re envisioning.
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