Noto's NFL DFS Key Personnel: Week 1

by Derek Farnsworth (Notorious)

Created Sep 9, 2026

Last Updated 2026-09-11 23:07:12 Premium Content Part of the product NFL DFS

A daily fantasy sports OG, Notorious has been roaming the DFS streets ever since they were invented. So, who better to walk you through all of the key NFL DFS positions each week? Noto has racked up multiple live final seats and several six-figure tournament wins in his DFS career, and he will mix it up in all different types of contests. In his Key Personnel article for Week 1, he will walk you through his favorite NFL DFS picks, ways to pivot away from the chalk, and overall strategy for the upcoming featured slate.

Ladies and gentlemen, we did it. We made it through the offseason, training camp, and the preseason. We have finally arrived at Week 1.

This is always one of the most intriguing slates of the NFL season. Everyone is giddy to have football back, and everyone thinks they know these teams because we’ve been analyzing every coaching change and roster move all offseason. However, we can’t let our hubris get in the way of the truth: Nobody knows how all 32 NFL teams will distribute their carries and targets. Four weeks from now, we will have a completely different outlook on half the teams in the NFL. Keep that in mind as you are building lineups for Week 1. This is a great slate to get away from the groupthink, especially in tournaments.

Before we dive into the position-by-position breakdown, let’s zoom out and talk about the bigger picture. Much like the NFL, DFS strategy shifts over time. We’ve seen paying up at quarterback, paying up at running back, paying up at wide receiver, using a receiver in the FLEX, and punting tight end all be profitable strategies over the years. It’s imperative not to get stuck in our old ways. Our strategy needs to match the current NFL landscape.

Over the last couple of seasons, defenses have leaned on deep safeties to limit big plays, daring offenses to run the ball. NFL offenses have responded by doing exactly that. This has led to lower-scoring games and less production from quarterbacks and wide receivers. Getting access to 3 running backs with 20+ touch upside was the key to winning last season. The data has been right in front of us, but many DFS players stuck to their old habit of forcing a wide receiver into the FLEX because that’s what worked in the past.

I’m planning to start this season with more exposure to running backs in the FLEX than most, but that doesn’t mean I won’t be ready to change that strategy if it’s not working.

As always, I want to thank you for being part of RG DFS or RG MVP. It’s going to be a great season for the RotoGrinders community. If you ever need anything at all, send me a DM on Twitter or in the RG Discord.

NFL DFS Top Picks & Plays: Noto’s Key Personnel for Week 1

For this season, I built a table that will be a great resource for the readers of this article. It lists the Core Plays, Strong Plays, and Sprinkle Plays from the breakdown below, plus a running list of the slate’s key injuries. Everything is sortable and searchable, so you can find exactly what you need without scrolling through the whole piece. It sits right at the top of the article and will be updated until lineup lock on Sunday morning.

Top Quarterback Plays

Tier 1 – Core Plays

I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to see what this Chargers’ offense looks like with Mike McDaniel at the helm. He’s one of the best offensive minds in football, and now that he’s an offensive coordinator instead of a head coach, he can focus on what he does best. Justin Herbert ($6,100 DK / $7,600 FD) has immense talent, but something always seems to go wrong with the Chargers. More often than not, it’s injuries to the offensive line or his wideouts. Neither is an issue heading into this season. McDaniel will make Herbert’s job a lot easier this season. The pre-snap motion and play-action will give Herbert easy throws and create space for the receivers. I want to bet on this offense early, especially in a home matchup against the Cardinals, who had a bottom-10 pass defense last season.

Tyler Shough ($5,600 DK / $6,900 FD) led me to some nice DFS scores in the second half of last season. He played so well that the Saints decided that he didn’t need any reps in the preseason. While I would have given my young quarterback some reps, I’m not an NFL coach. Even though he’s missing one of his best weapons in Jordyn Tyson, I still love the spot for Shough in Week 1. He’s playing indoors against the Lions, who have a banged-up secondary heading into the season. He has two obvious stacking mates in Chris Olave and Juwan Johnson, and he offers rushing upside (35+ rushing yards in 3 of the last 5 games last season). It could also be a great game script for the passing attack, as the Saints are 6.5-point underdogs.

Tier 2 – Strong Plays

Want to read more? Sign up for NFL Premium!

-

-

-