Category: NFL

DFS Week 1: Daniel Jones, You Heard Me, Value Stack

Two sites, two builds, one approach: stack value at quarterback, lean on wide receiver volume, and mix in touchdown equity to chase ceiling.

FanDuel Lineup

Play Breakdown:
Daniel Jones is the value quarterback who makes everything else fit, paired with Michael Pittman Jr. for affordable correlation. Bijan Robinson anchors the backfield with explosive workload upside, while TreVeon Henderson is the cheap salary relief play with home run upside.

The wide receivers bring both volume and scoring punch:

Mike Evans remains the go-to touchdown threat in Tampa.
Puka Nacua should dominate targets in Los Angeles even with the addition of Davante Adams and provides steady floor with spike potential.
Brian Thomas Jr. is Jacksonville’s WR1 with a new play-caller, giving him genuine upside.

George Kittle offers a strong ceiling at tight end, while the Patriots defense is a value home play with a decent matchup.

DraftKings Lineup

Play Breakdown:
Jones at $5,100 is one of the best QB values on the slate, and stacking him with Pittman Jr. brings built-in correlation. Chase Brown and James Conner are the steady RB plays, while Mike Evans provides touchdown equity at a discount.

Ricky Pearsall serves as the cheap WR pivot to unlock the rest of the build, and George Kittle carries upside at TE. Yes, that is two 49ers without Brock Purdy at QB, but Persall is just too cheap to pass up, as is Kittle. Brian Thomas Jr. fills the FLEX role as Jacksonville’s featured receiver, with the Cardinals defense rounding out the roster as a budget-friendly fit against what could be the worst offense in the league.

FanDuel vs DraftKings

FanDuel: Leans on star power at RB and WR with Bijan Robinson and Puka Nacua.
DraftKings: Balances the roster with Brown, Conner, and Pearsall, while still featuring the Jones–Pittman stack.

The overlap: Daniel Jones + Michael Pittman Jr. is the stack across both builds, with Mike Evans’ touchdown equity and Brian Thomas Jr.’s WR1 role serving as core plays. Don’t be scared of that Colts duo, as Danny Dimes will provide value with his legs and the Dolphins secondary isn’t expected to provide much opposition with Jack Jones and a guy who is literally named Storm Duck as starting corners.

What to Watch This Weekend: NFL Week 1 Runs the Show (But There’s Plenty Else on the Menu)

Week 1 is here, which means Friday night, all day Sunday, and Monday night are spoken for. Still, there’s a full buffet beyond football—Monza at warp speed, the US Open crowning champs, NASCAR going playoff-mode, and elite climbers turning gravity into a suggestion. All times ET; U.S. viewing info included.

NFL — Week 1, Everybody Punches Back

Friday — Chargers vs. Chiefs (São Paulo) — 8:00 PM, YouTube
A Friday night opener from Brazil, streaming-only. Bring snacks and bandwidth.

Sunday (early) — Steelers at Jets — 1:00 PM, CBS/Paramount+
Former Steelers QB Justin Fields leads the Jets against former Jets QB Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers. Chef’s-kiss symmetry for the brunch window.

Sunday (late) — Lions at Packers — 4:25 PM, CBS
NFC North tone-setter!

Sunday Night — Ravens at Bills — 8:20 PM, NBC/Peacock
Prime-time haymakers with quarterbacks who can dominate with thier arms and legs.

Monday Night — Bears at Vikings — 8:15 PM, ABC/ESPN
New head coach in Chicago, new toys on both sides, old grudges.

College Football — Brand Fights & Border Lines (Sat)

Michigan at Oklahoma — 7:30 PM, ABC
Helmet-brand fistfight under the lights.
Iowa at Iowa State — 12:00 PM, FOX
Cy-Hawk = field position, snarls, and a decibel record in Ames.
Illinois at Duke — 12:00 PM, ESPN
A tidy measuring-stick early in Durham.
Ole Miss at Kentucky — 3:30 PM, ABC
Points are a lifestyle choice. Expect them.
Kansas at Missouri — 3:30 PM, ESPN2
Border War spice never ages.

Formula 1 — Monza: The Temple of Speed

Italian Grand Prix (Race) — Sun 9:00 AM, ESPN2
The slipstream is the law; the Tifosi are the judge.
Qualifying — Sat 10:00 AM, ESPN2
Pole is nice; race-day tow is nicer.
F2 & F3 — Support races across ESPN platforms (incl. ESPN+) and F1 TV in the U.S. (check listings).

MLB — September Series to Graze

Blue Jays at Yankees — YES; MLB.TV out-of-market
AL East battle.
Mets at Reds — SNY/WPIX locally; MLB.TV out-of-market
New-look Mets, Great American launchpad.
Astros at Rangers — Space City Home Network (HOU); Rangers’ RSN varies; MLB.TV out-of-market
Lone Star leverage all weekend.

(Treat MLB as a between-windows snack—no need to lock into first-pitch minutiae.)

NASCAR — Cup Playoffs (Round of 16)

World Wide Technology Raceway (Gateway) — Sun 3:00 PM, USA Network
Playoff pressure = pit crews under the microscope.

Tennis — US Open Finals (Flushing Meadows)

Women’s Final — Sat 4:00 PM, ESPN/ESPN Deportes
Hardware and history in prime afternoon.
Men’s Final — Sun 2:00 PM, ABC/ESPN Deportes (Preview at 1:00 PM on ABC)
Daytime coronation energy.

International Soccer

USMNT vs. South Korea (Friendly, Harrison, NJ) — Sat 5:00 PM, TNT/Max; Spanish: Telemundo/Universo; also on Peacock
Useful litmus test in a FIFA window.

IFSC — Lead World Cup, Koper (Slovenia)

Lead Finals — Sat 2:00 PM — IFSC YouTube & Olympics.com (geo-restrictions may apply)
Season leaders Sorato Anraku and Erin McNeice headline—precision under pump.

The Stain’s Remote Plan

Friday night football → Saturday college chaos → Sunday wall-to-wall NFL with MLB snackable innings between windows → Monza at breakfast → tennis trophies → NASCAR elbows out. Monday night is the nightcap. Hydrate accordingly.

NFL Season Predictions (That Will Absolutely Age Poorly)

We’ve made it. Fantasy draft boards are wiped clean, preseason panic attacks are in the rearview, and the NFL season kicks off tonight. Dallas heads to Philadelphia, and Jerry Jones is once again basking in the spotlight—not because the Cowboys are contenders, but because he just traded away one of the league’s best defenders. Only Jerry.

So, with chaos already underway, here are the NFL predictions that will almost certainly go wrong.

AFC Picks

East: Buffalo Bills
North: Baltimore Ravens
South: Houston Texans
West: Kansas City Chiefs
Wild Cards: Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, Cincinnati Bengals

The AFC is quarterback country. Each division winner boasts the top QB in that group, plain and simple. The Broncos? Not a one-year wonder—defense upgraded, offense loaded, and Drake Maye ready to pop. The Bengals? They’ll need fireworks weekly to cover up their defense, but Joe Burrow & Co. can drop 50 on anyone. Surprise miss: the Chargers stumble out of the picture.

NFC Picks

East: Philadelphia Eagles
North: Green Bay Packers
South: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
West: Los Angeles Rams
Wild Cards: Washington Commanders, Minnesota Vikings, Carolina Panthers

The Eagles stay perched atop the East, but Washington isn’t going away. Micah Parsons boosts the Packers into division glory, while Baker Mayfield keeps the Bucs rolling. The Rams emerge from a crowded West where everyone hangs around into December. Minnesota rides JJ McCarthy into a playoff berth, and Carolina is the shocker—sliding in while Detroit, with two new coordinators, slides out.

Awards & Big Finish

MVP: Joe Burrow
Defensive Player of the Year: Micah Parsons
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Ashton Jeanty
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Malaki Starks
Super Bowl: Ravens over Packers

Book it, screenshot it, and come laugh at it in January.

Only Jerry: Cowboys Ship Off Parsons, Keep the Circus Alive

I was born in the mid-80s, but it was the early ’90s that stamped my sports fandom. Like most kids, I latched onto a team—though these days, after nearly 15 years covering sports, my rooting interest has morphed. Now it’s less about colors on a jersey and more about the people I’ve met, the players I respect, and, of course, my fantasy squads. (Yes, I still sneak in a guy or two from my childhood team. No, I won’t draft their rivals. Some habits die hard.)

That childhood team? The Dallas Cowboys. Blame—or credit—Drew Pearson. When I was five or six, my uncle took me to a sports bar plastered wall-to-wall with Cowboys memorabilia. Pearson, the legend himself, handed me a hat and signed it “Drew Pearson 88.” Next thing I knew, I was watching Dallas lift Lombardi Trophies in ’92, ’93, and ’95. Hook, line, sinker.

Thankfully, adulthood and a press pass pried me out of that fan-cage. I’ve been spared the heartbreak of watching Jerry Jones sabotage his own empire for three decades.

But Thursday? That old Cowboys sting flared again. Jerry traded away Micah Parsons—yes, the perennial DPOY candidate—for two first-rounders and Kenny Clark. On any other team this would be shocking. In Dallas? It was a classic “Only Jerry” moment.

The move echoes the Khalil Mack trade from 2018, when the Raiders shipped their star to Chicago. Difference is, the Raiders at least waited for the offseason. Jerry pulled the trigger a week before a primetime opener against the defending champs and division rival. Brilliant timing.

And the return? Let’s do the math. Mack netted the Raiders two 1s, a 3rd, and a 6th. Those became Josh Jacobs (a hit) and a cast of forgettable names like Damon Arnett and Bryan Edwards. Not exactly franchise-saving. Now Dallas is banking on Green Bay’s late-20s first-rounders. Look at their own recent picks in that range: Tyler Smith, Mazi Smith, Tyler Guyton. Two solid linemen, sure. But Mazi was supposed to fix the run defense already—and now Kenny Clark is here to cover that same hole.

The draft record is decent, but even that success often feels like it happened in spite of Jerry. Flash back to 2014 when the room had to drag him away from Johnny Manziel so they could take Zack Martin. One’s a bust. The other’s a future Hall of Famer. Guess which side Jerry was on.

Even if Dallas nails these two new first-rounders, what are the odds they stick around? Parsons bolted because contract talks went nuclear. Jerry openly admitted negotiating with Parsons himself instead of his agent—a move that might’ve crossed the CBA. Dak Prescott’s extension dragged to the last minute. CeeDee Lamb’s wasn’t any cleaner. This isn’t team-building, it’s soap opera scripting.

The truth is, Jerry doesn’t just want to win. He wants the spotlight. He’s the only owner who doubles as GM, makes weekly media rounds, and hires coaches who never actually get to steer the ship. Despite being 82, there’s zero sign he’ll loosen his grip.

So Cowboys fans, buckle in. That 30-year Super Bowl drought isn’t ending soon. Parsons gone, dysfunction steady, and the Jones Show still center stage. Only Jerry.

From First-Rounders to Forgotten: Breaking Down Backup QB Tiers

Ranking lists are fun, but this time of year—smack in the middle of fantasy football draft weekend—tiers matter just as much as straight rankings. And now that NFL rosters are cut down to 53, it’s the perfect time to sort out the backup quarterback landscape.

So instead of just rattling off names, let’s group these guys into buckets. Some inspire hope, some inspire panic, and some inspire the same feeling you get when you find an old Blockbuster card in your wallet.

I Was a First-Round Pick, Now I’m Not Even QB1

Buffalo – Mitchell Trubisky
Miami – Zach Wilson
Indianapolis – Anthony Richardson
Las Vegas – Kenny Pickett
Los Angeles Chargers – Trey Lance
New York Giants – Jameis Winston & Jaxson Dart
Washington – Marcus Mariota
Minnesota – Carson Wentz
Atlanta – Kirk Cousins
Carolina – Andy Dalton
Tampa Bay – Teddy Bridgewater
San Francisco – Mac Jones

This is the “fallen angels” tier. Some are permanently relegated to backup status, but a few still have life left in the career arc. Cousins is the obvious “could start again” guy, while Richardson just needs health and improved decision making to reclaim his job. Jones, Wilson, and Pickett are still under 30, which in QB years is young enough to dream of resurrection. Dart? He’ll get thrown in at some point since they did just spend a first rounder on him.

You Know I Started a Super Bowl, Right?!?!

Los Angeles Rams – Jimmy Garoppolo

Matthew Stafford’s health is always a headline, but somehow people forget the Rams have one of the most decorated backups in football. Garoppolo is basically the walking, talking version of “break glass in case of emergency.” And for what it’s worth, Stetson Bennett IV looked sharp this preseason too.

Shipping Off Kenny Pickett Cleared Things Up

Cleveland – Dillon Gabriel & Shedeur Sanders

Joe Flacco holds the starter’s seat while Deshaun Watson waits on the PUP, but the depth chart behind him is rookies. Gabriel is technically QB2, but no rookie got more preseason airtime than Shedeur Sanders. ESPN might as well rename their morning block “First Take, Then Shedeur.”

We’re Screwed If He Plays

Baltimore – Cooper Rush
Cincinnati – Jake Browning
Philadelphia – Tanner McKee/Sam Howell

No offense—okay, maybe a little offense—but these guys are ok at best. The problem is they back up Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, and Jalen Hurts. That’s a Grand Canyon–sized talent gap.

We’re Screwed No Matter Who Starts

New Orleans – Tyler Shough

Kellen Moore handed the starting job to Spencer Rattler, leaving Shough as the backup. Both would be QB3s on half the rosters in the league. Saints fans deserve hazard pay this season.

Haven’t Heard That Name in a Minute

Pittsburgh – Mason Rudolph
Jacksonville – Nick Mullens
Tennessee – Brandon Allen
Denver – Jarrett Stidham
Kansas City – Gardner Minshew
Detroit – Kyle Allen
Seattle – Drew Lock

They’ve all started NFL games. They’ve all been forgotten just as quickly. Minshew at least has a cult following, but the rest? If you walked into a room full of them with prefilled nametags, you’d probably mess up at least three.

At Least It Would Be Interesting

Dallas – Joe Milton III

Nobody knows if Milton can actually play NFL quarterback. But the arm strength is cartoonish and the athleticism is legit. If nothing else, it’d be must-see chaos.

Proper Backup QB Situations

New England – Joshua Dobbs
New York Jets – Tyrod Taylor
Houston – Davis Mills
Chicago – Tyson Bagent
Green Bay – Malik Willis
Arizona – Jacoby Brissett

This is what a team wants in the room: guys who’ve started before, can step in without changing the scheme, and won’t completely sink the ship. They’re not franchise saviors, but they’re professional quarterbacks.

Backup QBs are one of the NFL’s strangest ecosystems—halfway houses for washed starters, landing pads for rookies, and random storage bins for names you forgot were still on payroll. But as history keeps reminding us, you never really appreciate a backup until you’re watching one play in December with your season on the line.

Week 1 DFS Plays

Tournament:

50/50

2023 NFL Predictions

Another NFL season kicks off tonight, and we can’t go into another season without doing a prediction article. Stay tuned throughout the year as we will have DFS plays every week and will certainly have more articles about this NFL season.

AFC East: Buffalo Bills
AFC North: Cincinnati Bengals
AFC South: Tennessee Titans
AFC West: Kansas City Chiefs
AFC Wild Card: Baltimore Ravens
AFC Wild Card: Los Angeles Chargers
AFC Wild Card: Miami Dolphins

NFC East: Philadelphia Eagles
NFC North: Detroit Lions
NFC South: Atlanta Falcons
NFC West: San Francisco 49ers
NFC Wild Card: Seattle Seahawks
NFC Wild Card: Dallas Cowboys
NFC Wild Card: New Orleans Saints

MVP: Joe Burrow
OPOY: Ja’Marr Chase
DPOY: Micah Parsons
OROY: Bijan Robinson
DROY: Christian Gonzalez

Super Bowl Matchup: Buffalo Bills vs. San Francisco 49ers

Super Bowl Champions: Buffalo Bills

2023 NFL Mock Draft

There are plenty of great mock draft simulators out there, for this I used Pro Football Network to make it easy to copy into this post. The big ones here for me is the number three QB, I don’t see a world where Anthony Richardson slips all the way to Detroit at 18, but I really feel the Colts need to go with a more ready QB hence me giving them Will Levis, and then the slip just based on need. If the top four play out this way, expect a trade soon after by a team to come up and get Richardson. The other one that slipped here that I don’t expect to slip as far once the draft starts is Bijan Robinson. Robinson in the best RB prospect in years, which is the only reason he is being considered in the first round, much less possibly the first half of the first round. He slipped to the Cowboys here and would be an ideal fit for them given the Tony Pollard injury and the fact the Cowboys are best when the running game is on.

ROUND 1

1. Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
2. C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State
3. Will Anderson Jr., EDGE, Alabama
4. Will Levis, QB, Kentucky
5. Tyree Wilson, EDGE, Texas Tech
6. Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia
7. Paris Johnson Jr., OT, Ohio State
8. Myles Murphy, EDGE, Clemson
9. Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia
10. Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon
11. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State
12. Jordan Addison, WR, USC
13. Peter Skoronski, OT, Northwestern
14. Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois
15. Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame
16. Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State
17. Lukas Van Ness, EDGE, Iowa
18. Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida
19. Cam Smith, CB, South Carolina
20. Kelee Ringo, CB, Georgia
21. Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU
22. Bryan Bresee, DT, Clemson
23. Brian Branch, S, Alabama
24. Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah
25. Deonte Banks, CB, Maryland
26. Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas
27. Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College
28. Isaiah Foskey, EDGE, Notre Dame
29. Nolan Smith, EDGE, Georgia
30. Trenton Simpson, LB, Clemson
31. Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee

NFL Week 5 DFS Lineups

As we get The Stain back running with more consistent content, why not try to make our readers some money. Here is my FanDuel and DraftKings lineups for today:

These are tournament plays going with a couple flyers. Cowboys D should get plenty of sacks against the Rams, Zappe is facing possibly the worst D in football. Teddy B I expect to put up massive numbers too.

The Stain Sports