The 2026 NFL season kicks off on Wednesday night, with four teams set to open their season in two highly anticipated matchups. Some of the league’s biggest stars are set to suit up on opening day, which could present a favorable DraftKings lineup for Wednesday night’s two-game slate.
Tonight’s matchups will be headlined by the Super Bowl rematch between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks, featuring stars like Drake Maye and Jaxon Smith-Njigba for DraftKings lineups. Let’s look at the ideal DFS lineup for tonight’s opening game:
QB – Drake Maye, New England Patriots ($15,000 Salary)
Drake Maye is looking to build on an MVP-caliber campaign in 2026, breaking out as one of the league’s top quarterbacks a season ago. Seattle’s defense will present a tough test in the opener, but with New England’s additions in the receiving corps, Maye will be positioned nicely for a stellar debut in year three. He closed last season averaging 20.9 points per week in DraftKings, and presents a higher ceiling to that of Sam Darnold in the season opener.
RB – Jadarian Price, Seattle Seahawks ($7,200 Salary)
Coming off an ACL tear during Seattle’s Super Bowl run, running back Zach Charbonnet will be sidelined as he opens the season on the PUP list, thrusting first-round pick Jadarian Price into a lead role for Week 1. Price presents a favorable salary for his projected volume early in the season, and projects to carve out notable production, despite a tough matchup against a stout Patriots run game. Entering Wednesday night with a bell-cow role, Price should come through in a big way for DFS lineups this week.
RB – Rhamondre Stevenson, New England Patriots ($8,400 Salary)
Despite a slight dip in production over the course of the season, Rhamondre Stevenson regained his lead role over TreVeyon Henderson in New England’s backfield during the team’s playoff run. Entering Week 1, Henderson is dealing with an injury that will sideline him for the season opener, freeing up Stevenson for a bump in touches against the Seahawks. The veteran back presents notable receiving upside, and with his volume setting a safe floor, he’s a reliable DFS target for Week 1.
WR – A.J. Brown, New England Patriots ($9,600 Salary)
All-Pro wideout A.J. Brown is set to make his Patriots debut after being traded from the Philadelphia Eagles earlier this offseason. Brown steps into New England’s offense as the undisputed WR1, presenting a reliable target for Maye down the field. Brown will have a tough matchup against Devon Witherspoon, one of the league’s top corners, but projects to command a significant chunk of the target share in the passing game. One of the league’s top wideouts catching passes from a top quarterback will make plenty of DFS noise in Week 1.
WR – Cooper Kupp, Seattle Seahawks ($5,200 Salary)
With our remaining salary, we’re looking to target reliable contributors with favorable value. Seahawks veteran wideout and former OPOY Cooper Kupp fits that billing perfectly for our Week 1 DFS lineup. Kupp was quiet at times during his first season in Seattle, but vastly improved his play during the postseason. With Smith-Njigba matched up against Christian Gonzalez, Kupp could be looked in with greater regularity against the Patriots on Wednesday.
TE – A.J. Barner, Seattle Seahawks ($4,600 Salary)
Ideally we’d target Hunter Henry with our remaining salary, but with just $4,600 remaining, we’ll target Seahawks tight end A.J. Barner with little complaint. In just his second season, Barner broke out with 52 catches for 519 yards and six touchdowns. Coming into year three, he’s widely expected to make another leap in 2026. He’ll take on respectable volume against the Patriots, and should enjoy a solid debut for the new season.
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