FanDuel NFL DFS Picks For Chiefs vs. Broncos Single-Game Slate

Listen, I know reading the words "FanDuel NFL DFS Picks" might be triggering for the masses this Monday after yesterday's pre-lock debacle. That said, credits (for the flagship GPP) have been issued, and we're on to the Monday Night Football single-game slate between the Chiefs and Broncos. Lineup building rests for no one.

As a note for those dipping into the FanDuel single-game streets for the first time, they changed their format to match DK last season—a 1.5x multiplier for the MVP slot, with player salaries also costing 1.5x as much if you want to use them in your MVP slot. With a $60,000 salary to fill out six lineup spots, you're allocated an average of $10,000 per lineup slot, something to be mindful of when selecting your MVP and FLEX positions.

Chiefs vs. Broncos FanDuel NFL DFS Single-Game Picks For MNF

FanDuel MVP Picks For KC vs. DEN Single-Game Slate

Patrick Mahomes (QB, KC) - $18,600: Both Mahomes and Nix are coming off of season-ending leg injuries, so rostering quarterbacks tonight feels a bit more unsettling than usual, but it's not something to avoid in single-game slates. Even with the likelihood that the Chiefs' league-leading 6% DBOE from last season normalizes a bit, Mahomes provides the safest floor on the entire slate. He has a healthy wide receiver room for what feels like the first time in forever, and all reports of Mahomes individual recovery have been glowing. The Chiefs are also in a spot that they've historically crushed in, sitting as 2.5-point home favorites (30-13-1 as favorites of -3 or lower). He's my favorite MVP on the slate given how easy he is to get to.

Bo Nix (QB, DEN) - $17,700: Nix offers a slight discount on Mahomes, and while also coming off a major surgery, he steps into an improvement on what was already a QB-friendly situation in 2025. The Broncos ranked 6th in plays per game (63.4), 5th in dropback rate (64%), 3rd in DBOE (4%) and 4th in pass attempts per game (36.3). With the addition of WR1 Jaylen Waddle, Nix should get a lot of volume against a defense missing two top playmakers from their secondary compared to last season. I will have 1/3 Nix in my MVP spot tonight.

Kenneth Walker (RB, KC) - $16,200: Walker offers a discount on both quarterbacks, but it could be argued that he has the highest ceiling on the slate. The Broncos have a stout run defense, but all indications from the offseason are that Walker was brought in to be a workhorse. With it being the first game back for Mahomes, we could see the Chiefs lean into the ground game even more. He's averaged 18.2 points per game over his career in games with at least 18 touches, demonstrating a high floor-ceiling combination if he gets the workload tonight. I will likely be splitting my three lineups among Mahomes, Nix and Walker, with Walker being my third-favorite option and first to get bounced if I decide to have two shares of one QB in the MVP slot.

FLEX Picks For KC vs. DEN Single-Game Slate On FanDuel

Jaylen Waddle (WR, DEN) - $9,600: The new Broncos WR1 goes from a Dolphins offense that ranked dead last in yards per minute last season to the up-tempo, pass-happy Denver offense. He gets to kick off his season against a secondary missing its top two defensive backs from last season (Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson) and projects for the team lead in targets (8.3), catches (5.4), receiving yards (61.3) and fantasy points (9.1). He's a staple in my three-max builds, and will find himself in at least two of three lineups.

Broncos D/ST ($6,800): Playing an opposing defense against Patrick Mahomes sounds scary in theory, but there's no better defense to play, and this isn't the same explosive Chiefs offense from seasons ago. LT Josh Simmons is out, opening up a massive hole in the Chiefs' O-line, and with Mahomes coming off of his injury, we could see him scramble less than we saw last season. This could lead to more QB hits and eventually sacks, on top of already having a ball-hawking secondary.

Wil Lutz (K, DEN) - $6,600, Harrison Butker (K, KC) - $6,200: I will always include kickers in my single-game DFS breakdowns. Butker posted at least 10 fantasy points in 7 of 17 games last season while having 7 or more in 5 additional games. Lutz has shown to have a massive ceiling, posting games of 18, 14 and 17 points last season. In what has a chance of being a defensive game if the Chiefs can hold up with their new-look secondary, we could see kickers get busy on Monday night.

Pat Bryant (WR, DEN) - $2,400: Bryant is an easy plug-and-play on the value side and might make 3/3 builds for me with how cheap he is. He's locked into the WR3 role behind an aging Courtland Sutton and Waddle in an offense with a QB that led all quarterbacks in pass attempts last season. Against, once again, a depleted Chiefs secondary, he could get his sophomore season off to a hot start. It won't take much for Bryant to pay off this tag, and he should have every opportunity to do so on Monday.

Others I will mix into my FLEX spots: J.K. Dobbins (RB, DEN, $8,800), RJ Harvey (RB, DEN, $8,200), Broncos DST ($6,800), Tyquan Thornton (WR, KC, $5,200), Evan Engram (TE, DEN, $4,800)

Underweight/Fade positions: Rashee Rice (KC, WR, $11,800), Courtland Sutton (DEN, WR, $10,200), Xavier Worthy (KC, WR, $7,600)