DraftKings NFL DFS Picks for Seahawks vs. Patriots Showdown Slate: Drake Maye, Rhamondre Stevenson & More

We have finally made it. The 2026 NFL season is officially upon us, starting with a Super Bowl rematch between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks. We got the NFL juices flowing with some great preseason DFS slates, and it feels great to be back here for a regular-season DraftKings NFL DFS Picks for the Seahawks vs. Patriots showdown slate to kick off the year.

First, I'll highlight some players that I like in the captain spot, who get a 1.5x FP boost. A high-scoring captain (and one who's lower owned) can be the key to winning you a tournament. I'll give some of the players and spots to target in the flex position to fill out your lineups, too. Let's dive into it!

NFL DFS Picks For Seahawks vs. Patriots DraftKings Showdown Slate

Top Captain Picks For SEA vs. NE DraftKings Slate

Rhamondre Stevenson - NE RB ($12,600): To start, I’m going to mention Rhamondre Stevenson. We got news early Tuesday that TreVeyon Henderson won't play Wednesday, giving Stevenson the keys to be a bell cow back here. He now projects as the best point-per-dollar play on the slate. Stevenson makes for a super high-upside captain pick, with a much higher floor now as well. He will get decent ownership at the captain spot, but it shouldn't be too much to have doubts about how good of a play he is.

Drake Maye - NE QB ($15,000): Next, let's look at Drake Maye. Maye gets to build off an impressive 2025 season with a much-improved WR room, including the additions of A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs. This should lead to Maye being able to continue to be a top-five QB, and if things go right, he could be in MVP talks again. He is projected to get less ownership at the captain than Stevenson, and the same as Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and with his upside, he is probably coming in at too low of ownership. The inflation of Stevenson ownership at CPT gives some leverage back to Drake Maye and makes him stand out as a great option here.

Value Captain Pick For SEA vs. NE DFS

George Holani - SEA RB ($6300): I love spots where we can get a cheap captain with upside. Cheap captain plays can allow you to spend up more in the rest of your lineup. If the value captain gets there, you could be in for a big night. With Kenneth Walker departed to Kansas City and Zach Charbonnet injured, Seattle's RB room looks a bit different for the time being. Rookie Jadarian Price and George Holani will lead the backfield. It is expected to be a split between the two, but reports have said Price will get first/second downs with Holani getting third-down opportunities, as well as being the favorable option on the goal line. The opportunities for receptions on those third-and-longs, as well as a goal-line carry for a TD, make Holani stand out as a great value here, and one that I like at captain to be really contrarian.

Flex Plays To Target On DraftKings Seahawks vs. Patriots Showdown Slate

Sam Darnold - SEA QB ($9400), Jaxon Smith-Njigba - SEA WR ($10,600): First, let's look at the QB/WR combo that should have some of the most concentrated targets in the entire league. An already lacking WR group is without Jake Bobo and Tory Horton, and is projected to have just four bodies out there. This further increases the looks that JSN is going to receive, and he should have one of the highest floors we see from any receiver this season, making him look great in the flex. I typically try to get to both QBs on SDs, and the Darnold/JSN stack looks very safe here. Rashid Shaheed ($6,400) is also worth mentioning, as it is very possible he gets more targets than expected. A good showing here in an underprojected spot is something that can win you a tournament. This could possibly be the lowest price we get him at if the cards fall his way.

Hunter Henry - NE TE ($4800): Next is Henry, who looks to be a good value piece. Henry is someone that we've seen in the past sit in the $6k range in showdowns, as he was one of the Patriots' top targets. With the additions in the WR room, we can expect his usage to come down a bit. At $4,800, however, he still has a good enough role and looks like the safest option in this price range. Henry also gets more targets in the red zone than most tight ends, and having those opportunities is a plus.

DeMario Douglas - NE WR ($3,000): Lastly, let's look at an even cheaper value option. DeMario Douglas comes in as NE's third projected WR behind A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs, who are both new additions to the team. Douglas got the benefit of being a starter in the preseason, sitting out all three games like the rest of them. This is a good sign for him to get a great deal of snaps to start the season. The speedy starting slot receiver is going to get more ownership than you'd like here as a value, probably 10-15%, but I agree with it. I think he is too cheap and looks like a good value to fit into lineups.

Having the NFL back is amazing, and this shapes up to be a very entertaining first showdown slate to start the 2026 season. There are great spend-ups, as well as safe value pieces with high upside to round out your lineups. Good luck, and let's start the new season cashing some lineups!