The Dallas Cowboys hit the road to take on the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2025 NFL Kickoff Game on Thursday, September 4. Kickoff at Lincoln Financial Field is scheduled for 8:20 p.m. ET. There will be millions of dollars on the line in NFL DFS tournaments, cash games and 50-50s on FanDuel and DraftKings, so finding DFS sleepers and building lineup variance will be critical for this single-game slate. Eagles running back Saquon Barkley rushed for 233 yards in two games against the Cowboys in 2024, but should you include him in your NFL DFS lineups for the NFL Kickoff Game?
On the other side, wide receiver George Pickens is set to make his Cowboys debut. Is Pickens a reliable option for your NFL DFS strategy, or should you target another wide receiver like DeVonta Smith, A.J. Brown, or CeeDee Lamb? Before locking in any NFL DFS picks on sites like DraftKings and FanDuel for Cowboys vs. Eagles in the 2025 NFL Kickoff Game, be sure to check out the NFL DFS advice, strategy, and stacks from SportsLine daily Fantasy expert Mike McClure.
McClure is a legendary professional DFS player with more than $2 million in career winnings. He uses a powerful prediction model that simulates every snap of NFL action, taking factors such as matchups, statistical trends, and injuries into account. This allows him to find the best DFS values that he shares only with members at SportsLine. His methodology has led to enormous cashes on FanDuel and DraftKings, including. In 2023, he finished tied for first in the DraftKings Millionaire Maker twice and the FanDuel Million once. Anyone who has followed him is way up.
Now, McClure has turned his attention to Cowboys vs. Eagles in the 2025 NFL Kickoff Game and just locked in his top daily Fantasy football picks. You can only see his picks and analysis at SportsLine, also new players can get $50 in Pick6 credits at DraftKings when they play $5:
Top NFL DFS picks for Eagles vs. Cowboys
One of McClure’s top NFL DFS picks for Thursday is Eagles running back Saquon Barkley. Barkley had a stellar season for the Eagles in 2024, becoming just the ninth player in NFL history to rush for 2,000 or more yards in a single season. The former Penn State standout finished the 2024 season with 2,005 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground, and 33 catches for 278 yards and two scores through the air.
Barkley had plenty of success against the Dallas defense in 2024. He was held out of the end zone in both games, but he did rush for 233 yards and caught three passes for 15 yards. The Cowboys could be without Micah Parsons (back, contract), which could open things up even more for Barkley on Thursday. See who else to roster here.
Part of McClure’s optimal NFL DFS strategy also includes rostering Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. In 2024, Hurts threw for 2,903 yards with 18 touchdowns and just 5 interceptions, finishing with a 103.7 passer rating across 15 regular-season games. He carried that strong play into the postseason, winning Super Bowl MVP after throwing for 221 yards and two touchdowns, adding a rushing score, and setting a Super Bowl record for most rushing yards by a quarterback (72).
Hurts’ dual-threat ability also increases his value dramatically. The former second round pick has scored double-digit rushing touchdowns in four straight seasons, including 14 in 2024. In his lone appearance against the Cowboys last season, Hurts threw for 202 yards and two touchdowns, and rushed 56 yards and two scores. See who else to roster here, and new users can see the latest FanDuel promo code to get $300 in bonus bets at FanDuel if your $5 bet wins:
How to set NFL DFS lineups for Cowboys vs. Eagles in the 2025 NFL Kickoff Game
McClure is targeting another undervalued player who could explode for huge numbers in the 2025 NFL Kickoff Game. This pick could be the difference between winning your tournaments and cash games or going home with nothing. You can only see who it is, and the rest of McClure’s NFL DFS picks, at SportsLine.
So who is Mike McClure including in his optimal NFL DFS lineups for Eagles vs. Cowboys on Thursday, and which under-the-radar player offers huge value? Visit SportsLine now to see optimal NFL DFS picks, NFL DFS rankings, NFL DFS advice and NFL DFS stacks, all from a daily Fantasy expert with more than $2 million in winnings, and find out.