Kenneth Walker III And 3 Other Underdog Picks For Monday Night Football
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Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season continues on Monday night, with the campaign’s first installment of Monday Night Football. The Denver Broncos will go on the road to take on Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in an AFC West clash to open each team’s new season. The matchup features two elite teams within the conference, as some of the league’s biggest stars prepare for their respective season debuts. Mahomes, along with players like Kenneth Walker III, Jaylen Waddle and Bo Nix will be among popular Underdog picks for Week 1 of MNF. Let’s look at four favorable picks for Underdog users to consider on Monday night:
Kenneth Walker Over 62.5 Rushing Yards
1.87x Multiplier
Coming off a Super Bowl MVP performance, Walker is ready to make his Chiefs debut, tasked with a matchup against a stout Broncos defense. Offensive Coordinator Eric Bieniemy will likely lean on the run early in the matchup to help his offense sustain drives. With Walker slated to take on a bell-cow workload on his new team, his 62.5-yard mark sets a favorable mark considering his projected volume in Week 1. He mustered at least 63 yards in nine of 17 regular season games in 2025, averaging just 14.1 carries in such performances.
RJ Harvey Over 0.5 Rush./Rec. Touchdowns
3.29x Multiplier
Broncos running back RJ Harvey enjoyed an impressive rookie campaign in 2025, emerging as RB1 following a season-ending injury to J.K. Dobbins. He racked up 896 scrimmage yards and 12 total touchdowns on sub-200 touches, maintaining notable efficiency and touchdown production in year one. Harvey will sustain a significant role in his second season, especially considering Sean Payton’s use of multiple backs on the offensive end. Harvey found the endzone in nine different games a season ago, and should see plenty of opportunities to secure his 13th career score in Week 1.
Talanoa Hufanga Over 3.5 Solo Tackles
1.69x Multiplier
Talanoa Hufanga has quietly been one of the NFL’s top tackling safeties since coming into the league in 2021, racking up 325 total tackles, 15 for loss, and four sacks over 66 career games. In his first season in Denver last year, Hufanga bounced back from injury with the best season of his career to date, earning his second All-Pro bid. He racked up 67 solo tackles, fourth among all safeties, and posted at least four solo tackles in 10 games a season ago, one of which came against the Chiefs.
Courtland Sutton Over 42.5 Receiving Yards
1.87x Multiplier
The Chiefs’ defense endured significant losses during the offseason, trading All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams. Without their top corner from last season, Kansas City’s secondary could have some growing pains against Denver’s passing attack as players adjust to expanded roles. Broncos wideout Courtland Sutton racked up eight catches and 99 receiving yards in two games against Kansas City last year, and should enjoy a strong performance in the season opener with Jaylen Waddle garnering some attention on the other side.
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Ethen Hutton is a MLB, WNBA, College, and Fantasy contributor at On SI. Previously, he's covered the NBA, WNBA and NFL for Sportskeeda. Hutton is also a passionate fantasy football player and an immense music lover.