Football is officially back! Well, kind of. The preseason does give DFS players a chance to whet their appetites before the main attraction of the regular season.
If you’re new to preseason DFS, there are key differences to remember when setting your rosters. For starters, the rosters are substantially larger. Each team currently has 85 players on its roster, but that number will be trimmed to 53 during the regular season. Most teams use the preseason to try and evaluate their entire roster, so expect nearly every player to see the field.
Volume is everything in the preseason. If the starters are only going to play one or two drives before ceding to the backups, the backups will inherently carry more fantasy value. Talent is simply not that important. Maybe the starters can score a touchdown in their limited playing time, but chasing volume will be a more sustainable strategy in the long term.
Luckily, FantasyLabs now has preseason projections in our NFL Models to help you build your lineups. Additionally, Chris Raybon put together a guide a few years ago with some helpful tips for beating preseason DFS.
Let’s dive into Saturday’s five-game main slate.
NFL DFS Quarterback Picks
There hasn’t been a ton of talk about how most teams are choosing to approach this week. It’s the second-to-last preseason game, so if a team is going to play their starters for significant minutes, this would be the game they do it. Still, I’m anticipating most teams being cautious with their starters, with the possible exception of the Jaguars and Raiders. They played in the Hall of Fame Game this year, so they get the benefit of an additional preseason contest.
One thing we can feel good about is that the Titans will want an extended look at Malik Willis. He was an expected first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, but the Titans ended up grabbing him in the end of the third. Willis played his college ball at a small school in Liberty, but he’s a super intriguing dual-threat prospect. He racked up 2,857 passing yards and 878 rushing yards in his final collegiate season.
The Titans have Ryan Tannehill well-established as their starter, but Willis could very well be the future. Finding out as soon as possible should be their top priority.
Quick Hits
- Kyle Trask, Buccaneers: Trask is in a very similar boat to Willis. He was a developmental pick in 2021, and he could be the Bucs QB of the future when Tom Brady retires for real. He saw the vast majority of the playing time in Week 1, and he racked up 258 yards and one touchdown. Blaine Gabbert might see a few additional snaps this week, but it still figures to be mostly Trask.
- Kellen Mond, Vikings: Are you sensing a pattern here? Mond was taken just two picks after Trask, so he’s another intriguing development QB. He was outstanding in college, ranking in the 90th percentile in yards per attempt and the 92nd percentile in QB at Florida (per Player Profiler).
- Chase Daniel & Easton Stick, Chargers: Justin Herbert isn’t going to play during the preseason, so Daniel and Stick will handle all the snaps. I’d expect Stick to play more, but Daniel is a preseason monster. He showed out in Week 1, racking up 117 yards and two touchdowns.
- Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars: If you’re going to play a starting QB, Lawrence is your guy. Head coach Doug Pederson said his starters will play “well into the second quarter,” and while coaches are notorious liars, I’m taking Pederson at his word. A full half from Lawrence playing behind a starting offensive line and throwing to starting receivers could overcome any volume deficiencies.
NFL DFS Running Back Picks
The 49ers won their first preseason game, and they did it in the same way they figure to win their regular season contests. Their three quarterbacks combined for just 22 throws, while the team racked up 32 rushing attempts. Expect them to continue #EstablishingIt in Week 2.
They had a handful of players get involved in Week 1, with Tyrion Davis-Price, Trey Sermon, and Jordan Mason each grabbing at least six attempts. However, Davis-Price led the way with 10, making him the preferred option of the bunch.
Davis-Price was a third-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, and he has outstanding athleticism. He ran a 4.48 40-yard dash at 219 pounds, good for a 90th percentile Speed Score. He didn’t have great numbers at LSU, but he’s had to share a locker room with some talented backs. The 49ers are always looking for more guys to tote the rock, so Davis-Price should get a solid audition during the preseason.
- Ke’Shawn Vaughn, Buccaneers: The Bucs have just five running backs on their roster, and one was signed just last Sunday. Two more – Leonard Fournette and Giovani Bernard – don’t figure to play much during the preseason. That leaves Vaughn and Rachaad White as the primary running backs, and Vaughn saw more work last week. Both players are viable, but I’d give him the edge.
- Zamir White, Raiders: White is another rookie RB, and he started and played ahead of Kenyan Drake last week. He has a legit chance to supplant the veteran RB this season, and he’s an even better athlete than Davis-Price: His 4.40 40-yard dash puts him in the 96th percentile at the position.
- Travis Etienne Jr., Jaguars: See Lawrence, Trevor. Etienne was busy last week despite the starters not seeing a ton of snaps, finishing with nine carries and three targets. It’s fair to expect another healthy workload this week, and he obviously has the talent to take advantage.
- Jaylen Warren, Steelers: Najee Harris and Benny Snell Jr. didn’t play in the Steelers first preseason game, leaving Warren to rack up 27 snaps, 19 routes, and six carries. Since then, Master Teague has been cut, giving the team one less option at the position.
NFL DFS Wide Receiver Picks
The Cowboys have an extremely talented group at receiver, even after losing Amari Cooper to the Browns. However, CeeDee Lamb, Michael Gallup, James Washington, and Noah Brown all sat out last week, and it’s possible that at least a few of them are out again.
Jalen Tolbert and Simi Fehoko picked up the slack. Both players logged 40 snaps, and Fehoko caught their only touchdown.
Tolbert finished with just one catch, but he was still the busier player. He racked up seven targets, which was easily the top mark on the squad.
Thompson was the team’s third-round pick in 2022, and he has an interesting prospect profile. He doesn’t jump off the page athletically, but he absolutely dominated at South Alabama. He posted a 51.2% Dominator Rating, which puts him in the 97th percentile. Player Profiler lists his closest comp as Adam Thielen, and there are certainly worse players to be comped to.
Both players are worth consideration on this slate, but Tolbert is my preferred choice.
Quick Hits
- Tyler Johnson, Buccaneers: The Bucs sat most of their top players at receiver, and it makes no sense to bring them back without Brady. Johnson has reportedly had a strong camp and has an “inside track” at the No. 5 receiver job. He racked up six catches for 73 yards in his last contest, making him one of the strongest options at the position.
- Bisi Johnson, Vikings: Johnson finished with just three targets last week, but he led the Vikings receivers with 30 snaps and 17 routes run. He’s also had some success during the regular season – he has 45 career catches for 483 yards – so he should be able to get the job done against backups.
- Joe Reed, Chargers: With the Chargers not expected to play their starters during the preseason, the door is open for Reed to make an impact. He had six targets last week, which he converted into four catches for 61 yards and a score.
NFL DFS Tight End Picks
As usual, tight end is pretty much a dumpster fire on this slate. However, the Jaguars playing their starters a full half opens up an interesting option. Evan Engram was one of their offseason acquisitions, and he scored a touchdown playing with Lawrence last week.
Most of the tight ends during the preseason are not going to catch many passes, so I’ll gladly sign up for nearly two quarters with Engram. He’s had an up-and-down career, but he has some receiving chops. The best season of his career came as a rookie, but it’s possible that a change of scenery will help. He has more than enough athleticism for the position, and Doug Pederson loves to feature the tight end in his offense.
Quick Hits
- Connor Heyward, Steelers: He was one of the more active tight ends in Week 1, finishing with four targets on 17 routes.
- Cade Otton, Buccaneers: Otton led the position group with 35 snaps and 17 routes in Week 1, and he had two targets. That’s not a lot, but it’s not nothing either. He was the Bucs’ fourth-round pick in 2022, and he ranked in the 92nd percentile in Dominator Rating at Washington.
- Hunter Kampmoyer, Chargers: Kampmoyer was an undrafted free agent in 2021, and nothing about him is particularly impressive. Still, he started and played 33 snaps last week, and he ran 23 routes.
