Friday features a three-game slate starting at 8 p.m. ET.
If you’re new to preseason DFS, it’s completely different than it is during the regular season. Instead of looking to the players at the top of the depth chart, we’re going to focus on the players at the bottom. Finding the players who are going to see the most snaps each week is the main goal, and those players tend to be the backups early in the preseason.
Combing through the news is also extremely important. Not every coach treats the preseason the same way, so finding out which players will play is a bit more difficult than it is during the regular season.
Fortunately, we do have our NFL Models to help. We have projections available for all four teams on Friday, so we’re not exactly flying blind.
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Let’s dive into some of my top plays for Saturday’s slate.
NFL DFS Quarterback Picks
Using our NFL Models, it’s pretty clear to see who the top quarterback is on Friday’s slate. Malik Willis is projected for far and away the most fantasy points, nearly doubling up the next closest competitor.
Part of that is due to his expected workload. Ryan Tannehill hasn’t played a single snap in the preseason since 2019, and it seems unlikely that will change this season. Will Levis is also currently dealing with an injury, and while he returned to practice on Wednesday, he was wearing a wrap on his left leg. The team is reportedly undecided about his status for Friday, so it’s possible that Willis sees every snap at the position.
That’s exactly what happened with Willis in Week 2, and he responded with 15.5 DraftKings points. That’s a huge score for the preseason. He was particularly effective on the ground, rushing for 91 yards on 11 carries, which is a huge part of his skill set. Willis ranks in the 94th percentile at QB in 40-yard dash time, so expect him to use his legs whenever he’s on the field.
If Levis is ultimately ruled out, it’s going to be tough not to jam Willis into nearly all of your lineups.
Other Options
- Easton Stick – The Chargers are not expected to play their starters in their final preseason contest, leaving Stick and Max Duggan as the only QBs on the roster. However, Duggan didn’t get into the game in their last preseason outing, so Stick took 100% of the snaps. He responded with a massive day, racking up 233 passing yards, 63 rushing yards, and two rushing scores. Duggan will likely get back into the fold in Week 3, but Stick still seems like a good bet for at least one half of football.
- Bailey Zappe – Mac Jones’ status for Friday’s matchup vs. the Titans has yet to be determined, but ESPN’s Mike Reiss reports the team is giving “strong consideration” to keeping him out of the lineup. Zappe has seen most of the snaps with the backups during the preseason, and he’s impressed so far during the preseason.
- Matt Corral – Corral didn’t get a chance to play during his rookie season, so it’s not surprising that the Panthers have given him plenty of run during the preseason. That said, it’s yet to result in any fantasy success, with Corral racking up 4.14 DraftKings points or less in his first two contests. Bryce Young and the starters are expected to suit up this week, but Corral should still see plenty of reps in the second half. That gives him one more chance to try to impress.
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NFL DFS Running Back Picks
Unfortunately, things aren’t quite as clear at the other positions as they are at QB. While Willis stands out as a pretty obvious option, the margins elsewhere are pretty thin.
Raheem Blackshear owns a slight edge over the rest of Friday’s options, largely due to the Panthers’ depth chart. They have just four true running backs on the roster, and Miles Sanders has yet to suit up during the preseason. That’s left plenty of work for Blackshear and Spencer Brown.
While Brown led the team in carries last week, Blackshear led the team in snaps. He also made the most of his eight opportunities, tallying 31 yards and a touchdown. As an undrafted free agent in 2022, the team has had no issues with giving him plenty of opportunities during the preseason. With Chuba Hubbard likely departing with the starters on Friday, expect Blackshear and Brown to be busy once again.
Other Options
- Devine Ozigbo – Ozigbo was unable to play in the Lions’ last preseason contest, but the 2019 UDFA is reportedly still battling for a roster spot in Detroit. With that in mind, expect the coaching staff to give him a decent look on Friday. David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs are not expected to play, while Craig Reynolds got most of the carries for the Lions last week.
- Julius Chestnut – Tyjae Spears was the star of the show for the Titans last week, running for 57 yards and a touchdown on seven carries. However, the third-round pick played on just 14 snaps, and he’s an important backup with Derrick Henry getting older. Chestnut is the more likely option to carry a large workload vs. the Patriots, especially with Hassan Haskins currently out with an injury. He led the backfield in snaps and carries last week, and he’s a strong bet to do it again.
- Tyrion Davis-Price – Christian McCaffrey will not suit up this week, and there’s a chance that Elijah Mitchell will rest as well. Regardless, TDP should be looking at another healthy workload. He led the backfield with 31 snaps in their last contest, so his four carries are a bit deceiving. The team simply didn’t run much with Davis-Price on the field, but he did run 21 routes out of the backfield.
NFL DFS Wide Receiver Picks
The Lions stand out as the clear top team to target at receiver. Their top four options at the position – Amon-Ra St. Brown, Marvin Jones Jr., Josh Reynolds, and Kalif Raymond – have yet to suit up during the preseason, and that’s unlikely to change on Friday. Jameson Williams will also miss the rest of the preseason after sustaining a hamstring injury.
That leaves the team with three strong options at the position: Antoine Green, Dylan Drummond, and Chase Cota. All three players saw at least 31 snaps in Week 2, with Green leading the way with 38. All three players also had at least 23 routes run, so they were big parts of the passing attack.
Unfortunately, the Lions simply couldn’t get anything going through the air. Drummond led the team with five targets, which he converted into two catches for 29 yards. Green caught his only target for 18 yards, while Cota caught two of four targets for nine yards. However, Cota did snag the Lions’ only touchdown in that contest.
Ultimately, it’s tough to separate these three players. The team has the most invested in Green, who was their final selection in the 2023 NFL Draft. He ran a 4.47 40-yard dash at the combine, so he has the edge from an athleticism standpoint. Cota and Drummond were more involved last week, though, and they grade out slightly better in our NFL Models.
Other Options
- Kayshon Boutte – No rookie receiver needed a strong preseason more than Boutte. He was once believed to be the next star LSU receiver, but he failed to reach that level in college. A poor showing in the pre-draft process saw him slip to the sixth round, where the Patriots took a shot on him. Boutte put his talent on display last week, racking up two catches for 49 yards and a score. He’s played on 51 snaps so far this preseason, and he should get another extended run on Friday.
- Javon Wims – He’s been the top preseason option in the Panthers’ passing attack, leading the team in snaps and routes in each of their first two games. With the Panthers’ receiving corps a bit banged up at the moment, that isn’t likely to change in Week 3.
- Ronnie Bell – He checks a lot of the same boxes as Wims. He’s led the 49ers in snaps and routes run in each of their first two preseason contests, and there are some injuries ahead of him on the depth chart.
NFL DFS Tight End Picks
Sorting through the tight end options in the preseason is nearly impossible. It basically comes down to who is going to catch a touchdown, and if I knew who was going to score each week, I wouldn’t be writing articles for a living. I’d probably be living on a boat somewhere.
That said, we can try to at least play the probabilities. You obviously can’t score if you’re not on the field, so finding the players with the most snaps is a good start.
James Mitchell checks that box at tight end. He’s played at least 30 snaps in his first two contests, and he led the Lions’ tight ends with 13 routes in Week 2. He caught three balls for 53 yards in Week 1, so he has some pass-catching chops as well.
Mitchell was a fifth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, so the Lions have a bit invested in him. Sam Laporta is the starter in Detroit, but it’s not surprising that they want to see if Mitchell can be the backup. Expect him to see another healthy workload in Week 3.
Other Options
- Hayden Hurst – If there’s a position where playing starters is acceptable during the preseason, it’s tight end. Hurst played on 18 snaps in Week 2 and ran 11 routes, and he’s expected to see a similar workload in Week 3. He didn’t see any of Young’s six targets last week, but that could change vs. the Lions.
- Donald Parham Jr. – He’s technically not a starter, but he’s still an important part of the Chargers’ regular-season rotation. That means his snaps will be limited in this contest. However, Parham is a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses at 6’8” and 240 pounds, and he’s seen time in the slot during the preseason. His snaps might not be ideal, but his role is pretty appealing at a grim position.
- Matt Sokol – Hunter Henry is reportedly dealing with an injury, while Mike Gesicki is expected to miss the rest of the preseason. That leaves the Patriots pretty thin at tight end. Sokol led the position group in snaps and routes last week, so he has some viability vs. the Titans.
