We are onto the final game of Week 2 of the NFL preseason. Remember, there are only three weeks in the preseason this year, so this is the second-to-last tune-up before the start of the regular season.
Week 2 wraps up with a Monday Night Football matchup between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the New Orleans Saints at 8 p.m. ET.
It will be interesting to see how most teams choose to approach their game this week. The second-to-last preseason game used to be the “dress rehearsal” for the starters, meaning they would play upwards of three quarters. However, with one fewer preseason game to evaluate the players at the bottom of the roster, it remains to be seen if that’s still the case.
Let’s dive into Monday’s slate to try and identify some DFS value.
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars enter Monday’s game with four quarterbacks on their roster, and all four players saw the field in their first preseason contest. Quarterbacks normally carry tons of value in preseason DFS showdowns, but that makes the Jaguars’ situation less appealing than usual.
Trevor Lawrence played two drives in their first contest, and he should see a bit more playing time vs. the Saints. He owns the highest projection among the Jaguars’ quarterbacks in our NFL Models, and head coach Urban Meyer should make getting Lawrence ready to start the regular season a top priority. Gardner Minshew, C.J. Beathard, and Jake Luton round out the position group, and Beathard led the quarterbacks in snaps last week. He would be my second choice at the position.
The Jaguars also had six running backs see the field last week. Starter James Robinson and third-stringer Carlos Hyde saw minimal actions, but Travis Etienne‘s 13 snaps ranked second at the position. That said, he hasn’t been used like a traditional running back. He received just one carry, and there are plenty of reports about Etienne serving more as a wide receiver during training camp. That does give him some upside in PPR formats, but it also makes him a risky play if he doesn’t see more snaps this week.
Dare Ogunbowale led the group with 22 snaps in Week 1, and he also led the team with eight carries and 24 rushing yards. He seems like their choice as the late-game grinder, which carries plenty of value in preseason DFS.
The Jaguars have a battle for the final spots on their roster at the receiver position, which makes them an appealing position group to target. Collin Johnson led the team with 32 snaps last week, and he is reportedly competing with Laquon Treadwell, Pharoh Cooper, and Jalen Camp for one or two roster spots. All four players are expected to see plenty of action this week after the starters depart, so all four players have appeal.
Johnson wasn’t a particularly well-regarded prospect – he was drafted in the fifth round in 2020 – but he had some impressive moments last year. He finished with 18 catches for 272 receiving yards and two touchdowns over 11 games, which is not bad considering his limited snap count. He’s a big-bodied receiver at 6’6” and 222 pounds, which makes up for his subpar athleticism.
Treadwell was a first-round pick by the Vikings in 2016, and he has been a massive bust. There were plenty of warning signs with Treadwell too: His PlayerProfiler page looks like it belongs to an undrafted free agent. He tested poorly athletically and had subpar collegiate production, but he did catch both of his targets last week.
Cooper was also drafted in 2016, and he’s another poor athlete by NFL standards. That said, he was at least a massive target hog in college. He posted a 43.1% Dominator Rating, which ranks in the 88th percentile. That’s more than Treadwell can say, but Cooper has been mostly a special teamer to start his career.
Finally, Camp is the youngest player in the group after being selected in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He’s also easily the best athlete of the group. He ranks in at least the 87th percentile for Burst Score, Speed Score, and Catch Radius, but he didn’t have much of a chance to showcase his athleticism at Georgia Tech. He only saw one target last week, but I’m intrigued by his skill set.
Overall, Johnson owns the highest projection of this quartet in our NFL Models, but Camp and Treadwell aren’t far behind.
The Jaguars have five tight ends on their roster after cutting Tim Tebow, and none of them played more than 18 snaps last week. There’s no reason to play any of them on Monday night.
Finally, the Jaguars D/ST and Josh Lambo are certainly in play. Defenses have historically been the highest-scoring position group during the preseason, and teams with just one kicker on the roster have also provided excellent value.
Use the optimizer in the FantasyLabs Player Models to build lineups for tonight’s preseason DFS slate.
New Orleans Saints
The Saints also have four quarterbacks on their roster, but Trevor Siemian did not play last week. Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill should get the majority of the focus here. They’re currently competing for the starting quarterback job, and they split the playing time relatively evenly last week. Hill drew the start in their first preseason contest, while Winston is expected to start vs. the Jaguars.
Both players have plenty of appeal, and you can even consider playing them together. Winston will benefit from playing with the starting unit, but Hill’s skillset is better suited for the preseason. Hill didn’t rack up any rushing yards last week, but that’s a big part of his game.
Alvin Kamara did not play in last week’s contest, and I would be surprised if he’s active vs. the Jaguars. There’s simply no reason to risk him in a meaningless preseason game. That leaves plenty of snaps for the rest of the position.
Latavius Murray, Devonta Freeman, and Troy Jones Jr. handled the rushing duties last week, and I would expect similar production on Monday. Murray and Freeman are battling for the backup running back job, but both players were equally unimpressive last week. They combined for 12 yards on 11 carries, and neither player had a rush longer than two yards.
Jones is the more appealing option. He turned his seven carries in 82 yards, and he also scored a touchdown. He also caught five passes, so he has some receiving upside as well. Expect the Saints to close the game with a heavy dose of Jones again vs. the Jaguars.
The Saints’ receiving corps could be a bit thin this week. Michael Thomas remains sidelined with an injury, while Tre’Quan Smith and Tommylee Lewis missed practice on Thursday. Deonte Harris also didn’t suit up last week, which left the team without much depth at the position.
Lil’Jordan Humphrey led the team in snaps, routes, and targets last week, and he also scored a touchdown. He’s another large receiver at 6’4” and 210 pounds, and he has provided some value when given the opportunity to play. He’s their top receiving option vs. the Jaguars.
Marquez Callaway and Kawaan Baker also played at least 20 snaps apiece last week, while Chris Hogan played 19. Callaway has a chance to open the regular season as the team’s top receiver with Thomas sidelined, so expect his snaps to come early. Baker and Hogan will finish the game, while Ty Montgomery will also factor into the equation at receiver.
The Saints’ most interesting position battle outside of quarterback might be at tight end. Adam Trautman was expected to serve as the team’s starter this season, but Juwan Johnson has been drawing rave reviews out of camp. Johnson turned two targets into two catches for 71 yards last week, so he’s definitely turned up the heat on Trautman. Don’t go crazy with either player, but they could be worth some exposure if you’re entering multiple lineups.
The Saints D/ST and kicker Aldrick Rosas are also among the strongest options on the slate.
