We are onto the final week of the NFL preseason. Most teams are expected to use this contest as one final chance to evaluate the bottom of their roster, but some teams will get their starters some action.
There were initially seven games scheduled for Saturday, but the game between the Cardinals and Saints has been canceled due to Hurricane Ida. That leaves a five-game main slate starting at 6 p.m. ET.
Let’s dive into Saturday’s slate to try and identify some DFS value.
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Quarterback
Very rarely do teams play just one quarterback in a preseason game, but the Rams are expected to do it on Saturday. Matthew Stafford has been ruled out, while John Wolford is only available on an emergency basis.
That leaves Bryce Perkins to handle all the snaps vs. the Broncos. Perkins filled that role for the Rams last week as well, and he stuffed the stat sheet. He finished with 208 passing yards and two passing touchdowns, and he also added 41 yards on the ground. That is a monster performance for the preseason.
Perkins might not be able to duplicate his passing success vs. the Broncos, but the rushing upside is legit. He ran a 4.73 40-yard dash at the 2020 NFL Combine, which puts him in the 75th percentile at the QB position (per PlayerProfiler). His combination of rushing upside and playing time makes him the clear top option at the position.
Other Options
Tyler Huntley is another quarterback who could see a boatload of playing time on Saturday. Lamar Jackson is the only other healthy quarterback on the Ravens roster, and he has yet to suit up during the preseason. Jackson is tentatively expected to play a drive or two, but that still leaves Huntley to play upwards of three quarters. He’s an elite athlete at the quarterback position, ranking in at least the 92nd percentile in 40-yard dash time, Speed Score, and SPARQ-x Score.
Justin Fields is currently penciled in for the first half on Saturday, which is enough playing time for him to be relevant. He’s another elite athlete at quarterback, and he also has elite arm talent for a preseason quarterback. He was able to make all the throws in college, ranking in the 97th percentile for QBR.
The Titans are approaching the QB position a bit differently on Saturday. Matt Barkley will start and play the first two series, while Logan Woodside will play the second two. The two players will then continue to alternate every two drives for the rest of the game. That might make it more difficult for either player to get in a groove, but it means that both players will get to face the weaker defensive units at the end of the game. Both players have been effective during the preseason, combining for five touchdowns with zero interceptions.
Chase Daniel will start for the Chargers, but Easton Stick is the more appealing option in DFS. Stick provides a tantalizing combination of athleticism and collegiate production, albeit at North Dakota State. Daniel shouldn’t need a ton of action in this contest, so I’d expect at least two quarters for Stick.
Running Back
Jaret Patterson has been extremely busy for the Washington Football Team during the preseason. He’s led the position group in snaps in each of their first two preseason games, and he unsurprisingly leads the group in carries and targets. Overall, he’s compiled the fifth-most rushing yards during the preseason to go along with seven catches for 55 receiving yards.
Patterson is an undrafted rookie out of Buffalo, but he was extremely productive in college. He racked up a 43.4% Dominator Rating, which puts him in the 93rd percentile at the position. Players who dominate at small schools are often overlooked during the NFL Draft, but Patterson can clearly play. He’s one of the best options at the position on Saturday’s slate.
Other Options
The Titans are pretty banged up at running back at the moment. Darrynton Evans didn’t play last week, while Jeremy McNichols was recently placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Derrick Henry likely won’t suit up in this contest, so that doesn’t leave the team with a ton of depth.
They signed Javian Hawkins on Thursday just to have an extra body available vs. the Bears, but Mekhi Sargent should handle most of the rushing workload. He’s led the position group in snaps in both of their previous preseason contests, and he’s a good bet to do it again on Saturday. Sargent has been extremely productive during the preseason as well, ranking second in the league in total rushing yards.
The Buccaneers’ top three running backs are locked in, so don’t expect to see much out of Leonard Fournette, Ronald Jones II, or Giovani Bernard this week. Ke’Shawn Vaughn leads the position group in snaps and carries during the preseason, and he is an extremely appealing prospect as far as preseason running backs go. He was selected in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft thanks to his combination of athleticism and college production, and he has some receiving chops out of the backfield as well.
Ty’Son Williams has logged at least 31 snaps in each of the Ravens’ first two preseason contests, and he fits the bill athletically as an NFL running back. He has pretty good speed considering his size, and he’s averaged 4.4 yards per carry on 20 attempts through his first two games. Williams will likely close the game for the Ravens against Washington’s weakest defenders, which is another positive working in his favor.
The Rams traded for Sony Michel earlier this week, and it’s possible he could get some snaps vs. the Chargers. That said, most of the work should fall to Xavier Jones and Jake Funk. Both players have generated hype at certain points during training camp, but both players are a bit more expendable now that Michel is in town. Jones out-snapped Funk 47 to 24 last week, so he seems like the preferred option.
Finally, Josh Kelley and Larry Rountree III are both competing for the backup running back job with the Chargers, and both players should get opportunities on Saturday. Kelley had a clear edge in snaps in Week 1, but they split the workload pretty evenly last week. Rountree has been more effective with his chances during the preseason, averaging 4.7 yards per carry.
Wide Receiver
The Rams have not played Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp, DeSean Jackson, or Van Jefferson during the preseason, which leaves them with a small group of players to handle most of the snaps. Tutu Atwell, J.J. Koski, and Landen Akers each saw at least 65 snaps last week, which is an astronomical number during the preseason. Unsurprisingly, those three players were very productive, combining for 21 catches and 156 yards. Stacking up at least one of those options with Perkins should be the default strategy for most on Saturday’s slate.
Atwell will likely command the highest ownership of the trio. He was selected in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft, and he’s someone that most casual football fans are familiar with. He’s diminutive at 5’9” and 155 pounds, but he does have outstanding speed. He averaged 18.4 yards per reception in 2019 at Louisville, so he’s a threat to take one to the house.
Other Options
The Ravens are still without their top three receivers, so expect another busy day for Tylan Wallace. He’s led the Ravens’ wideouts in snaps in each of the past two weeks, and his four targets last week were tied for the second-highest mark on the team.
The Bears have two appealing targets in Riley Ridley and Rodney Adams. Ridley has led the Bears wideouts in snaps during the preseason, while Adams has been one of the most productive receivers through the first two weeks. His 146 yards trails only Marquez Calloway’s 165 for the Saints, and he’s also scored a touchdown.
Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Antonio Brown have barely played during the preseason, logging just 16 combined snaps. That has left plenty of playing time for the rest of the receivers, namely Scotty Miller, Tyler Johnson, and Jaelon Darden. All three players bring something different to the table on Saturday: Miller leads the team in routes run, Johnson leads the team in snaps, and Darden leads the team in targets. All three are viable options.
The Chargers have also leaned on a trio of receivers during the preseason. Jalen Guyton, Tyron Johnson, and K.J. Hill Jr. each saw at least 35 snaps last week, and they should see another solid workload on Saturday. Keenan Allen and Mike Williams are both expected to sit, leaving the team without their top two options at the position.
Tight End
It’s impossible to ignore what Josh Oliver has done during the preseason. Tight end is usually a dumpster fire, but he has been an insane source of production. He’s racked up at least 47 snaps in each of the first two games, and he leads the team in targets and routes run during the preseason. He’s also been able to turn those routes and targets into fantasy points, finishing with seven catches for 50 yards last week. Huntley played the entire game last week, so they clearly have chemistry. They could hook up for another big performance on Saturday.
Other Options
John Bates led the Washington tight ends in snaps last week, and he’s an intriguing prospect at the position. He was selected in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, and he has some ability as a pass-catcher. He averaged 12.3 yards per reception at Boise State, and his Agility Score ranks in the 88th percentile for the tight end position. Bates should take over after Logan Thomas departs, which will likely be at the same time as Ryan Fitzpatrick.
The Seahawks currently have five tight ends on their depth chart, and four of them have yet to suit up during the preseason. Some of those players could factor into the equation this week, but I wouldn’t expect a ton of snaps for any of them.
That leaves Cam Sutton to handle the bulk of the playing time. He doesn’t have a ton working for him as an undrafted rookie free agent, but any tight end who could theoretically play the full game has appeal in the preseason.
