We’re about halfway through Week 3 of the preseason, with another six-game slate at 4:00 pm ET. We should expect to see the starters for most teams play at least a half of football.
If you haven’t played preseason daily fantasy before, check out my five DFS guidelines for dominating the NFL preseason as well as the “Daily Fantasy Flex” episode in which I break down the secrets of the preseason schedule.
For more guidance, see our industry-leading Models, which contain preseason player projections for subscribers. If you’re a redraft player, check out our FREE standard and point-per-reception rankings as well as in-house oddsmaker Sean Koerner’s season-long player projections.
Be sure to keep an eye out for late-breaking news on player availability before lineups lock.
Quarterbacks
Jimmy Garoppolo (49ers): Jimmy G is no stranger to the preseason. For his first four years in the league, he was a legendary preseason producer as Tom Brady’s backup.
- 2014: 46-of-79 passing, 618 yards, 5 touchdowns, 1 interception, 8 yards rushing
- 2015: 61-of-80 passing, 554 yards, 2 touchdowns, 2 interceptions, 29 yards rushing
- 2016: 36-of-54 passing, 406 yards, 1 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, 3 yards rushing
- 2017: 44-of-63 passing, 463 yards, 3 touchdowns, 1 interception, 6 yards rushing
This preseason has been different because he’s now a starter, but today he’s expected to play the entire first half. Facing a Colts unit that last year was dead last against the pass in Football Outsiders’ Defense-Adjusted Value Over Average (DVOA), Garoppolo could light it up.
Andrew Luck (Colts): Luck struggled last week (6-of-13 passing for 50 yards and an interception), but he was going against a tough Ravens defense. This week he’s facing a suspect 49ers defense that was 28th in pass DVOA last year. Since he’s unlikely to play next week, the Colts should give him all the reps he can handle today. He’s expected to play at least most of the first half.
Blake Bortles (Jaguars): Bortles been criticized heavily throughout his career, but over the past three years he ranks 11th among all quarterbacks with 17.4 fantasy points per game thanks in part to his dual-threat ability: Only Cam Newton, Tyrod Taylor and Russell Wilson have more than his 991 yards rushing since 2015. He’s expected to play most if not all of the first half.
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Running Backs
Melvin Gordon (Chargers): The Chargers are banged up at running back with even backup Austin Ekeler (calf) missing some time, so Gordon should have most if not all of the first-team reps to himself. A true three-down back (722 carries, 132 targets since 2015), Gordon had 10 carries and two receptions just last week and seems likely to get more opportunities now with a full half of action.
Christine Michael (Colts): Michael has been on five teams in six years, yet is still just 27 years old and now on a team with uncertainty in the backfield. A gifted athlete with a 99th-percentile SPARQ score, Michael has recently been taking reps with the first-team offense and could see significant time with the starters.
Leonard Fournette (Jaguars): The Jags are expected to play their starters for a significant time, which should result in solid usage for Fournette. The Jags led the league with 527 rush attempts last year, and Fournette is the centerpiece of their offense. He’s struggled with just 2.8 yards per rush this preseason, so the Jags could look to give him extra touches in an attempt to get him back in rhythm before the season starts.
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Wide Receivers
Keenan Allen (Chargers): Allen played 20 snaps last week, which is a good sign heading into the game. Last year in Week 3 of the preseason Allen had a solid 5-45-0 receiving line, and during the season he was targeted 159 times. Last week he had four targets, and that number could double if the Chargers opt to throw heavily in the first half.
Marquise Goodwin (49ers): For the first few years of his career, Goodwin was just a deep-ball receiver with world-class speed (4.27-second 40 time), but last year he developed as an overall receiver, displaying a strong connection with Garoppolo. In Jimmy G’s five starts to close the season, Goodwin had 8.6 targets and 15.1 fantasy points per game. Against Indy’s bland preseason defense, Goodwin could produce.
Taywan Taylor (Titans): Taylor did little as a rookie last year, but this preseason has been different. Last week he had four receptions for 104 yards and two touchdowns, adding one carry for three yards. With Rishard Matthews (knee) still sidelines, Taylor should get extensive run with the first team and possibly some more with the second team. In his two final seasons at Western Kentucky, he was a star with 184-3,197-34 receiving in 28 games.
Tight Ends
Mark Andrews (Ravens): A third-round selection this year, Andrews has done little throughout the preseason while dealing with a soft-tissue injury, but now he is healthy and first-rounder Hayden Hurst (foot) is out. As a result, Andrews could see extended playing time tonight. Last year at Oklahoma, he led the team with 62 receptions and eight touchdowns and placed second with 958 yards. He’s a legit pass-catching threat all over the field.
Jack Doyle (Colts): Last year Doyle was fifth at the position with 11.3 fantasy fantasy points per game while dealing with subpar quarterback play. Now with Luck throwing the ball, Doyle could cement his status as an upper-tier tight end. Wide receiver T.Y. Hilton (shoulder) might be limited or inactive tonight, so Doyle could play as Luck’s No. 1 option.
Defense
Texans: Rams head coach Sean McVay has indicated that most of the first-team offense may not play at all tonight, including quarterback Jared Goff, running back Todd Gurley and three offensive linemen. As a result, the Texans defense could spend the entire game playing against backups for a team with just 26 points this season. After opening as +2.5 underdogs, the Texans are now -3 favorites, and the over/under has dropped from 43.5 to 39.5 (per our Live Odds page).
Titans: Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is expected to start, but he’s unlikely to play a full half. Additionally, Roethlisberger is expected to be without his top pass-catchers in wide receiver Antonio Brown (quad) and running back Le’Veon Bell (holdout). The over/under for the game has dropped from 45.5 to 42.5.
Photo credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Pictured above: Jimmy Garoppolo
