Every team is in action over the next four days! OK, so NFL preseason Week 1 isn’t on my list for “days that should be national holidays,” but it’s our first sniff of a full NFL slate, and that’s a beautiful thing. Even in the preseason, DFS is in full swing, and we have the picks and advice to get you ready.
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DFS NFL Preseason Week 1
I’m going to run through some options for your DFS pleasure by each day, how many sites elect to run their games, but before that, my list of days that should be holidays, full with paid time off and everything.
What day doesn't count as a holiday but should?
I'm talking fully paid, recognized like any other holiday. The most deserving is …
— Kyle Soppe (@KyleSoppePFN) August 9, 2023
Before I get into the individual days, one note that will help you stay out of your own way. Just because the high-profile rookie quarterback that is expected to start the season opener is active doesn’t mean you have to play him.
Sure, the odds are good that he’s a better football player than the other options, but they’ve largely underwhelmed in this spot. Over the past eight seasons, eight times has a rookie QB drafted in Round 1 played in the preseason opener while starting the regular-season opener …
- Completion Percentage: 63.7%
- Passes: 14.1
- Yards Per Pass: 6.0
- TD/INT Rate: 0.33
That last part is the issue. We’re talking about a 113-pass sample size of guys that entered with pedigree … one touchdown pass. Uno! It was Sam Darnold in 2018, and he didn’t even start the game.
Casual preseason DFS players (that might be the first time those four words have ever been strung together in the history of the internet) are likely to gravitate toward the name they know and the prospect that has been hyped. Be careful.
NFL Preseason Week 1 | Thursday
Texans at Patriots
Vikings at Seahawks
The New England Patriots’ offense as a whole makes for an interesting target in this spot. Mac Jones is atop this depth chart, and the team has made it well known how they feel about Bailey Zappe (extended playing time in four games last season: 70.7% complete, 781 yards and five touchdowns).
That leaves Trace McSorley set to potentially fill a volume role in this game as the team looks to evaluate him. He’s an athlete that was born with a high level of confidence, the exact type of profile that can work in this setting.
Speaking of the Patriots, they have a fragile receiver room and are unlikely to roll the dice on them seeing much action. Enter Kayshon Boutte, the LSU product who, at one time, had a Round 1 grade. However, Boutte fell to New England in the sixth round. He’s a size/speed option, and in these lower-scoring preseason games, he has the spike-play ability that could break a slate.
In the other game, there are a few angles to consider. The Seattle Seahawks can’t keep a running back healthy these days, so if they elect to air it out against an iffy Minnesota Vikings defense, there are a few WRs to consider. Dee Eskridge (second-round pick in 2021) has been suspended for six regular-season games due to personal conduct, but he can play in the preseason and has at least received real NFL reps over the past two seasons.
Eskridge stands at 5’9” while his teammate Cody Thompson checks in at 6’2”, so if Seattle wants to see how their backup quarterbacks do with a (much) lesser version of the physical makeup of Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf, they’ve got their options.
NFL Preseason Week 1 | Friday
Packers at Bengals
Giants at Lions
Falcons at Dolphins
Steelers at Buccaneers
Commanders at Browns
Broncos at Cardinals
We all held our breath when Joe Burrow pulled up lame on a practice scramble. And while everything sounds fine on that front, it’s safe to say that the Cincinnati Bengals are valuing backup Trevor Siemian more now than a month ago. That should pave the way for Jake Browning and Reid Sinnett to be on the field plenty against the Packers.
Neither is all that exciting of a prospect, but Browning has been in Cincy’s system since 2021. Offensive coordinator Brian Callahan is familiar with him. The Bengals have some size buried on their WR depth chart, along with a vet in Trent Taylor, who has 87 catches on his NFL résumé, giving this offense some upside.
The Dolphins are another offense that has my attention. They brought in Mike White as Tua Tagovailoa insurance, so it’s tough to imagine either plays meaningful snaps against Atlanta. That leaves the door open for Skylar Thompson to play plenty. His 105 attempts last season is enough to assume he won’t be overwhelmed by NFL speed.
A Dolphin without NFL reps under his belt is De’Von Achane, the rare player that year-long fantasy managers are interested in that could matter this week. Raheem Mostert (31 years old) has appeared in more than nine games just three times in his NFL career, and Jeff Wilson Jr. has yet to clear 126 carries in a season. Why use those reps in the preseason?
Achane has some serious juice (6.4 yards per carry at Texas A&M) and has a reasonable playing time expectation, a rare combination in Week 1 of the NFL preseason.
Other Friday DFS Options
Demetric Felton Jr. (RB – CLE)
John Kelly Jr. was featured in the Hall of Fame Game (three carries, two targets, and a 19-yard catch that came back via penalty), but it was Demetric Felton that punched in the score and led Cleveland in rushing. Last season, we saw the HOF teams pivot from what they did in that game in the next game, so Felton could be force-fed early on.
John Wolford (QB – TB)
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a QB competition, but do we think they use Week 1 of the preseason to showcase that? Why not buy another week of practice reps and have Kyle Trask vs. Baker Mayfield next week?
If that’s the case, John Wolford (104 career NFL attempts) is a player with NFL reps that could see enough volume to matter on this big slate.
Collin Johnson and David Sills V (WR – NYG)
Like everyone, I’ve made jokes about the construction of the New York Giants WR room. And like everyone, I stand by it. But who is going to play significant snaps in this game?
Isaiah Hodgins is too valuable (what a world), while Darius Slayton/Parris Campbell carry health risks, and Sterling Shepard/Wan’Dale Robinson could open the season on the PUP list. After that, you have veterans like Cole Beasley and Jamison Crowder, that rarely play in early August.
With that in mind, Collin Johnson and David Sills V both have the role and size that put them very much on my radar.
NFL Preseason Week 1 | Saturday
Indianapolis Colts at Buffalo Bills
Tennessee Titans at Chicago Bears
New York Jets at Carolina Panthers
Jacksonville Jaguars at Dallas Cowboys
Philadelphia Eagles at Baltimore Ravens
Los Angeles Chargers at Los Angeles Rams
The Ravens play to win the game, so anyone on that roster is worth a look. Justice Hill makes the most sense at the running back position, while Tylan Wallace (16.8 yards per catch in college with a touchdown once every 7.9 catches) pops at wide receiver.
Jonathan Taylor’s future is a question mark entering this game, and Zack Moss is out with a broken arm. Sure, Indianapolis is bringing in veteran options, but at the moment, that means that Deon Jackson and Evan Hall have a chance to impress.
Jackson has NFL reps under his belt, but Hull is the one that carries at least some draft capital (2023 fifth-rounder) and has a versatile profile. Sign me up for some exposure to both, with the unknown in Hull holding the edge in roster rate.
Deuce Vaughn’s size gets highlighted in any preseason clip, but let’s spin that the other way. You know what is tough for preseason players that have little to no NFL experience? Looking past the size up front, making a sparkplug like Vaughn a tough find.
That changes a bit in the regular season when experienced lines can read the blocking scheme and adjust, something that doesn’t happen at as high a level in August due to a lack of experience.
Other Saturday DFS Options
Andy Isabella (WR – BUF)
The 2019 second-round pick is in his first year with the team and looking to impress. Say what you will about Matt Barkley, but the Buffalo Bills do have three legitimate NFL quarterbacks on the roster, thus elevating the quality of target for Andy Isabella over what many other receivers will see this weekend.
Derek White (WR – CAR)
I’m not sure we see a ton of Bryce Young, but we’ll see some. Meanwhile, Matt Corral is a quarterback who carries upside and figures to play plenty.
Derek White averaged 16.4 yards per catch with 11 scores in his final season at Utah State and should see his number called in the second half of this game as Carolina looks to make decisions on their depth chart.
Stetson Bennett (QB – LAR)
Stetson Bennett showed off his efficient ways at Georgia (9.4 yards per attempt with a 4.0 TD/INT rate over his final two seasons), and the Los Angeles Rams are going to want to see what their fourth-round pick has to offer with Matthew Stafford preparing for his age-35 season.
Los Angeles has devoted draft capital in two of the past three seasons at the WR position and brought in Demarcus Robinson in June.
NFL Preseason Week 1 | Sunday
Kansas City Chiefs at New Orleans Saints
San Francisco 49ers at Las Vegas Raiders
Trey Lance seems to be healthy and might be playing for his future with the team. Desperation isn’t a bad thing to target this time of year, nor is a skill set like that of Lance. His playing time may be capped, but on a two-game slate, I’ll target any level of quality, and that’s what I expect when Lance is under center.
I’m not ruling out anything when it comes to a Raiders backfield that played Josh Jacobs in the Hall of Fame Game last season. As Jacobs works through a holdout situation, this depth chart has Zamir White and a pair of backs on the wrong side of 30 years old.
Theoretically, that could mean that White is limited in this game, but I’m thinking outside the box on this small slate. Maybe Vegas wants to feature the 2022 fourth-rounder in an effort to gain leverage in the Jacobs’ negotiations? He’s the back that will be active with upside, and that’s more than enough in this DFS spot!