NFL Preseason Week 1: DFS Saturday Preview

This article is part of our DFS NFL series.

There are six NFL preseason games on Saturday after 1 p.m. EDT. DraftKings and FanDuel offer DFS contests for their Saturday slate. Salary cap management is a key component of DFS matches in the regular season, but all players will be priced the same in preseason. Below is a breakdown by position of the top DFS plays in Saturday’s game. Keep in mind that most experienced beginners will play little if so. So the early part of preseason is all about younger players pushing for bigger roles or positions on the roster. Saturday’s six matchups include Titans-Bears, Colts-Bills, Jets-Panthers, Jaguars-Cowboys, Eagles-Ravens and Chargers-Rams.

defender

Anthony RichardsonIND at BUF: Richardson was named the starter for the Colts’ preseason debut, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see the rookie’s fourth overall pick get so much play time in his debut. his NFL from a physical standpoint. Richardson is like a stronger Josh Allen. (Which won’t play for Buffalo here.) The 6-foot-4, 244-pound unicorn from Florida has a rocket arm, 4.43 velocity, and a 40.5-inch vertical. Long in the NFL, but his athleticism should allow him to play his leg big this match. And he’s likely to launch high-reward deep court shots as well. just like Richardson trying to improve his case for a fresh start with Gardner Minchew in Week 1

Malik WillisTen at CHI: Willis’ second-round pick and rookie Will Levis should have plenty of running opportunities in this game since they are the only two quarterbacks on Tennessee’s list behind Ryan Tannehill, who will play sparingly if Saturday arrives. With Willis’ unbeatable versatility and the fact he has a year of NFL experience under his belt. The 2022 third-round pick therefore has more advantages in this game. Both of Tennessee’s young quarterbacks, though, were tempted to play as they continued to compete for backup spots behind Tan Nehill. Tanehill was injured last season, but he dashed for 40 yards in two-thirds of his 2022 starts.

Honorable Mention:

Bryce YoungCAR with NYJ; Zack WilsonNYJ at CAR; Anthony BrownBAL vs. P.

run back

Israel AbanikandaNYJ at CAR: Unlike most of the players who play Saturday, we got a look at Abanikanda this season, while the Jets played in a Hall of Fame game last week. His most distinctive trait in college was speed. (He ran between 4.26 and 4.32 at Pitt’s Pro Day) and nose for the end zone (20 rushing TDs last year). Abanikanda performed both for a 10-yard touchdown run in the second quarter against the Browns. The fifth-round rookie played most of the first half last week and will likely get significant play time again if Michael Carter and/or Zonovan Knight play after sitting out last week. That could benefit Abanikanda by making him easier to match later in the game.

Evan HullIND at BUF: With Jonathan Taylor (ankle) and Zack Moss (arm) unavailable, the Colt will likely be looking at Hull in his NFL debut for a long time to come. The fifth-round rookie has performed well both as an offensive and defensive player at Northwestern. 900 yards in each of the last two seasons. While adding 55 catches for 546 yards in 2022 alone, Deon Jackson missed practice this week with an undisclosed injury. and may not play much despite being healthy Given that he could be a starting lineup in Week 1 given the Colts’ current backfield situation, while veteran Kenyan Drake is still adjusting after signing with the team last week, he’s still struggling with the situation.

Bigsby bucketJAX at DAL: The Jacksonville startup is expected to play a drive or two. And it will be interesting to see if Bigsby will blend in with that group. Either way The rookie third-round pick is likely to get a lot of action with backups. And he excelled on the field as a three-year contributor at Auburn, racking up 2,903 yards and 25 touchdowns in 35 games.

Honorable Mention:

Taija Spearsten at CHI; Deez VaughanDAL vs. JAX; Roshnon JohnsonCHI and TEN

wide receiver

canagua crabLAR vs. LAC: According to boot camp, Nacua was one of the most impressive performers among the 14 Rams picks in the 2023 NFL Draft. The fifth-round BYU pick was praised by both quarterback Matthew Stafford and coach Sean McVay with the chart. The defensive depth of a team trailing Cooper Kupp is out of order. Nacua should be given plenty of opportunities to create a dominant Week 1 role throughout preseason. Starting with the battle between the teams in Los Angeles. Other rookie skill position players likely to see the field for the Rams Saturday include QB Stetson Bennett (fourth round) and RB Zach Evans (sixth round).

Jason BrownleeNYJ at CAR: Brownlee was the only jet to see more than three targets in the Hall of Fame game, finishing with two catches for 17 yards on five targets. The stats weren’t that impressive. But Brownlee’s use is encouraging. This undrafted free agent reportedly performed well in camp. and is pushing for a list of 53 people from that context Brownlee should be given the opportunity to continue theatrical performances. And he will be inspired to perform better than last week.

Darius DavisLAC at LAR: First-round qualifier Quentin Johnston is rightfully getting more attention. But Davis could be more active this Saturday. As the two rookie receivers from TCU make their NFL debuts, while Johnston is likely to have his rep capped as he is expected to be a primary contributor in the regular season, Davis should be given plenty of opportunities in the NFL. As the Chargers try to determine how much a changed fourth-round pick will contribute to the offensive. beyond what he expected Take on the role of a return man in a special team. Davis should benefit from the pre-established chemistry with former TCU quarterback Max Duggan, who the Chargers pick in the seventh round to complete the Horned Frogs trio.

Honorable Mention:

say flowerBAL with Phi; Jonathan MingoCAR with NYJ; Jalen TolbertDAL vs. JAX

attach

Isaiah shouldBAL vs. PHI: Probably one of the league’s top preseason players ahead of last year’s rookie season, he recorded 12 catches for 144 yards and a touchdown in his team’s first two preseason games. He was set to return to his backup role behind Mark. Andrew when the regular season begins So Baltimore should be giving Likely another chance to spread his wings as a passer this preseason. It’s usually a good idea to target the Ravens in general in the preseason, as John Harbaugh prioritizes winning these exhibition games more than any other coach in the NFL, as evidenced by his . Win streak in Baltimore’s current 23-game preseason. The 6-foot-6-foot, undrafted rookie Travis Vokolek reportedly impresses in training camp as well, so Vokolek could be a passing factor. late game especially in the red zone

Dalton KincaidBUF vs. IND: The Bills tend to focus on Kincaid’s receiving as long as he’s in the game. The first-round rookie was drafted for his passing ability after completing 70 passes for 890 yards and eight touchdowns for Utah in 2022, and Kincade did well as a receiver in practice. Between experienced substitute Kyle Allen and Matt Barkley, the Bills should play defenders who are good enough to successfully contribute to Kincade.

Honorable Mention:

Josh Weilten at CHI; Brenton StrangeJAX at DAL; Give Calcaterrap at BAL

Defense/Special Team:

Tennessee Titans TEN at CHI: The Bears’ offensive play in 2022 is almost entirely dependent on Justin Fields’ playability, or at least the threat of Fields running to open up runs for others. Fields are expected to see the field briefly. But he should focus on passing to avoid injury. So the Titans don’t have much to fear during that part of the game either. Considering Chicago’s offensive struggle last year. Tennessee should be consistently under pressure throughout the game. And the Bears’ three offfield quarterbacks (PJ Walker, Nathan Peterman and Tyson Bagent) have a combined 9:24 career TD:INT.

Honorable Mention:

Baltimore Ravens, BAL at PHI, Los Angeles Chargers, LAC at LAR, Los Angeles Rams, LAR at LAC

The authors of this article may play in daily fantasy tournaments, including – but not limited to – games for which they provide advice or recommendations in this article. While playing these games using a personal account It is possible that they will use a lineup or some other strategy. That is different from the advice they gave above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Sasha Yodashkin plays in daily fantasy tournaments using the following accounts: FanDuel: Youngsash, DraftKings: Yashdogg, Yahoo: Sasha, Fanball: Yashdogg.