DFS NFL Preseason FanDuel & DraftKings Lineup Advice 8/3 & 8/9

NFL is back! Okay, not really, but it’s the closest thing we have right now. NFL preseason DFS isn’t for everyone. It’s hard to find a lot of information on most of these guys, and even the info you can find is sometimes just “coach speak”, but if you are able to nail down players that will get a good amount of reps you have a good chance to win some money.

Before we get into this two game slate, I wanted to preface this advice with this statement, “This is a terrible two-game slate and I’ll be keeping my investments low. If you have any doubts about NFL preseason DFS, this isn’t the slate for you. Wait until the full slate next week.”

Okay, now that we got that out to of the way we can move onto bigger and better things. I’ll be including in this article, and every subsequent article, with what I’m calling, “The QB Usage Chart”. The chart shows the number of passes each string QB took in each preseason game last season. While not perfect, it will give you an idea of how some teams may play their QBs this preseason.

You can view the “QB Usage Chart” by clicking here.

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Quarterbacks

Joe Webb, Panthers

DFS NFL Preseason FanDuel DraftKings Lineup 8/3 & 8/9I’m expecting Cam Newton (shoulder) to sit this game out entirely. There is no need to push the matter with him. Derek Anderson is locked in as the No. 2 QB, so I expect he will get the “starter” treatment in the first preseason game. That leaves Joe Webb and Garrett Gilbert getting most of the reps. Gilbert threw two passes in preseason last year, I don’t expect him to do much in this game either.

Looking at last season’s usage chart, the Panthers actually gave most of the reps to the 3rd string QB last season to the tune of 44 percent in Week 1, and that was with a healthy Cam Newton getting 16 percent. He will likely not play a snap, meaning Webb could see well over 50 percent of the drop backs.

Blaine Gabbert, Cardinals

The Cardinals have already come out and said incumbent starter Carson Palmer and backup Drew Stanton will not play in this game. That leaves Gabbert playing the first half and Trevor Knight to play the second half. Gabbert actually plays well in preseason against second and third level players, so I’m looking for him to put up some decent first half numbers.

Deshaun Watson, Texans

Watson is likely the chalk at QB being a rookie playing in his first preseason game. Not to mention, the Texans gave their backup QB 75 percent of the drop backs in Week 1 last season. I’m a little leery about using him, but I can see the potential here.

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Running Backs

D’Onta Foreman, Texans

This one is a no-brainer. He is a rookie running back that will likely go into the season as the No. 3 RB at worst, and potentially could overtake Alfred Blue at No. 2. He will be looking to prove himself and the Texans will want to see what he can do in a game situation.

Christian McCaffrey, Panthers

DFS NFL Preseason FanDuel DraftKings Lineup 8/3 & 8/9McCaffrey is probably the chalk at running back, but I will admit, I’m not 100 percent sold on him yet. It’s not that I don’t think he will be good during the regular season, but it’s more so being afraid he might get “starter” treatment in the first week of the preseason. The upside is there of course, and he will make it into my lineups, but I won’t go heavy on him.

Fozzy Whittaker, Panthers

Whittaker had a great 2016 season by his standards, and he looked primed to take Jonathan Stewart‘s spot as the starter before long, but that prospect took a hit when the Panthers drafted McCaffrey. I’d expect the Panthers to give him some heavy preseason usage in case the oft-injured Stewart goes down during the season.

Rod Smith, Cowboys

Smith is my wild card at running back. No one outside of Cowboy fans has probably even heard of him, but he has started to make some noise in camp and could eventually supplant Darren McFadden as the No. 2 running back. Now, don’t get me wrong, I don’t think he has taken over that spot just yet, but if you consider the looming suspension of Ezekiel Elliott, Darren McFadden’s injury history, and Alfred Morris‘ inability to play special teams, there is a scenario in which Rod Smith is starting for the Cowboys at some point early in the season.

With that possibility, though small, the Cowboys will want to get a look at him before the games start to count. He may play the entire second half. It’s a shot in the dark for sure, but it’s preseason, your entire roster will be a shot in the dark.

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Wide Receivers

J.J. Nelson, Cardinals

DFS NFL Preseason FanDuel DraftKings Lineup 8/3 & 8/9The battle of attrition is why I like Nelson. Larry Fitzgerald will get the veteran treatment and will barely play in the preseason, and the trio of Jaron Brown, John Brown, and Aaron Dobson are all dealing with injuries. That leaves J.J. Nelson as the “best” wide receiver on the roster. The only thing that makes me nervous is the Cardinals may view Nelson as a Week 1 starter and he may only play a few snaps.

Brice Butler, Cowboys

Butler was a preseason MVP last season for the Cowboys catching 6 passes for 120 yards and one TD. Those numbers don’t sound that good, but it ranked him in the Top 10 in the NFC in receiving yards. I doubt we see any of the Cowboys’ starting pass catchers for more than a series if at all, leaving Butler as the best WR on the field.

Jaelen Strong/Braxton Miller, Texans

These two are both battling for the No. 3 WR spot behind DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller, and both figure to get a bunch of snaps. It’s a toss up as to which one shows up and a case can be made to roster both of them.

Tight Ends

Rico Gathers, Cowboys

I had to dig deep to find some tight ends to use for this slate. Gathers made a name for himself early in camp by getting kicked out of it for fighting, but some of his teammates chalked it up to being competitive. If he brings that type of energy to the game, coupled with his natural athleticism and 6-foot-8 frame, he could be the best option for your tight end on this slate.

Zach Conque, Texans

When picking my wild card tight end, I looked at the four teams and immediately eliminated the Cardinals as a team to roster a tight end. They don’t use their tight ends heavily in their offense. The other three use their tight ends a lot, and the converted QB turned tight end Zach Conque looks to be the best athlete of the second and third string players. He is definitely a long shot, but to go from dual threat QB in college to NFL tight end means, at the very least, he is a special athlete.

Defense

Cardinals vs DAL

Defenses are a total crap shoot in the preseason, but when picking defenses I look at the opposing offense. The Cowboys have a team full of established starters on offense, meaning they will be playing a bunch of the second and third string players more than most teams will. The Cardinals defense is pretty deep and should be able to exploit the Dallas backups.

Texans @ CAR

Cam Newton likely to sit. Derek Anderson likely to play very little, leaving Joe Webb and Garret Gilbert at QB for most of the game. The Texans defensive backups could start for other teams. Advantage Texans.

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Geoff Lambert

Geoff has been playing fantasy football since 1996 and covering it professionally since 2015. In addition to being the founder of GoingFor2.com and The Armchair Fantasy Show, Geoff has contributed to FantasyPros, FantasyLife, and the now-defunct RotoWriters, while also appearing on a multitude of fantasy podcasts. Geoff's favorite professional teams are the 49ers, the Pelicans and the Nationals.

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