RADIO
Ok, here we go! This is more like it; we’ve finally got a slate with some oompf behind it as there are five games on tonight’s main slate, along with a handful of single-game slates. The night kicks off with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs heading to Jacksonville to face the Jaguars. We know that the starters will get some run for Kansas City before the real stars of the preseason get their chance to shine.
Elsewhere, we will get our first looks at Marvin Harrison Jr., Brian Thomas Jr., Jermaine Burton, and many other rookies making their first impressions on the NFL. Harrison may not see too much work as he’s entrenched as a starter, but Thomas and Burton could make a splash in their first NFL action. Along with those well-known names, the slate will be loaded with rookies and unknowns who should be featured heavily tonight and need to be on your radar.
Here you will be provided daily fantasy football picks on FanDuel and DraftKings for the Saturday night five-game slate of Week 1 of the NFL preseason on 8/10/24. These NFL DFS lineup picks can vary from high-end players and elite options to backup and contrarian players on both DraftKings and FanDuel. Thanks for reading, and good luck RotoBallers!
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Preseason NFL DFS Picks – Quarterbacks
PJ Walker, SEA at LAC
Geno Smith won’t play in tonight’s game, and the Seahawks have only two other quarterbacks on the roster. That means there should be a lot of playing time for Sam Howell, the projected backup, and PJ Walker, the former XFL star and Carolina starter. The pecking order was never in question in Seattle at the start of the summer, but word out of camp is that Walker is closing the gap on Howell.
Both quarterbacks are in play, but Walker should get the easier matchup against the third and fourth-stringers of the Chargers. That gives him a leg up over Howell as a fantasy producer, while his projected volume should make him one of the safest quarterbacks plays in cash games.
Kyle Trask, TB at CIN
While Walker is your cash option, Kyle Trask is the top tournament option. He battled Baker Mayfield last summer for the starter’s job, but now he’s the clear backup in Tampa Bay. Baker won’t see the field in this game, and the only other quarterback in camp for the Bucs is John Wolford.
The two quarterbacks should each play about a half, but Trask gets the edge for me given the talent he will have at his disposal. He’s stackable with Jalen McMillan (my favorite wide receiver play in tournaments), Devin Culp (my favorite tight end target in tournaments), and Bucky Iriving (one of my top running back options).
ALSO CONSIDER: Mac Jones (JAX), Malik Willis (TEN), Jake Haener (NO), Sam Howell (SEA), Patrick Mahomes (KC) - worth a look even if he only gets two drives
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Preseason NFL DFS Picks – Running Backs
Bucky Irving, TB at CIN
Bucky Irving is currently listed as the third running back on the Buccaneers depth chart, but he’s looking great in camp and should have the edge for the backup job over an injured Chase Edmonds after tonight. Irving has been a darling of zero running back drafters in best ball and tonight could be his coming out party.
The biggest concern I have with Irving is that he may have already impressed the coaching staff enough that they deem him too important to risk in this game, but given that he’s a rookie he should be allowed to get as many snaps as he can to help him get acclimated to the speed of the NFL.
This small playing time concern gives me pause on using him in cash games over someone like Tank Bigsby of Jacksonville or Goerge Holani of Seattle, but his upside is higher than any other running back on the slate; making him my top tournament option at the position.
Bucky Irving is off to the races #Bucs pic.twitter.com/rsV8q6akKb
— PewterReport 🏴☠️ (@PewterReport) August 8, 2024
Cody Schrader, SF at TEN
The 49ers have been hit by the injury bug in the backfield, leaving fewer healthy bodies to carry the ball than the average NFL team. The two main running backs in this game look to be Jordan Mason, a veteran coming off an injury, and Cody Schrader, an undrafted rookie who led the SEC in rushing in 2023. Mason may be the more polished player, but Schrader has more upside.
He caught 22 passes last year and found the end zone in all but one game for the Tigers last season. He’s a smaller player at 5’9’, but at 214 pounds he can drive it in from short yardage. His projected volume makes him usable in cash games, while his nose for the end zone makes him a prime tournament dart.
ALSO CONSIDER: Chris Evans (CIN), George Holani (SEA), Jordan Mason (SF), Jabari Small (TEN), Jaret Patterson (LAC), Tank Bigsby (JAX), Trey Benson (ARI), Louis Rees-Zammit (KC)
Preseason NFL DFS Picks – Wide Receivers
Nikko Remigio, KC at JAX
Nikko Remigio didn’t come into training camp this summer with nearly the hype of first-round rookie Xavier Worthy, but he’s having the kind of camp that has turned some heads. The second-year player out of Fresno State is coming off an injury-plagued 2023 to become a fan favorite at Chiefs camp. He’s been so steady that he has taken some snaps with the first unit and there is talk that he could make the roster ahead of Skyy Moore or Justyn Ross with a solid preseason.
The Chiefs will play their starters for a portion of the first quarter, but after that, the remainder of the game will be for the likes of Remigio. Fan favorites like him tend to get looks early in the preseason, so it wouldn’t be a shock if Andy Reid took some shots with him downfield. The Chiefs have some depth at receiver, making Remigio a tournament dart as his playing time is anything but secure.
Remigi-OHHH 😮@Ian_Book12 x @nikkoremigio pic.twitter.com/dQps5k1JqQ
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) August 8, 2024
Jalen McMillan, TB at CIN
Few players have made a bigger splash at training camp this summer than Jalen McMillan. He was the second big target other than Ja’Lynn Polk for Michael Penix last year at Washington, and the third-round rookie already looks like he’s supplanted Trey Palmer for the third wide receiver spot on the Buccaneers.
He’s expected to get some run early and is likely to play as long as Kyle Trask is taking snaps. The duo of McMillan and Trask is one of the better stacks on this slate in tournaments, and McMillan should provide a safe enough floor for cash game consideration.
Brenden Rice, LAC vs SEA
How can we pass on taking a shot on Jerry Rice’s son? The Chargers wide receiver room is one of the shakiest in the NFL, so there are spots for the taking with a good preseason. Joshua Palmer and DJ Chark are currently penciled in as starters, making it unlikely that they’ll see the field much in this game. Ladd McConkey is banged up so he may not even play tonight.
That leaves Quentin Johnston and a room full of unknowns as the primary weapons in the passing game. Out of that group, Rice has been looking the best at training camp. Given his pedigree and his strong start to the summer, it’s worth taking a shot on Rice in tournament lineups.
ALSO CONSIDER: Laviska Shenault (SEA), Jermaine Burton (CIN), Parker Washington (JAX), Justyn Ross (KC), Quentin Johnston (LAC), Kyle Philips (TEN)
Preseason NFL DFS Picks – Tight End
Elijah Higgins, ARI vs NO
Trey McBride is the starting tight end for the Cardinals, there’s no question about that. He won’t see the field much this weekend, leaving a ton of snaps for the rest of the tight end group to make their mark. Elijah Higgins is the most experienced tight end on the roster outside of McBride, having played on the Cardinals last year and making small contributions to the offense. He finished 2023 with seven straight games of two or more targets, the last four of which saw him catch ten passes.
He knows this offense and should be a primary safety valve for Desmond Ridder and Clayton Tune, neither of whom are known for their downfield abilities. Higgins is the safest tight end on the slate (if safe is a word we can use in preseason), making him a top option for cash games.
ALSO CONSIDER: Devin Culp (TB), Tanner McLachlan (CIN)
Thanks for checking this out, and good luck!
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