Monday features an exciting NFL preseason DFS game between Maryland rivals in the Ravens and Commanders. In terms of NFL DFS, this unique single-game lineup operates similarly to a regular showdown, albeit with a few nuances. Notably, during the preseason, all players are priced the same. Given the uncertainty surrounding playing time for various skill positions, kickers and defenses tend to emerge as the most favorable choices. This analysis will explore the best Ravens-Commanders DFS plays for Preseason Week 2 Monday Night Football.
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NFL Preseason DFS Picks: Best Ravens-Commanders NFL DFS Picks
Ravens Defense
The Ravens are 1.5-point favorites over the Commanders. Both defenses are solid options because they will accrue points over the entire game. The Ravens will face the tougher quarterbacks, but they have a long history of covering preseason spreads. With some starters expected to play for this defense, the Ravens have a slight edge over the Commanders.
Commanders Defense
Much of the situation with the Ravens also applies to Washington. However, the Commanders will face lower-level competition at quarterback. The Ravens will give Josh Johnson and Anthony Brown a half apiece. The Commanders have a strong defense, giving them plenty of viability on a showdown slate.
Justin Tucker (Kicker)
The Ravens only have one kicker on their roster, and Justin Tucker is one of the top kickers in the league. With Baltimore narrowly favored, Tucker has a slight edge over Washington kicker Joey Slye.
Joey Slye (Kicker)
The Commanders also only have one kicker on their roster after cutting Michael Badgley this week. Washington has a lower implied team total, but Slye still comes in near the top of Stokastic’s preseason projections for tonight.
Anthony Brown (Quarterback)
With Brown and Johnson expected to receive a half each, both Ravens quarterbacks come in as top-6 plays on this slate. While Johnson likely is more talented, Brown looks more likely to use his mobility. Brown rushed three times for 15 yards in Week 1 and accumulated 1,121 rushing yards on 287 carries in college. He averaged 3.9 yards per attempt over his five-year college career.
Josh Johnson (Quarterback)
Like Brown, Johnson will receive a half. However, at 37 years old, Johnson lacks the mobility from the early years in his career. With that said, he still completed eight of his 12 pass attempts for 45 yards and a touchdown in Week 1.
Sam Howell (Quarterback)
The Commanders named Sam Howell their starting quarterback this week, but he still played 21 snaps in Week 1. Howell completed 9 of 12 passes for 77 yards and a touchdown in Week 1 while rushing for 8 yards. He has excellent mobility, but his playing time is a little more concerning. Behind him, Jacoby Brissett and Jake Fromm played 22 and 18 snaps. They have the upside to play more if Washington decides they have seen enough from their newly anointed starter.
Keaton Mitchell (Running Back)
With J.K. Dobbins coming off PUP this week, Baltimore projects to use only five backs tonight. Mitchell played 19 snaps in Week 1, rushing six times for 11 yards. He also caught one pass for 9 yards. Baltimore split snaps at running back evenly across the board last week, which adds volatility to this situation. Ranking these backs behind Mitchell, the order should be Melvin Gordon III, Gus Edwards, Justice Hill and Owen Wright. The former backs bring more GPP viability.
Chris Rodriguez Jr. (Running Back)
Washington projects to play with six backs tonight after starters Brian Robinson and Antonio Gibson received 11 and 14 snaps last week. Rookie Chris Rodriguez Jr. played 12 snaps last game, but he led the team with five carries for 39 yards. Behind him, the Commanders gave Jaret Patterson and Derrick Gore eight and 15 snaps. Both have some GPP equity, but Rodriguez ranks the highest out of this group.
James Proche (Wide Receiver)
With veterans likely to rest and Sean Ryan injured, Baltimore projects to have nine for 10 receivers tonight. However, they funneled more of their snaps to a few players battling for roster spots. James Proche played 31 snaps last week, catching one of three passes for negative-1 yard. However, this opportunity still trumps most other receivers on this roster. Behind him, Laquon Treadwell (22 snaps), Dontay Demus (21 snaps), Tarik Black (21 snaps) and Tylan Wallace (20) all provide viability for GPPs.
Dyami Brown (Wide Receiver)
Washington spread their receiver snaps evenly across the roster last week. It should be noted that they did cut Jalen Sample and Kyric McGowan did not see the field. This leaves the Commanders with nine receivers. Of this group, Dyami Brown played 19 snaps, which only trailed Jahan Dotson. Brown caught one of two targets for 14 yards on this opportunity. While the starters look enticing, they have some downside if Washington pulls the plug on starters earlier. Brown should not fall into that category, making him a little safer. Other candidates for GPPs include Mitchell Tinsley and Byron Pringle.
Charlie Kolar (Tight End)
The Ravens only have four tight ends on their roster and Mark Andrews will not see the field. From there, Charlie Kolar played 21 snaps and led the position with 15 routes. Travis Vokolek played 29 snaps, but he functions more as a pure blocker. Behind Kolar, Isaiah Likely still has GPP viability after playing 11 snaps and running seven routes. It should be noted that Likely has been banged up and could be somewhat limited here.
Cole Turner (Tight End)
Washington will not use Logan Thomas tonight, but they did sign Kaden Smith on Aug. 13. This gives them five tight ends. However, Cole Turner played 20 snaps and led the team in routes (14) and targets (4). He did bang up a finger in practice this week, but he still projects to play. He ranks slightly ahead of John Bates for this showdown slate.
