NFL preseason DFS Week 2 action continues with two showdowns on Sunday. Unlike normal NFL DFS, NFL preseason DFS pricing is flat. With the current pricing structure, playing time is the most important variable to consider. This breakdown will analyze each team and point out potential edges within these teams. Be sure to check out the Awesemo NFL DFS projections and ownership projections for each preseason slate. And for those looking at a comprehensive preseason guide, make sure to check out our preseason primer.
Sunday Week 2 Preseason NFL DFS Picks
Quarterback
Trey Lance — Trey Lance is expected to get some early run with the starters. From there, he should play with the second team as well. In preseason Week 1, Lance led the 49ers quarterbacks with 29 snaps. Jimmy Garoppolo is expected to play slightly more today, but he only received eight snaps in Week 1. In his final full season of college at North Dakota State, Lance rushed for 1,110 yards and 14 scores. He didn’t have any rushing production in Week 1, but this ability gives him elite upside. He is still the top quarterback option on the slate, despite San Francisco playing with three quarterbacks. Lance is Awesemo’s No. 1 projected quarterback today.
Easton Stick — Easton Stick will start this game for the Chargers with Justin Herbert receiving veteran rest. Stick was another strong dual threat in college, recording 677 yards and 17 scores in his final season. Stick didn’t find any rushing production in preseason Week 1, but he completed all seven of his passes for 63 yards. After that positive performance, he will start tonight and receive more than the 21 snaps he played in Week 1.
Kyle Lauletta — Baker Mayfield will not play in this game, leaving Cleveland with two quarterbacks again. Kyle Lauletta out-snapped Case Keenum 46-26 in their debut. He also completed 19 of 27 passes for 212 yards and a pair of scores. Lauletta doesn’t offer any mobility, but his playing time makes him a secure option today. Keenum looks like the second-best option on the slate but comes with uncertain playing time.
Brian Lewerke — Clayton Thorson played so poorly in Week 1 that the Giants waived him in favor of Lewerke. Daniel Jones may make his preseason debut, but his snaps should be limited if this occurs. Veteran backup Mike Glennon only played 18 snaps in New York’s debut, meaning Lewerke could see perhaps the entire second half to himself. Lewerke played his college ball at Michigan State, where he rushed for 1,255 career yards in three and a half seasons. His mobility makes him an interesting play here.
Running Back
Joshua Kelley — Starters will again project to sit out for Los Angeles, leaving only a few healthy backs. Justin Jackson will also miss this game due to injury, leaving Joshua Kelley and Larry Rountree to handle a majority of the rushing duties. Kelley is a holdover from last year, where he disappointed in limited opportunities. However, he played 28 snaps in Week 1 and carried eight times for an inefficient 19 yards. He is a candidate to receive elevated playing time again here.
Demetric Felton — Cleveland also projects to rest Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. That leaves three backs in Demetric Felton, D’Ernest Johnson, and John Kelly. The Browns spent a sixth-round pick on Felton out of UCLA. He is a hybrid receiver/running back, giving him additional value as a pass catcher. He played 26 snaps, while Johnson and Kelly recorded 24 and 21 respectively in Cleveland’s debut. Felton is Awesemo’s No. 2 projected scorer today.
Larry Rountree — The Chargers are thin at running back. An undrafted free agent out of Missouri, Rountree impressed in his preseason debut. He carried eight times for 63 yards, far out-producing Kelley. Rountree should play more than the 16 snaps he saw in Week 1 as this battle tightens.
Trey Sermon — Jeff Wilson and Elijah Mitchell are hurt. Raheem Mostert received veteran rest and likely only plays a few snaps if he suits up at all. This leaves just three backs to handle work. Sermon played 20 snaps and turned nine carries in 26 yards in his debut. He also caught both of his targets for 14 yards. Still, Wayne Gallman played 27 snaps, turning six carries into 21 yards. Sermon gets a slight edge here, but both are viable on today’s two-game slate.
Wide Receiver
David Sills — New York will play this game with eight healthy receivers. Kenny Golladay, Kadarius Toney, John Ross, and Austin Mack all missed practice late this week. Sterling Shepard did not play last week as a veteran and Darius Slayton only received 13 snaps. Battling for that last receiver spot on the roster David Sills will look to fend off Dante Pettis again in Week 2. The former West Virginia product played 32 snaps in his preseason debut. He was targeted a team-high five times and recorded three receptions for 49 yards.
K.J. Hill — Los Angeles will have nine healthy receivers with Mike Williams and Joe Reed expected to miss this game. Further narrowing the target distribution, Keenan Allen didn’t play in Week 1 as a veteran and Michael Bandy was only signed on August 20th. Drafted out of Ohio State in 2020, K.J. Hill functions as Los Angeles’ backup slot receiver. He played 35 snaps in Week 1 but failed to catch either of his two targets. He is a strong bounce-back candidate here.
Davion Davis — Cleveland is a team to monitor in pre-game warmups. In addition to Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry, who are expected to receive veteran rest, Alexander Hollins and Ja’Marcus Bradley missed practice time earlier this week. If either or both sit, Cleveland will become a very narrow situation to target. Among that group, Davion Davis has stood out at camp. He played 24 snaps in Week 1, turning five targets into four catches, 56 yards, and a score.
Austin Schwartz — Austin Schwartz will make his preseason debut after battling a hamstring injury during camp. Schwartz played his college ball at Auburn and ran a 4.25 40-yard dash in pre-draft training. Cleveland will want to evaluate their rookie once healthy enough.
Josh Palmer — Josh Palmer played his college ball at Tennessee, where he was egregiously underutilized. While he only played 17 snaps in Week 1, Palmer turned seven targets into six catches for 36 yards.
River Cracraft — San Francisco will have the most healthy receivers, but they still have roster battles occurring at the receiver position. One player that stands out is River Cracraft, who played 36 snaps in Week 1. Jalen Hurd is out, and Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, and Mohamed Sanu project to play limited snaps, if they play at all. Cracraft turned four targets into two catches for nine yards in his debut.
Jauan Jennings — Jauan Jennings is having a strong camp and turned two targets into one catch for 26 yards in Week 1. He played 28 snaps in Week 1, putting him narrowly behind Cracraft.
Tight End
Jordan Franks — With Stephen Carlson hitting injured reserve and Austin Hooper and David Njoku not expected to play meaningful snaps, Cleveland is thin at tight end. From there, Harrison Bryant only played 17 snaps in Week 1, leaving Jordan Franks and Connor Davis to play 39 and 30 snaps, respectively. Franks is the superior receiving threat. He caught two of four targets for 12 yards in Week 1. He played college at UCF, where he caught 43 career passes.
Connor Davis — Cleveland is thin at tight end. Davis is more of a blocking tight end, but he will play a lot of snaps. He caught five passes in his final season at Stony Brook. He played on the offensive line for a portion of his college career.
Kaden Smith — New York projects to play with four healthy tight ends, following the injury to Cole Hikutini. Kaden Smith played 18 snaps in Week 1. He wasn’t targeted at all, but he has performed well for New York in spot starts in the past. He caught 14 balls for 133 yards and a pair of scores in two games during the fantasy playoffs in 2019.
Charlie Woerner — George Kittle continues to receive veteran rest and Ross Dwelley only played 11 snaps as the surefire backup tight end. That left Charlie Woerner to play 33 snaps in Week 1. While converted wide receiver Jordan Matthews is on the roster, Woerner played more snaps and ran more routes than Matthews. Woerner caught one of three targets for 34 yards in Week 1.
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