NFL preseason DFS Week 3 action continues with two full slate of action on Saturday. 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.
Saturday Week 3 Preseason NFL DFS Picks
Top Plays for the Early Slate (Packers, Bills, Ravens, Football Team)
Tyler Huntley — Trace McSorely remains injured and Lamar Jackson should play limited snaps, if he even plays at all. This leaves only former Utah signal caller, Tyler Huntley on the roster. Huntley is a strong dual threat and played 73 snaps last week.
Jordan Love — The Packers waived Jacob Dolegala suggesting that Jordan Love is healthy enough to play here. He will split time with Kurt Benkert after playing 28 snaps in his preseason debut. Love offers some dual threat ability, putting him in play for GPPs after Huntley.
Jaret Patterson — Washington has five healthy backs, but it continues to give Buffalo rookie Jaret Patterson extended run. Patterson has now played 27 and 35 snaps in back-to-back weeks. He rushed 16 times for 71 yards last week, adding three catches for 25 yards as a receiver.
Matt Breida — Antonio William and Christian Wade missed practice all week, forcing the Bills to sign Kerrith Whyte. Breida handled 26 snaps. He carried five times for 18 yards, while adding one reception for 18 yards. They interestingly gave fullback Reggie Gilliam eight carries. There is a chance they save Breida and use Gilliam and White as battering rams in this meaningless game, but Breida should play a decent amount.
Ty’Son Williams — Williams has now played 36 and 31 snaps in consecutive games for Baltimore. The former BYU back rushed for47 yards on ten carries last week. He will split time mainly with Nate McCrary, who is also an option on this slate.
Patrick Taylor — The Packers will use three backs tonight. Taylor with primarily battle rookie Kylin Hill and Dexter Williams for work. Taylor led the team with 24 snaps last week. The former Memphis product carried eight times for 48 yards in that contest.
Amari Rodgers — The Packers project to play this game with only five healthy receivers, making them all excellent plays in DFS. A third-round pick out of Clemson, Rodgers played 32 and 43 snaps in the Packers first two games. He caught four of five targets for 31 yards last week.
Malik Taylor — Taylor played 36 and 44 snaps in the Packers’ first two games. He led the team with four catches for 66 yards on five targets last week.
Reggie Begelton — Begelton played 23 and 49 snaps in the Packers’ first two games. He caught two of four targets for 15 yards last week.
Tylan Wallace — Other teams have fewer healthy receivers today, but Baltimore continues to give a longer look to their day three rookie Tylan Wallace. Wallace had at least 900 receiving yards in each of his final three seasons with Oklahoma State. He has now played 45 and 38 snaps in back-to-back weeks for the Ravens. Last week, he caught two passes for 36 yards.
Marquez Stevenson — Rookie Marquez Stevenson returned to practice this week after suffering an injury in Week 2. Stevenson is a burner who played his college ball at Houston. He returned a punt for a 79-yard touchdown last week before injury. He also caught one of three targets for three yards. This all occurred on nine snaps.
Dyami Brown — A day-two pick out of North Carolina, Dyami Brown played 25 and 32 snaps for the Football Team in their first two preseason games. He caught two of four targets for 33 yards last week.
Josh Oliver — The Ravens have four healthy tight ends, but they continue to trot out Josh Oliver for a heavy workload. he played 51 and 47 snaps in back-to-back weeks. Last week, he led the team in receiving with 50 yards on seven catches and ten targets.
Jace Sternberger — Green Bay has numerous healthy tight ends, but they continue to receive veteran rest in the preseason. Sternberger played 26 and 34 snaps in back-to-back weeks for the Packers. Last week, he caught two of three targets for five yards.
Jacob Hollister — Buffalo will have four tight ends tonight, but Jacob Hollister played 28 snaps last week. He caught all three targets for 53 yards.
Ricky Seals-Jones — A journeyman at tight end, Seals-Jones played 35 snaps for the Football Team last week. He caught both targets for 20 yards. He will split time with Boise State rookie John Bates, who also makes some sense here after playing 38 snaps last week.
Top Plays for the Main Slate
Quarterback
Bryce Perkins — The Rams will not play Matthew Stafford or John Wolford in the preseason, meaning Bryce Perkins will likely play the entire game against Denver after LA cut Devlin Hodges. Perkins is an elite dual threat in his second year out of college. He rushed for 1,692 yards combined in his final two seasons. Last week, he completed 26-of-39 passes for 208 yards and two scores. He also rushed nine times for 41 yards. He is an elite quarterback option.
Justin Fields — The Bears are giving Andy Dalton rest in Week 3 as he prepares to start Week 1. This means Justin Fields will play a half of football with Nick Foles getting the second half. Fields is the far better option after playing 38 snaps last week. A strong dual threat coming out of Ohio State, Fields completed 9-of-19 passes for 80 yards In Week 2. He also rushed four times for 46 yards. This ability on the ground makes him one of the better targets on the slate.
Easton Stick — Justin Herbert hasn’t played at all this preseason and Easton Stick drew the start over Chase Daniel in the Chargers’ last preseason game. Now playing 21 and 36 snaps in consecutive weeks, Stick should again receive around a half of football here. It should be noted that Daniel will start this game, but both are expected to receive about equal playing time. Importantly, Stick played well in Week 2, completing 10 of his 14 passes for 85 yards and a score. He also showed some dual threat ability with three carries for 15 yards. Because he can scramble, he gets the edge of Daniel here.
Matt Barkley — Ryan Tannehill hasn’t played at all this preseason and won’t again here. Matt Barkley will draw the start after playing behind Logan Woodside throughout the preseason. Barkley has played 29 and 30 snaps so far this preseason. Last week, Barkley excelled, completing 12-of-16 passes for 115 yards and a pair of scores. He should get a half here.
Logan Woodside — Woodside will come off the bench for Barkley in Tennessee. Woodside has played 38 and 32 snaps so far this preseason. Woodside completed 7-of-8 passes for 64 yards and a score last week, and should receive about a half.
Chase Daniel — Mentioned above, the Chargers will only have two quarterbacks on Saturday when they face the Seahawks. Daniel played 38 snaps in Week 1 and 31 in Week 2 as he came off the bench behind Stick. Both should receive around a half here, keeping Daniel in play. He isn’t the same dual threat at Stick, but he attempted 21 passes in Los Angeles’ Week 2 preseason game.
Geno Smith — With Russell Wilson unlikely to play this preseason, Seattle will enter this game with three healthy quarterbacks. The Seahawks cut Alex McGough, suggesting Geno Smith has recovered from his concussion. Smith sustained the injury in Week 1 of the preseason, but played 13 snaps prior to his departure. Smith is somewhat dicey due to unknown playing time, but he has the upside to play a full half. The same goes for third stringer, Sean Mannion who completed 13-of-23 passes for 118 yards on 36 snaps without Smith in the picture last week.
Running Back
Mekhi Sargent — Tennessee will not use Derrick Henry in the preseason. Jeremy McNichols hit COVID-19 reserve this wee, leaving just Brian Hill and Mekhi Sargent to handle backfield carries. A UDFA out of Iowa, Sargent has played 29 and 31 snaps in consecutive games for the Titans. Last week, he carried 16 times for 78 yards, while a catch for another five yards. He should see double-digit touches again here.
Khalil Herbert — David Montgomery, Tarik Cohen and Ryan Nall all project to miss this game. That leaves three healthy rushers for Chicago. Khalil Herbert was their Day 3 draft pick out of Virginia Tech. He has now played 23 and 22 snaps in back-to-back weeks. Last week, Herbert carried three times for 15 yards, while adding a catch for three yards in the passing game. With Chicago’s backfield narrowing, Herbert could be in line for a larger workload as Chicago continues to evaluate the talent on the back end of their roster.
Xavier Jones — The Rams traded for Sony Michel this week. Both Michel and Darrell Henderson should miss this game, leaving the Rams’ typically preseason rotation intact. Last week, former UDFA Xavier Jones played 47 snaps. He carried the ball seven times for 29 yards, while adding a reception for ten yards. With Michel now on the roster, Jones should play elevated snaps to close the preseason.
Joshua Kelley — Similar to the quarterback situation, Los Angeles projects to play this game with three healthy rusher. Austin Ekeler hasn’t played this preseason and Justin Jackson continues to battle a groin injury. This leaves Joshua Kelley and Larry Rountree to handle most of the work. Kelly has played 28 snaps in each of Los Angeles’ games. However, he also caught both of his targets for 12 yards. The former UCLA product will continue to battle Rountree for the third running back job.
Larry Rountree — Mentioned above, the Chargers are thin at running back. Rountree has played 16 and 25 snaps in each of Los Angeles’ first two preseason games. Last week, he carried eight times for 12 yards, while adding four receptions for 15 yards. Kelley and Rountree should split most of the work here, with Darius Bradwell cleaning up whatever is left over.
Jake Funk — Playing behind Jones in each game for the Rams, Jake Funk has 19 and 24 snaps in the first two games of the preseason. Last week, Funk carried seven times for 56 yards, showing solid burst in the run game. Funk played his college ball at Maryland, where he had an injury-riddled career. Healthy in his final year, the 5-foot-10, 205-pound back carried 60 times for 516 yards. Last week, he carries seven times for an inefficient nine yards.
Ke’Shawn Vaughn — The Buccaneers project to play few starters in Week 3. Ronald Jones and Leonard Fournette both sat out last week. Giovani Bernard played, but he only received 11 snaps. This allowed second-year pro, Ke’Shawn Vaughn to play 34 snaps again. On those snaps, Vaughn carried nine times for 18 yards, while adding a reception for nine yards. C.J. Prosise will play a bit here, but the Buccaneers continue to throw their former day-two pick out there for extended run.
Brian Hill — Mentioned above, Tennessee is thin at running back. Behind Sargent, Hill played 20 snaps last week. Hill carried ten times for 24 yards, while catching a pass for 12. He is unlikely to eclipse Sargent’s touches, but he remains playable in GPPs.
Wide Receiver
J.J. Koski — The Rams essentially played three receivers the entire game last week. J.J. Koski played 75 snaps, catching eight of his 10 targets for 61 yards. The Rams will add one extra receiver to mix in Triston Jackson, who missed last week with injury. Either way, the former Cal Poly receiver is still an elite play.
Tutu Atwell — Nothing says you regret a second round pick like forcing him to play 70 snaps in a preseason game alongside Koski. That is exactly what happened to Tutu Atwell. Atwell caught eight of 13 targets for 46 yards. Atwell is a second-round rookie out of Louisville. While productive in college, he is diminutive in size at 5-foot-9, 155 pounds. He is still an elite play for Los Angeles.
Tyron Johnson — Extremely thin at receiver, the Chargers will not play their starters in Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. They will also miss some or all of Joe Reed, K.J. Hill, Jason Moore, and Austin Proehl. Each of whom missed practice this week. That means depth receivers Tyron Johnson and Jalen Guyton should receive extended run here. Johnson played 39 snaps last week, catching four of six targets for 11 yards. While the production to date is underwhelming, Johnson has big play ability and a path to playing time here.
Jalen Guyton — Similar to Johnson, Guyton may also benefit from a thin Chargers’ receiving room. Guyton played 35 snaps last week and led the team with 39 receiving yards. Unfortunately, all of this production came on just one target. However, Guyton is a legitimate fringe starter and should see ample opportunities here.
Jaelon Darden — Last week, Tampa Bay sat Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Antonio Brown with veteran rest. They also continue to deal with injuries to Justin Watson and Cyril Grayson. This left Jaelon Darden, Tyler Johnson, and Scotty Miller to all play over 30 snaps in Week 2. Darden is the impressive rookie out of North Texas, drafted on day three. Darden only caught two passes for 18 yards, but he saw four targets in the offense. Grayson’s injury vacates eight targets from Week 2, if he misses this game.
Tyler Johnson — With Tampa Bay thin at wide receiver, Johnson played 34 snaps. Johnson caught two of three targets for 21 yards. A former Day 3 pick out of Minnesota, Johnson should see extended run again here.
Scotty Miller — Miller played 32 snaps last week for Tampa Bay last week. Miller caught two of three targets for -1 yards, but he still should benefit from extended playing time here. When he has played in the regular season, Miller functions as a downfield threat.
Dez Fitzpatrick — The Titans will not play A.J. Brown or Julio Jones in this contest, potentially leaving them with eight healthy receivers. Last week, Louisville rookie Dez Fitzpatrick played 28 snaps for the Titans. He caught two of two targets for 30 yards and a score. Tennessee will continue to evaluate the back end of their roster, including Fitzpatrick here. He is a solid bet to receive volume again this week.
Cade Johnson — Seattle may have as many as nine receivers available for Saturday’s game, making them a middling target for DFS. However, South Dakota State rookie Cade Johnson continues to receive opportunities as he battles for a roster spot. Johnson has now played 25 and 35 snaps in back-to-back weeks. Last week, Johnson saw a team-high seven targets. He managed to catch three of them for 34 yards, putting him squarely in play again this week.
Tight End
Cam Sutton — Seattle is extremely thin at the tight end position, with Gerald Everett, Will Dissly, and Colby Parkinson expected to receive rest in this game. Seattle also waived Dom Wood-Anderson, while Luke Willson retired from football. The Seahawks did add Ian Bunting for depth, but he projects to play little, if at all in Week 3. Cam Sutton and Tyler Mabry will split all of the tight end snaps here. Sutton played 40 snaps last week. He only caught one of his two targets for four yards, but his potential playing time stands out in Week 3.
Tyler Mabry — Mentioned above, Seattle is thin at tight end. Mabry missed the first wo weeks due to injury, but he returned to practice this week. Mabry played tight end for Buffalo and Maryland in college. He recorded 73 receptions throughout his career and should also benefit from a thin depth chart.
Jacob Harris — The Rams have three healthy tight ends on their roster, but Jacob Harris and Brycen Hopkins will handle most of the receiver. Harris is a rookie out of UFC, who played receiver in college. He played 23 and 25 snaps in the Rams’ first two games. After leading the team with four catches on seven targets in Week 1, Harris only caught one of three targets for two yards in Week 2. He is still a strong option due to a narrow target distribution here.
Brycen Hopkins — The other receiving tight end on the Rams’ roster, Hopkins has played 33 and 26 snaps in back-to-back weeks. While he only caught one ball in Week 1, Hopkins caught each of his two targets for 31 yards in Week 2. A strong receiver in college, Hopkins caught 61 balls for 830 yards in 2019 with Purdue.
Tanner Hudson — Injured all last week during practice, Tanner Hudson made a miraculous recovery to play in Tampa Bay’s Week 2 game. Hudson played 17 snaps and led the team in receiver. With incredible utilization, Hudson reeled in six of seven targets for 74 yards. Holding off Codey McElroy for a potential roster spot, Hudson should play a lot again in Week 3.
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