The NFL returns this weekend with a full set of preseason action. This means four slates between Thursday and Sunday, starting with two-game contests on Thursday. Preseason DFS differs from traditional NFL DFS in that playing time is king. This piece will dive into each of the rosters and decipher what actionable information you need to know. Each position is written in order of preference for NFL DFS picks.
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NFL Preseason DFS Picks: Texans-Patriots, Vikings-Seahawks
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Quarterback
Holton Ahlers (Seattle) – Geno Smith played 67 snaps last preseason, but that came in a true quarterback battle. Now a solidified starter, Smith may not see the field at all. This leaves Drew Lock and 2023 undrafted free agent Ahlers to handle quarterback duties. With Ahlers likely to get at least a half, he stands out on this slate. Ahlers rushed for 1,446 yards in his four-year career with East Carolina, making him one of the better preseason DFS options.
Jaren Hall (Minnesota) – With Kirk Cousins unlikely to see the field and Nick Mullens locked into the backup role, fifth-round rookie Hall should get at least a half. He ran for over 300 yards in back-to-back seasons at BYU.
Trace McSorley (New England) – Mac Jones did not play in the preseason last year and likely will not here. With Bailey Zappe locked in as the backup, he may not see much time. This leaves McSorley and Malik Cunningham on the roster. Cunningham has mostly played receiver through camp, so McSorley could receive up to a half of football and has strong rushing upside.
C.J. Stroud (Houston) – Houston has the most active quarterbacks. Stroud will play somewhere between a few series and a quarter. He is a pure GPP play.
Running Back
Kevin Harris (New England) – New England only has three backs, with Rhamondre Stevenson and Ty Montgomery expected to miss this game. A 2022 sixth-round pick out of South Carolina, Harris played 15 snaps last preseason and had 13 carries. Harris could receive a little more work than Pierre Strong due to depth chart standings.
DeWayne McBride (Minnesota) – Minnesota should only have three healthy backs, with Alexander Mattison not expected to play and Kene Nwangwu injured. McBride should receive a majority of second-team reps and play well into the second half. Abram Smith likely will close the game for the deep grinders.
Ty Chandler (Minnesota) – Chandler has the same situation as McBride but is ahead of him on the depth chart. With that and his role as a potential kick returner, he might not see quite as many reps in preseason Week 1.
J.J. Taylor (New England) – The Patriots already know what they have in Taylor. He has been working mostly with McSorley, and he played 15 snaps last preseason and had 14 carries but should see more this year.
Xazavian Valladay (Houston) – Houston projects to play the most starters at every position, making them a tricky evaluation. Dameon Pierce and Devin Singletary do not project for a lot of work, but they still will likely siphon some work from the backups. Dare Ogunbowale functions as a pure pass catcher, leaving Mike Boone and Valladay to handle most of the work. Valladay rushed for over 1,000 yards three times in college and caught 37 passes in his final season. He has received hype during camp and will likely receive the most work in this backfield.
SaRodorick Thompson (Seattle) – Kenneth Walker III and Kenny McIntosh will not play in this game, but that still leaves Seattle with five healthy backs. The team likely will limit Zach Charbonnet and DeeJay Dallas to some degree due to their projected regular season roles. Of the remaining backs, Thompson projects for the most work as a 2023 undrafted free agent out of Texas Tech.
Pierre Strong (New England) – A 2022 fourth-round pick out of South Dakota State, Strong played 20 snaps last preseason and had 15 attempts. He is ahead of Harris and Taylor, which likely will mean fewer preseason reps.
Mike Boone (Houston) – Boone originally entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2018. He has 99 regular season carries and 18 catches. He has been working with Stroud already in camp and likely will not see more than a quarter.
Bryant Koback (Seattle) – Behind Thompson, Seattle will roll with Koback and Wayne Taulapapa. Both are decent GPP plays, but Koback gets a slight edge after rushing 21 times on 79 snaps for Minnesota last year.
Wide Receiver
Demario Douglas (New England) – New England notoriously sits their starters in the preseason, and that laughably includes special teams grinder Matthew Slater. This leaves just six healthy receivers for the preseason. A 2023 sixth-round pick out of Liberty, Douglas is having an excellent camp and should receive an extended look in the preseason.
Kayshon Boutte (New England) – A 2023 sixth-round pick out of LSU, Boutte is having a strong camp and will play a lot.
Tyquan Thornton – Thornton was allegedly leapt by Douglas on the depth chart despite being a 2022 second-round pick. He played 22 snaps in Week 1 last year and 14 in Week 2. He should receive ample opportunity after getting off to a slow start this summer.
Thyrick Pitts (New England) – A 2023 undrafted free agent out of Delaware, Pitts is working with Zappe and the other backup quarterbacks.
Tre Nixon (New England) – A 2021 seventh-round pick, Nixon played 132 snaps last preseason, catching 12 passes for 169 yards. He has been working with Zappe and McSorley mostly.
Thayer Thomas (Minnesota) – Minnesota projects to field eight healthy receivers on Thursday. Veterans Justin Jefferson and K.J. Osborn will likely miss this game. Jalen Nailor, Trishton Jackson and Lucky Jackson are all injured. Thomas is an undrafted free agent out of North Carolina State who primarily plays the slot and has been working extensively with the Hall unit.
Jalen Reagor (Minnesota) – A former first-round pick with the Eagles, Reagor has yet to carve out a meaningful role. With that said, he should still be more talented than most players on the field on Thursday evening. Behind these two, Blake Proehl and Brandon Powell are the other Viking receivers to consider for GPPs.
Jordan Addison (Minnesota) – Addison will reportedly play in this game. While he will not see as many snaps, Addison should be a priority when on the field. This could be enough run for tournaments.
Matt Landers (Seattle) – Seattle will have nine healthy receivers, putting them slightly behind Minnesota. Landers is a 2023 undrafted free agent out of Arkansas. With Dee Eskridge suspended in the regular season, Seattle likely will take a longer look at some of these backup receivers.
Cade Johnson (Seattle) – A 2021 undrafted free agent out of South Dakota State, Johnson played 77 snaps with Seattle last preseason and caught six passes. He is a legitimate candidate to make this roster and should get work.
Jake Bobo (Seattle) – A 2023 undrafted free agent out of UCLA, Bobo has been working with Lock and Smith, receiving hype from everyone important on the team.
Cody Thompson (Seattle) – Thompson is a 2019 undrafted free agent from Toledo and has been getting some reps with the first team due to injury.
Tank Dell (Houston) – Houston projects to have 12 healthy receivers, making them the worst passing attack to target on Thursday. With that said, they will likely spend extra time with rookies Tank Dell and Xavier Hutchinson on the field.
Xavier Hutchinson (Houston) – Hutchinson is in the same situation as Dell.
Tight End
Colby Parkinson (Seattle) – Noah Fant is injured, and Will Dissly did not play in preseason Week 1 last year. This leaves Seattle with four healthy tight ends. Parkinson has by far the best pass-catching chops. A 2020 fourth-round pick, Parkinson played 104 snaps last preseason and caught four passes. He has been working with the Smith group. Tyler Mabry is the other name to know for GPPs.
Matt Sokol (New England) – New England is unlikely to play Hunter Henry or Mike Gesicki for significant snaps. Sokol has reportedly had a strong camp and should get a good look this preseason. Scotty Washington could be interesting for GPPs after previously playing wide receiver for Wake Forest.
Nick Muse (Minnesota) – T.J. Hockenson projects to miss this game, but Minnesota still has five healthy tight ends. Fortunately, Josh Oliver does not project to play as much, with his role solidified. Johnny Mundt also functions primarily as a blocker. Between Nick Muse, Ben Sims and Colin Thompson, Muse projects for the most work after playing with Mullens through most of camp. Sims ranks second in this group.
Dalton Keene (Houston) – Houston will have five tight ends, and there is very little separating them. Dalton Keene has some of the best draft capital, but this is likely a situation to avoid outside of large GPPs.
