DFS NFL Preseason Lineup Advice for Saturday, August 11th
By Ben McDaniel
Week 1 of the preseason provides us with one more two game slate on Saturday night! The purpose of this article is to try and equip you with some information to help you make those tough lineup decisions for the night’s slate. Be sure to follow me @BenMcD_Sports as I’ll be making updates throughout the day tomorrow based upon team updates and breaking news.
DFS NFL: Quarterbacks
Paxton Lynch DEN QB
While the jury is still out on Lynch, there’s no denying that the first two years of his career have been incredibly disappointing when you consider that the Broncos traded into the 1st round to draft him. Luckily, you don’t really have to be a good NFL quarterback to be a quality option in preseason DFS contests. During the preseason, opportunity is king. Oftentimes, the most difficult aspect of planning your lineup can be trying to peg just how many snaps a player is set to receive. Thankfully, Denver Coach Vance Joseph shed some light on what we can expect from his team Saturday night. Nicki Jhabvala, a reporter for The Athletic who covers the Broncos tweeted the following quote after spending time around Coach Joseph:
"“The first team will get two series max. Second team will go through until middle of the third quarter. Threes take the remainder. Some of the twos and threes will be mixed.”"
From the sound of it, Lynch seems like a safe bet to see around two full quarters of action, making him one the better QB plays Saturday night. Another name that you could roll the dice on would be the former Ole Miss QB, Chad Kelly. While he’s currently behind Lynch on the depth chart, he has been impressing coaches during practices and has been said to have a legitimate chance to overtake Lynch as the primary backup to Keenum. With his playing time a bit more in question, he’s a more risky play, though.
Josh Rosen ARI QB
Entering the 2017 NFL Draft, one of the selling points for Josh Rosen was that he was one of the more “Pro Ready” passers available. We’ll get a chance to find out if that was true Saturday night when Arizona hosts the San Di…. I mean the LA Chargers. (20 years from now that STILL won’t sound right.) If the Cardinals wish to start the season with the fragile QB, Sam Bradford under center, they better limit his reps in the preseason. Look for Rosen to make the most of his first NFL opportunity.
DFS NFL: Running Backs
Chase Edmonds ARI RB
Arizona is expected to use the preseason as a time to decide on who will be David Johnson‘s backup. Chase Edmonds, Elijhaa Penny, and D.J. Foster are all said to be in the mix. While any of them could be a solid play, the one I’ll be targeting is Chase Edmonds. While college stats can be taken with a grain of salt, he is still a guy who averaged 1,761 yards and 21 touchdowns during a three year stretch. If not for an injury that limited him to seven games his senior year, he had an outside shot to set new Division 1 records for both career rushing yards and career TDs. The rookie has also caught the eye of his coach leading up to this game. In an article posted by arizonasports.com, they mention how Edmonds has shown to possess patience as a runner and solid pass protection skills. Preseason DFS is a dart throw – but Edmonds might just hit the bullseye.
Royce Freeman DEN RB
One of the premier position battles of the preseason will kick off Saturday night as Devontae Booker and Royce Freeman both set out to earn the starting gig. Freeman has been popular with fantasy owners and I expect his ownership in this two game slate to reflect that. The only thing that makes me nervous is that potential starters don’t usually see many snaps in the first week of preseason games. However, it’s possible that as a rookie, they will afford him an extended look. If you’re playing a large GPP it might be worth fading him just because he’ll carry such high ownership even for a two game slate.
DFS NFL: Wide Receivers
Greg Little ARI WR
Remember this guy? He broke into the league with the Cleveland Browns all the way back in 2011 when he posted 61 catches as a rookie. He never saw that same success again and hasn’t actually caught an NFL pass since 2014. Foxsports.com had this to say about Little:
"“Arizona wide receiver Greg Little has not caught a pass in the NFL since 2014 but the down time has not prevented him from making a strong impression in training camp this summer. If that continues, Little could find himself in the hunt for a starting position with a Cardinals team with no clear-cut favorite to pair with Larry Fitzgerald.”"
It’s crazy that Little seems just as likely to be cut as he is to win the starting job. One of the things I look for in preseason games are veteran players with extra motivation. Little definitely checks that box.
Mike Williams LAC WR
The #7 overall pick is currently listed behind Tyrell Williams on the Chargers depth chart. As such, I think we can expect him to see a fair amount of action of Saturday night. After failing to make an impact last year due to nagging injuries, the former standout Clemson WR is likely chomping at the bit to get back on the field. I doubt he’ll play beyond the first quarter, but if the big bodied red-zone threat grabs a TD, he will have already paid off.
DFS NFL: Tight Ends
Jake Butt DEN TE
Referencing the same tweet I used in the paragraph about Paxton Lynch, Butt isn’t expected to play beyond the first quarter. Nonetheless, I’m still interested in using him in my lineups. Just last night, Jets’ tight end Clive Walford finished with 2 catches for 27 yards to be the highest scoring TE from that ATL-NYJ game. The point I’m trying to make, is that sometimes the safe play is the right play. Butt stands to be my favorite TE play of the night.
DFS NFL: Defense/Special Teams
Arizona Cardinals DST vs. LA Chargers
I’ve found that in the preseason, I don’t really pick a defense. I pick AGAINST certain offensive players. I especially like to look to see which quarterbacks could struggle with turnovers. With Philip Rivers unlikely to log any time, we could potentially have 60 minutes of game time featuring Cardale Jones and Geno Smith. Sign me up.
Next. DFS MLB Game by Game Breakdowns. dark