NFL DFS Lineup Advice – Thursday, August 16th

Thursday night gives us another slate of NFL DFS action! Unlike last week, these games should provide more snaps for starters, so many of the big names will actually be in play. The purpose of this article is to try to 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 to this list based upon team updates and breaking news. Thanks for reading NFL DFS Lineup Advice – Thursday, August 16th!

DFS NFL: Quarterbacks

Mason Rudolph/Joshua Dobbs PIT QB

Even before Big Ben suffered a concussion is Tuesday’s practice, the Steelers had already announced their plan to sit Roethlisberger and Landry Jones in this game. They haven’t yet shared how they’ll split the snaps between Rudolph and Joshua Dobbs, but I’d guess they’ll each see around a half of play, making either QB a good DFS option on this 3 game slate. With Roethlisberger on the back-end of his career, the Steelers want to get a good look at their young prospects and Rudolph and Dobbs both coming off of strong performances in week 1. I’ll be keeping up with team news and will probably roll with whichever QB gets the 1st half snaps. I’ll happily hitch my wagon to a QB who could be working with explosive weapons such as JuJu Smith-Schuster and James Washington. However, regardless of who gets which half, one things to consider is that Dobbs possesses the tantalizing potential of racking up rushing stats. Assuming the snaps are split down the middle, both guys have a realistic shot to be the highest scoring QB on Thursday night

Sam Darnold NYJ QB

We’re only one week into the preseason and Darnold may have already locked up the starting gig. Darnold shined in his first NFL action last week, completing 13 of 18 attempts while throwing for 96 yards and a TD. If you’re thinking of playing Darnold in DFS Thursday night, consider this quote from newsday.com:

"The question now is how to handle him for the final three preseason games. He was the third man in on Friday, but many fans would like to see him start against the Redskins on Thursday night.Coach Todd Bowles did not rule that out, nor did he rule it in. But his actions spoke volumes. Darnold got the vast majority of first-team snaps during the practice against the Redskins and could get the nod.Be it in practice or games, Bowles said the key is to get Darnold as much action as possible regardless of whether he is playing with and against starters.“I can get a fair evaluation of Josh [McCown]; I’ve seen him quite a bit,” Bowles said. “I’ve seen Teddy [Bridgewater] quite a bit. Sam’s the one who has to get caught up.”"

Darnold is a safe bet to see plenty of action on Thursday and should definitely be in the running for highest scoring QB of the night.

NFL DFS: Running Backs

Ralph Webb NE RB

Webb made a lot of DFS players happy last week as he converted 14 carries into 46 yards and two touchdowns. I’m going back to the well this week. With Sonny Michael, Rex Burkhead and Jeremy Hill banged up, the Patriots are a little thin at the RB position. The undrafted runner will likely continue to get preseason looks as long as those guys remain out. Keep an eye on team news throughout the day to check on the status of the other Patriots running backs. Obviously Webb would become slightly less attractive if Burkhead or Hill is active.

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Jamaal Williams GB RB

According to SBnation, Williams was on the field for 13 snaps last week. He turned those snaps into 5 carries for 16 yards and 1 catch for 8 yards and a TD. Williams is expected to start on Thursday night and should see more time as GB tries to get their starters prepared for the regular season. While Aaron Rodgers isn’t expected to play more than a couple of series, the backup quarterbacks proved they’re capable of putting Green Bay in scoring position on their way to hanging 31 points on Tennessee last week. Williams seems like one of the safer plays of the night. Ty Montgomery might also be worth a roll of the dice.

NFL DFS: Wide Receivers

James Washington PIT WR

It stands to reason that if I love the tandem of Mason Rudolph and Joshua Dobbs, I’d also love the guys they’ll be throwing to. James Washington is one of my top targets for Thursday night. Antonio Brown won’t play and Washington could be the main beneficiary. After getting off to a slow start in training camp, reports are that he has been turning it on and is the front-runner to be the third WR behind Brown and Smith-Schuster. I’ll bump Washington up even more if his playing time aligns with Rudolph, who he shares a college connection with.

JuJu Smith-Schuster PIT WR

After missing practice on Monday there were doubts that Smith-Schuster would be available to play Thursday night. However, he was able to get back onto the practice field on Tuesday and barring a setback, should get the chance to shine in Antonio Brown’s absence. Speaking of his Tuesday practice performance, Steelers writer, Mark Kaboly tweeted the following: “I keep saying this but JuJu Smith-Schuster had another monster practice – was dominant in Seven Shots and 2-minute.” The second year receiver showed that explosiveness in the first preseason game by snagging a 71 yard touchdown catch. However, I would advise you to check back for team news closer to kickoff to make sure that Pittsburgh doesn’t hold him out for precautionary measures.

Charles Johnson NYJ WR

Johnson, who is fighting for a roster spot, dazzled in week 1. He led the team in targets and finished with 3 catches for 45 yards and a touchdown. The play before his touchdown catch, he actually had another touchdown that was overturned. With Pryor and Enunwa both still expected to be out, Johnson is going to continue to get an opportunity to state his case to the coaches. His two end-zone targets from week 1 already show that he has Darnold’s trust, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him get another chance at six on Thursday night.

NFL DFS: Tight Ends

Dallas Goedert PHI TE

Any list of DFS tight end options that doesn’t include Goedert should probably be taken with a grain of salt. In his NFL debut last week, Goedert impressed with 4 catches for 66 yards and a touchdown. There’s also the fact that when targeting the rookie tight end, Philly quarterback’s had a perfect 158.3 QB rating. The Eagles are expected to have Nick Foles available for the matchup against New England, and I would expect the  Super Bowl MVP winning QB to lean on Goedert throughout the night.v

Jacob Hollister NE TE

If you want to pivot off of Goedert, Patriots tight end, Jacob Hollister should be a good play. Nobody expects Gronk to leave the sideline for a meaningless game while Dwayne Allen left practice Tuesday with an unspecified injury. Hollister could also stand to benefit from having some guy named Tom Brady throw to him for a few series. Reports out of Patriots practice say that Brady and Hollister have been spending extra time working together and according to the Boston Herald, Brady recently had high praise for the rookie tight end:

"“I think (putting in the work) is really important and Jake has no problem doing it. Jake will do it all day,” Brady said. “The things we do better more often is going to contribute to being more productive on the field and scoring more points. That’s what we’re trying to do.”"

NFL DFS: Defense/Special Teams

New England DST

Philly fans have really been letting New England fans have it this week by reminding them at every turn that Nick Foles beat their “Golden Boy” in last year’s Super Bowl. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Patriots felt a little extra motivation to come out strong even though it is just a preseason game. The Eagles won’t have their top two wide receivers due to injury and if Foles or Sudfield have to stand in the pocket for too long while their wideouts try to get open, New England’s pass rush could have a field day against the two statuesque quarterbacks.

Thanks for reading, NFL DFS Lineup Advice – Thursday, August 16th! Follow me on twitter @BenMcD_Sports as I’ll be updating this list throughout the day!