NFL DFS Preseason Week 4 Thursday Lineup Advice
By Ben McDaniel
If you enjoyed last week’s NFL DFS contests that featured players with household names, you might want to look away. Week 4 of the preseason is mostly reserved for players who are battling to even make their teams. However, with obscure players receiving so much playing time, there is a great opportunity for you to gain an advantage over less informed competition. This is one of the most fluid weeks of NFL DFS and you’ll want to be sure to check up on the news from around the league leading up to kickoff. Be sure to follow me on Twitter @BenMcD_Sports as I’ll be updating my top plays throughout the day based on new information that comes out. Thanks for reading, NFL DFS Preseason Week 4 Thursday Lineup Advice!
NFL DFS: Quarterbacks
Tyler Bray CHI QB
If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times. In preseason NFL DFS – opportunity is king! The moment that Bears Coach Matt Nagy announced that Bray would be playing the entire game Thursday night, the Bears QB became one of the top plays on the 16 game slate. The Bengals defense looked dominant against Josh Allen in the their last game, but came back down to earth in the 2nd half against Nathan Peterman. Tyler Bray will spend the majority of the game against defenders who allowed Peterman to complete 16 of 21 attempts for 200 yards and a TD in one half of play. It’s simple math: Tyler Bray + 4 quarters = Top Play.
Kevin Hogan WAS QB
Hogan is another guy who should be taking nearly all of his teams’ QB reps on Thursday. Alex Smith isn’t expected to play and I doubt the Redskins feel the need to get Colt McCoy more snaps. Hogan performed admirably last week by completing 7 of 9 attempts for 88 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Ravens have done a great job limiting points to opposing teams, but just last week Ryan Tannehill was able to show they weren’t invincible. In limited by time, he completed 11 of 16 attempts, with 115 yards and 1 touchdown. As long as the Redskins plan to give Hogan the majority of the work, he should be one of the top QB plays. Just as a bonus, Hogan is an underrated athlete and always carries the potential of gaining you a few extra points with his legs.
Tim Boyle GB QB
“It’s important for Tim to get some more snaps than the other two since he didn’t play in Oakland.” That was said by Packers Coach Mike McCarthy BEFORE Brett Hundley got shipped out to Seattle. It’s likely that Kizer could still get some time, but clearly, Green Bay intends to give Boyle an extended look on Thursday night. Boyle has already shown this preseason what he’s capable of by tossing two touchdown passes along with 130 yards back in week 1. Boyle’s primed for another big performance this week.
Other QBs to watch: Nate Sudfeld, Joe Webb, Kyle Sloter
NFL DFS: Running Backs
Kerryon Johnson DET RB
Kerryon Johnson has yet to receive more than 7 carries in a game, but that should change on Thursday night. We shouldn’t see Blount or Riddick in this one, which opens up quite a few carries for the rookie out of Auburn. His best performance thus far came in week 1 when he showed his versatility by finishing with 34 rushing yards on 7 carries while bringing in 4 catches for 33 yards. Another factor working in Johnson’s favor is a juicy matchup against the Browns, whose defense has allowed the 7th most rushing yards to opponents this preseason. I haven’t been able to pin down much from the coaches as far as how they’ll be splitting time in the backfield, but if Johnson is going to be featured, he’s a guy I want in my lineup.
Chris Warren OAK RB
Through three preseason games, Warren has logged 13, 18, and 15 carries. He leads the league in rushing yards and is actually a whole 63 yards ahead of the guy who is in 2nd place. All that to say, Chris Warren is good. However, despite his stellar preseason performance, he still isn’t considered a lock to make the 53 player roster. He’ll have one final chance to make an impression on Thursday night. As long as the Raiders plan to feed him, he’s an easy plug and play.
Robert Martin NYG RB
Martin is a guy who should fly under the radar due to a minor injury that kept him out of action in week 3. The undrafted rookie out of Rutgers impressed in weeks 1 and 2 while rushing for 39 yards on 5 carries, and 47 yards along with 1 touchdown on 7 carries. That’s over 7 yards per carry! Week 4 of the preseason is often utilized to showcase talent for other teams or to evaluate which players are worth a spot on your practice squad. Look for the Giants to give Martin a little heavier workload to help them decide what course of action they should take with the rookie.
Other RBs to watch: Josh Adams, Mike Boone, Senorise Perry
NFL DFS: Wide Receivers
Brandon Powell DET WR
Powell has been an extremely reliable option through the first 3 games, finishing with at least 4 catches in each contest. Last week he was able to haul in 6 receptions for 45 yards. If there is a downside, Detroit is facing a Browns defense that has done a great job of limiting points, but some of that is due to the Eagles turnover frenzy from last week. Reportedly still fighting for a roster spot, Powell should continue to produce for NFL DFS players on Thursday night.
J’Mon Moore GB WR
The Green Bay Packers selected Moore in the 4th round of the draft and finally saw a return from their investment last week when Moore was able to wrangle in 4 catches for 64 yards. When asked about Moore’s performance, Packers Coach Mike McCarthy had this to say: “I think J’Mon’s taken a step, based on what he accomplished yesterday in the Oakland game. I’m looking for him to take another step in Kansas City. He’ll play a lot down there.” There you have it. Straight from the horse’s mouth. The matchup with a Chiefs team that just got picked apart by Chase Daniels and the Bears is just gravy at this point. I’ll have a ton of J’Mon Moore shares on Thursday night.
Riley McCarron NE WR
It’s hard to trust McCarron after he burned so many NFL DFS players in week 1. He followed that up with a 1 catch performance in week 2. However, last week against Carolina, he finally seemed to heat up to the tune of 4 catches for 49 yards. With the guys higher up on the depth chart expected to sit this one out, McCarron should have another chance to shine on Thursday night. The Patriots have given Brady and Hoyer far more playing time than I would have imagined, and it has caused Danny Etling to spend most of his time on the sidelines. Thursday night is the Patriots’ last chance to evaluate their 2017 7th round pick. McCarron, who runs mostly high percentage routes out of the slot, would stand to benefit if New England uses a pass-heavy approach to get one last long look at Etling before next preseason rolls around.
Other WRs to watch: Cam Sims, Kendall Wright, Daurice Fountain
NFL DFS: Tight Ends
Rico Gathers DAL TE
It’s everyone’s favorite preseason tight end! As a die-hard Dallas Cowboys fan, I can’t tell you how frustrating it is that Gathers most likely will not make the final roster. However, that’s a discussion for another day. Dallas is going to give him another extended look Thursday night, and Gathers will once again have the opportunity to impress the organization’s decision makers (Jerry Jones). Despite not seeing the field until the 2nd half, last week the athletic tight end was still targeted 7 times, catching 5 passes for 30 yards. If he can reproduce that target rate, he’ll be one of the top tight ends on the slate.
More from FanSided
- Shohei Ohtani Rumors: The best trade package from every NL East team
- Cardinals Rumors: Surprise extension, Dylan Carlson-Yankees link, Rays trade idea
- USWNT vs. Vietnam: Key takeaways before they take on the Dutch
- NFL rumors: 49ers trending toward contract drama with defensive star
- Steelers avoid any camp drama with latest roster move
Jason Croom/Logan Thomas BUF TE
On Sunday night, I had the displeasure of watching the Bengals – Bills game. Just kidding. Kind of. One of my takeaways from viewing the game is that the Bills have two tight ends buried on their depth chart who look like the real deal. Logan Thomas, the former college quarterback, led the team with 4 catches and 55 yards. Jason Croom also had a nice performance, catching two passes for 38 yards, even grabbing a touchdown from Nathan Peterman. I know it’s kind of cheating to list both of them, but I’m not sure which one I’d rather start. Both should receive enough playing time to produce, so it’s possible that you won’t go wrong either way.
Other TEs to watch: Eric Saubert, Michael Roberts
NFL DFS: Defense/Special Teams
Philadelphia Eagles DST
I’m guessing by now you’ve heard that Teddy Bridgewater has been traded to the New Orleans Saints. The Jets were expected to give the majority of snaps to Bridgewater on Thursday night, but will now have to take a different course of action. If they intend to start Sam Darnold in week 1, it’s doubtful that they’ll want to expose him too much on Thursday night. They have also been hesitant to have McCown under center this preseason. Who does that leave? John Walford. Walford is undrafted rookie out of Wake Forest who hasn’t even been with the team a full week yet. If that guy is going to be expected to lead the Jets offense on Thursday night, I want all of the Eagles DST shares.
Other DST to watch: Steelers, Raiders
Which WR is our Fantasy Football Breakout Candidate of the Year?. dark. Next