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We have, Real. NFL. Football. Okay, it’s only preseason, but it’s still exciting. If you love preseason DFS the way I do, you have probably been on Twitter a lot lately looking for little tidbits of information on who will play in these games. The fact there are only three weeks of preseason football this year, it might change the way teams use their starters, and every team is different, but if you’re paying attention to the beat writers, it can give you a huge advantage.
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Quarterbacks
Jordan Love (GB) vs. HOU
I highly doubt Aaron Rodgers plays in this game, and with only three quarterbacks on the roster, that means a lot of playing time for the other two. The Packers know that Love could very well be their starter next season. I’d expect they’d want to see what he can do.
Packers’ HC Matt LaFleur said today that Aaron Rodgers will “most likely not” play in the preseason. Jordan Love expected to get plenty of preseason play time.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 10, 2021
We only need him to connect on one of these throws and he could win us some money…
Pretty good ball from Jordan Love pic.twitter.com/xX9BlXSTnh
— Justis Mosqueda (@JuMosq) August 8, 2021
Trace McSorley (BAL) vs. NO
The Ravens are another team with only three quarterbacks on the roster. With Lamar Jackson likely only getting a series or two, McSorley should enter the game fairly early. He hasn’t been lighting it up in camp, but with Lamar Jackson missing time in the COVID protocol, he has had a ton of reps, which should help him in this game.
Jamies Winston (NO) @ BAL
We all know what Winston is. He loves to chuck the ball down the field, and we love him for it. I expect him to air it out no fewer than four times in this game. We need him to connect on one. The Saints don’t know who their starter is, and I’d expect both Winston and Taysom Hill to get a sizable chunk of the snaps in the preseason. Hill isn’t a bad option either, but I have more faith in Winston chucking it 50-yards than I do the Saints letting Hill run the ball the way he does in the regular season — which is where most of his fantasy points come from.
Running Backs
Xavier Jones (LAR) vs. LAC
Jones and Jake Funk are fighting for the RB2 spot in LA, but Jones is the one that McVay has mentioned on more than one occasion. I think both running backs will be popular choices on this slate, but I’m leaning Jones.
📈Xavier Jones: “McVay said Tuesday that he thinks Jones is ‘going to carve out a role for himself’ and someone the Rams are ‘expecting to count on throughout the season.’ That’s high praise for the 2nd-year back, & it seems he’s poised to emerge as Darrell Henderson’s backup.” https://t.co/IOGZjynqQO
— NFL Beat Writers (@32BeatWriters) August 11, 2021
Elijah Mitchell (SF) vs. KC
I’ve been talking about this kid all offseason, from pre-draft to post-draft. He has 4.3 speed, and there won’t be a lot of guys on the field in the fourth quarter when he is likely to get most of his work with that type of speed. If he gets a crease, he could make a house call.
Two player that jumps out when they touch the ball are rookie running backs Trey Sermon and Elijah Mitchell. They impressed me.
— Marco Martinez (@Marco_Mart1205) August 10, 2021
Ke’Shawn Vaughn (TB) vs. CIN
Leonard Fournette, Ronald Jones, and Gio Bernard all have secure roles in this offense. Vaughn was all the rage in fantasy last year and has yet to show us anything. The Bucs are likely to give him a chance to show what he can do this preseason.
Wide Receivers
James Proche (BAL) vs. NO
Next to Elijah Mitchell, this is the guy I’m most excited to see on Saturday. When I scouted him last year, he jumped out at me by how many one-handed catches he made on his college tape. There were times when I don’t think he even needed to catch it one-handed. He just did it because he could. He has brought those hands to the NFL and has been making plays in camp. With Rashod Bateman out for a while, and Hollywood Brown missing time earlier this offseason, Proche has made the most of his opportunity. Watch and enjoy these…
James Proche II will probably be getting a lot more than three targets in 2021 pic.twitter.com/Ulu3WlKpYG
— Kevin Oestreicher (@koestreicher34) August 11, 2021
James Proche is practicing his way right into a roster spot
What a catch🤯 pic.twitter.com/YRVE0AHzoG
— Kevin Oestreicher (@koestreicher34) August 3, 2021
Denzel Mims (NYJ) @ NYG
We finally know what’s wrong with Mims and why he was sliding back on the depth chart. Food Poisoning. Apparently, some bad fish caused him to lose a ton of weight and put him behind in camp. He has slowly worked his way back into shape and should get a decent number of snaps in this game. I still believe in his talent, and I think we will see it on display Saturday.
Others I like:
- Tutu Atwell (LAR) vs. LAC
- Deonte Harris (NO) @ BAL
- Collin Johnson (JAX) vs. CLE
- Jaelon Darden (TB) vs. CIN
Tight Ends
Tight ends are the hardest position to pick in preseason. We have no idea how they will be used in the passing game, if at all, but two guys I like based on the opportunity to catch a touchdown are:
- Harrison Bryant (CLE) @ JAX
- Noah Gray (KC) @ SF
Defense
Texans @ GB
Aaron Rodgers isn’t going to play, leaving rookie quarterback Jordan Love and some guy named Kurt Benkert to play the entire game. Mistakes will be made.
Giants vs. NYJ
Jets have rookie QB Zach Wilson as their starter, a couple of quarterbacks I’ve never heard of that have played zero NFL snaps, and journeyman Josh Johnson that has seemingly played everywhere — but has only been with the team for about a week. Advantage, Giants.
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