NFL preseason DFS Week 2 action continues with two showdowns and a full main slate of games on Saturday evening. Unlike normal NFL DFS, NFL preseason DFS pricing is flat. With the current pricing structure, playing time is the most important variable to consider. This breakdown will analyze each team and point out potential edges within these teams. Be sure to check out the Awesemo NFL DFS projections and ownership projections for each preseason slate. And for those looking at a comprehensive preseason guide, make sure to check out our preseason primer.
Be sure to check out Matt Gajewski’s top NFL DFS Picks for today’s slate breakdown on YouTube, as well as our Week 2 Preseason DraftKings Cheat Sheet and FanDuel Cheat Sheet.
Saturday Week 2 Preseason NFL DFS Picks
Buffalo vs. Chicago DraftKings Showdown
Chicago Defense — Defenses are the most consistent plays in preseason showdown. Unlike normal skill players, they score points through an entire preseason contest, with much of that occurring against second- and third-string players. For this reason, they also have a ceiling and can be used in the Captain slot. Chicago holds a slight edge over Buffalo as a four-point favorite. They also benefit from facing Mitchell Trubisky, Jake Fromm, and Davis Webb for a majority of the game. Josh Allen will not play in this game.
Buffalo Defense — Ranked slightly below Chicago, Buffalo enters this contest as a slight underdog. Buffalo will face slightly better quarterback play in Andy Dalton and Justin Fields. However, the Bears play with one of the worst offensive lines in football, potentially creating defensive scoring opportunities. Rostering both defenses is viable across formats.
Justin Fields — The Bears held Fields out of practice earlier in the week with a groin injury. However, the absence appears cautionary with Matt Nagy vocalizing his desire to get Fields extra preseason reps. Fields played 33 snaps in Week 1, compared to seven for Dalton and 12 for Nick Foles. Fields completed 14-of-20 passes for 142 yards and a score in Week 1, while rushing five times for an extra 33 yards. He projects for the most playing time of any quarterback on this slate.
Matt Breida — The Bills project to play this game with one fewer running back than Chicago. Christian Wade continues to battle a shoulder injury and Taiwan Jones is a pure special teams veteran. Zack Moss returned to practice this week, but he and Devin Singletary project for a limited workload. This should leave Matt Breida and Antonio Williams to again split most of the work. In Week 1, Williams out-snapped Breida 29-21. However, Breida carried ten times to Williams’ seven. Williams’ saw three targets to Brieda’s two, but both backs should remain involved. Breida holds the edge for RB3 duties on Buffalo and remains the more talented back. He should receive a similar workload in Week 2. Williams also makes sense in GPP’s.
Khalil Herbert — A rookie out of Virginia Tech, Khalil Herbert led Chicago’s backfield in snaps in Week 1 with 23. Head coach Matt Nagy indicated that some starters will play a little more. With that said, David Montgomery only played one snap as the clear starter. Likewise, C.J. Marable only played a single snap as a virtual lock to get cut. Herbert is 5-foot-9, 210 pounds and rushed for 1,183 yards in his final season with the Hockies. He again should lead the backfield in Week 2.
Brandon Powell — Receivers aren’t always the strongest options in low risk contests for preseason DFS, but they provide enough upside to warrant tournament consideration. Buffalo projects to play this game with fewer healthy receivers. Stefon Diggs and Isaiah Hodgins continue to miss practice time. Additionally, the Bills continue to hold out veterans like Emmanuel Sanders and Cole Beasley. Both should play limited snaps, if they play at all. This should open additional playing time for Brandon Powell on the roster bubble. Last week, Powell led the receivers with 32 snaps. He also saw a team-leading four targets, which he parlayed into three receptions for 14 yards.
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New York Jets vs. Green Bay DraftKings Showdown
New York Jets Defense — In the second standalone showdown on Saturday, the New York Jets remain 2.5-point favorites over the Green Bay Packers. The Packers also project to play a majority of the game with Kurt Benkert and Jacob Dolegala, who was signed on Aug. 17. Aaron Rodgers looks likely to sit out again and Jordan Love continues to rehab his injured shoulder.
Green Bay Defense — Entering the game as a slight underdog, Green Bay’s defense also warrants consideration in the captain slot. The Jets should use three quarterbacks again, highlighted by rookie Zach Wilson. However, much of the game will also fall on James Morgan and Mike White. This keeps Green Bay viable in the captain slot and a strong play overall.
Kurt Benkert — Mentioned above, Green Bay remains thin at the quarterback position. Rodgers should receive veteran rest and Love continues to rehab his injured shoulder. With Dolegala also signed earlier in the week, most of the playing time should fall on Benkert’s shoulders. Benkert played 26 snaps in Green Bay’s opener and completed 8-of-12 passes for 88 yards and one interception. Benkert played well in previous preseasons, completing 56% of his passes for 185 yards and a score in one game with Atlanta in 2019. Benkert played his college ball at Virginia, where he passed for 3,207 yards and 25 scores as a senior in 2017. Unfortunately, Benkert offers no mobility.
Zach Wilson — New head coach Robert Saleh mentioned ramping up rookie signal caller Zach Wilson‘s workload gradually in the preseason. Wilson played 22 snaps in his debut and now could earn an additional series. In that debut, Wilson completed six of nine passes for 63 scoreless yards. A complete gunslinger at BYU, Wilson passed for 3,692 yards and 33 scores, while adding 254 rushing yards. He should continue to ascend in Week 2.
Kylin Hill — Similar to Week 1 of the preseason, the Packers project to lean on four backs with Aaron Jones receiving veteran rest. On top of that, A.J. Dillon only played six snaps in Week 1 due to his secure role on the team. Drafted in the seventh round out of Mississippi State, Hill led the backfield with 23 snaps in Week 1. Hill carries five times for -2 yards, but added one catch for 22 yards and a score on two targets. Hill stands 5-foot-10, 214 pounds and rushed for 1,350 yards as a junior in college. Impressively, he also added 67 career receptions, giving him a full three-down skillset. He remains slightly ahead of Patrick Taylor and Dexter Williams on the depth chart.
Amari Rodgers — Green Bay continues to battle injuries at the receiver position. Green Bay may play with as little as seven healthy receivers, while New York trots out 11. Equanimeous St. Brown, Juwann Winfree, DeAndre Thompkins, and Chris Blair all continue to miss time. Also concentrating targets, Davante Adams, Randall Cobb, and Allen Lazard all sat out of Week 1 as veterans. These three again project to play few if any snaps. This condensed playing time allowed Amari Rodgers, Devin Funchess, and Malik Taylor to play 32, 34, and 36 snaps, respectively. While all three of these players deserve consideration, Funchess led the group with six catches for 70 yards on eight targets in Green Bay’s debut. Due to his positive performance, Funchess likely draws elevated ownership this week. Rodgers could be a solid pivot after receiving similar opportunity. A third-round rookie out of Clemson, Rodgers caught three of four targets for 15 yards. All three of these receivers are solid options against the Jets.
Main Slate
Quarterback
Tyler Huntley — Thin at the quarterback position, Baltimore may use one signal caller for the majority of Week 2. Lamar Jackson doesn’t project for more than a few snaps. Trace McSorley will miss the rest of preseason with an injury and Kenji Bahar was signed earlier this week. That leaves former Utah signal caller, Tyler Huntley to potentially handle three-plus quarters. Huntley played 39 snaps in Week 1. He completed 12-of-16 passes for 79 yards, while adding 43 yards and a score on the ground. Huntley was an excellent dual threat in college and stands out as a quarterback to target on the Week 2 main slate.
Bryce Perkins — Sean McVay has made a point out of sitting his starters during the preseason. Both Matthew Stafford and John Wolford will miss this game along with a slew of other players. While this leaves questionable talent, at least playing time can be counted on. In Week 1, Bryce Perkins played 22 snaps to Devlin Hodges’ 34. However, Perkins brings elite dual threat ability. He rushed for 23 yards on four carries in the opener, while completing seven of ten passes. Perkins rushed for 1,692 yards in his final two seasons with Virginia.
Feleipe Franks — Matt Ryan is not expected to play in this game, leaving Feleipe Franks and A.J. McCarron to split snaps. Franks played 27 snaps in Week 1 and draws and edge over McCarron with his mobility. Franks only completed 5-of-12 passes for 36 yards, but he rushed for 76 on just four carries. Splitting his time between Florida and Arkansas in college, Franks has proven mobility at all levels of football. A half out of Franks warrants strong consideration here.
Sam Ehlinger — Carson Wentz remains out and the Colts did not play Brett Hundley for even a single snap as they evaluate Sam Ehlinger and Jacob Eason this preseason. Ehlinger remains the preferred signal caller in DFS due to his mobility. The rookie out of Texas played 39 snaps in his debut, completing 10-of-15 passes for 155 yards. Ehlinger also rushed for 30 yards on eight carries. At Texas, Ehlinger rushed for 1,903 yards and 33 scores in his four-year career.
Kellen Mond — The starters are expected to play a little bit in Week 2, meaning Kirk Cousins likely sees the field for a series or two. However, Minnesota showed a desire to evaluate their Kellen Mond by playing him for 46 snaps shortly after recovering from COVID-19. A dual threat signal caller at Texas A&M, Mond rushed for 1,609 yards and 22 scores in his four-year career. Mond only completed 6-of-16 passes for 53 yards in his debut, but he rushed five times for 29 yards. An additional week of practice time should Mond acclimate to the offense, giving him upside in Week 2.
Running Back
A.J. Rose Jr. — Minnesota expects to play its starters “some.” However, even with Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison potentially making their preseason debuts, the Vikings still have a narrow backfield. Kene Nwangwu remains on the shelf, meaning, A.J. Rose Jr. should again see massive opportunity. In Week 1, Rose played 48 snaps. He carried 25 times for 100 yards, while adding one catch for 18 yards. Rose stands 6-foot-1, 214 pounds and played his college ball at Kentucky.
Rico Dowdle — Ezekiel Elliott isn’t expected to play at all this preseason. Tony Pollard also only played six snaps in Week 1. The clear number three back in Dallas Rico Dowdle‘s 32 snaps dwarfed JaQuan Hardy‘s 16 and Brenden Knox‘s 19. Dowdle only finished with eight carries for 25 yards and two catches for 10 yards. However, the South Carolina product has a clear path to playing time again here in Week 2.
Ty’Son Williams — Baltimore remains thin at all of its skill position players due to injury. Justice Hill hasn’t practiced all week and both JK Dobbins and Gus Edwards shouldn’t play more than a few snaps here. That leaves Nate McCracy and Ty’Son Williams to handle most of the backfield work. In Week 1 Williams out-snaped McCrary 36-14. Williams carried ten times for 41 yards, while adding five receptions for another 23 yards. Williams suffered a torn ACL in his final college season at BYU, but he has since recovered and will now make his case to earn a potential roster spot.
Trey Ragas — Las Vegas hasn’t announced whether Josh Jacobs or Kenyan Drake will make their preseason debut. If they play, it likely isn’t more than a few snaps. With Jalen Richard also on the shelf, Trey Ragas played 40 snaps in Week 1. He carried 13 times for 62 yards, while adding three receptions for 20 yards on five targets. Ragas is 5-foot-10, 230 pounds and rushed for at least 758 yards in all four of his seasons with Louisiana-Lafayette. He out-snapped B.J. Emmons 40-18 in Week 1.
Ke’Shawn Vaughn — The starters will play a little bit in Tampa Bay. Leonard Fournette, Ronald Jones, and Giovani Bernard played a combined eight snaps in Week 1. With Troymaine Pope on the shelf, second-year pro Ke’Shawn Vaughn should handle most of the running back work. He led Tampa Bay’s backfield with 27 snaps in Week 1. He carried 11 times for 27 yards and a score, while adding two receptions for 10 yards. He rushed for over 1,000 yards in his final two seasons with Vanderbilt, while adding 41 total receptions.
Chuba Hubbard — With Christian McCaffrey receiving veteran rest, Chuba Hubbard led the Carolina backfield with 28 snaps. He carried seven times for 80 yards, while adding just one reception on four targets. Hubbard could see even more playing time this week with Reggie Bonnafon and Rodney Smith battling injury. Hubbard rushed for over 2,000 yards in his sophomore season with Oklahoma State before injuries derailed his final season. While Hubbard is still a Day 3 pick, He will look to assert himself as Carolina’s primary backup behind McCaffrey.
Wide Receiver
J.J. Koski — Sean McVay notoriously sits his starters during the preseason. In Week 1, Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp, DeSean Jackson, and Van Jefferson all received veteran rest. Further thinning the depth chart, Triston Jackson and Ben Skowronek both sustained injuries this week. Koski played 48 snaps in Week 1, catching three of five targets for 36 yards. He 6-foot-1, 195 pound receiver, who played his college ball at Cal Poly.
Tutu Atwell — Drafted in the second round, Tutu Atwell stands just 5-foot-9, 165 pounds. Playing his college ball at Louisville, Atwell easily eclipsed 1,000 yards in 2019 before opting out midway through 2020. Atwell played 26 snaps in his preseason debut. The Rams also got him involved early with four targets, which he turned into two catches for 21 yards.
Tylan Wallace — Another thin wide receiver room, Baltimore continues to deal with injuries to Marquise Brown, Sammy Watkins, Rashod Bateman, Miles Boykin, Devin Duvernay, and Deon Cain. Oklahoma State rookie Tylan Wallace already played 45 snaps in his preseason debut. He didn’t catch either of his two targets, but the volume should come. Wallace had at least 903 receiving yards in each of his final three seasons with Oklahoma State. That number would have been larger, if not for a late 2019 ACL tear.
James Proche — In the same Baltimore offense, second-year pro James Proche should also benefit from a thin wide receiver depth chart. Proche played 37 snaps in his debut and has been impressing in camp, reportedly. Proche also only saw two targets in his preseason debut, but he caught one for eight yards. Again, a thin depth chart should benefit Baltimore’s receivers.
Jeremiah Haydel — A thin depth chart in Los Angeles also benefits Texas State product Jeremiah Haydel. An undrafted free agent, Haydel caught 40 balls for 408 yards as a senior. He played 22 snaps and caught one of three targets in the Rams’ preseason debut.
Landen Akers — Another undrafted free agent receiver in Los Angeles, Landen Akers played his college ball at Iowa State. Akers received 31 snaps in Week 1. He turned his only two targets into two catches for 11 yards. Like the receivers above, the thin depth chart makes him a solid play.
Ihmir Smith-Marsette — Minnesota has gotten healthier at wide receiver, with Chad Beebe and Dede Westbrook expected to return. However, fifth-round rookie Ihmir Smith-Marsette played 55 snaps in Week 1. He only managed to catch two of six targets for 12 yards, but the opportunity remains. The Vikings should continue to evaluate the former Iowa Hawkeye in preseason Week 2.
Jaelon Darden — A rookie out of North Texas, Darden plays in a crowded receiver room in Tampa Bay. However, the Buccaneers showed a willingness to use Darden in preseason Week 1. Darden played 23 snaps, catching two of six targets for 19 yards. His six targets tied for the team lead, making him an interesting GPP option in Week 2. Darden caught 74 balls for 1,190 yards as a senior in 2020.
Mack Hollins — Miami is thin at receiver with injuries limiting Devante Parker, Will Fuller, Lynn Bowden, Preston Williams, Albert Wilson, Allen Hurns, and Isaiah Ford. This has actually allowed Mack Hollins to work with the first team in camp. Still unlikely to make the roster, Hollins needs to perform in the preseason. He played 19 snaps in his debut, catching both of his targets for 20 yards.
Cade Johnson — Seattle played an inefficient 32 offensive snaps last week, but their narrow receiver room remains. DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett did not play last week. D’Wayne Eskridge has been limited all week after coming off the PUP list, and Penny Hart remains on the shelf altogether. This leaves eight available receivers for Seattle. In Week 1, undrafted rookie Cade Johnson played 25 snaps. Johnson caught 4-of-5 targets for 25 yards, showing solid involvement in the offense. Johnson went over 1,000 yards in 2018 and 2019 before COVID-19 cancelled his senior season. Johnson played at South Dakota State.
Tight End
Jacob Harris — A fourth-round pick out of UCF, Jacob Harris is actually a converted receiver playing the tight end position. He caught 539 yards on 30 balls as a senior in 2020. More importantly, Harris played 23 snaps and received a team-high seven targets. He turned these targets into four catches for 43 yards.
Brycen Hopkins — In the same offense, Brycen Hopkins also received solid opportunity. He turned just two targets into one catch for three yards, but Hopkins played 31 snaps overall. A former receiving tight end at Purdue, Hopkins caught 61 balls for 830 yards in his senior season with the Boilermakers.
Josh Oliver — Also thin at the tight end position in Baltimore, Josh Oliver played a massive 51 snaps in his debut. Mark Andrews and Nick Boyle continue to miss time, leaving Oliver available for another big game. Oliver turned six targets into four receptions for 22 yards in Week 1.
Codey McElroy — Tampa Bay is still thin at tight end with Cameron Brate recently coming off the PUP list and Tanner Hudson suffering an injury in Week 1. Not to mention Rob Gronkowski and O.J. Howard played six and seven snaps respectively as team veterans. That now leaves Codey McElroy to handle most of the tight end work. McElroy played 29 snaps in Week 1. He caught two of three targets for four yards, but should receive more opportunity here. McElroy actually played baseball in college at Southeastern Oklahoma State. He subsequently walked onto the football team after not playing since middle school.
Brandon Dillon — Minnesota brings an attractive tight end situation between Brandon Dillon and Zach Davidson handling most of the snaps. Irv Smith Jr. didn’t play in Week 1, but should play a little here. That means Dillon and Davidson probably see fewer than the 36 snaps each received in Week 1. However, second half work should again be divided between them. Dillon caught one of four targets for 15 yards, giving him a slight opportunity edge. Dillon caught 105 balls for 1,661 yards in his college career with Marian.
Zach Davidson — Mentioned above, Minnesota will play this game with a thin tight end room. Davidson played 36 snaps, but he failed to catch either of his two targets in Week 1. Davidson played his college ball at Central Missouri, where he caught 40 balls for 894 yards and 15 scores in his final season. He was also a punter in college.
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