PRO 2021 Week 1 Preseason DFS Saturday Slate Walk-Through and Primer
Here is a breakdown and walk-through of the Week 1 preseason slate taking place on Saturday you can use as a bit of a primer to help you with your lineups if you are taking part in DFS contests for the big day of action. This is NOT a regular RosterWatch feature to be expected every week of the preseason, but since I had done the research anyway, it only seemed reasonable to put it up on the site for our PRO subs. Of course, in-season DFS tools, HyperDFS Lineup Generator, cheat sheets and analysis will be available to all PRO members starting Week 1. Please make sure to check player availability closer to lineup lock as there are always surprises with guys not playing or big news dropping closer to kickoff. Most importantly, enjoy your first big day of NFL football action for the 2021 season!
MIA @ CHI
MIA
– Lots of WRs banged up (DeVante Parker, Will Fuller, Preston Williams, Albert Wilson). Jaylen Waddle is healthy and Brian Flores says “guys will play” including Tua Tagovailoa, but just how much in Week 1 remains to be seen. The only two other QBs on the roster are Jacoby Brissett and Reid Sinnett.
– There are about 10 WRs as far as depth players who are healthy, it really feels like throwing darts. Might have more interest in TE Adam Shaheen as 3rd and 4th year TEs are usually better in preseason than rookies or second-year players anyway, he’s been making plays in joint practices, is a former Chicago Bear and also because rookie 3rd rounder Hunter Long is unlikely to play.
– RB Malcolm Brown has been getting the goal line work and won’t be as popular as Myles Gaskin or Salvon Ahmed even though he probably has a better chance of getting a crack or two at the EZ if MIA can get down there. He’ll also likely play in a regular role with the backups in addition to first-team situational work. 2021 7th rounder Gerrid Doaks is also in play as a guy they’ll definitely want to get some looks at, and who has shown promise in the receiving game in his profile.
CHI
– Matt Nagy says QB Andy Dalton will get two series, then rookie Justin Fields will play into the 3rd quarter, likely to make Fields one of the most popular plays on the slate when coupling his extended playing time with his ability to produce on the ground. Some sites will not have this game as part of the “main slate” of games later in the afternoon, but on a smaller slate, expect him to be even more uber-chalk.
– Allen Robinson likely won’t play and Darnell Mooney will probably only play with the first group. The WRs to pair with Fields are the types of guys like “Riley Ridley and Chris Lacy currently occupy those fifth and sixth spots on the roster. But players like Jon’Vea Johnson and Rodney Adams have been making names for themselves, and they’ll have a chance to continue to do that working with Fields.”
– 6th round rookie RB Khalil Herbert will probably get a good amount of run with Montgomery and Williams being proven vets and Cohen hurt. Even guys like Ryan Nall are players the staff has seen extensively in reserve action already.
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DEN @ MIN
DEN
– QB Drew Lock starts this week, Teddy Bridgewater next, both will play in Week 1.
– RB Mike Boone is out (quad), opening things up for possibly more chances for a little volume in a Javonte Williams debut. Insiders at camp say that Williams and Royce Freeman should get a good amount of work.
– WR KJ Hamler has been standing out, but who knows how much playing time he’ll get. One team insider told us a deep, sneaky WR play was Trinity Benson.
MIN
– Rookie QB Kellen Mond unlikely to play per Vikings website. Zimmer said one of the other backups, Nate Stanley, is “hurt” but it’s unclear if he’ll be able to play. If not, it looks like we’ll have some split of Jake Browning and Danny Etling at QB.
– WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette has been impressive at camp, but has been challenged by Zimmer as a guy who still needs to earn a job, fellow rookie RB Kene Nwangu is drawing praise from Dalvin Cook and has the speed/juice to possibly rip off a big play. One team insider told us that Alexander Mattison was likely to get a good amount of touches and that a WR to watch out for outside of ISM would be KJ Osborn.
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CLE @JAX
(possible weather issues, Tropical depression appears to be coming thru)
CLE
– Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski revealed that the majority of the team’s starters — including quarterback Baker Mayfield — won’t be playing against the Jaguars on Saturday.
– If starters are getting rested, that obviously means not much Chubb or Hunt which could mean more run for former UCLA pass-catching standout RB Demetric Felton who is a RB/WR hybrid, and who could rack up some PPR points via receptions if things go his way; he’s been impressive in camp and was impressive at the Senior Bowl. D’Ernest Johnson is also on the roster, but has been with the team for a while already.
– WR Donovan Peoples–Jones has been a camp standout, the only question is, how close is he to being considered more of a “starting”-type player who’ll be pulled early?
JAX
– Urban Meyer declined Thursday to identify a starter for the team’s preseason opener against Cleveland on Saturday night, and we don’t have any previous history to look at. It’s fair to expect some minimal token playing time for both Trevor Lawrence and Gardner Minshew, but likely not a massive amount of volume for either of them or their two backups.
– Jags have 15 WRs on the roster, literally. Picking the right one for this sort of slate is next to impossible, but Byron said after being at camp he’d prefer to roster Laquon Treadwell or Collin Johnson if forced to use a JAX player in the WR.
– Is Travis Etienne explosive enough to take one to the house on any given touch? Of course – the question is, how much will the 2021 first-rounder play? We’ll have a better idea about how Meyer handles this stuff next week. I’m gonna play at least a little Etienne, though.
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HOU @ GB
HOU
– No interest
GB
– QB Jordan Love is going to play a lot, and he’s one of the premiere QB plays on the slate for that reason.
– WR Amari Rodgers is a golden son and would make an excellent pairing mate.
– RB Kylin Hill (excellent pass-catcher, shallow depth at RB).
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NO @ BAL
NO
– Saints coach Sean Payton hasn’t said whether Jameis Winston or Taysom Hill is going to start Saturday per the Athletic. “We typically divide it into three phases. In phase one, it’ll be 18-22 snaps. In phase two, it may be a similar amount. Somewhere in that third quarter is when we’ll go to phase three,” Payton said. “We’re not one hundred percent sure relative to the roster, so there will be some guys that play more than 18 snaps, but I do not want guys to see anywhere north of 29 snaps. Special teams will be split with a first and second half rotation.” Clearly, Hill is the type of player who can bail you out on less playing time moreso than Winston given Hill’s all-around athletic and running profile.
– Michael Thomas and Tre’Quan Smith both out, Marquez Callaway has basically been the WR1, could that mean limited playing time? Team insiders don’t think so as Katherine Terrell is reporting that Callaway, Lil’Jordan Humphrey and Chris Hogan will likely “get a lot of reps”. All-Pro KR Deonte Harris is a player you could roster in hopes he stacks a big day with a kick return plus a couple of receptions as he’s likely to be thrown into extra playing time on offense, himself.
– AT RB, Alvin Kamara is unlikely to play and Latavius Murray is now a vet they do not need any extra looks at. Ty Montgomery is also out. That leaves Devonta Freeman, Dwayne Washington, Tony Jones and Stevie Scott as the only other RBs on the roster. Freeman has looked like shit of late, but might not look so bad against preseason scrubs, and NO will want a good look at him. Scott has a cult following in deep dynasty leagues and is most similar to James Conner on PlayerProfiler.
– Of course, TE Adam Trautman should always be in consideration, but if he’s only likely to get 18-22 snaps (he’s sort of a starter now that Jared Cook is gone), you could be better off looking elsewhere.
BAL
– John Harbaugh is 12-1 in Week 1 of the preseason. On a 17-game preseason win streak.
– Ravens missing four starting OL.
– No official word on who will or won’t play, but according to reporting from people around the team: Unlikely to play: Lamar Jackson, Marquise Brown (hamstring), Rashod Bateman (groin), Miles Boykin (hamstring) and Deon Cain (undisclosed), tight end Nick Boyle (knee). New signing Siaosi Mariner was banged up in Thursday practice. Harbaugh could be conservative and sit some of his older players, like wide receiver Sammy Watkins per the Athletic. It’s also being reported that JK Dobbins and Mark Andrews, if they do play, will only get a series or two.
– QBs Trace McSorley and Tyler Huntley both likely to get about one half each. Both can run.
– WRs to consider are James Proche, Devin Duvernay and Tylan Wallace — but any of them who are healthy could return value; there could only be seven active WRs on the roster for this entire game.
LAC @ LAR
LAC
– Coach Brandon Staley said that Justin Herbert, Derwin James, Austin Ekeler, Keenan Allen, Corey Linsley, Bryan Bulaga, Linval Joseph, and Jared Cook will not play any preseason games.
– No Keenan Allen, Big Mike Williams a little banged up, will open things up for the WRs like Josh Palmer, Joe Reed, KJ Hill, Jason Moore, etc. They’ve already seen a good bit out of Tyron Johnson and Jalen Guyton as returning guys, but they could also benefit.
– No Ekeler, the team knows exactly what it has in veteran Justin Jackson, meaning we’re likely to see more work from 2nd year Joshua Kelley, rookie Larry Rountree and maybe 2020 UDFA Darius Bradwell.
– No Jared Cook, but seven TEs on the roster and lots of people will probably look at Donald Parham. Tre McKitty was a 2021 RW All-Senior Bowl player, but it’s hard to know which of the large group benefits with most playing time.
LAR
– Stafford, Henderson, Ramsey, Donald, etc. (among others) not playing Week 1. “There are probably 35 players not playing in this game for us,” McVay said at his PC.
– McVay has already said that John Wolford won’t play all preseason, leaving only Duck Hodges and Bryce Perkins as the only available QBs.
– TE Jacob Harris talked up by McVay via Peter Schrager.
– Obviously LAR is going to want a look at the young “Paw Patrol” RB unit behind DHendo: Xavier Jones, Jake Funk, Raymond Calais, etc.
– Tutu Atwell has been impressive per Byron, also has double-dip potential with LAR D/ST as a returner, Byron also noted Trishton Jackson No.83 as a guy to keep an eye on.
– HC Sean McVay not calling plays in Week 1 of the preseason, leaving it to his OC Kevin O’Connell.
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NYJ @ NYG
NYG
– No interest
NYJ
– Play the NYJ D/ST
– RB Michael Carter
– WR Denzel Mims
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CIN @ TB
CIN
– Terrible QBs with no Burrow, bad OL.
– Maybe RB Chris Evans is in play.
TB
– Play the TB D/ST
– A couple of notes from an insider who has been in attendance at every Bucs practice of training camp: On who is going to get some run and extra opportunities “Definitely RB Keshawn Vaughn and WR Jaelon Darden. WR Josh Pearson has had a really good camp and should see extra work. RB Troymaine Pope is a better bet than RB CJ Prosise.
– Everyone will probably be on the preseason GOAT TE Tanner Hudson (who could blame them?) but this source said to keep an eye on TE Codey McElroy.
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KC @ SF
KC
– TE Noah Gray (he’s going to play a ton given TE availability for this one).
SF
– QB Trey Lance (Jimmy G is going to play one series, Lance will finish the 1H and is a premier play.
– RB Elijah Mitchell is excellent leverage off of Trey Sermon who will be more popular, but both are reasonable plays.
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SEA @ LV
SEA
– WR Cade Johnson
LV
– No interest
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Sick primer. Love it
RosterWatch Nation I am picking 3rd this year in a 12 team full point ppr redraft league. We start 1 QB, 2 RB, 2 WR, 1 TE, 1 Flex (RB/WR/TE), K, and Def with only 5 bench spots. I just did a simulation off Fantasy Pros using the ppr cheat sheet and followed the three simple rules. Below is what I got from the simulation.
QB: Tannehill
RBs: Kamara, Dobbins, Sanders, Davis, Edmonds, Edwards, and Pollard
WRs: Allen, Kupp, Brown
TE: Trautman
It is very hard to stash players on a short bench while still working the waiver wire each week. Therefore, it is hard for me to justify taking a late round flier on a second QB who may emerge during the season like Lance, Fields, etc. Obviously, you want to stash as many RBs and WRs with upside on your bench. How many RBs and WRs would you ultimately draft in a setup like this? Also, would you spend a draft pick on an upside QB like Lance or Fields if you draft a safe option like Tannehill? Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Generally you should have gotten one more WR than this, and that would have been a perfectly fine haul even with those three since you only start two and benches are so short. It is good as it is. If you have four of one and five of the other, I would definitely want to take Lance as a second QB if possible.
In a 12 person 0.5 ppr… I will be keeping Gibson and drafting CMC. At the 2/3 turn would you go with another RB and WR or grab two top WRs. After Keepers and Mocks, I think Ill have the choice of CEH, JK, Sanders, Jacobs, K Allen, AJ, McLaurin. Gibson will count as my 5th pick and we play 2 WR, 2 RB, 1 Flex.
If I don’t take an RB on the turn, I feel like I am probably looking at a Davis, Edmonds, Mostert, Harris as RB3…
Thanks
OF course it depends on who is left, but among the options you’ve listed, I would love to start out my draft CMC, Gibson and I would certainly grab at least one WR. IF AJB and Keenan Allen are available I would defintely take those guys.
Team Name: Major Disaster
12 team .5 pt
This league has no traditional TE spot just a W/T flex spot.
I am wondering where Pitts, Andrews, Hockenson as well as Logan Thomas and Noah Fant would rank if thrown in with the wide receivers on the .5 pt cheat sheet.
Would you be moving the TE down on the chart?
Would Pitts be around the Antonio Brown range and Logan Thomas around DJ Chark range?
Looking forward to all your great content this year.
Thanks
I think the way you have it calculated makes a lot of sense. You know your league and how TEs are valued.
Hey RW,
Been a member for about 4 yrs now, thx for all maniacal tools. Is there a updated best ball cheat sheet?
Picking @ #9, looks like A. Jones, Chubb & Barkley will be available. Leaning Chubb, what you think. 1/2 ppr with 1 qb, 2 rbs, 2 wrs, & 1 flex.
Thanks for posting the preseason info, don’t usually do DFS in preseason….but…Made a little cash to almost pay for my subscription on this intel!