NFL DFS Lineup Picks for DraftKings, FanDuel: Preseason Week 1 Daily Fantasy Football (8/12/2023)

August 12, 2023

The top daily fantasy football lineup picks for DraftKings, FanDuel - Week 1 NFL preseason games on August 12, 2023. Juan's NFL DFS analysis and sleepers picks.

We're set for an interesting NFL preseason slate Saturday afternoon and evening, one that features intriguing plot lines that include Bryce Young's first NFL game action. As usual, NFL preseason DFS is a moving target of sorts, but there are fortunately some clues to be gleaned in terms of expected playing time from reading over beat-writer reports and studying depth charts.

Both DraftKings and FanDuel give us opportunities to play DFS during the preseason. Both sites will have a uniform price for the players during the preseason slates. You will play a 1QB, 2RB, 3WR, 1TE, 1Flex, and 1 Defense on each site. As customary, DraftKings utilizes full PPR scoring, while FanDuel utilizes half PPR scoring.

Here you will be provided with daily fantasy football picks on FanDuel and DraftKings for Week 1 of the NFL preseason on 8/12/23. These NFL DFS lineup picks can vary from higher-priced players and elite options to lower-priced players and value picks on both DraftKings and FanDuel. Thanks for reading, and good luck RotoBallers!

Preseason NFL DFS Picks – Quarterbacks

Matt Corral, CAR vs. NYJ

Corral is slated to see the bulk of snaps for the Panthers this preseason, for a number of reasons. Carolina certainly wants to give top overall pick Bryce Young enough reps to prepare for the regular season, but not at the risk of injury. Veteran backup Andy Dalton certainly doesn't need much time to get himself ready and is also a key safety net behind Young, so it's Corral, who the team wants to feature for a possible trade anyhow, who should be one of the most trustworthy signal-callers on the slate in terms of playing time.

He'll have the added advantage of working with some experienced backup skill position players as the game goes on as well, considering Carolina will trot out the likes of Terrace Marshall, Laviska Shenault, Shi Smith, Javon Wims and Tommy Tremble in terms of pass catchers. Meanwhile, the Jets' third- and fourth-string defensive players struggled in the second half of the Hall of Fame Game, furthering Corrall's chances of building up some numbers late.

ALSO CONSIDER: Tim Boyle, NYJ at CAR; Will Grier, DAL vs. JAX; Max Duggan, LAC at LAR; Nathan Rourke, JAX at DAL; Stetson Bennett, LAR vs. LAC

Preseason NFL DFS Picks – Running Backs

Keaton Mitchell, BAL vs. PHI

J.K. Dobbins remains on the PUP list, while Gus Edwards, Melvin Gordon and Justice Hill are largely known quantities to the Ravens' coaching staff. That means that a player like Mitchell, who is an undrafted rookie with plenty of promise, could be in line to see an outsized role Saturday. Mitchell exploded for 1,452 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns as a junior while adding a 27-252-1 line through the air at East Carolina, and he wasn't too shabby as a sophomore with 1,132 rushing yards, nine scores and a 22-253-1 tally as a receiver that season. Those are gaudy enough numbers to support the notion he excels against some backups with enough volume Saturday.

Zonovan Knight, NYJ at CAR

Knight offered glimpses last season as a rookie by averaging 5.0 yards per carry and catching 10 passes over a three-game stretch in Weeks 12-14 against the Bears and playoff teams Minnesota and Buffalo. The NC State product saw rookie Israel Abanikanda and Travis Dye take the majority of carries in the Hall of Fame Game against the Browns, with Knight not logging a single touch. That should change Saturday, as Knight is battling Abanikanda for the No. 3 running back role and the coaching staff will therefore need to see some reps from him as a second-year player. With plenty of those likely to come against third- and fourth-stringers, Knight has the experience to deliver a strong return in such favorable conditions.

ALSO CONSIDER: Boston Scott, PHI at BAL; Deuce Vaughn, DAL vs. JAX; Raheem Blackshear, CAR vs. NYJ;  Isaiah Spiller, LAC at LAR; D'Ernest Johnson, JAX at DAL

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Preseason NFL DFS Picks – Wide Receivers

Laviska Shenault Jr., CAR vs. NYJ

Receiver is a tricky enough position to prognosticate in terms of fantasy production during the regular season, let alone the exhibition slate. However, Shenault could certainly be one player who excels during his time in the game Saturday, especially if he checks in for some extended playing time. Head coach Frank Reich will reportedly roll out as much of the starting offensive unit with Young for what would likely be multiple series, so Shenault, who can do damage as both runner and receiver and will likely be one of the more experienced players on the field when he's in the game, is a good bet to enjoy a productive day.

Puka Nacua, LAR at LAC

Nacua's teammate Tutu Atwell is also certainly in play and is listed in the "Also Consider" section below. However, the explosive rookie could make for an appealing tournament play in particular as he battles Atwell for the No. 3 receiver role. Nacua finished his college career at BYU with a 91-1,430-11 line through the air and 39 rushes for 357 yards and five scores on the ground across the 21 games he played in his last two seasons. Consequently, there's plenty of evidence to suggest he can thrive in a preseason environment against what could be a substantial number of players comparable to the competition he faced in college. He should also be in line for a solid number of snaps considering Cooper Kupp (hamstring) and Ben Skowronek (back) are both likely to be very limited if they play at all.

Derius Davis, LAC vs. LAR

Davis is another rookie who could see extended opportunity in Saturday's Chargers-Rams clash, considering Joshua Palmer (undisclosed) could be held out after suffering an injury in Thursday's practice and Jalen Guyton remains on the PUP list with a knee issue. Keenan Allen and Mike Williams certainly won't be exposed to many snaps if any, and Davis, a fourth-round pick, could certainly be a beneficiary of that entire scenario. The TCU product posted a 78-1,049-6 line across the 26 games covering his last two college seasons and ran a blistering 4.36 40-yard dash at the Combine, which could certainly lead to some chunk plays Saturday.

ALSO CONSIDER: Tutu Atwell, LAR at LAC;  Darrius Shepherd, LAC vs. LAR;  Jalen Tolbert, DAL vs. JAX; Jalen Brooks, DAL vs. JAX; Devin Duvernay, BAL vs. PHI; Laquon Treadwell, BAL vs. PHI

Preseason NFL DFS Picks – Tight End

Peyton Hendershot, DAL vs. JAX

Hendershot showed some promise as a rookie a year ago, recording a pair of receiving touchdowns and another score on the ground over 287 snaps from scrimmage. Much bigger things are expected from the Indiana product this year with Dalton Schultz now in Houston, and Hendershot should have a good chance of seeing plenty of run Saturday. The second-year pro showed plenty of promise as a pass catcher in college by recording a 136-1,479-14 line over 42 games, and we could see some of that on display Saturday versus the Jaguars' reserve defenders.

ALSO CONSIDER: Charlie Kolar, BAL vs. PHI; Tommy Tremble. CAR vs. NYJ; Brenton Strange, JAX at DAL

Thanks for checking this out, and good luck!

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