NFL DFS Lineup Picks for DraftKings, FanDuel: Preseason Week 1 Thursday (8/13/26)

August 13, 2026

The top daily fantasy football lineup picks for DraftKings, FanDuel -- NFL preseason Week 1 on Thursday August 13, 2026. Doug's NFL DFS analysis and sleeper picks.

A six-game NFL slate on a random Thursday night in August? What could be better? The players may not be the ones you’ll see in September, but the games are being played, and there’s money to be won! 

A couple of teams will be playing their starters for limited snaps tonight, including Tennessee, Green Bay, and Arizona, but none should get the volume needed to be viable for DFS tournament lineups on such a big slate. Let other people throw their money on guys who will get 10 or fewer snaps; we will attack higher snap counts to shoot us up the leaderboard. 

Here you will be provided daily fantasy football picks on FanDuel and DraftKings for the Thursday night six-game slate of Week 1 of the NFL preseason on 8/13/26. These NFL DFS lineup picks can vary from high-end players and elite options to backup and contrarian players on both DraftKings and FanDuel. Thanks for reading, and good luck, RotoBallers!

Preseason NFL DFS Picks - Quarterback

Fernando Mendoza (LV vs. ARI)

No. 1 overall draft pick and reigning Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza is projected to play a lot in this one. According to Yahoo Sports, head coach Klint Kubiak said Mendoza will get “plenty of experience” in this game. 

Fernando Mendoza "looked the part" during the open practice session Tuesday, per @BuckyBrooks

"He runs the offense like a seasoned veteran, keeping the unit on schedule with timely checks and well-executed plays." pic.twitter.com/QaskPfrFBX

— SleeperRaiders (@SleeperRaiders) August 12, 2026

In the preseason, snaps equal dollars, so we want to attack the kind of volume that Mendoza should be expected to receive. If Mendoza gets a series or two with the first-team offensive line, even better, as he’ll likely be doing work against backup defenders for the Cardinals. 

Mendoza brings a little bit of rushing upside, as we saw from him in the national championship game last season, which will help separate him from some of the other quarterbacks on this slate. 

Luke Altmyer (DET at CIN)

With the surprise announcement of Teddy Bridgewater’s retirement, Detroit is left with just three quarterbacks on the roster: Jared Goff (who won’t play), Joshua Dobbs (who was signed on Monday), and rookie Luke Altmyer. Altmyer could very well play every snap in this game for the Lions. 

The only reason I would rank him slightly behind Mendoza is the talent gap between the two players, but the snap volume should almost definitely favor Altmyer. While I wouldn’t classify him as a rushing quarterback, Altmyer did average 4.5 rushing touchdowns over his final two seasons at Illinois, making him a bit of a threat at the goal line if Detroit were to be in that situation. 

ALSO CONSIDER: Tommy DeVito (NE), Riley Leonard (IND), Drew Allar (PIT), Trey Lance (LAC)

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Preseason NFL DFS Picks - Running Back

Sincere McCormick (SF vs. TEN)

Few teams have been plagued with injuries as badly as the 49ers this offseason. Each of their top four running backs is injured, leaving just three healthy players who opened camp with them. Zamir White was signed this week for depth to bring that number to four, but he’s unlikely to make much of an impact in this game. 

Both Patrick Taylor Jr. and Khalil Herbert have multiple years of experience, while Sincere McCormick has seen just five games of NFL action. He averaged 4.7 yards per carry and caught six passes in those games, showing the kind of versatility the 49ers like to see in their backfield. 

Even if McCormick doesn’t lead the team in snaps at the position, there’s more than enough volume to go around given the lack of bodies that San Francisco can put on the field. I’ll take that volume over a guy competing with six other players any day on a slate this large. 

Seth McGowan (IND at NE)

According to the latest depth chart for the Indianapolis Colts, rookie Seth McGowan has jumped DJ Giddens as the backup running back to Jonathan Taylor. Giddens is banged up, so this may have something to do with it, but McGowan has also been making plays and turning heads at camp. 

With Taylor expected to sit and Giddens injured, McGowan should be the primary runner for Indy during the first half of its game against the Patriots. Anthony Richardson Sr. is getting the start for the Colts, and, in theory, he should be able to move the ball against backup defenders on the Patriots.

That should open up more red-zone opportunities for McGowan, who was a touchdown machine for Kentucky last year, hitting paydirt 12 times in 11 games. 

ALSO CONSIDER: Mike Washington Jr. (LV), Lew Nichols (PIT), Kye Robichaux (DET), Damien Martinez (GB), Terrell Jennings (NE)

Preseason NFL DFS Picks - Wide Receiver

Malik Benson (LV vs. ARI)

Rookie Fernando Mendoza has been locked in with one particular receiver in camp this year, and that’s fellow rookie Malik Benson. Benson has been lighting up camp.

The "Locked On Raiders" podcast said of Benson, “He’s had days. He’s still Mendoza’s number one target.”

With Mendoza expected to get a lot of run, you should expect his favorite receiver to be out there with him a bunch. Benson is known for his speed, but he wants you to know that he’s more than that.

In a recent news conference streamed on SI Raiders beat reporter Hondo Carpenter’s X account, Benson said, “If you think I’m soft, then you’re going to have to come and find out.” 

That sounds like a guy who is not just going to try to burn defenders, but one who wants to go across the middle and make the tough catch. I love that, and will be happy to stack him with Mendonza in a game with a relatively high 41.5-point total. 

Colbie Young (CIN vs. DET)

Like with Benson for the Raiders, Colbie Young is making plays and turning heads this summer at Bengals camp. He’s become a reliable target for Joe Burrow and is making a play for the third receiver spot behind Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.

According to Bengals Wire, Chase was on "Up & Adams" in Cincy this past week and called Young out by name as a player he was keeping an eye on in camp. 

4. Check out Burrow’s behind-the-back fake to Mitch Tinsley. Then with Demetrius Knight charging fast, he finds rookie Colbie Young for a short gain.
“We have a real vision for what we think Colbie can become in this offense,” said OC Dan Pitcher. “And how quickly Colbie realizes… pic.twitter.com/fY1U1hnTUv

— Dan Hoard (@Dan_Hoard) July 30, 2026

He’s a big receiver, standing at 6’3”, and his goal is to earn the trust of Burrow, according to Cincinnati beat writer Jeremy Rauch.

Young is expected to get plenty of reps this weekend and could even see some snaps with Burrow for the series or two that the starters are out there. 

Kyle Williams (NE vs. IND)

The New England Patriots have a trio of receivers who are vying for a roster spot, including Cameron Dorner, Efton Chism III, and Kyle Williams. Chism was a preseason darling last season, and he’s easily the most reliable of the three; Dorner could be the most exciting, but Williams is the one the team has the most investment in and the one it needs to see the most out of. 

Coach Mike Vrabel said this week (per Patriots Wire) that Williams “is going to be a large part of what we are going to do, and those opportunities will continue to come.”

There’s no way a coach can say that and then not give the kid every opportunity to shine this summer. Tommy DeVito should play a lot of snaps at quarterback in this game, and he had a bit of a connection with Williams during joint practices this week against the Colts.

If you’re going to run a Patriots stack, I’d make sure it was DeVito, Williams, and one of Chism (safety) or Dorner (upside) to try to get the most out of this passing game. 

ALSO CONSIDER: Xavier Restrepo (TEN), Efton Chism III (NE), J. Michael Sturdivant (GB), Brandon Smith (PIT), Cameron Dorner (NE), De'Zhaun Stribling (SF)

Preseason NFL DFS Picks - Tight End

Marlin Klein (HOU vs. LAC)

I’m not writing him up, but I do have to mention that Tanner Hudson is a preseason beast every year, and it would not shock me if he was a big part of the Bengals' passing attack against the Lions tonight. That said, I keep reading about how Marlin Klein is performing at Texans camp, and I’m going to want some exposure to him as well. 

He was a bit of a surprise as a second-round pick this past May, but he’s been justifying it with his play this summer. Dalton Schultz isn’t getting any younger, and Cade Stover can’t seem to stay healthy, so there’s a real chance Klein gets meaningful snaps this season in Houston. That starts in this game as he continues to evolve as a receiver. 

Davis Mills will get the start for the Texans at quarterback, and his experience as an NFL starter means he’ll be comfortable going through his progressions and looking for a checkdown when needed. That’s big for the tight end position and could lead to a big game from Klein, especially in the red zone. 

ALSO CONSIDER: Jackson Meeks (DET), Drake Dabney (GB), Tanner Hudson (CIN)

Thanks for checking this out, and good luck!

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