RADIO
Week 1 of preseason is in the books, and tonight we start Week 2 with a single-game slate between the Eagles and the Patriots. Philadelphia isn’t expected to play its starters, while the Patriots should give a little more extended run to their starting offense so Jacoby Brissett and Drake Maye get work in with them. The goal for tonight’s slate is to figure out who will play with who so we can maximize correlation and shoot ourselves to the top of tournament leaderboards.
There are many position battles we need to keep an eye on, but most notably we are looking at the third-string running backs for both teams, the third wide receiver for the Eagles, and the back end of the Patriots receiving corps. There is also some interest in who will be the third tight end for New England, and if anyone on the Eagles can jump banged-up veterans Grant Calcaterra and Albert Okwuegbunam Jr. and make the roster as the third tight end. Those battles will help shape the majority of tonight’s player pool.
In this article, you will receive daily fantasy football picks on FanDuel and DraftKings for the Thursday night single-game slate on 8/15/24. These NFL DFS lineup picks can vary from big-named players and elite options to lesser-known players and contrarian picks on both DraftKings and FanDuel. Thanks for reading, and good luck RotoBallers!
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Preseason NFL DFS Picks – Captain/MVP
Drake Maye (NE - QB) vs. PHI
Drake Maye only saw one series last week, but the word out of Patriots camp is that he will get significantly more work in Week 2. Quarterbacks are not generally optimal captains in single-game slates, but New England threw the ball 32 times last weekend, so if Maye sees two quarters' worth of work, he should get the volume that would pay off in this spot. Head coach Jerod Mayo will want to see how Maye plays in optimal conditions, so he should have the top offensive line and receiving weapons at his disposal.
The Eagles will play some of their starters on defense, but their scheme will be very vanilla. That will make it easier for Maye to read the defense and get the ball out to his playmakers. He will most likely be one of the more popular players on the slate, but you can differentiate your lineup elsewhere if you want to play it safe and eat that chalk.
These DIMES by Drake Maye.
Maye was reportedly the “inferior QB” Joe Milton through much of training camp.
That ends TODAY 🔥 pic.twitter.com/gBFNl3jpuW
— NFL Rookie Watch (@NFLRookieWatxh) August 13, 2024
Will Shipley (PHI - RB) at NE
The Eagles looked pedestrian on offense last week, scoring only 16 points against the Ravens. No running back had more than nine touches, but Will Shipley did the most with what he was given. He had seven rushes, one catch, and a touchdown. Because of the nature of preseason, it’s hard to predict who will get volume, so it’s wise to use a captain who can accrue fantasy points in a variety of ways.
Shipley scored 26 touchdowns in his last two years at Clemson and caught over 30 passes in two of his three seasons on the team. The team should get him plenty of looks in this game with the hope that he can be a solid third running back able to replace what Boston Scott gave them over the last few years.
ALSO CONSIDER: Britain Covey (PHI - WR)
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Preseason NFL DFS Picks – Flex
Tanner McKee (PHI - QB) at NE
If we look at how the Eagles used their quarterbacks last preseason, it would lead us to believe that Tanner McKee will see a heavy workload in this week’s game. Last year, McKee was the third-string quarterback behind Hurts and a newly signed veteran (Marcus Mariota). This year, he’s the third-string quarterback behind Hurts and a newly signed veteran (Kenny Pickett). In Week 1 last year, he threw 20 passes and followed it up with 18 pass attempts in Week 2.
McKee threw 16 passes last week, and if the team follows a similar pattern, he should be expected to play about half the game and get a similar number of attempts. That’s a lot of volume for a quarterback in a preseason game, and with McKee being a second-year player, he has more command of this offense now. A replication of last year’s performance, 147 yards and a touchdown pass, would more than suffice in a single-game environment.
Kayshon Boutte (NE - WR) vs. PHI
No pass-catcher for either team looked great last weekend, but Kayshon Boutte was the closest to having a big game. He saw six targets, catching three of them for 53 yards. He also dropped a pass and was frequently beating his coverage. The team’s top three receivers are locked in (K.J. Osborn, Demario Douglas, Ja'Lynn Polk), and Javon Baker should make the team as well as he is a recent draft pick looking good in camp.
That leaves a couple of spots being fought over, with Tyquan Thornton and Boutte as the leading candidates to make the roster. Another strong performance from Boutte would go a long way in securing a job for this season, and with Drake Maye and Joe Milton III throwing him the ball, he should get every opportunity to put up a strong game.
#Patriots WR Kayshon Boutte on fighting for a roster spot:
“I feel like we’re all fighting for a job, but there’s not a doubt in my mind that I'm gonna make the team… I feel like I'm doing everything that I'm supposed to...”
Boutte’s had a strong camp 👀pic.twitter.com/8zT1KZGDPP
— Carlos Talks Pats (@LosTalksPats) August 11, 2024
Jake Elliott (PHI - K)
Writing about a kicker is so gross, but a three-field-goal game could be a tournament-winning play in a single-game setting. The Patriots have two kickers in camp fighting for a job, so their kicking points will be split up. Meanwhile, Jake Elliott is the only kicker in camp for the Eagles and will get all the kicking opportunities in this game.
It may be boring, but kickers are a safe source of points. In the regular season, their lack of a ceiling is problematic, but in the preseason where playing time is wildly unpredictable, a safe floor is much more agreeable than a zero from a guy who didn’t see the field. If you are playing cash games, Elliott is the safest play you can lock into your lineup.
ALSO CONSIDER: New England Defense, Philadelphia Defense, Terrell Jennings (NE - RB), Armani Rogers (PHI - TE), Joe Milton III (NE - QB), Jaheim Bell (NE - TE), Tyquan Thornton (NE - WR), Javon Baker (NE - WR), Lew Nichols (PHI - RB), Jacob Harris (PHI - WR), Ainias Smith (PHI - WR) at NE
Thanks for checking this out, and good luck!
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