Tag Archives: NFL Preseason Preview

10 Reasons You Need to Watch Thursday’s NFL Preseason Games

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We took a close look at Thursday’s NFL preseason slate earlier this week, largely to assist any of our readers that planned on conducting any NFL betting or playing in any daily fantasy football preseason leagues. With tonight’s action upon us, we thought we’d now simply ignite the excitement in every pro football fan by pointing out the numerous reasons to simply watch the games – regardless of personal attachment or bias.

Yes, watching meaningless NFL games can still be fun even if you’re not betting on them or playing fantasy football. And we can prove it! Well, at least in our opinion we’ve got some interesting things that should garner your attention during Thursday’s slate.

Whether you just like football, your favorite team is playing or you’re studying for your upcoming fantasy league draft, there’s plenty to draw you in tonight. Let’s take a look at the top-10 reasons for you to tune into Thursday’s NFL preseason action:

Jimmy G Starts

Easily the top story-line going into Thursday’s NFL preseason games is Jimmy Garoppolo preparing to start the first four games of the 2016 season for the New England Patriots. Tom Brady won’t play in this game, either, so we’ll get a huge dose of Garoppolo, as the Pats try to figure out what they’ve got under center in real game situations.

Garoppolo’s playing time could actually go either way, as  a strong start could have the Patriots get him out on a high note. That being said, he’s likely to play about a quarter, and possibly even the entire first half. Garoppolo has a brutal week one matchup with the Arizona Cardinals, so he’ll need all the practice he can get to be ready. Unfortunately, he’ll be without his top two weapons tonight, as both Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman will sit this one out.

Carson Wentz Debut

Wentz’s NFL debut probably ranks second on the list of must-see elements for Thursday’s preseason slate. Sam Bradford and Chase Daniel will play the first and second quarters to start the night, but all eyes will be on the #2 overall pick of the 2016 NFL Draft when Wentz plays the entire second half against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

It’s true that Wentz will be working against scrub defenders for his first NFL snaps, but that could actually tell us a lot about his development. If he balls out, fans will be screaming for him to climb up the depth chart, but if he struggles the Eagles could be validated for bringing him along slowly. Overall, the hope is Wentz comes out and moves the offense and maybe even entertains with an exciting run or deep pass.

Paxton Lynch Debut

Wentz isn’t the only rookie quarterback under the bright lights tonight, as Broncos quarterback Paxton Lynch will also be playing a ton. Mark Sanchez figures to start the game against the Chicago Bears, but it will be all Lynch after the break, as the rook is slated to take the field for the entire second half.

It’s tough to know what Denver has in Lynch just yet, but we should get a pretty good idea of what he brings to the table as he faces Chicago’s spare defenders for the final two quarters tonight.

Quarterback Battles

Quarterback battles in general could be worth watching throughout the preseason, and that could be the case for teams that aren’t even actively holding a competition. Denver seems to be, so all eyes will be on Mark Sanchez and Trevor Siemian tonight, while a good performance by Paxton Lynch could even potentially get his name thrown in the hat.

The Eagles aren’t expected to be entertaining a quarterback competition either, but the play of Sam Bradford, Chase Daniel and the aforementioned Wentz could certainly change that tonight, depending on what goes down.

Elsewhere, the Jets still need to figure out which quarterback they’re cutting loose ahead of the 2016 NFL season. With Ryan Fitzpatrick locked in as the team’s starter, it’s an open competition between Geno Smith, Bryce Petty and rookie Christian Hackenberg.

Mike Glennon Showcase

While some guys are playing for a specific role or to make a final roster, Mike Glennon may be playing to get traded. Mike Glennon has constantly been a hot name in trade rumors pretty much ever since he was drafted and the Bucs have no plans of starting him ever with Jameis Winston in town.

The team is also said to be high on third string passer Ryan Griffin, so if Glennon plays well and can drum up trade interest, he could quickly find himself on the move.

Return of KB

Kelvin Benjamin was dangerous as a rookie and was looking to break out in 2015, but ended up having his second NFL season derailed by a torn ACL. He returns this week and although we shouldn’t see much of him, Panthers fans will get excited to see their star wide receiver back in uniform.

ASJ Maturation?

Austin Seferian-Jenkins was once a highly touted tight end prospect and certainly flashed upside in 2015, but has quickly fallen out of Tampa Bay’s good graces due to a poor attitude and shaky work ethic. The early word has been the Bucs favor Cameron Brate’s dedication and consistency, and they may be trying to light a fire under the talented third-year tight end.

It’s anyone’s guess if it will work, but ASJ has the size and athleticism to be special. It will be interesting to see how much the Bucs play him tonight and if he responds with a strong performance.

Kevin White’s Debut

Kevin White joins a growing list of highly anticipated NFL debuts, and he’s truly one of the better ones to look out for. A first round draft choice a year ago, White missed his entire rookie season due to a leg injury and will finally hit the field for the Bears tonight.

White probably won’t play much, but he’s supremely explosive and it will be interesting to see if he can put up a big play or two before exiting tonight.

Dante Fowler Hits the Field

Fowler is another big name that will make his pro debut, as he also missed his entire rookie season last year due to injury. Jacksonville can’t wait to see what the explosive Fowler can bring to their defense on the edge, and seeing how he fares in his debut could go a long way in deciding where he fits in their system.

We probably can’t expect to see Fowler stay in the game too long, but if he registers a sack or a big play, you can bet Jaguars fans will go nuts.

Football is Back!

Oh, you needed more? Sorry, the generic (yet best) reason of pro football being back on TV caps out top-10 list, and why shouldn’t it? These games mean nothing and we can’t expect to see much of the biggest names, but we do get to see hard-hitting football and hopefully some exciting plays.

While the NFL preseason doesn’t touch the regular season, Thursday symbolizes the unofficial start of the new season. We’ll see star players, guys fighting for a specific role and others merely battling to make the final roster. It’s an exciting time of the sports year and we wouldn’t miss it for anything.

Enjoy the games tonight and if you’re betting or playing preseason DFS, good luck!

NFL Preseason Week 1: Fantasy Football Options to Use at DraftKings

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Fantasy Football is back. Sort of. We’re still over a month away from regular season action and true daily fantasy football as we’ve grown to know it, but DraftKings know how much we love it, so they’ve pushed out some daily fantasy football leagues for NFL preseason games.

It’s a glorious thing, indeed. Week one is the toughest week to gauge in NFL preseason play, whether it be due to injuries, which players are even active, how long players play and the list goes on. We may see starters for one series, or we may not see them at all. Other teams are crazy and push their starters out there for a quarter or longer right away in week one.

Those are things we can’t really bank on, so at least for the first week, the best thing to do is target guys we are assuming will at least be active and then probably will get several opportunities out on the field to show what they can do.

The first week of preseason fantasy football includes a solid 7-game slate, starting with this Saturday’s Hall of Fame game between the Green Bay Packers and Indianapolis Colts. From there we get six Thursday night games, and then we’re sure to get more DFS leagues for games later in the weekend.

For now, we’ll help you warm up with that initial 7-game slate. Let’s see who could be worth targeting in your DFS lineups at each position at DK this week:

Quarterback

With most of the starters seeing little to no action, we’re probably going to see a lot of time on the field from second and third string quarterbacks. Some could see more time than others, of course, as they need to be evaluated as they learn/run the offense and face NFL defenses.

The list of competent options is actually fairly long, but the guys we’re eyeing the most are Brett Hundley (Packers), Scott Tolzien (Colts), Mike Glennon (Buccaneers), Chase Daniel (Eagles), Carson Wentz (Eagles), Ryan Mallett (Ravens), Jimmy Garoppolo (Patriots) and Paxton Lynch (Broncos).

Narrowing that list down, we would imagine Jimmy G is near the top of the list, as he needs to prepare to start for the Patriots for the first four weeks of the season due to a Tom Brady suspension. He’ll likely see a lot of playing time throughout the preseason and a good chunk of it could come here in week one.

The same should go for rookies Lynch and Wentz, who actually could be playing with a few talented receiving options and just as importantly, could see 1-2 quarters of action. Lynch has also specifically been improving at a rapid pace in Denver’s camp, so he could potentially have a big first showing.

My favorite pick of the lot here could be Green Bay backup Brett Hundley, however. The Packers shouldn’t play Aaron Rodgers much (if at all), so we should see a ton of Hundley, who was a bit of a sensation last year during the preseason. He’s big, athletic and can chuck the rock, plus he’ll have some solid receivers like Jeff Janis and Jared Abbrederis to work with.

Just make sure Hundley (and everyone you use) is active, as he has an ankle injury and the preseason is the most difficult time of year to trust NFL injury news.

All of these guys could be suitable picks, but if you want some real upside, roll with one of Lynch, Wentz, Jimmy G or Hundley.

Running Back

Running back is similar, but there are way more bodies and you don’t know what level of defense some of these guys will be facing or what situations they’ll be in. That makes any of them risky plays, but the first trick is to steer clear from the main starter and maybe even his top backup. Teams aren’t going to risk the health of their best two running backs very deep into the first preseason game – at least not normally.

Instead, you’re looking for young, unproven backs who bring some solid talent to the table and/or should see the field a good amount as they try to win a role or roster spot.

That is going to put a ton of guys on the radar, but the backs we like the most for week one are John Crockett (Packers), Storm Johnson (Buccaneers), Terrance West (Ravens), Jonas Gray (Jets), Daniel Lasco (Saints), Jordan Howard (Bears), Juwan Thompson (Broncos) and Devontae Booker (Broncos).

Booker is a mild question mark as he continues to rehab a February knee surgery, but he’s super talented and could get some good run here if active. Thompson and maybe even fellow Bronco Kapri Bibbs could be worth a longer look if Booker is held out.

Chicago’s running game appears pretty fluid behind expected starter Jeremy Lanford, so we could see a lot of rookie Jordan Howard. He’s one of our favorite week 1 preseason plays and Ka’Deem Carey could even be worth a look, although he’s failed to impress in the past.

Jonas Gray has routinely impressed in camp and preseason play in the past, and we all remember him for his insane 200+ yard and 4-score game with the Pats a couple years back. He could be worth a cursory glance, while Terrance West has really turned heads as a slimmed down, productive options in camp with the Ravens.

Storm Johnson is close to flaming out of the league, but he gets a crack with Tampa Bay and could see the field a bit to try to prove himself. The same goes for Green Bay’s Crockett, who has impressed in camp in the past and should see a ton of field time with Eddie Lacy either limited or out.

Our favorite plays are Howard, Crockett and Booker (if he plays), and you could package all three in the 2RB and Flex spots.

Wide Receiver

Once again, we’re staying away from the star names, as we can’t have any clue how much they’ll play – or if they’ll play at all. In other words, use the Randall Cobb’s and Julio Jones’ at your own risk.

With that said, there are a lot of solid secondary options to consider, with guys like Jeff Janis (Packers), Phillip Dorsett (Colts), Josh Huff (Eagles), Ryan Grant (Redskins), Charone Peake (Jets), Michael Thomas (Saints), Cody Latimer (Broncos), Kevin White (Bears) and Jordan Taylor (Broncos) leading the way.

There is some very hit or miss talent here, but Janis, Dorsett, Huff, White and Latimer offer major big play upside. Taylor has also been a camp hero, making insane catches like this look normal:

We like all of these guys, but Janis has been a huge preseason guy in the past and is playing for a bigger role. It’d be shocking if he didn’t play a good amount to get the preseason started and if he’s on the field, he’s likely to produce. It’s unclear how much Kevin White (a projected starter) would play, but if he’s set to knock the rust off, he could be a fun try. We also don’t mind using Thomas, Huff and Taylor, as they’re all talented and still need to prove themselves within their respective offenses.

Tight End

This is an impossible position to gauge during preseason play. Tight ends don’t light it up during preseason and the starters never seem to stay on the field long or make a big impact. You’re firing in the dark here, but a few guys stand out.

Trey Burton scored twice last year, rookie Austin Hooper brings upside to the table for the Falcons, Ed Dickson could see some playing time in Carolina with Greg Olsen limited or out and Denver’s Virgil Green could be prepping a breakout season with a nice run in August. He’s already been crushing it in camp, so he may be the top tight end to consider on this 7-game slate.

Defense

Defense is even worse than tight end, as you don’t know how long the starting unit will play or how long the opponent’s starting unit will play. Beyond that, it’s virtually impossible to predict how backups will fare against each other. All you can do is gauge a team’s backup talent and try to use a solid defense against an opponent that looks weak on paper.

For this 7-game slate, the Packers, Redskins, Panthers, Ravens, Jaguars, Patriots and Broncos all feel like decent tries. Jacksonville may lead the way for us, just because New York’s quarterbacks are dreadful. It’s tough to imagine the Jets generating a ton of interest with such flawed passers.

Got your own favorite options for this first slate of preseason DFS action? Tell us all about them in the comments below!