As the NFL regular season gets closer and closer, tonight we have another
preseason rematch of Super Bowl LII between the Pats and Eagles, with each team
having entirely new rosters. New England QB Cam Newton has not secured the
starting role as of yet, and is competing against first round draft pick Mac
Jones. Jalen Hurts of Philadelphia is set to start the regular season as their
quarterback, and will have a decent number of weapons at his disposal for the
upcoming season. Miles Sanders, Dallas Goedert, and Zach Ertz to name a few.
But Preseason DFS is not where the stars shine, so we want to fade the cream of
the crop until the regular season. Mainly due to the capped amount of drives and
plays in order to prevent injuries to the teams’ starters.
The one thing not to worry about tonight is salaries. Since everyone is viable to hit
or miss, players are all given the same amount, so basically, we can place anyone
at Captain and still fill in the other utilities with any player we feel good about. We
need to attack players who are playing for a roster spot, and fade the ones who
already have a job. We want to start rookies too, guys who are fresh out of
college and looking to make a name for themselves. The Eagles did well in the
draft by picking up Heisman Trophy winner Devonta Smith out of Alabama and
Kenneth Gainwell from Memphis.
Here is a selection of tonight’s Showdown Core Players 50-50 NFL DFS lineup for 8/19/21 (using DraftKings Values)
| Captain | ||
| Utility | K. Gainwelll | $7,600 |
| Utility | ||
| Utility | M. Jones | $7,600 |
| Utility | Zach Ertz | $7,600 |
| Utility |
You have to put yourself in the mindset of what the coaching staff in order to build your lineups. They’re gathering information, observing strengths and weaknesses, not necessarily trying to win these games. So let’s be creative and figure out who may be out there to score some fantasy points.
“Here’s What You Get If You Subscribe Now For $199 Per Year”
- A few favorites in the Captain slot
- Some real value players who we believe can outperform their salaries
- All access to FantasyDFSexperts.com for up to a year for any sport for $199
- General strategy for the days’ slate
The Captains
Zach Ertz ($11,400) After battling injuries over the last two seasons, is looking to take back his role as TE1 in the offense that he held during the Eagles Superbowl run in 2018. He was targeted three times and caught two for 20 yards in the last preseason game against Pittsburgh. He should get more volume tonight and will be very motivated to regain the spot in the first-team offense.
Dallas Goedert ($11,400) is the guy who stepped up to fill in for Zach Ertz when he went down with his injuries. Goedert caught a nice 34 yard pass from Jalen Hurts against the Steelers, showing some poise as he still is one of the key weapons in the offense. Dallas has Zach Ertz breathing down his neck to take back his job, so believe me we will see him out there proving his case.
Utility Plays
Mac Jones ($7,600) is the Patriots future, and trying to lead them right out of the gate. He completed 13 of 19 pass attempts against Washington in his first NFL preseason game. Mac is clearly the front runner in taking the quarter back job, but may be eased in slowly due to his lack of experience. He also will own the lion share of reps, as Cam Newton and Brian Hoyer will be taking a back seat to the offense over the course of the season.
Jalen Reagor ($7,600) was targeted three times and caught two balls for 20 yards. With a rather disappointing rookie season, he’ll be looking to have a bounce back year. Devonta Smith and other wideouts will be most likely me sitting out due to maintenance and minor injuries, Reagor should see some extra reps.
Quez Watkins ($7,600) Showed us all some promise with a 79 yard touchdown catch against the Steelers last week. According to the Eagles training camp, he’s been standing out in practice showing a strong work ethic. Quez should continue to take advantage of his opportunity to show his skills tonight against the Pats.
Rhamondre Stevenson ($7,600) had a monster of a game in the fourth quarter against Washington averaging over 12 yards per carry with 127 yards and two touchdowns. The Oklahoma product will keep carving out a role in the New England backfield. We should see more of him in this preseason game due to his last performance.
Kristian Wilkerson ($7,600) was the highest targeted receiver last week catching six receptions for 39 yards. Working primarily out of the slot, he was peppered by quarterbacks Cam Newton and Mac Jones. The wideout has a quick first step and good hands, he should see more volume tonight.
Game Strategy
Again let me reiterate, make yourself the head coach of these preseason games. If I was Bill Belichick, who would I want to roll out to get ready for the games that count, or who do I want to give a few drives and then sit to keep them healthy?
Preseason can be tricky, all the reason many wait until the games that count to play DFS, but there’s still money to be made. Roll with your rookies and guys fighting for a roster spot, fade your studs and veterans.
Go win your lineup and tell us how you did.
Twitter (@FantasyDFSX) is a good place for that.
