Draft Kings Week 1 Preseason NFL DFS Picks for Thursday, August 10th (2023)
NFL DFS is back, baby. Well, kind of.
The first week of the 2023 NFL preseason is officially upon us come Thursday night. It’s just a two-game slate, but that abomination that is known as the Hall of Fame game is over, so we can breathe again.
In all seriousness, two games is better than one, and there will be some money to be made on this slate. If you need some help deciding who to roster, I’ll go through my top NFL DFS preseason picks for each position.
Drew Lock, QB, Seattle Seahawks
Geno Smith won’t play in this game, which means we should see a whole lot of lock. That’s what head coach Pete Carroll suggested, and I am willing to bite.
Lock has never been a super reliable guy, but he’s got a cannon and has nothing to lose at this point in his career.
Balling out could convince Seattle to keep him around long-term, or perhaps it increases his value and gets him traded into a better situation.
It’s the preseason, though, so all I really care about are reasonably talented players that should play a decent amount. Lock is a solid bet to play the entire first half on Thursday, so he’s as good as anyone to trust under center.
DeWayne McBride, RB, Minnesota Vikings
I also am high on the Patriots backfield. However, they appear to have three viable bodies to choose from, so getting that situation right could be a nightmare.
McBride is a late-round rookie from this year’s draft that should see extra work in his NFL debut.
It doesn’t hurt that starter Alexander Mattison won’t suit up for this one, while backfield mate Kene Nwangwu isn’t healthy at the moment.
That probably has me looking at McBride or Ty Chandler as one of my locks at running back on this slate.
It is absolutely worth noting that Chandler impressed in the preseason last year.
You could talk me into either one, but this is McBride’s first season in Minnesota, so he likely has a longer leash to prove himself here.
A monster as UAB the past two years, McBride lacks pass-catching chops, but has the goods to be an early down force. I think he gets a lot of snaps in this one and should be rostered in most NFL DFS preseason lineups.
John Metchie III, WR, Houston Texans
There are several wide receivers in play when looking at NFL preseason DFS picks for Thursday, but few have more to prove than Metchie.
The former Crimson Tide stud missed all of last year with a cancer scare, and he’s just now really being given the chance to work his way back.
So far, he’s honestly looked flat out nasty at times.
Metchie is not guaranteed anything by the Texans just yet, so he’ll have to show out to carve out a starting gig. I do like his talent and upside, though, which is why I listed him among my top fantasy football steals for 2023.
Before he makes good on that hype, though, he needs to deliver on Thursday.
Josh Oliver, TE, Minnesota Vikings
Minny should rest all of their top weapons in the passing game. That includes tight end T.J. Hockenson, and with Irv Smith Jr. no longer in town, that could make for a lot of work for Oliver.
You may recall Oliver’s time in Jacksonville, where he did a whole lot of nothing in three seasons despite being a third round draft pick.
The production never came, but Oliver did flash some ability finally in 2022, and he sure did look like a stud in the making in his final season at San Jose State.
- 56 receptions
- 709 yards
- 4 TDs
Oliver had some hype when he came into the league, as he was fairly productive in his last season in college, and he also offered solid athletic traits.
His size/speed combo still makes him appealing, but I’m mostly into him due to likely opportunity and a serious lack of viable warm bodies at tight end on this slate.
My NFL DFS Preseason Lineup for Thursday, 8/10
- QB: Drew Lock – Seahawks
- RB: Pierre Strong Jr. – Patriots
- RB: DeWayne McBride – Vikings
- WR: John Metchie III – Texans
- WR: Demario Douglas – Patriots
- WR: Jake Bobo – Seahawks
- TE: Josh Oliver – Vikings
- FLEX: Tank Dell – Texans
- DEF: Seahawks
I went over most of my top NFL DFS preseason picks, and as I mentioned, I’ll be looking at the Patriots running backs.
Douglas, Dell, and Bobo have all shined at times this summer, too, so they’ll be in my player pool, as well.
Pay attention to any Twitter news and last second inactives, and hopefully you can piece together a competitive squad for Thursday’s slate.
Good luck!
Writer at Daily Fantasy Fade
DFS Keanu has been covering fantasy sports, DFS, and props for the better part of a decade, all while fighting The Matrix and a litany of assassins.
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