Preseason DFS is gawd’s game. A true degen hobby that can be highly lucrative if you’re following our news desk feed and team beat writers. While even the casual fantasy gamer is moderately familiar with regular season DFS, preseason action is a different beast. With these pointers and the help of our Discord, where I’m answering questions 24/7, let’s have a great start to the NFL DFS season.
Snaps. Snaps. Snaps.
Playing time is everything in the preseason. The adage holds even in the preseason as volume remains king. Snap volume is the target. Players with beat writer reports or playing time projections of two or more quarters should be players that you’re overweight on.
Building your core plays list for any slate begins with depth chart diving. The aim here is to target thin depth charts at certain positions. If the team’s starters are sitting the game out, how many running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends do the team have to suit up? Finding teams with only two quarterbacks, three running backs, etc., expected to play should be the priority. The fewer players the team has to cycle through equals more routes, carries, dropbacks, etc.
Follow the news
The closest comparison I can make for this style of DFS is with the NBA. News is everything. With injuries and inactives being less widely reported during the preseason, it’s important to stay dialed in on injuries, missed practices, or coaches playing or holding out their starters.
Following the news like a hawk with the help of our news desk and Twitter accounts like 32 Beat Writers is pivotal. The largest edge you can gain versus the field in this format is by becoming a news hound. Numerous lineups in each contest will be buried immediately from kickoff as many will roster starters or other backups that aren’t playing.
Athleticism matters
With playing time cut down to two quarters or less for most players, what’s our approach for finding slate-breaking scores in the preseason? Athleticism. Big plays.
Yes, if you’re an NFL player, chances are you are a special athlete already, but speed and burst are a near must. Unless a depth chart is depleted and the team is down to playing 1-2 plodders all game, we’re likely fading tight ends with 4.8 40 times or running backs with gross testing metrics. An amazing resource for checking testing metrics on your players quickly is Playerprofiler.com.
Rushing quarterbacks & starters can break a slate
Preseason DFS degens know the headache of discussing Kansas City Chiefs’ players too well. When starters, especially starters on any high-flying offense, are rumored to be active for a game, it should perk your ears up. Even if they are only playing 2-3 series, elite starters can pile up slate-breaking numbers in a hurry against defenses filled with backups and practice squad players operating in vanilla defensive schemes.
While we’re discussing cheat codes in preseason DFS, rushing quarterbacks are also a huge advantage here. Yes, I know that’s true for the regular season, but the gap can be widened here. With many of the backup signal callers in the league being lesser talents than the team’s starter and less efficient offenses populating the preseason landscape, rushing can be huge. Quarterbacks like Felipe Franks and Danny Etling have broken slates before while finishing with vomit-inducing passing numbers.
Different approaches to stacking
Unlike regular season NFL DFS, stacking your quarterback with 1-2 pass catchers in this format isn’t a must. While your quarterback might be in line for 2-plus quarters of play, that isn’t assured for pass-catching options if the team’s depth chart is deep at those positions. Stacking is viable when there are instances of a tandem both getting extended snaps in the preseason.
Another approach to stacking here is stacking different parts of a particular game that catches your eye. If an offense or team looks like a massive mismatch on paper, is heavily favored, or has a particularly barren depth chart, this is another way to approach the slate. For example, if said offense only has 4-5 wide receivers active, and there are rumors 2-3 receivers could get extended run, then rostering a starter likely to play the entire first half and a backup playing the final two quarters is viable. Playing time variability in the preseason can lead to varied lineup builds, further differentiating your teams against the field. If you’re correct in your reading of the tea leaves, solo binking a tournament is within your reach.
If you want to dive deeper into fantasy football, be sure to check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Football Tools as you navigate your season. From our Start/Sit Assistant – which provides your optimal lineup based on accurate consensus projections – to our Trade Analyzer – which allows you to instantly find out if a trade offer benefits you or your opponent – we’ve got you covered this fantasy football season.