This article is part of our DraftKings NFL series.
After a cancellation in Canton, the 2016 preseason is now scheduled to start Thursday, and DraftKings is kicking off the season with some preseason contests. We will focus on Thursday's six-game slate.
Now, if you are new to playing preseason fantasy football there are a few things you should keep in mind. First, all salaries are the same. Each player is priced at $5,500 since it is virtually impossible to predict players value in preseason. The most important thing to factor into your roster decisions is playing time. First-string quarterbacks, or offenses for that matter) will see limited play and starting them in the first two preseason weeks is not recommended. Running backs and wide receivers also see their play be sporadic and short as most teams are six to seven deep at the skill positions. Scoring will be low for these tournaments, but if you can land on a few of the touchdowns you will be in good shape. With those things in mind, let's move on to a few top targets for this slate.
QUARTERBACK
Jacoby Brissett, NE - With Tom Brady suspended for the first four games of the NFL regular season, the Patriots will use the preseason to get Jimmy Garoppolo ready for Week 1. The Patriots are in a bit of a unique situation, in which they have to tune up two starting quarterbacks for the regular season and will have to tread the line between playing time and injury risk. Rookie Jacoby Brissett, a third-round pick out of North Carolina State, is also in the mix. Garoppolo should see a lot of work, but Brissett should get even more as he is slated to be Garoppolo's backup to start the year. It's likely that Brady sees more reps in preseason than normal to stay fresh, but of the three, Brissett needs the most real-time experience. Expect to see Jimmy Garoppolo as a popular play in the later weeks of the NFL preseason, but for Week 1 expect the Patriots to spread the time around.
Nate Sudfeld, WAS - The Redskins enter the season with their quarterback position mostly worked out. Kirk Cousins will lead the team again in 2016 after leading Washington to the playoffs for the first time since 2012. Backing him up is sixth-year pro Colt McCoy. Washington drafted Sudfeld out of Indiana with the 187th overall pick this year, adding depth and another strong arm to the mix. With neither Cousins nor McCoy battling for a roster spot or roster position, the Redskins likely will use this first week to let their rookie quarterback get as much on-field experience as possible. Sudfeld has a strong arm and the ability to make a big play in what will likely be an entire second half of action.
Christian Hackenberg, NYJ - With Ryan Fitzpatrick unlikely to play Thursday, the rookie Hackenberg could get a long look against the Jaguars. Geno Smith likely will start before handing off to Bryce Petty and Hackenberg. But after the Jets struggled to sign Fitzpatrick this offseason, they will be looking to the future for their leader for 2017 and beyond. Don't expect Smith to see the field too long, leaving most of the playing time to the younger gunslingers. Hackenberg likely won't enter the game until the second half, but don't be surprised to see him on the field in the third and fourth quarters.
Carson Wentz, PHI - According the Philadelphia Inquirer, Wentz will see "the bulk" of the second-half snaps Thursday. This is welcome news as playing time for rookies is usually kept a bit more tight lipped. Wentz likely will be running with the third- or fourth-string offense, but a full half of playing time is good value. The Eagles might not let Wentz see the field at all in 2016, opting for Sam Bradford and Chase Daniel, but the preseason is going to be a big precursor to what Wentz has to offer.
Other options: Joe Webb, CAR), Trevor Siemian/Paxton Lynch, DEN), Garrett Grayson, NO)
RUNNING BACK
Byron Marshall, PHI – With injuries to Ryan Mathews, Wendell Smallwood and Kenjon Barner the Eagles are going to be extremely thin at running back Thursday. Darren Sproles is already a lock to make the roster and the 11-year veteran likely won't be run too hard in the preseason. By process of elimination that leaves us with Marshall and Cedric O'Neal. Marshall should play multiple quarters.
Ka'Deem Carey, CHI - Carey enters preseason with a lot to play for. Jeremy Langford is slated as the starter for the Bears but the backup spot is up for grabs between Carey, Jacquizz Rodgers and rookie Jordan Howard. Entering this third year in the league, it is a bit of a make-or-break situation for him and his future in Chicago. Don't expect Chicago to run Langford or Howard that hard in the preseason opener as they are both locks to make the roster.
Devon Johnson, CAR - After Johnson went undrafted this year, the Panthers offered him a $20,000 signing bonus. That they were willing to offer any signing bonus shows their interest in seeing what Johnson has to offer. The Panthers are a bit old at the top of their depth chart with Jonathan Stewart, Fozzy Whittaker and Mike Tolbert. Cameron Artis-Payne is entering his second season and is looking to make a push for the backup role behind Stewart. Johnson, 6-foot-0, 238, sees his best shot at making the roster as Tolbert's eventual replacement, but for now will work out at running back. Johnson was held out of practice last week due to a back aliment, but is expected to play Thursday.
Terron Ward, ATL - Ward was a bit of the forgotten running back behind Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman last year, but the UDFA out of Oregon State is still the No. 3 back on the depth chart. Ward was a favorite play of mine in the 2015 preseason, so if the shoe fits you might as well keep wearing it. Ward is battling for the No. 3 spot with reserves Gus Johnson and Brandon Wilds, but with 13 games of regular-season experience under his belt he is a safe front-runner to make the squad. When it comes to playing time, I could see Ward getting near a full quarter if not more, depending solely on how long the Falcons want to mess around with Freeman and Coleman.
Other options: Devontae Booker, DEN), Daniel Lasco, NO), D.J. Foster, NE)
WIDE RECEIVER
Daniel Braverman, CHI - Braverman was one of my favorite college DFS players, and I am thrilled to suggest him yet again. Braverman, a rookie out of Western Michigan, hauled in 109 passes last year for 1,367 yards for the Broncos. A seventh-round draft pick, Braverman could climb as high as WR3 for the Bears. Chicago is set at the top with Alshon Jeffery, but past Jeffery there is a lot of uncertainty. Kevin White missed all last season with a leg injury and Marquess Wilson is on the PUP list. Braverman has the ability to be a quick-off-the-line slot receiver, though he is undersized at 5-10, 177. Expect the Bears to use the preseason to see just what they have in Braverman. As a possession receiver who put up massive numbers in college there is a clear path for Braverman to make the Bears' 53-man roster.
Charone Peake, NYJ - Peake seems to be generating some buzz in camp but is still flying under the media radar. He has drawn some rave reviews so far from Jets brass by showing good hands with a big frame (6-2, 210). But perhaps his biggest attribute is his 4.45 speed, especially considering his size. Peake didn't put up huge numbers his senior campaign at Clemson, hauling in 50 catches for 716 yards. But skilled route running and his ability to go over the top it make him a threat in the NFL. Behind Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker, the Jets' wide receiver position is up for grabs between Devin Smith, Quincy Enunwa, Kenbrell Thompkins and Charone Peake. Decker is unlikely to suit up this Thursday and Brandon Marshall won't see much of the field if any. With strong-armed quarterbacks like Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg likely at the helm, Peake could be in line for a home run play or two.
Rashad Ross, WAS - This time last year, Ross was the sixth wide receiver on the depth chart battling for a spot. This year, he is projected as the fourth or fifth wide receiver, and he can thank a big 2015 preseason. In 2015, Ross hauled in 25 receptions and four touchdowns in four preseason games. Ross' roster standing hasn't changed enough where he won't see the field in the preseason; matter of fact, he might see it even more on both offense and special teams. The camp reception to Ross has been positive, and you should expect him to play a big role for the Redskins this preseason.
Keyarris Garrett, CAR - It might be a bit of a surprise to some when you tell them a college wide receiver who had 1,588 receiving yards and eight touchdown in one season went undrafted. However, that is just what happened to Tulsa product Keyarris Garrett. Garrett is a 6-4 monster with great hands, dropping only three passes in 2015. The main drawback is competition -- the Panthers have 11 receivers in camp. To make the team Garrett will have to beat out fourth-year pro Brenton Bersin, third-year wide out Stephen Hill, Damiere Byrd and Kevin Norwood. However, Garrett, who's had a strong camp, could spring to the front of that list with an impressive preseason. The Panthers certainly want to see what they have in the Tulsa product and will give him as many chances as he can get this preseason.
Other options: Chris Harper, NE), Keenan Reynolds, BAL), Kenny Bell, TB)
TIGHT END
Disclaimer: Tight end is by far the most difficult position to predict in preseason. It seems most tight ends are used in blocking situations more than pass catching situations, making this position a bit of a crapshoot.
Jeff Heuerman, DEN - Heuerman was drafted in the third round in 2015 but missed all last season due to a torn ACL. He is competing for the starting tight end spot with Virgil Green and could greatly benefit from some live action football.
Austin Hooper, ATL - The Falcons made Hooper the 81st pick in the NFL draft, and he projects as the future starter for Atlanta. The rookie out of Stanford is a skilled receiver with decent speed at 4.68. Hooper is competing with Jacob Tamme and Levine Toilolo for the starting and backup jobs this preseason. Expect the Falcons to use the preseason to get a good look at what Hooper has to offer compared to Tamme and Toilolo.
A.J. Derby, NE - Based on camp reactions out of New England, Derby has been "making impact plays left and right." The Patriots would have to keep four tight ends for Derby to realistically make the roster, as he is already slotted behind Rob Gronkowski, Martellus Bennett and Clay Harbor. But there is no better time than the preseason for him to show Patriots brass what he's got.
Other options: Cameron Brate, TB), Josh Hill, NO)
