This article is part of our DFS NFL series.
The NFL Week 1 Preseason action closes today with a pair of games as the Chiefs travel to New Orleans, followed by the Raiders hosting the 49ers. DraftKings features their $15 Preseason Special contest with $10k to first, while FanDuel headlines their $9 Preseason Rush contest with a $2k top payout. The first game kicks off at 1 p.m. EST.
Quarterbacks
Although Brock Purdy is practicing, it's unlikely to see him in preseason action until next week at the earliest. Trey Lance will start as a result and should play for most of the first half. With Lance having experience in the 49ers system, he's the preferred target over Sam Darnold, with Brandon Allen in line to close out the game.
In the other game, rookie fourth-round pick Jake Haener is another QB to target. He was a three-year starter at Fresno State, where he dazzled in 2021 with over 4,000 yards passing and 33 touchdowns. Derek Carr is expected to start, followed by Jameis Winston, but Haener should see a good chunk of action in the second half against Kansas City's bench players.
Running Backs
Speaking of Saints rookies, third-round pick Kendre Miller is an excellent RB option on the slate. New Orleans' running back room lost Eno Benjamin to a torn achilles and Kirk Merritt is dealing with a hamstring injury, leaving them with four active bodies at the most. Alvin Kamara is eligible to play despite his suspension, but it's likely that the Saints will want to give plenty of snaps to Miller and Jamaal Williams to get them ready for the regular season.
Looking at the 49ers stable of backs leads me to second-year RB Jordan Mason. Mason saw some action over the latter part of 2022 and looked good in limited action, averaging six yards per carry over 43 attempts. Elijah Mitchell suffered an abductor strain last week and given his injury history, seems unlikely to play. That should result in an active role for Mason and Tyrion Davis-Price as well.
Wide Receivers
Las Vegas' lone WR in their 2023 draft class was Tre Tucker in the third round. He had a productive career at Cincinnati, finishing second on the team in receptions as a junior and senior behind Alec Pierce (Colts) and Tyler Scott (Bears). Tucker can make plays with his speed and quickness (5-9, 4.40 40) when he gets the ball in his hands. Davante Adams will not play due to a leg injury.
One player looking to make his mark in the preseason is Jontre Kirklin of the Saints. Kirklin played well in the XFL this year, posting a 15-253-4 stat line over four games. The LSU product and Louisiana native will now get his opportunity to catch on close to home and should see action in the second half. He could make for a sneaky stack with Haener. The Saints will be without Rashid Shaheed and Tre'Quan Smith due to injury.
Tight Ends
With George Kittle out with an adductor strain, Cameron Latu is the next man up on the 49ers depth chart. A third-round pick in the 2023 draft, Latu caught 56 balls including 12 touchdowns over the last two years at Alabama. He's known as a pass-catching TE and is a good target on the slate, as is Ross Dwelley for the 49ers.
I'd also be remiss not to mention Travis Kelce. Although he may not play as much as some other tight ends on the slate, Andy Reid announced that the Kansas City starters are expected to play a quarter. Kelce can do more in a quarter than a lot of players at the position can do in a full game, with Noah Gray also getting at least a quarter of action behind him.
Defense/Special Teams
San Francisco is the obvious target on the slate in their matchup against the Raiders, who only have an implied point total of 16. The 49ers enter the season with one of the best defenses in the league, led by arguably the top group of linebackers. Even if Jimmy Garoppolo plays a bit in this game, he's prone to turnovers.
