This article is part of our DFS NFL series.
The Week 2 preseason action concludes Monday with the Ravens traveling to take on the Commanders. DraftKings features its $15 Monday Night Showdown contest with a $25k first prize, while FanDuel headlines the $7 Preseason Rush and a $2k top payout. The game kicks off at 8 p.m. EST. Note that DFS showdown lineups consist of a captain and flex spots with every player having identical salaries, so don't be afraid to use multiple players from the same position.
Quarterback
Lamar Jackson is expected to sit a second consecutive preseason game and Tyler Huntley is dealing with a hamstring injury, leaving Josh Johnson to start and Anthony Brown playing the second half. Brown struggled in his lone regular start last year and went 3-for-8 with only seven yards passing and an interception last week. That makes Johnson the preferred target even against the Commanders' better defensive players, as he threw for 45 yards and a touchdown in the preseason opener.
On the Washington side, Sam Howell was recently named the starter for the regular season, and he will play Monday. He was efficient against the Browns last week, completing 75 percent of his passes and connected with Jahan Dotson for a 26-yard TD. Jacoby Brissett and Jake Fromm should also see at least a quarter of action, with Brissett being the more efficient option of the two.
Running Back
The Commanders have a crowded RB room with five backs receiving carries last week, but it was spread out with each receiving 2-6 attempts. Sixth-round rookie Chris Rodriguez out of Kentucky was the most efficient, rushing for 39 yards, though he wasn't targeted out of the backfield. Derrick Gore had eight touches (four attempts, four receptions) but only totaled 12 yards. Brian Robinson and Antonio Gibson both played with the first team, and Robinson will play more on early downs while Gibson will get third-down work.
Even with J.K. Dobbins back practicing, it seems that the Ravens won't rush him into preseason action. They have five other backs on the roster that took the field last week, headlined by Justice Hill, who had a 37-yard run. Melvin Gordon and Keaton Mitchell were both inefficient with their six carries apiece, but the likelihood of them getting a reasonable amount of action makes them rosterable.
Wide Receiver
Rashod Bateman and Odell Beckham returned to practice over the weekend, but it's unlikely either plays much, if at all. That leaves Zay Flowers as the highest receiver on the depth chart that's likely to play, and although he didn't record a target last week, he should be more involved this time around. The only player to be targeted more than three times last week was rookie undrafted free agent Sean Ryan. He caught four passes for 37 yards as he looks to make the team.
No starters are expected to rest for Washington, so Dotson, Terry McLaurin and Curtis Samuel are options. Rookie Mitchell Tinsley caught a 26-yard pass and could make for a solid contrarian play with possibly plenty of second-half snaps. Dyami Brown also has a career 18.1 YPC and is another under the radar receiver that could pay off with his big-play ability.
Tight End
With starters Mark Andrews (rest) and Logan Thomas (calf) unlikely to play, second-year players Isaiah Likely and Cole Turner will both have a chance to show what they can do. Likely had a solid rookie season in limited action, while Turner posted four catches for 31 yards last week. As always with preseason showdown contests, ignoring the position entirely is fine.
Kicker/Defense
Unlike Sunday, we won't have to deal with multiple kickers for each team, as the Commanders recently released Michael Badgley. That leaves Joey Slye as their lone kicker, and he connected on his only field goal attempt of 49 yards last week. Justin Tucker doesn't need much of an explanation — he drained a 60-yard FG against the Eagles and will be highly rostered.
The Ravens are a 2.5-point favorite, so they're the primary defense to target. However, with Jackson sitting, using the Commanders defense also makes sense against third- and fourth-string QBs, and they'll be significantly better on that side of the ball this season.
