The NFL preseason is off and running after the Hall of Fame game last week and there are two games on the NFL preseason schedule for Thursday. The New England Patriots will host the New York Giants in a 7 p.m. ET kickoff and the Tennessee Titans will visit the Baltimore Ravens at 7:30 p.m. ET. All four teams will be beginning their preseason, and NFL DFS players who have been paying attention to depth charts and understand how opportunities might be distributed on Thursday have a chance to win big with their NFL DFS lineups.
Former NFL MVP Lamar Jackson won't play on Thursday, so the Ravens are expected to roll with Tyler Huntley, Brett Hundley and Anthony Brown at quarterback. Which of the three will get the most playing time and could be the most valuable for your NFL DFS picks? And who else in the NFL DFS player pool should you have high exposure to for Thursday Week 1 NFL preseason action? Before locking in any NFL DFS picks for Week 1 of the NFL preseason, be sure to check out the NFL DFS advice, player rankings, stacks and top daily Fantasy football picks from SportsLine's Jacob Gibbs.
Gibbs uses a data-driven approach that has helped him consistently provide accurate rankings at every position. He has proven to be one of the nation's most accurate Fantasy rankers in recent years, posting the eighth-most accurate results over the past three seasons, according to Fantasy Pros.
Gibbs analyzes each incoming rookie class in detail and is familiar with the entirety of each NFL team's offensive depth chart. He also closely monitored training camp reports this summer and has a feel for which players are poised for strong preseason performances. If there's anybody who can give you an edge in preseason NFL DFS, it's him.
Now, Gibbs has turned his attention to the Week 1 of the NFL preseason on Thursday night and locked in his top daily Fantasy football picks. You can only see them by heading to SportsLine.
Top NFL DFS picks for Preseason Week 1 on ThursdayFor Week 1 NFL preseason games on Thursday, where every player is priced at $5,500 on DraftKings and $6,000 on FanDuel, we can tell you one of Gibbs' top picks is Ravens running back Tyler Badie. The former Missouri star piled up an impressive 1,933 scrimmage yards and 18 touchdowns in his final season with the Tigers.
The Ravens selected him in the sixth round of 2022 NFL Draft and now he's competing with Mike Davis, Corey Clement and Justice Hill for a roster spot behind J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards. Davis and Clement are veterans and the Ravens staff has seen plenty of Hill the last few seasons, so expect Badie to see the largest workload of all on Thursday.
Gibbs is also rostering Titans quarterback Malik Willis, who was a third-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft and is expected to see a healthy share of the opportunities at quarterback for Tennessee. Titans head coach Mike Vrabel hasn't ruled Ryan Tannehill out officially, but expect to see very little of the veteran with a stranglehold on the starting job.
With the Titans only carrying two other quarterbacks on their 90-man roster (Willis and Logan Woodside), both players are expected to see plenty of playing time. Once considered a potential first-round talent, Willis will be eager to showcase the impressive athleticism and the arm strength that made him a star at Liberty. See who else to include on your rosters here.
How to set NFL DFS lineups for Preseason Week 1 on ThursdayGibbs is also targeting a player who could go off for massive numbers on Thursday because of a dream matchup. This pick could be the difference between winning your tournaments and cash games or going home with nothing. You can only see who it is here.
