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Week 1 NFL DFS Preseason Picks (Saturday Main Slate)

saturday main slate nfl preseason dfs picks

I already got to the NFL DFS Saturday early slate, and now it’s time to break down the main slate. The 2026 NFL preseason DFS scene has been mostly good to use so far, so let’s keep things humming right along.

Hop into our premium plays now and you get access to everything else we’re doing (MLB and WNBA, too). Saturday’s main slate has a solid four games and some tough decisions to make. Let’s build!

NFL DFS Core Plays for Saturday’s Main Slate

  • Jalen Milroe, QB, Seahawks
  • Emmett Johnson, RB, Chiefs
  • Cyrus Allen, WR, Chiefs
  • Max Klare, TE, Rams

Jalen Milroe, QB, Seahawks

There are a few quarterbacks I like on Saturday’s NFL preseason DFS main slate, but two definitely rank above all others. First there’s Jalen Milroe, who offers elite dual threat ability and a big arm. He didn’t wow us last year, but the sky’s still the limit for him and it sounds like he’ll get a chance to make a strong second impression on Saturday.

Sam Darnold and the rest of Seattle’s starters won’t suit up for this game, which puts Milroe front and center. He should split work with Drew Lock, but his rushing floor puts him in play as the top QB pick of the slate.

Joe Milton II is on the other side of this game, though, and he will also garner heavy consideration. He’s a similar play in that he offers nice rushing production, and will look to prove his worth as a passer. Dak Prescott won’t be suiting up, so Sam Howell is the only guy Milton will have to worry about.

We can also look to Spencer Rattler, Zach Wilson, Stetson Bennett IV, Ty Simpson, and Justin Fields. However, none of them have as clear of a path to strong playing time. I’m focused almost exclusively on the Cowboys and Seahawks quarterbacks.

Emmett Johnson, RB, Chiefs

The explosive Emmett Johnson is buried on Kansas City’s depth chart, but he looks primed to explode on Saturday against the Los Angeles Rams. KC shouldn’t extend their key starters very long, so we should get a long look at the Nebraska star, who was hyper efficient en route to 1,451 rushing yards and 12 rushing scores last season.

I love Johnson’s path to a solid outing, but he’s far from alone on Saturday’s NFL DFS main slate. Baltimore rookie Adam Randall should also get considerable work, while the Cowboys seem set to give both Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafa plenty of work as they continue to compete for the #2 spot in their backfield.

Lequint Allen, Ty Chandler, Dean Connors, and Will Shipley are a few more interesting players who are either trying to win a position battle or simply keep themselves from getting cut. How useful they are to our NFL preseason DFS lineups may hinge on who plays ahead of them.

Cyrus Allen, WR, Chiefs

The biggest training camp star has been 5th round rookie Cyrus Allen. Some think he’s already locked himself into a marquee role with the first-team offense in KC, but I have to think he needs to show out in real games first. His actual playing time is open for debate, but he’s been so good and so hyped that this is a dice roll worth taking.

As great of a pick as Allen figures to be, we once again have options at a pretty loaded WR position. Rookie Josh Cameron from Jacksonville is an interesting play that will go overlooked, Barion Brown has been turning heads in New Orleans, CJ Daniels is trying to carve out a rotational role in L.A., and both Elijah Sarratt and Ja’Kobi Lane have taken turns impressing in Baltimore’s training camp.

All of these guys are in play – not to mention Ryan Flournoy and Tory Horton – but Allen is the first guy I’m clicking at DraftKings.

Matthew Hibner, TE, Ravens

We have another loaded position at tight end. TE isn’t as fun on the early slate, but there’s a ton of viable bodies to wrap up Saturday’s DFS contests. I’ll kickstart the fun with Hibner, who the Ravens snagged in this year’s draft in the fourth round.

Hibner was fairly productive at SMU, but he’s especially exciting due to a strong 9.25 RAS score. Highly athletic for a tight end, Hibner is intriguing in terms of upside, but hasn’t fully earned a key role yet. Naturally, he could play quite a bit on Saturday.

Oscar Delp, Max Klare, and of course Eli Stowers are all potential smash plays. They’re obviously bigger names with even more draft capital, while there are some fringe guys like Tanner Koziol and Jared Wiley that you could talk me into. Heck, there’s even the athletic Michael Trigg or the still unproven Elijah Arroyo.

All of these guys are in play, which shows you just how loaded TE is on this slate. I don’t think you can make a “wrong” pick here, and a 2TE build is not out of the question. Hibner just checks all of the boxes for me, and given how loaded tight end is, there’s a pretty good chance he won’t even be chalky.

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