The last day of the 2026 NFL preseason arrives on Saturday and ends with a whimper. We had some fun, as we crushed on Thursday and had some other good moments, and the hope is to close things out with a win.
The bummer? We only have two games to work with. The slate at DraftKings kicks off early, as the first game is at noon and then the other game is later at night. That won’t stop us from winning. Let’s go over the top NFL preseason DFS picks to build around on Saturday, as well as some pivots. Let’s build!
NFL DFS Core Plays for Saturday, 8/29
- Joshua Dobbs, QB, Lions
- Salvon Ahmed, RB, Bears
- Deion Burks, WR, Colts
- Sam Roush, TE, Bears
Joshua Dobbs, QB, Lions
This slate is pretty bad, but we know Jared Goff isn’t going to play. That likely sets up both Joshua Dobbs and Luke Altmyer to get a half of play each. That’s precisely what happened last week, and Detroit needs to figure out which one of these sad sacks deserves to be their QB2. The one who doesn’t probably gets cut.
Dobbs has to be in the lead, but even if he’s not we know he can use his legs. His rushing floor makes him the more appealing play, plus we have narrative on our side.
The Bears and Titans QB rooms figure to be a bit too crowded for my liking. The other spot to attack is Indy, as Anthony Richardson is expected to start. Nobody knows exactly how much he will play, but it’s likely that he and Riley Leonard will get most of the quarterback snaps. I like both, but right now prefer Dobbs above everyone else.
Salvon Ahmed, RB, Bears
Chicago is likely to sit D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai isn’t going to be active on Saturday. That means a lot of work will go to Roschon Johnson and Salvon Ahmed, who are currently in a battle for the RB3 job in the Windy City.
It’s a close race, but the 27-year old Ahmed made his presence known last week, touching the ball nine times for 50 total yards. I like both Bears running backs in terms of playing time, but his efficiency and narrative give him the leg up.
There are some more decent RBs to consider. Indy’s Seth McGowan is battling for the RB2 slot, the Lions are shorthanded enough to get my interested in Jacob Saylors and Trayveon Williams, and Nick Singleton is worth a look if the Titans are prepared to unleash him.
Deion Burks, WR, Colts
Wide receiver is a mess on this slate, and it naturally has a lot to do with some murky (and flat out bad) QB rooms. That said, Burks is an explosive rookie still trying to prove his worth. Indy will be down several key WRs for this game most likely, and he did see five targets last time out. He feels like one of the best options for floor/ceiling on Saturday.
I’m also interested in how Jahdae Walker will perform as he continues to fight for Chicago’s WR3 role, while guys like Elic Ayomanor, Xavier Restrepo, and Lucky Jackson are viable, if unspectacular.
Sam Roush, TE, Bears
Roush is the easy click at tight end. This position is bad most slates, but its straight up ghastly on Saturday. Roush is a talented player and a terrific athlete, though, plus the Bears will want to keep seeing what he can bring to the table. He’s the only smash play at the position.
Other potential pivots include Jackson Meeks (39-catch last week) and Kylen Granson, but neither feel as steady as Roush does.
This is a good slate for defenses. We only get four to pick from, but with pretty poor quarterback play across the board, they are all solid bets. I’d just avoid playing a defense against Dobbs (or whatever QB you end up playing).
Playing DFS since the days of DraftStreet, Kevin knows the ins and outs of DFS, specifically for NFL and NBA. He’s also been helping people win in fantasy football leagues for 15+ years and is one of many experts featured at FantasyPros.
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