Week 1 of the 2023 NFL Preseason kicks off with a doubleheader on Thursday, Aug. 10. The first matchup will feature the Houston Texans taking on the New England Patriots from Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA, with kickoff set for 7 p.m. ET. The nightcap will see the Minnesota Vikings travel to face the Seattle Seahawks from Lumen Field, with a kickoff time of 10 p.m. ET. Both matchups will air on the NFL Network.
While each team’s respective starters will get little, if any action, there are still a handful of promising names to look out for such as the number two overall pick CJ Stroud, as well as the talented wide receiver out of Ohio State in Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Here, we’ll break down some of our favorite DFS plays for Thursday’s slate in Week 1 of the NFL preseason for classic games.
Top plays
Trace McSorley, NE vs. HOU ($5,500) — The dual-threat quarterback is in a battle with Malik Cunningham for the third-string quarterback job in New England, and reports indicate he’ll get plenty of snaps on Thursday. His ability to make plays with his legs should be a boon for DFS players with him in their lineups.
DeWayne McBride, MIN vs. SEA ($5,500) — The seventh-round pick out of UAB is coming off a two-season stretch in which he tallied over 3,000 rushing yards to go along with 32 combined touchdowns. The Vikings are in need of a workhorse behind Alexander Mattison, and
Values
Xazavian Valladay, HOU vs. NE ($5,500) — Valladay has reportedly been turning heads throughout training camp thanks to his elite speed and quickness out of the backfield. After the Texans saw Dameon Pierce battle through the marathon of a 17-game season last year, Valladay has a prime opportunity to land a roster spot with a strong preseason outing.
Kayshon Boutte, NE vs. HOU ($5,500) — Outside of JuJu Smith-Schuster and Devante Parker, New England’s wide receiver corps is relatively unknown and unproven. That sets up an intriguing preseason positional battle to keep an eye out for, and Boutte is among the names looking to fight for a roster spot over the next few weeks.
Demario Douglas, NE vs. HOU ($5,500) — You can add Douglas to the names to watch as the Patriots sort out their wide receiver depth chart these next few weeks. The sixth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft showcased an explosive playmaking ability while at Liberty, and he’s coming off a final collegiate season in which he caught 79 passes for 993 yards and six touchdowns.