The first DFS lineup of the year is a complicated one, given that playing time is anyone's guess heading into the first preseason action of 2023 for most teams.
FanDuel is offering a Thursday-only contest, called the $40K Thu NFL Preseason Rush, that centers on matchups between the Texans and Patriots and the Vikings traveling to Seattle to play the Seahawks.
The contest winner receives $10k, and our lineup submissions are outlined just ahead. (All Players listed have $6,000 salary cap numbers)
QB: Nick Mullens (MIN)
Mullens has started 17 games as an NFL quarterback, racking up over 5,000 yards passing and throwing for 27 touchdowns since being signed by the 49ers as an undrafted rookie in 2017.
The Southern Miss product backed up Kirk Cousins last season during Kevin O’Connell’s first year as head coach in Minnesota, and Mullens should get plenty of work once Cousins is done with his series or two of play.
While it’s not apparent which pass-catchers he’ll be throwing to, Mullens knows the offense and has proven to be an effective distributor of the football. We’ll take him to lead our lineup on Thursday evening.
RBs: Kevin Harris (NE) & Zach Charbonnet (SEA)
Harris has elevated himself to second-string status in the Patriots’ running back room after a rookie season where he was stuck behind Rhamondre Stevenson and Damien Harris. Stevenson is still the top player in their backfield, but Harris should get more of the workload in their preseason opener.
Charbonnet missed some practices in early August after sustaining a minor shoulder injury in training camp. It was initially announced as a longer-term concern, so his quick return is a positive sign.
Ken Walker III and rookie Kenny McIntosh are dealing with injuries themselves ahead of Thursday’s matchup with Minnesota, and we’ll lean on Charbonnet to get us some points out of that group.
WRs: Steven Sims Jr. (HOU), Kendrick Bourne (NE) & Brandon Powell (MIN)
Sims is no stranger to competing for his job week in and week out, and he’s found a way to get into at least one game during all four of his pro seasons and has appeared in 12+ games in three of those. He’ll partner with rookie CJ Stroud to set the tone for the preseason, and we expect him to see a handful of targets Thursday night.
Bourne is entering a contract season as he wraps up a three-year deal in New England. The 28-year-old wideout experienced a dropoff in performance last year after his best season as a professional in 2021, and the veteran will need to re-establish himself among a crowded group of players looking to claim a meaningful role in Bill Belichick’s offense. Bourne was listed as a starter in the Pats’ first unofficial depth chart.
Finally, Powell begins his time in Minnesota after playing all 17 games for the LA Rams in 2022. He’s listed alongside Jalen Reagor behind four other players on the Vikings’ receiver board. Powell should get a chance to improve on that, with players like Justin Jefferson and KJ Osbourne playing limited snaps, if at all.
TE: Eric Tomlinson (HOU)
Tomlinson is in a three-way battle for the fourth tight end spot on the roster, but the veteran knows how to earn his position.
Amid a career spanning seven seasons with as many teams, he caught nine passes for 79 yards and two touchdowns in 2022 with Denver.
FLEX: Noah Brown (HOU)
Brown signed his third straight one-year contract since his rookie deal expired, this time electing to leave Dallas for Houston.
The former seventh rounder posted career-best totals of 43 catches, 555 receiving yards, and three touchdowns for the Cowboys in 2022.
We expect him to have a regular role in this Texans’ offense that could be tested in the preseason opener.
DEF: New England Patriots
We went with the best defense on the board here in terms of past performance and coaching staff. We trust Belichick to have his guys playing hard for 60 minutes on Thursday.
