The Week 1 NFL preseason schedule for Saturday, August 9 is loaded, with eight games and half of the league’s 32 teams in action, providing plenty of options for NFL DFS lineups. The slate gets underway with a matchup between the New York Giants and Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, NY at 1 p.m. ET. Reigning NFL MVP Josh Allen will not play for the Bills in their preseason opener. Other notable matchups on Saturday include Titans vs. Buccaneers, where No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward is set to make his NFL debut, and Steelers vs. Jaguars, where Travis Hunter is expected to play on both sides of the ball.
With so much uncertainty around playing time for established players during the preseason, it is imperative for NFL DFS players to dig deep into the NFL DFS player pool when building preseason NFL DFS lineups. Should you target Ward or Hunter on Saturday? Before making any NFL DFS picks on sites like DraftKings and FanDuel, be sure to check out the NFL DFS lineup advice, strategy and player stacks from SportsLine NFL daily Fantasy expert Jimmie Kaylor.
Kaylor is a NFL betting and DFS expert for SportsLine, who opened the 2022 NFL season by winning DraftKings’ NFL Showdown Thursday Kickoff Millionaire contest. He edged out over 355,000 other entrants in the contest and also has multiple five-figure tournament wins on his DFS resume. Kaylor has covered the NFL and college football for close to a decade as a member of the Pro Football Writers of America, and his background as a former college and NFL player gives him a unique perspective when building his fantasy lineups and locking in his betting picks. Anybody following his DFS picks over the last three seasons could have seen huge returns.
Now, Kaylor has turned his attention to Saturday’s 2025 NFL preseason schedule and locked in his top daily Fantasy football picks. You can only see his picks and analysis at SportsLine, also new players can get $50 in Pick6 credits at DraftKings when they play $5:
Top NFL preseason DFS picks for Saturday
One of Kaylor’s top DFS picks for Saturday is Rams quarterback Stetson Bennett IV. The former Georgia standout was a fourth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, but he has yet to see any regular season action. Rams starter Matthew Stafford is dealing with a back injury, and backup Jimmy Garoppolo is expected to rest as well, paving the way for extensive playing time for Bennett on Saturday.
Bennett has performed well during training camp thus far, and is one of the most successful college quarterbacks in recent history. The 27-year-old isn’t a true dual-threat quarterback, but he is an above average athlete that has the ability to put pressure on opposing defenses with his running ability. Bennett will likely play at least half of the game on Saturday making him an ideal DFS option at quarterback.
Another part of Kaylor’s Saturday NFL DFS strategy includes rostering 49ers running back Patrick Taylor Jr.. Veteran Christian McCaffrey will not play for San Francisco in their game against the Denver Broncos, and fellow running backs Jordan James (finger) and Isaac Guerendo (shoulder) are both expected to be sidelined. Taylor played well in spot duty in 2024, rushing for 183 yards and a touchdown on 39 carries.
With the running back position fairly depleted for the 49ers, the potential is there for Taylor to see double-digit carries on Saturday night. The former Memphis standout is a four-year NFL veteran and owns a carry yards per carry average of 4.3. You can see the rest of Kaylor’s NFL DFS picks here, and new users can see the latest FanDuel promo code to get $150 in bonus bets at FanDuel if your $5 bet wins:
How to build Saturday preseason NFL DFS lineups
Kaylor is also targeting another undervalued player who could explode for huge numbers on Saturday. 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, and the rest of Kaylor’s NFL DFS picks, at SportsLine.
So who is Jimmie Kaylor including in his optimal NFL DFS lineups for Saturday, and which under-the-radar NFL DFS picks offer huge value? Visit SportsLine now to see optimal NFL DFS picks, rankings, advice and stacks, all from a DFS expert who already won a single-game millionaire maker tournament, and find out.
