This article is part of our DraftKings NFL series.
The final week of the NFL preseason continues Saturday with a six-game main slate that begins at 7 p.m. EDT. Some teams will play key starters longer than others, but most DFS lineups will be built primarily around talented youngsters or veterans battling to make the roster, who should receive significantly more playing time.
Those participating in DraftKings contests will craft a lineup consisting of one quarterback, two running backs, three wide receivers, a tight end, a flex and a defense. All players have a cap hit of $5,500 regardless of position, so you will not have to make any salary cap considerations when putting together your lineup, which will not be the case once the regular season begins.
Quarterback
Anthony Brown, BAL vs. WAS: Baltimore takes the preseason much more seriously than the rest of the league, as evidenced by the Ravens' current 22-game preseason winning streak. Tyler Huntley has been a beneficiary of that approach, completing 29 of 32 passes for 238 yards and two touchdowns in two preseason games, but Brown hasn't been too shabby himself. The undrafted rookie out of Oregon has completed 20 of 28 passes for 208 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Brown's far less polished than Huntley, but the rookie could get an extended audition in the preseason finale since Huntley's already firmly locked in as the No. 2 option behind Lamar Jackson.
Honorable Mentions:
Malik Willis (TEN vs. ARI), Skylar Thompson (MIA vs. PHI), Josh Johnson (DEN vs. MIN)
Running Back
Kenneth Gainwell, PHI at MIA: Gainwell missed Philadelphia's preseason opener due to a hip injury and was the second running back into the game behind Boston Scott in preseason Week 2, so the team likely plans to get the second-year running back a fair bit of work in the preseason finale. Gainwell rushed 11 times for 46 yards and a touchdown last week, showing off the talent that has him in line to play a prominent role in high-leverage situations during the regular season.
Ke'Shawn Vaughn, TB at IND: Vaughn's competing with rookie Rachaad White for the No. 2 spot in Tampa Bay's backfield behind Leonard Fournette. Both Vaughn and White are third-round draft picks, but Vaughn has an extra year of NFL experience, and he's been the slightly more effective running back this preseason. In two preseason games, Vaughn has rushed 20 times for 72 yards and a touchdown while adding 22 yards on two catches, while White has 51 yards on 13 rushing attempts and three catches for 29 yards with no touchdowns. Both should get plenty of touches Saturday as they make their case for the backup job.
Honorable Mentions:
Brian Robinson (WAS at BAL), John Kelly (CLE vs. CHI), Hassan Haskins (TEN vs. ARI)
Wide Receiver
Erik Ezukanma, MIA vs. PHI: Carving out a prominent role right off the bat in the regular season will be tough for Ezukanma in a receiving corps headlined by Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle (undisclosed), but the rookie fourth-round pick out of Texas Tech has flashed some talent this preseason. After totaling only two catches for 18 yards in the preseason opener against Tampa Bay, Ezukanma broke out last week against Las Vegas, catching six passes for 114 yards.
Andy Isabella, ARI at TEN: This will be Isabella's last chance to lay down some nice game tape before the Cardinals make final cuts. The 2019 second-round pick's firmly on the roster bubble, but he's helped his case with a productive preseason, topping 50 receiving yards in each of Arizona's first two exhibition games.
Kendall Hinton, DEN vs. MIN: Hinton had 53 yards and a touchdown in the preseason opener, then failed to catch any of his four targets in the second preseason game, though he finished just one target away from tying for second on the team. He still has an outside shot of making the roster as a depth receiver with Tim Patrick out for the year due to a torn ACL, so Hinton will look to finish the preseason on a high note by conjuring up a performance similar to his outing against Dallas two weeks ago.
Honorable Mentions:
Jahan Dotson (WAS at BAL), Quez Watkins (PHI at MIA), David Bell (CLE vs. CHI)
TIGHT END
Isaiah Likely, BAL vs. WAS: No tight end has had a better preseason than Likely, who has put himself firmly in the redraft league sleeper conversation after catching all 12 of his targets for 144 yards and a touchdown through two games. The only thing standing between the rookie fourth-round pick out of Coastal Carolina and a prominent regular-season role is the presence of star tight end Mark Andrews, but Andrews won't be blocking him Saturday, as he's expected to be held out alongside other prominent Ravens starters.
Honorable Mentions:
Albert Okwuegbunam (DEN vs. MIN), Chigoziem Okonkwo (TEN vs. ARI), Nakia Griffin-Stewart (CLE vs. CHI)
DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS
Indianapolis Colts, IND vs. TB: The Buccaneers have given 2021 second-round pick Kyle Trask the reins to the offense this preseason, and the results haven't been pretty. After throwing one touchdown and one interception while playing most of the team's 26-24 loss to Miami to open the preseason, Trask was brutal in last week's 13-3 loss to Tennessee, completing just 11 of 24 passes for 105 yards with an interception. Based on his brief but unimpressive NFL track record, Trask appears to have been carried to success at Florida by 2021 first-round picks Kyle Pitts and Kadarius Toney, so a deep Colts defense should have no trouble keeping the Trask-led Bucs in check.
Honorable Mentions:
Baltimore Ravens (BAL vs. WAS), Arizona Cardinals (ARI at TEN), Philadelphia Eagles (PHI at MIA)
