NFL

FanDuel Daily Fantasy Football Preseason Helper: Week 2, Monday Night Football

Rookie wide receiver Jalen Hurd stole the show in the 49ers' preseason opener. Which other players could shine in tonight's Monday Night Football single-game contests?

Typically, in Week 2 of the preseason, teams will play their starters around a quarter. However, that's not always the case, though, so it's necessary to sift through the news and figure out which players may project for high volume.

Tonight's single-game contest on FanDuel features the San Francisco 49ers taking on the Denver Broncos. Since every player on the slate has the same price tag, salary cap is not an issue. Additionally, there are no positional requirements in single game contests

For those unfamiliar with the single-game format, scoring is identical to its full roster cousin, except lineups consist of five flex spots, and kickers are an option in place of defense/special teams. The one twist? One of the five roster spots is your designated "MVP," who receives 1.5-times his total fantasy points. Naturally, it's crucial that you choose your MVP carefully if you want to be at the top of the leaderboards when it's all said and done.

With that said, let's look at several players who stand to benefit from injury situations and/or project to play a lot of snaps.

Players to Consider

Drew Lock - Lock looks to build upon his solid performance in Denver's second preseason game. The rookie quarterback completed 17-of-28 passes for 180 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. With starter Joe Flacco, expected to only play a quarter, Lock figures to play a lot once Flacco departs. While the three-man quarterback rotation behind Flacco is unknown, it should be noted that Lock was under center for 48 snaps in Denver's second preseason game (Kevin Hogan played 11 snaps and Brett Rypien didn't take a snap).

Noah Fant - While Fant has been quiet in two preseason games (3 receptions for 21 yards), he should see plenty of playing time tonight after having his way with the San Francisco 49ers' linebackers in Saturday's joint practice.

Jeff Wilson - Wilson returned to practice this week after missing the preseason opener with an injury and figures to get significant playing time as he battles to make the 49ers 53-man roster. Wilson was able to score two touchdowns while receiving extended reps in red zone drills on Friday.

Austin Walter - The former Rice Owls running back logged an eye popping 44 snaps in the 49ers' preseason opener. Walter ran for 38 yards on 13 carries and caught 5 passes for 32 yards on 6 targets. Walter, Wilson Jr. and Brandon Wilds are expected to soak up most of the 49ers snaps at running back.

Deebo Samuel and Jalen Hurd - The two talented rookie receivers both made a splash in the 49ers' preseason opener. Samuel caught 2 passes for 61 yards while playing 36 snaps (4 targets). Hurd was unstoppable as he caught 2 touchdowns (3 receptions for 31 yards on 32 snaps). Both players will likely be extremely popular in tonight's single-game contests.

Richie James - James led the 49ers in targets in the team's preseason opener. He caught 6 passes for 31 yards on 7 targets (28 snaps). James should double as a punt returner and receiver in tonight's game.

Kendrick Bourne - Bourne received a lot of praise from 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan for having a great training camp. Coming off just 1 reception for 14 yards on 25 snaps (3 targets), tonight's game will be important for the third-year receiver as he sits on the 53-man bubble for the 49ers.

Others to consider: Joe Flacco, Phillip Lindsay, David Williams, Tim Patrick, Nick Mullens, C.J. Beathard, Marquise Goodwin, Brandon Wilds



Matthew Hiatt is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Matthew Hiatt also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username easternmh. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in his articles are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.