Welcome to the Daily Fantasy Preview. This weekly article will dive into all the best values and bets for the upcoming week of NFL action. If you’re a competitive DFS player or want a leg up on the weekend’s betting action, this is the place for you! Let’s dive into the Week 8 slate.

Note: All fantasy statistics mentioned in this article are based on Draft Kings salaries and player and team rankings. The value options mentioned should be viable on most DFS platforms and sportsbooks.

THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL “ONE NIGHT STAND”

Draft Kings’ NFL Showdown Captain Mode contest for TNF. Entry $15. $500K to 1st. TEN vs PIT.

MUST PLAYS

RB DERRICK HENRY | CAPTAIN SLOT (+1.5 PTS)

Henry faces one of the most generous rush defenses in football, although Steelers DT Cam Heyward will be back for this game. Expect his volume to be high in a contest between two rough-and-tumble franchise who will look to assert their will on the opponent. He’s a great play this week in the Captain Slot

WR GEORGE PICKENS | FLEX

Pickens is due a big game against one of the league’s worst pass defenses. The Steelers win football games when Pickens is the focus of the offense. Expect him to be so here on TNF.

D/ST STEELERS | FLEX

The Steelers defense is a splashy unit, which is a little boom or bust for fantasy purposes, but the Steelers are at home facing a Rookie QB with TJ Watt, Cam Heyward, and Alex Highsmith all healthy and hunting for the big play.

“BEST BETZ” 3-LEG SAME GAME PARLAY

Derrick Henry Anytime TD Scorer (+130)
DeAndre Hopkins Receiving Yds OVER 52.5 (-115)
George Pickens Receptions OVER 3.5 (-166)

Total Odds: +500 ($10 winning bet pays $60)

SUNDAY DFS DARLINGS (VALUE PLAYS UNDER $5,500 SALARY)

Draft Kings NFL Classic $3.5M Fantasy Football Millionaire. Entry $20. $1M to 1st. 9-player roster.

QB BAKER MAYFIELD (TB) vs. HOU – $5,200

Mayfield has quietly been producing as a consistent Top 15 option at QB throughout the season, and the Texans provide a solid matchup for the Journeyman passer. He’s a solid value play at this price with a relatively high floor to keep the risk down as well as the price.

QB BRYCE YOUNG (CAR) vs. IND – $5,100

Young doesn’t have many start-worthy fantasy performances. A Week 5 20-point performance is his best outing, but this is a really nice matchup for the Rookie. The Colts are giving up the 3rd most points to the position in 2023, and for this price it could be worth the flyer.

RB JEROME FORD (CLE) vs. ARI – $5,300

If Ford is healthy, he’s an obvious value choice this weekend against a porous Cardinals rush defense. He has big play upside and a solid floor as well.

RB CHUBA HUBBARD (CAR) vs. IND – $5,000

I mentioned last week that Hubbard was taking on more of the RB1 role for Carolina and last week proved that theory correct as Hubbard enjoyed his largest workload of the season despite a healthy Miles Sanders taking part in the contest. Against this defense, Hubbard could be in for a big day.

WR DRAKE LONDON (ATL) vs. MIN – $5,500

A QB switch in Atlanta from mercurial 2nd year passer Desmond Ridder to the veteran Tyler Heinicke could mean more consistent production for London, and he’s a good value this week for someone who has had some big fantasy weeks.

WR JAHAN DOTSON (WAS) vs. NE – $5,100

Dotson had a huge outing against the Eagles in Week 8, and although the matchup against New England isn’t as favorable this week, Dotson is proving to be QB Sam Howell’s favorite target as of late, and his separation abilities give him a solid floor each week.

TE TAYSOM HILL (NO) vs. CHI– $4,700

All Taysom Hill does is score Fantasy points. Out of the backfield, as a pass-catcher, as a passer… You name it, he does it. The fantastic thing is that he is doing it all with the TE designation. Use that to your advantage and save some cap space on a high upside TE play.

TE JAKE FERGUSON (DAL) vs. PHI – $4,000

Ferguson went off last week after I listed him in this very segment, and now he’s facing a leaky Philly secondary with an opportunity to piggyback off that big performance. The Dallas offense is on a heater right now. Hop on the train while it lasts.

Thanks for reading, and good luck this week in all your Fantasy endeavors! Unfortunately, due to illness, there is no Thursday Fantasy First Podcast this week. I’ll be back next week with Tuesday’s Waiver Wire Wishlist.