NFL DFS Preseason Week 2 Saturday Picks: Build Around Gardner Minshew On DraftKings' Main Slate

We're back to break down the NFL DFS preseason Week 2 picks for Saturday. There are four games for us to dive into on Saturday's main slate, capping off a day-long slate of games.

Each team has played, so we can better grasp the teams' depth charts and expect some teams to ramp up their starters as we get close to the regular season. I'm going to give a few plays from each position that I think would be great pieces to build your lineups around. Let's dive into it!

Quarterback Picks For Saturday's Preseason Week 2 NFL DFS Main Slate

The first team to point out is the Chicago Bears, who are projected to sit their starters in Week 2 following HC Ben Johnson's comments this week in practice. Tyson Bagent is also out, along with Caleb Williams. This leaves Case Keenum and Miller Moss. There's no exact news on playing time between the two. But assuming they both get a half, both look like good options here.

The Dallas Cowboys are not expected to play any starters in Week 2. This makes Joe Milton and Sam Howell both look great here. Howell got the start in Week 1 and played the whole first half, followed by Milton getting the second half. Reports suggest this may flip this week, with Milton starting and Howell getting the second half. Both stand out here.

Facing the Cowboys are the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals will be without Jacoby Brissett and Carson Beck, who is recovering from injury. Gardner Minshew and Kedon Slovis will be the two QBs getting the work here. The current reports say that Minshew will get at least a half, so he stands out as the top option here. Slovis will get the rest. This could be an entire half, or potentially a little less. Regardless, he is also firmly in play. Minshew looks to be the overall safest QB option of the slate with the current news.

Running Back NFL DFS Picks For Saturday's Week 2 Preseason Main Slate

We are pretty thin overall on RB room news. QB news is generally out nice and early, but we usually have to wait until closer to game time to get a better read on RB/WR inactives, as well as who will be getting work. However, there are two teams with clearer RB rooms to point out.

First, the Philadelphia Eagles. The expectation is that the starters will be out again here in Week 2. Tank Bigsby surprisingly started the game and played the first couple of drives before coming out. There are two running backs following him who could see a lot of snaps, namely Will Shipley and Carson Steele. Dameon Pierce has not been practicing due to a hamstring injury, so we can expect him to be out. Shipley is fighting for a roster spot and needs to show up in a big way to solidify himself, and this is the perfect opportunity. Steele was relatively limited in Week 1 with just 7 snaps, but could see an increase in snaps here in Week 2.

The Dallas Cowboys are also going to be without starters against the Cardinals on Saturday. This rules out Javonte Williams. Jaydon Blue has been dealing with a shoulder injury and is questionable, so it's important to see his status closer to game time. Assuming he is out, however, this leaves Malik Davis and Israel Abanikanda to lead this backfield. Davis is in the biggest spot here, with a chance to prove himself and throw himself into the conversation for meaningful regular-season snaps. Abanikanda has been falling down the depth chart, but also should get a prime chance to show what he's got in a potentially thin RB room Saturday.

Wide Receiver Picks For Saturday's Preseason Week 2 NFL DFS Main Slate

The Arizona Cardinals have been a team to target at WR through their first two games, and this looks to be another good spot for these guys. Marvin Harrison and Michael Wilson are expected to be out. Xavier Weaver was seen in a non-contact jersey early this week in practice, but recently had that removed. He is projected to play right now, but his playing time could be up in the air. Reggie Virgil is the safest option here, followed by Simi Fehoko and Jalen Brooks. We saw Brooks be the most productive last week vs the Raiders, bringing in six receptions for 52 yards and a TD.

The Philadelphia Eagles look to have some enticing pieces as well. Starters are not expected to play, and Makai Lemon is expected to be out. Darius Cooper stands as the Eagles' top option here. He has been getting a ton of positive talk in training camp, and played the most of any Eagles receiver in Week 1. Britain Covey and Quez Watkins are playable here too. Covey has been productive in past preseasons with the Rams, and should get some good opportunities here.

No starters are expected to play for the Patriots as of current reporting. This makes Efton Chism and Kyle Williams stand out. Both have a ton of talent and big-play upside. Nick Degennaro is also worth mentioning. He has been working primarily with the backups, but logged 46 snaps in Week 1, playing the entire second half.

Tight End NFL DFS Picks For Saturday's Week 2 Preseason Main Slate

The Dallas Cowboys were the first team that caught my eye here. Michael Trigg and DJ Rogers were the main TE pieces in Week 1, but are both dealing with lower-body injuries right now. Starters are also not expected to play. This leaves Luke Schoonmaker to have to play a ton. He stands out as a safe option.

Next were looking at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Bauer Sharp is the key name here. A sixth-round pick for the Bucs, he tallied four catches on five targets for 24 yards. Starters are expected to play a drive or two, but Bauer should still get a good amount of snaps following that.

Coming off of playing nearly every snap in the first half last week, Eli Raridon shapes up to be a good play. The New England Patriots are expected to be without starters, and Raridon is next up. He has been one of the most talked-up players in training camp. He only caught one pass last week, but 4 targets is promising and what we like to see. He looks good here.

Defense (DST) Picks For Saturday's Preseason Week 2 NFL DFS Main Slate

Picking a defense in preseason DFS comes down to two things. First, the total of the game. The lower the total, the fewer points will be scored, which keeps your defense's fantasy points higher. Second, who the opposing team's QBs are. Many teams will play multiple backup QBs for the entirety of the game, with supporting casts whom they are not familiar with. This can lead to a lot of turnover and sack opportunities for the defense. Stay on top of skill position news and target defenses who will be playing the most snaps against backups. You will be picking hairs here, but there is definitely still some edge in choosing a defense.

This is shaping up to be a fun slate here to end this action-packed Saturday, with games going on all day. Stay on top of news and check team active/inactives as we get closer to game time, as some of the teams have not given a clear outlook for their game this evening. Good luck on all the slates you're playing, and I hope to see you at the top!

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Published Aug 22, 2026, 11:43 AM ETUpdated Aug 22, 2026, 11:44 AM ET