Top daily fantasy football plays for Thursday’s Week 3 preseason games

We’ve only got two games to work with on this Thursday slate, so the key is going to be finding those two or three low-owned differential plays that hit big and separate you from the field. Running back and wide receiver offer some interesting options there.

As always, keep an eye on Twitter for late-breaking injury and lineup news. On a short slate like this, you can’t afford to roster a player who misses the game or is slated to come out early.

QB

Must play: None.
Maybe play: Matt Ryan, Ryan Tannehill
Notes: Tannehill is probably going to see the field longer than Ryan, but the Dolphins defense is nothing special right now. All that said, the more intriguing QB options are in the Cowboys-Seahawks game.

RB

Must play: Arian Foster
Maybe play: Devonte Freeman, Jay Ajayi, Brandon Wilds
Notes: It sounds like the Dolphins are going to give Foster an extended run in this game to gauge where he is coming off his Achilles injury last season. How much run exactly is hard to say, but coach Adam Gase didn’t feel foster got enough of a look in Week 2, so there could be volume here. Ajayi will also play a decent amount and could be a sleeper choice. Falcons coach Dan Quinn has said his starters plan to go into the third, but certain positions could see early substitutions. He seems to be specifically referring to getting Wilds a longer look at RB, so both he and Freeman are options.

WR

Must play: Aldrick Robinson
Maybe play: Julio Jones, Jarvis Landry, Kenny Stills
Notes: Jones played one snap in last year’s Week 3 game. That probably won’t happen tonight, but Jones might not get the normal starter’s run, either (see Quinn above). This seems like a golden opportunity for Robinson to put up big numbers in an expanded role. He’s looked good over the first two games.

TE

Must play: Jordan Cameron
Notes: Ryan Tannehill was quoted this week as wanting to focus on Cameron in this game against the Falcons. So take that for what it’s worth on an extremely short slate with not a lot of great TE options.

QB

Must play: Tony Romo, Russell Wilson
Maybe play: Dak Prescott
Notes: Wilson is expected to play into the third quarter and that’s enough to make him my top QB play of the night. Romo is expected to go most, if not all, of the first half, but against the Seahawks in Seattle is always a challenge.

RB

Must play: Darius Jackson
Maybe play: Christine Michael, C.J. Prosise
Stay away: Ezekiel Elliott
Notes: Elliott is set to make his preseason debut tonight and he certainly comes with a lot of hype. But the indication is that he will only see 10-12 snaps. Not enough to make the impact you need here. Jackson has made the most of his time and tonight should be no different. The debut to focus on here is Prosise, who appears in line to get a long look as he tries to claim the third-down back position. That could mean a lot of snaps and a lot of pass targets tonight.

WR

Must play: Terrance Williams, Jermaine Kearse
Maybe play: Brice Butler, Tyler Lockett
Stay away: Dez Bryant
Notes: Bryant is not playing, which opens the door for Williams to continue a solid camp and rack up production as the starters go deep in this one. The other receiver to consider is Brice Butler, who should get a decent look as he competes for his place on the depth chart. Kearse saw 25 first-team snaps last week (out of 30) so he gets a slight edge over Lockett

TE

Must play: Jason Witten
Notes: TE is really thin tonight. I think Cameron is the top choice, but Witten is always a factor when he’s on the field.

On a night like this, you almost have to hit the highest-scoring defense in order to win. The Seahawks at home will be the chalk. I might lean toward the Cowboys here as the lowest-owned unit (most likely), as the Seahawks offense has looked a little shaky so far. The Falcons are probably the most likely to get you sacks and turnovers, which are the key categories to target for a preseason defense.