2024 NFL DFS picks, rankings: Thursday Preseason Week 1 fantasy football lineup advice for DraftKings, FanDuel

After the 2024 Hall of Fame Game was played last Thursday, Week 1 of the 2024 NFL preseason schedule officially kicks off on Thursday with two matchups that feature some of the young, unknown players in the NFL DFS player pool. Thursday's two games are Panthers vs. Patriots and Lions vs. Giants . Drake Maye , the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, is expected to play on Thursday, so what should daily Fantasy football players expect in his professional debut when making NFL DFS lineups? However, Bryce Young, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft who struggled much of last season, is not expected to play for the Panthers.

Giants quarterback Daniel Jones , who is recovering from a torn ACL but is fully cleared to play, told reporters he wants to play on Thursday, but will head coach Brian Daboll allow that to happen? Many teams don't play their starters in preseason openers, so how should you form your NFL DFS strategy with those unknowns? Before making any NFL DFS picks for Patriots vs. Panthers or Giants vs. Lions on sites like DraftKings and FanDuel, be sure to check out the NFL DFS lineup advice, strategy and player stacks from SportsLine NFL daily Fantasy expert Jimmie Kaylor .

Kaylor is a NFL and DFS expert for SportsLine, who opened the 2022 NFL season by winning DraftKings' NFL Showdown Thursday Kickoff Millionaire contest. He edged out over 355,000 other entrants in the contest and also has multiple five-figure tournament wins on his DFS resume. Kaylor, who has been cashing big all season, has covered the NFL and college football for close to a decade as a member of the Pro Football Writers of America, and his background as a former college and NFL player gives him a unique perspective when building his fantasy lineups and locking in his betting picks.

Kaylor hit on epic NFL DFS picks last season like Justin Jefferson (11-159), D'Andre Swift (175-1), DeVonta Smith (4-132-1), T.J. Hockenson (7-66-2), D.J. Moore (8-230-3), David Montgomery (121-3), Ja'Marr Chase (12-141, 11-149-1), Alvin Kamara (12-91, 76), Jordan Addison (7-123-2), Jahmyr Gibbs (152-1, 5-37), Javonte Williams (79, 3-31-1), Dak Prescott (331-4), CeeDee Lamb (12-116-1), DK Metcalf (6-143-3), Aidan O'Connell (248-4), and Puka Nacua (9-164-1). Anyone who has followed his picks is way up.

Now, Kaylor has turned his attention to Thursday's 2024 NFL preseason games and just locked in his top daily Fantasy football picks. You can only see his picks and analysis at SportsLine .

Top NFL preseason DFS picks for Thursday

One of Kaylor's favorite DFS picks Thursday, where every player on DraftKings is $5,500 and $6,000 on FanDuel, is Lions quarterback Hendon Hooker . Lions coach Dan Campbell said starting quarterback Jared Goff is unlikely to play at all in the preseason, putting Hooker in a position to play a significant amount of snaps on Thursday. The third-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft completed 69.6% of his passes for 3,135 yards with 27 touchdowns and two interceptions as a fifth-year player for Tennessee in 2022. He also rushed for 430 yards and five touchdowns after back-to-back seasons with at least 600 rushing yards and five touchdowns as a dual-threat quarterback.

Hooker's fifth year was ended by a torn ACL, which resulted in him missing last year's preseason. Campbell has said throughout the preseason that Hooker needs to continue getting reps to improve as the second-year player is battling Nate Sudfeld for the backup quarterback spot and Thursday will be his first chance at that in game action. Hooker was putting together an SEC Player of the Year season the last time the world saw him on a gridiron as he finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting, making him a strong option for Kaylor in NFL DFS picks.

Kaylor's NFL DFS strategy also includes rostering Panthers running back Raheem Blackshear . The third-year running back has 123 rushing yards and 138 receiving yards over limited action in his first two seasons. But with Jonathon Brooks , the first running back selected in the 2024 NFL Draft, still recovering from a torn ACL and an experienced running back room with Chuba Hubbard and Miles Sanders , Blackshear could be the top running back on the Carolina depth chart to take the field on Thursday.

Blackshear had 1,014 yards from scrimmage with seven touchdowns as a fifth-year senior at Virginia Tech in 2021. He's showcased the ability to catch passes out of the backfield with more receiving yards than rushing yards over his NFL career. Blackshear rushed for 31 yards and a touchdown in a preseason game against the Giants last season. Blackshear has been an asset on special teams for Carolina and with the new kickoff rules, if he can showcase his ability to contribute out of the backfield as well, he'll have his opportunities on Thursday to perform for NFL DFS lineups. You can see the rest of Kaylor's NFL DFS picks here .

How to build Week 1 preseason NFL DFS lineups

Kaylor is also targeting another undervalued player who could explode for huge numbers on Thursday. This pick could be the difference between winning your tournaments and cash games or going home with nothing. You can only see who it is, and the rest of Kaylor's NFL DFS picks, at SportsLine .

So who is Jimmie Kaylor including in his optimal NFL DFS lineups for Thursday, and which under-the-radar NFL DFS picks offer huge value? Visit SportsLine now to see optimal NFL DFS picks, rankings, advice, and stacks, all from a DFS expert who already won a single-game millionaire maker tournament , and find out.