Mike Washington headlines Thursday NFL DFS preseason picks
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- The Thursday preseason Week 2 DFS slate features just two matchups — Texans vs. Raiders and 49ers vs. Chargers — with No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza headlining the player pool.
- Trey Lance is among R.J. White's top picks at $5,500 on DraftKings and $6,000 on FanDuel, and faces his former 49ers team after posting 164 passing yards and 27 rushing yards across three quarters in preseason Week 1.
- Justin Herbert sat Week 1 and played just one series in all of 2025 preseason, meaning Lance is expected to see extended time under center for the Chargers before giving way to DJ Uiagalelei.
- Mike Washington Jr., a fourth-round Raiders rookie who ran a 4.33-second 40-yard dash (fastest among RBs at the 2026 combine) and ripped off a 53-yard run in preseason Week 1, is a cornerstone pick against a Texans defense expected to sit its starters.
- Washington rushed for over 1,000 yards as an All-SEC selection at Arkansas last season and led Vegas in touches in preseason Week 1, including a kickoff return.
- De'Zhaun Stribling, the 49ers' first draftee, logged 7 catches for 63 yards in preseason Week 1 and adds value alongside fellow rookie Mendoza.
- R.J. White is SportsLine's No. 1 all-time NFL ATS expert and has cashed twice in the Westgate Las Vegas SuperContest.
Why it matters: With only two preseason games on Thursday's slate, DFS players have a sharply limited player pool where every roster decision carries outsized weight, and rookies like Washington (4.33-speed, 1,000-yard SEC season) and Lance (facing his former team with Herbert resting) offer the high-volume situations that typically swing tournament outcomes on short slates.
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