Daily Fantasy football players will get to set their first NFL DFS lineups in nearly six months for a multi-game slate when Week 1 of the 2026 NFL preseason kicks off on Thursday at 6 p.m. ET. The preseason brings some notoriously difficult decisions for NFL DFS lineups as teams utilize different strategies in terms of how much they play their stars. Offense can be tough to come by, but every game has an over/under of at least 37.5 total points, with Raiders vs. Cardinals at 40.5 in a matchup featuring No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza making his pro debut. Third rounder, Carson Beck of Arizona, is out with a rib injury.
Which players from both sides should be in Week 1 NFL preseason Thursday NFL DFS player pool, and which NFL DFS lineup combinations provide the most upside? Before making any NFL DFS picks for this slate on sites like DraftKings and FanDuel, be sure to check out the NFL DFS lineup advice, strategy and player stacks from SportsLine NFL expert R.J. White.
White is an elite NFL betting handicapper who has cashed huge twice in the world's most prestigious handicapping tournament, the Westgate Las Vegas SuperContest. He's also SportsLine's No. 1 all-time NFL ATS expert. In addition, he serves as CBS's Fantasy expert, making him the ideal expert to dig deep on these rosters and make NFL DFS picks.
Now, White has turned his attention to the 2026 NFL preseason Week 1 schedule for Thursday, and just locked in his top daily Fantasy football picks. You can only see his picks and analysis at SportsLine.
Top 2026 NFL preseason Week 1 DFS picks for Thursday
One of White's favorite DFS picks for Thursday, where every player on DraftKings is $5,500 and $6,000 on FanDuel, is Lions quarterback Luke Altmyer, an undrafted rookie out of Illinois.
"If you had to guess which QB would lead the day in snaps, my best bet would be Altmyer," White said. "Teddy Bridgewater abruptly retired in recent days, and while Josh Dobbs was brought in to compete for the backup job behind Jared Goff (who won't play on Thursday), Altmyer will probably work a majority of the game. Hopefully his roster percentage won't be too high with more recognizable names on other depth charts among the teams playing Thursday."
White's NFL DFS strategy also includes building around Texans running back Noah Whittington. His size (5'8") was a big factor in him going undrafted, but he led the Big Ten in yards per carry (6.4) last season, and his burst should be extremely beneficial in the preseason setting.
"The Texans have a pair of RBs injured and figure not to play most starters on Thursday, which makes me wonder how much run Woody Marks will get as a key part of the run game as well," White said. "That could open the door for Whittington to continue to impress as he has in camp." You can see the rest of White's NFL DFS picks here.
How to set NFL preseason Week 1 Thursday NFL DFS lineups
White 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 White's NFL DFS picks, at SportsLine.
So who is R.J. White 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 has cashed twice in a prestigious NFL handicapping contest, and find out.
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