Best NFL DFS preseason Week 3 picks, lineups for Saturday: DraftKings, FanDuel and more

The 2025 NFL preseason comes to a close with a 10-game slate on Saturday, August 23. The Washington Commanders host the Baltimore Ravens in the first game of the day. Kickoff for that game is at noon ET, and Ravens stars Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry are not expected to play. The slate wraps up with Raiders vs. Cardinals at 10 p.m. ET in Arizona. With a mix of starters, backups and roster longshots playing in each game, it will be necessary to look deep into the NFL DFS player pool when building preseason NFL DFS lineups.

Which teams will have starters playing, and what under-the-radar players will have a chance to shine on Saturday? Before making any NFL DFS picks 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 betting 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 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. Anybody following his DFS picks over the last three seasons could have seen huge returns. 

Now, Kaylor has turned his attention to Saturday’s 2025 NFL preseason schedule and locked in his top daily Fantasy football picks. You can only see his picks and analysis at SportsLine, also new players can get $50 in Pick6 credits at DraftKings when they play $5: 

Top NFL preseason DFS picks for Saturday

One of Kaylor’s top DFS picks for Saturday is Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. The former Alabama star was selected fifth overall in the 2020 NFL Draft. Known for his accuracy and quick release, he helped turn Miami into one of the league’s top offenses in 2023. Despite early-career injuries, Tagovailoa has established himself as one of the top young quarterbacks in the NFL. 

Tagovailoa has thrown for over 14,000 yards and more than 80 touchdowns since entering the NFL in 2020. He led the league in passer rating (105.5) in 2022 and helped guide the Miami Dolphins to back-to-back playoff appearances in 2022 and 2023. A Pro Bowl selection in 2023, Tagovailoa has become one of the NFL’s most efficient passers when healthy.

Part of Kaylor’s NFL DFS strategy includes rostering Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The former Ohio State star was the No. 20 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. He set the Rose Bowl record with 347 receiving yards in 2022, showcasing his elite route-running and playmaking ability. In his rookie NFL season, Smith-Njigba quickly carved out a role as a reliable slot receiver alongside DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett.

With Metcalf and Lockett no longer with Seattle, Smith-Njigba is now in line to become the No. 1 option in the Seahawks’ passing attack. In two NFL seasons, he has accumulated 163 receptions for 1,758 receiving yards and 10 total touchdowns. In his breakout 2024 campaign, he caught 100 passes for 1,130 yards with six touchdowns and earned his first Pro Bowl selection. You can see the rest of Kaylor’s NFL DFS picks here. You can see the rest of Kaylor’s NFL DFS picks here, and new users can see the latest FanDuel promo code to get $300 in bonus bets at FanDuel if your $5 bet wins:

How to build Saturday preseason NFL DFS lineups

Kaylor is also targeting another undervalued player who could explode for huge numbers on Saturday. 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 Saturday, 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.