Uriah Wesson 
If there is one thing that I know, it is that regardless of the context, who is playing, or when it is. If there is an NFL game, you want in on the action and it is our job to provide you with the knowledge needed to have a successful night. So I started digging through the minuscule amount of info that we are dealing with to make a Win Daily Sports: Hall of Fame Game DFS Breakdown Cowboys at Steelers. We will hopefully get some more information regarding playing time closer to kickoff so be sure to be in discord tonight and head over to our YouTube channel to be sure you get the most up-to-date information as we sit down to watch the first NFL game of the year.
Strategy:
If you are new to preseason DFS there are some things that you need to be aware of so you are not just flushing your money down the toilet. First, you are going to be playing a guy largely based on the amount of time that you think they will be on the field. This means most, if not all of the starters should not be in your roster with exception of when a team chooses to have their “dress rehearsal” game when starters may play a half. Second, the pricing is all the same so value is irrelevant. If you choose to play, it is going to be ugly, plain, and simple. Third and most importantly, when we are trying to glean information from training camp, OTA’s, and interviews from coaches for preseason games we are speculating……..A LOT. There are going to be players on your DFS team that you have never heard of and will likely never see again. If you are not comfortable with the potential for goose eggs because a coach randomly changes their mind on playing a guy there is nothing wrong with simply enjoying the Hall of Fame game as a fan. With that pretext in place, let’s go.
Running Backs in this particular game is something that I would advise caution on. The last thing a head coach will want to do is damage the depth of their RB units and both teams already know who their first and second string guys are so you will be lucky to get more than a half dozen carries from any one back. I can see both Tomlin and McCarthy wanting to evaluate their depth at QB and WR much more due to the issues both teams dealt with in 2019 and 2020. You are also reducing the risk of linemen and backs getting injured in the piles you would see if they took a run-heavy approach. So my approach will be to focus on the depth around both quarterbacks and pass catchers to optimize my lineups.
**All playing time info is subject to change so be on discord before kickoff**
Starters out:
Cowboys: Dak Prescott, Amari Cooper, Blake Jarwin, Greg Zuerlein Steelers: Ben Roethlisberger
Likely out but not confirmed:
Cowboys: Ezekial Elliott, Michael Gallup (Ankle), CeeDee Lamb, Tony Pollard, Dalton Shultz Steelers: Diontae Johnson, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Chase Claypool, Eric Ebron, Pat Freirmuth (Shoulder Injury), Benny Snell (undisclosed injury)
Win Daily Sports: Hall of Fame Game DFS Breakdown Cowboys at Steelers
Quarterbacks:
Mason Rudolph:
Mason has been named the starter in tonight’s game so I have to list him on here. But the Steelers also know exactly what he will give them so I am expecting at most a quarter of play. They would be better off getting a long look at what Haskins and Dobbs can provide.
Joshua Dobbs, Steelers:
Dobbs is expected to get most if not all of the second-half run in tonight’s contest. Granted he will be playing with third, fourth, and fifth string guys fighting for roster spots but he will be going against the same caliber players on the defensive side. Volume is key tonight and Dobbs has a good amount of value with his legs as well. There is a chance that he is the highest-scoring QB this evening but read below on Haskins. There is some interesting info coming out.
Dwayne Haskins, Steelers:
There have been….rumblings. Rumblings that there may be something more to Dwayne than the poor play and maturity issues that have plagued him early in his career. The Steelers appear to be talking about Haskins being the guy to replace Ben when he decides to call it a career. It is all rumor but if he comes in at the start of the second quarter and lights it up they may let him continue into the third quarter and show Steelers nation what their future may hold. He looked terrible in Washington but to partially come to his defense, Washington has been dysfunctional and damn near broken long before he set foot on the field.
Garrett Gilbert, Cowboys:
Gilbert according to reports will be the starter for the Cowboys tonight but there has not been anything reported so far to indicate playing time for any of the three QB’s for Dallas but I think McCarthy is going to give Gilbert the first half just to be sure that he is capable of being the guy if Dak Prescott misses any time in the 2021 season. in an emergency last season he did reasonably well given the lack of preparation going 21 of 38 for 243 yards and a TD and adding a little with his legs with 28 yards rushing.
Win Daily Sports: Hall of Fame Game DFS Breakdown Cowboys at Steelers
Running Backs:
Najee Harris, Steelers:
Coach Tomlin has already stated that Harris is a rookie and that he will play in all four preseason games to get comfortable with NFL speed and game preparation for the regular season. We all know what he brings to the table so we need to evaluate playing time. In 2018 in James Connor’s second season and first, where he was the confirmed starter he played in three series and carried the ball four times for 25 yards. I anticipate Tomlin to limit the amount of contact he sustains, but there is an outside chance against this porous Cowboys defense that they could have a long drive that ends in a score early. The best case scenario is around 6-8 carries and maybe a reception. No need to risk your workhorse right out of the gate.
Kalen Ballage, Steelers:
I know, I know, it is Kalen Ballage. But it is preseason and it sounds like the Steelers want to give him a long look this preseason. They seem to be losing faith in Samuels and this game may go a long way towards determining if he ends up replacing him on the 53 man roster. His reps are growing through training camp at the expense of Jaylen and Kalen has proven himself to be capable (albeit mediocre) in both the run game and in catching the ball out of the backfield.
Win Daily Sports: Hall of Fame Game DFS Breakdown Cowboys at Steelers
Wide Receivers:
Malik Turner, Cowboys:
From all indications the Cowboys have been impressed with Turner during OTA’s and training camp and it is looking like he will get an extended run tonight to evaluate whether or not he will make the roster come week one. Looking back on his time in Seattle he looked solid at times and was surprisingly good in scramble scenarios working his way into open zones to create positive play opportunities for Russell Wilson so I can see why Dallas may want to take a long look.
Cody White, Steelers:
After a full 2020 season on the practice squad and most starters expected to miss the game the Steelers are looking to take a long look at Cody White to see if he can make the final 53 man roster. You have to go back to his Michigan State film but the 6’3″ receiver showed a knack for hanging on to passes in traffic and the bigger size will be something that the QB’s will likely look to during scramble drills and red zone scenarios.
Win Daily Sports: Hall of Fame Game DFS Breakdown Cowboys at Steelers
Tight Ends:
I’m just doing a standard blurb here. All three of these guys will see a lot of playing time tonight with no starting tight ends expected to play. Of the three Gentry is the tight end I have the most interest in. He had a knack for exploiting seam routes for huge gains when playing for Michigan and has just enough speed to get behind safeties and linebackers. Being 6’8″ also provides a nice back of the end zone target if we get any scoring opportunities.
Zach Gentry, Steelers:
Kevin Rader, Steelers:
Jeremy Sprinkle, Cowboys:
It is finally time folks and I hope you got some good info out of our Win Daily Sports: Hall of Fame Game DFS Breakdown Cowboys at Steelers. It is time to start digging into DFS and make sure that we have our processes in place for a successful 2021 NFL campaign. Any questions about the article, I will be available in the WinDaily Discord chat. Don’t forget to subscribe to the WinDaily Youtube channel and follow me @stoweby and @WinDailySports on Twitter to stay current and up to date on all of our fresh new content!
