NFL Preseason DFS Top Picks & Core Plays: Thursday, August 21st
NFL DFS on DraftKings and FanDuel is back! The RotoGrinders team is excited for the preseason and will once again be producing NFL DFS picks, previews, and NFL DFS projections for everyone’s favorite daily fantasy sport. We’re here to cover the 2-game slate taking place on Thursday, August 21st, featuring the Pittsburgh Steelers at the Carolina Panthers and the New England Patriots at the New York Giants.
Kyle Murray and Chris Gimino have a combined experience in NFL Preseason DFS, College Football DFS, and the NFL Draft process that is matched by few others, and they will be leading our team of NFL Preseason DFS fanatics to bring you their top selections. Our NFL experts track all of the depth charts and injury reports, in addition to any actionable information shared by coaches and beat writers, to help guide their selections and DFS picks.
NFL Preseason DFS Picks: Core Plays for Thursday, August 21st
Welcome to our Preseason Core Plays guide – a streamlined overview of the players, game environments, and strategies worth prioritizing on this 2-game slate. Rather than diving deep into lineup construction, this piece sets the foundation: we highlight our top plays, steady anchors, and high-upside darts across DraftKings and FanDuel. Think of it as your quick reference for navigating preseason volatility – clear, actionable, and designed to point you toward the top prizes without bogging you down in detail. This guide filters the noise by zeroing in on players projected for heavy usage, spotlighting scheme advantages, and flagging late-game difference-makers so you can approach the slate with confidence while others are left guessing.
Recommended NFL Preseason DFS Tips & Tools:
- Preseason Injury Report and Depth Charts
- Projections in our NFL optimizer, LineupHQ
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About the Author

While finishing up his college degree, Kyle Murray (aka kmurray03) became a full-time DFS player in 2018 after he won the first FanDuel FantaSea Live Final event for a $250,000 score. He has appeared in 6 Live Finals, qualifying for 10 total seats in that time, and has accumulated multiple 6-figure scores across several sports. In recent years, he has also added a focus towards prop betting, where he has turned a profit in multiple sports, such as NBA, MLB, and PGA. You can find all of Kyle’s sports betting analysis on our sister site, ScoresAndOdds. Follow Kyle on X – @KMurrDFS