Hey you! Wake up! The NFL is back!
After a long offseason, we’ll finally get our first taste of 2026 preseason action tonight when the Arizona Cardinals meet the Carolina Panthers in the annual Hall of Fame Game at 8 p.m. ET. The Panthers won the comically mediocre NFC South with an 8-9 record last year and will look to take a step forward starting this evening. Meanwhile, the Cards will enter Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium under new management with former Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur making his debut as head coach.
If you’re expecting to see known commodities like Marvin Harrison Jr., Bryce Young, or Tetairoa McMillan in this preseason opener, well, you’re out of luck. Neither team would dare risk any of their top-line starters in this exhibition. However, you will see a handful of names that could emerge as interesting depth pieces down the road.
Below, we will take a look at the best Fanduel DFS plays for this Thursday night showdown.
Carson Beck, QB, Arizona Cardinals ($12,000)
Beck was officially named as the starter for the preseason opener with Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew II most likely riding the pine tonight. The former Georgia/Miami quarterback was selected in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft this past April after helping the Hurricanes reach the College Football Playoff National Championship Game, posting 3,812 yards and 30 touchdowns as a fifth-year senior.
This is a perfect opportunity for Arizona to evaluate what it has in its Night 2 draft selection and one would imagine that the rookie will get plenty of snaps all throughout the preseason. That volume is worthy of captain consideration for your lineup.
Bam Knight, RB, Arizona Cardinals ($12,000)
Mike LaFleur has already announced that No. 3 overall pick Jeremiyah Love will not suit up for tonight’s exhibition and one would imagine that key offseason free agent signing Tyler Allgeier will be wrapped in bubble wrap along with veteran James Conner. That opens the door for Knight to get a healthy chunk of carries and once again prove himself as a valuable depth piece.
Knight earned a roster spot by making a few head-turning plays in last year’s preseason and came in handy as the RB room was besieged by injuries, rushing for 269 yards and four touchdowns before succumbing to a season-ending ankle injury himself in Week 15. Expect him to get a healthy amount of carries to make things easier for the rookie Beck.
Brycen Tremayne, WR, Carolina Panthers ($12,000)
Establishing pass-catching depth behind Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker will be vital for the Panthers’ aspirations to take a step forward in 2026 and Tremayne is a name that could climb his way up the depth chart. The now third-year wideout from Stanford caught a handful of targets in spots a season ago but has been developing a strong rapport with Young in the early days of training camp.
Former first-round pick Xavier Legette will not play in tonight’s matchup due to a stinger that he suffered earlier in the week, opening the door for Tremayne to see plenty of action in Canton.
Jimmy Horn Jr., WR, Carolina Panthers ($8,000)
Similar to Tremayne, Horn is another figure vying for more opportunities in 2026. He only caught 11 targets as a rookie a season ago and he’ll be another wideout to keep tabs on throughout the preseason. There’s also some buzz surrounding him emerging as a special teams weapon for the Cats, so that’s something to keep an eye out for moving forward.
Xavier Weaver, WR, Arizona Cardinals ($8,000)
Horn’s former USF/Colorado teammate Weaver is another name to watch for tonight as he tries to impress the new coaching staff. The speedster caught a touchdown from Brissett during last year’s preseason and has looked impressive through the first week of training camp. He should get plenty of action this evening.
Haynes King, QB, Carolina Panthers ($8,000)
Panthers backup QB Kenny Pickett will play a series before handing the reins to King, an undrafted rookie free agent out of Georgia Tech. King was one of the more fun quarterbacks in college football to watch over the past few seasons as Tech’s offensive coaching staff basically used him as a battering ram. There’s potential for head coach Dave Canales to deploy him in special red-zone situations should he make the 53-man roster and we could get our first glimpses of that tonight.
