Fantasy football: DFS lineup strategy for 49ers’ first preseason game

The San Francisco 49ers hit the field for the first time this preseason. For our daily fantasy football fans, which Niners from today’s game do you want in your DFS lineup?

Nothing motivates me more than knowing I have a San Francisco 49ers game on the horizon. Plus, today’s matchup with the Dallas Cowboys provides DFS players with a few solid options on the 49ers’ side of the ball.

This morning, I woke up early — on a Saturday — took my daughter to work, hit the gym and did some laundry (I skipped the tanning since I’m not from New Jersey). Then I prepped my Niners gear, cleaned the grill and whipped up this piece on the top 49ers for your DFS lineup.

Watching the 49ers during the last three seasons has been a lot like watching any season of Queer Eye — you start with a smile and end up tears. Even watching NFL RedZone was depressing, since most of the Niners’ highlights featured opponent touchdowns.

I don’t know about you, but fantasy football and DFS helped get me through that rough patch. Hoping better times are ahead, let’s move on to today’s game.

While it’s still too early for us to play in season-long fantasy football leagues, nothing is keeping us from playing daily fantasy football on sites like DraftKings or FanDuel. If you’re considering entering any 49ers into your daily fantasy football lineup, here are a few things worth noting:

The majority of San Francisco’s starters like quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo won’t be suiting up today. The first game of the NFL preseason is a time for the backups to prove their worth, so it would be wise to skip any of the big names on offense. At quarterback, I would roll with Nick Mullens, who impressed during the preseason last year.

The same logic applies to the Niners’ backfield. Today is the day to enlist the likes of running backs Matt Breida and Raheem Mostert, with the former offering the most upside, and the latter yielding the most value.

On the receiver front, expect to see a lot of rookies Deebo Samuel and Jalen Hurd, with Samuel being the better DFS option. Also worth watching will be the wide receiver battle between Marquise Goodwin, Kendrick Bourne, Richie James and Jordan Matthews, who should all see significant playing time.

This is not the game to target tight end George Kittle. Instead, Ross Dwelley is cheap and has stood out during training camp, while rookie Kaden Smith and veteran Levine Toilolo are also cheap dart-throws.

Bovada lists the 49ers as 4-point home favorites with an over/under of 37 points. Although Las Vegas isn’t predicting a high-scoring game, it could make sense to stack Mullens with either Dwelley or your preferred wide receiver. If the Niners pull away, a running back paired with the 49ers’ defense would be a good option.

My other daughter saw me decked out in my 49ers gear as I typed this and asked, “Are the Niners playing today?” I looked at her and said, “Yaaasss, queen!” She smiled as she walked away and told me, “Forever Faithful!”

Go Niners, and good luck with your DFS lineup!