NFL Hall of Fame Game DraftKings DFS Picks: Build Around Carson Beck, Haynes King & More

We're starting off the 2026 NFL Preseason with the annual Hall of Fame Game. This year's rendition gives us a matchup between the Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers, and DraftKings has given us good NFL DFS contests to start the season off with respectable prize pools, including $50k up top in the flagship contest.

This is a showdown captain format, where you choose one captain who scores 1.5x their fantasy points, and five utility players. Preseason NFL DFS is unique, as all of the player salaries are the same. This means you are just playing for raw fantasy points here, and finding leverage in ownership rather than salary.

DraftKings NFL DFS Picks For The Hall of Fame Preseason Game

Quarterback Picks for Hall of Fame Game DFS

We generally see teams rest their starters and give the backups a good run in early preseason games. This season is looking to be no different. Carolina HC Dave Canales has confirmed that Kenny Pickett will start the game for the Panthers, play a few drives, and Haynes King will get the rest of the snaps after that. King stands out as one of the best overall plays, projecting to play the most snaps at QB in this game.

The Arizona side looks good as well, but is not as clear to project. HC Mike LaFleur named Carson Beck the starter for the game. It was also reported that Gardner Minshew and Jacoby Brissett are unlikely to play. This leaves Kedon Slovis as the next QB up, and I would project a 75/25 snap split between Beck and Slovis. That makes Beck stand out as an elite option, with Slovis definitely playable with upside to play more than expected.

QB Rankings

Running Backs To Target In Hall of Fame Game in DraftKings DFS

Let's start with the Cardinals, who it looks like will be short-handed at the RB position, with just three active bodies. Jeremiyah Love has been ruled out, and it's expected that Tyler Allgeier, James Conner and Trey Benson sit due to rest/injury. This leaves Bam Knight and Corey Kiner as the top two running backs for Arizona, and both look like standout plays here. Evan Hull was just signed on August 3rd, and is next in line on the depth chart. He is definitely in play for GPPs.

The Panthers look enticing as well, with just four active running backs available for Thursday's game. Chuba Hubbard and Jonathon Brooks, Carolina's top two RBs, are not expected to play. At the top of the depth chart for the game will be Trevor Etienne, the 2025 fourth-round draft pick. He stands out as Carolina's top projected RB for the game, and ranks just behind Arizona's top two backs in projection.

Rounding out the Panthers RB attack will be Miles Davis, AJ Dillon and Anthony Tyus. These three will mix in and finish the second half when Etienne is presumably done, most likely early in the second half. All three are playable in GPPs.

RB Rankings

Corey Kiner
Bam Knight
Trevor Etienne
Evan Hull/Miles Davis/AJ Dillon/Anthony Tyus (toss-ups)

Wide Receivers & Tight Ends To Target For Hall of Fame Game DFS

The receiving positions are usually where you find your high-upside GPP plays in preseason. Most WR/TEs are risky, as snap counts are generally low and there isn't safe production as you get from the running backs. That said, there are almost always great options to target and find good upside with.

Carolina HC Dave Canales said no clear-cut starters will play in the HOF game. This takes Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker out, and we can expect that Xavier Legette falls into this category as well. The top of the WR room that we expect to see includes Jimmy Horn and John Metchie. These are your two safest options for Carolina. Ja’Seem Reed has reportedly been a standout in camp thus far, and looks like a good GPP play here. There are four active TEs for the Panthers, and none really stand out. They are playable as GPP dart throws.

The Cardinals have not officially reported on who is in and out, but we can expect the starters to get rest here and not play. This includes Marvin Harrison, Michael Wilson and Kendrick Bourne, who are projected to be out. This leaves Xavier Weaver as the top WR in the depth chart to be active, and he looks like a safe play. There are two WRs lower in the depth chart who stand out, and that's Simi Fehoko and Ihmir Smith-Marsette. Both of these two have a good preseason track record, as they always seem to be fighting for roster spots and regular-season playing time. These are the two we can expect to have the highest snap count for the Cardinals. While Arizona has five TEs active here, two are still playable as well in GPPs. Teagan Quitoriano and Rivaldo Fairweather project to see the most action here.

Wide Receiver/Tight End Rankings

Simi Fehoko/Ihmir Smith-Marsette
Jimmy Horn/Ja'Seem Reed
Arizona backups
Carolina backups

We're really splitting hairs here and hoping for a long touchdown that could win you a tournament.

Defense & Kicker Targets For Hall of Fame Game DFS

Defenses in NFL preseason are generally your safest bet, alongside QBs. A lot of the games are lower totals than the regular season, and worse players are out on the field. This results in more opportunities for sacks and turnovers. A lot of cash builds will play both defenses, and many will play one at captain. As someone who plays for higher scores, I try to avoid these absurdly high-owned defenses in the captain spot, but they are the safest plays and can still be mixed in for GPPs as well.

Kicker is a spot that I love to get to in preseason showdowns. Many teams have just one active kicker, but it's important to make sure. Some teams will let two, sometimes even three, kickers get a go at XPs and FGs. This game looks to have just one per team, with Chad Ryland for Arizona and Ryan Fitzgerald for Carolina. Both look like great cash plays here, and will probably be underowned in GPPs

DST/K Ranks

Both defenses
Both kickers

This looks to be a fun showdown to start the 2026 NFL Preseason! There are many good pieces to target, as well as players in more secure roles than we have seen in previous Hall of Fame games. Good luck, and let's take down some tournaments!

Players Mentioned in this Article

Published Aug 6, 2026, 2:00 PM ET