The good news is that we have to go just two days without an NFL game. We are back at it again on Thursday and we get another divisional matchup. Each team is coming off a home victory, but they came in different circumstances. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers bounced back from a tough loss with a resounding defeat of the Philadelphia Eagles. Atlanta was victorious over the New Orleans Saints, but things were a lot more stressful. A close game is expected with the Falcons favored by just 1.5 points while an over/under of 43.5 doesn’t call for an overabundance of offense. Let’s jump into some Thursday Night Football DFS picks with preferences ranked within each category.
Thursday Night Football DFS Picks – Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Atlanta Falcons
Captain
Baker Mayfield, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
After a rough loss to Denver where Baker Mayfield was sacked seven times and didn’t have time to make any plays, he bounced back in Week 4. Mayfield surged to 347 passing yards while throwing two touchdown passes. It brought him up to eight touchdowns for the season compared to just two interceptions. For good measure, Mayfield added a rushing touchdown which was his second of the season.
As opposed to trying to figure out which Tampa Bay receiver will have the big game, the better approach is to save a few dollars while going after their quarterback.
Kirk Cousins, QB, Atlanta Falcons
In a low-scoring game, sometimes it’s better to just target each of the quarterbacks as we know they have the ball in their hands the most often. Kirk Cousins is still working on finding his groove, both with his health and with his new team, but things are moving in the right direction.
With a 2-2 record on the season, Cousins has yet to throw for more than 241 yards so we still looking for that breakout game. From a DFS perspective, it is a favorable matchup against Tampa Bay. As long as he limits the turnovers, four interceptions to this point, Cousins has a solid floor.
Check out all of our Week 5 Rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE | Flex
Flex
Chris Godwin, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
You might be sacrificing a little upside by going to Chris Godwin, but so far this year, that’s not the case. Godwin has three touchdowns on the season and has yet to catch fewer than six passes in a week. Godwin is averaging 81 receiving yards per game and there is a clear hierarchy in Tampa Bay’s offense. With Godwin you get quantity along with a nose for the end zone and some big play potential. In three of his four games, Godwin has a reception of greater than 24 yards.
Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
After being limited by Patrick Surtain, Mike Evans went in the opposite direction last week. Mayfield targeted Evans 14 times and he converted that to 94 yards and a touchdown. That came after Evans went two weeks without a touchdown following a two-catch, 17-yard performance in Week 3.
Evans does have a knee/calf injury listed on the Injury Report, but he appears to be progressing well throughout the week. At this point, he should be good to go for Sunday. We don’t have to worry about Mayfield looking Evans’ way this week as the veteran continues to be a strong option.
Darnell Mooney, RB, Atlanta Falcons
In the last three weeks, Darnell Mooney has averaged 4.5 catches on seven targets. The Falcons’ new addition has put last year behind him at this point and he is up to 225 receiving yards on the season. If we like Cousins, it makes sense to target one of his receivers. This doesn’t mean that Mooney is the best option overall, but when you factor in the price, things become clearer.
At the least, Mooney seems to be good for a big play each game which gives us a quick points boost. This is what we expected to see from Mooney last season. That should continue as Mooney develops more chemistry with Cousins and the latter becomes more successful/
Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons
With just one touchdown on the season, we are seeing more of what we saw last year from Bijan Robinson. He did get off to a solid start, but in his last two games, Robinson has a combined 59 yards on 23 carries. The good news is that Robinson has added 15 receptions for 135 yards which adds another few DFS points each week.
From a matchup perspective, Robinson should find room to run against a Tampa Bay team that is shallow on the defensive line. He has been limited in practice in a hamstring injury, but the fact that he has been on the field on the last two days is a good sign. We have to keep an eye on his health to make sure that Robinson’s workload isn’t limited for a second straight week.
Drake London, WR, Atlanta Falcons
Each week, we have seen Drake London’s targets trending in the right direction. After starting at three in Week 1, London was targeted 12 times in Week 4. That has led to three straight weeks of six receptions which gives him 20 catches for 200 yards on the season. London has also caught two touchdowns as the chemistry continues to grow with Cousins. There is still some work to be done, but London is moving in the right direction.
Value
Chase McLaughlin, K, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Here we are going back to the kicker position again. Chase McLaughlin is the cheaper of the two options and he happens to be facing an Atlanta team that is allowing the most DFS points to opposing kickers. If we write off the Week 3 disaster, McLaughlin has at least two field goals in his other three games. Perfect on all seven attempts, along with 10 of 11 extra points, it’s been a strong year for McLaughlin. With three kicks from beyond 50 yards, leg strength isn’t an issue here.
Cade Otton, TE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
We started to see this last year out of Cade Otton. The Tampa Bay tight end has been a dependable receiving option for Mayfield, and has taken off the last two weeks. He has yet to catch a touchdown, but that’s also keeping his price down.
Otton has found a groove operating in short yardage as a safety valve for Mayfield. With 13 catches for 99 yards in the last two weeks, he certainly has been busy while taking advantage of his opportunity.
Fade
Bucky Irving/Rachaad White, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
I don’t want this to be true. At this price, and in seasonal leagues, I want to be able to smash Irving into my lineups. The problem is that I need to see it to believe it. Currently, Irving is still in a timeshare with Rachaad White and the latter is currently receiving equal work.
Irving carried the ball 10 times for 49 yards, but it’s White who still receives the bulk of the receiving work. That is where White truly adds his value as he has been an inefficient ball carrier to this point.
It’s difficult to try and guess which running back will have the better night. At this point, neither have stood out from a DFS perspective.
Make sure to check out all of our Week 5 Fantasy Football Rankings and Analysis!