Well this is going to be an interesting Thursday game. Perhaps the biggest storyline is outside of DFS as Sean Payton has a homecoming in his return to New Orleans. He brings a Denver Broncos team that is far more healthier than the Saints. The home team is slated to be without Chris Olave, Rasheed Shaheed, Derek Carr, and Taysom Hill. That makes for an interesting slate, and anything can happen from a DFS perspective. Let’s jump into some Thursday Night Football DFS picks with preferences ranked within each category.
Thursday Night Football DFS Picks – Denver Broncos vs. New Orleans Saints
Captain
Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints
On his own, Alvin Kamara has had an impressive start to the season. This week though, things are different as Kamara truly represents the entirety of the New Orleans offense. With Spencer Rattler making his second career start and doing so without Olave and Shaheed as weapons, we know exactly where the rookie is going to focus his attention. Getting the ball in Kamara’s hands will be critical tonight.
Last week was relatively quiet for Kamara as he gained just 40 yards on 13 carries, but he did score his seventh touchdown of the season. In the air, he was targeted eight times and added five receptions for another 24 yards. In PPR leagues, there is a lot to like with his presence in the receiving game.
Kamara has 28 receptions on the season while also gaining 428 yards on the ground. There is little competition for touches, and this week that is only heightened.
Bo Nix, QB, Denver Broncos
With five touchdowns and five interceptions, Bo Nix is still very clearly finding his way. He has just 1,082 passing yards through six games, but Nix has shown some interesting flashes. On the ground, he has also added 180 yards and three touchdowns which does provide added value to supplement what he does through the air.
The Saints allowed Baker Mayfield to do as he pleased last week, and the short turnaround won’t be helpful either. There is also the thought that Payton has some interesting plays drawn up in his return to New Orleans that could lead to some additional production for Nix.
Flex
Javonte Williams, RB, Denver Broncos
Game flow was an issue for Javonte Williams last week as he only carried the ball six times. He is still the main ball carrier in Denver’s backfield and that should continue under better circumstances this week.
The Saints haven’t been great against the run this season, and that should also benefit Williams. He is still looking for his first touchdown of the season and it wouldn’t surprise me to see that come tonight. While not a true receiving threat, Williams is averaging 3.5 receptions per game and 7.2 yards per reception which helps to establish his floor.
Juwan Johnson, TE, New Orleans Saints
Someone has to catch the ball downfield for the Saints tonight. And who better for a rookie quarterback than his tight end? Last week, Johnson caught all three of his targets for 48 yards. That is a week after he secured each of his five targets for 31 yards. Johnson is beginning to find his groove in the Saints’ offense after not being targeted in the first two weeks of the season.
Will Lutz, K, Denver Broncos
I’m not looking to play the revenge angle with a kicker, but Will Lutz is also returning to New Orleans this week. We know that he is comfortable kicking in the dome and that should translate tonight. New Orleans is also allowing the third most DFS points to opposing kickers.
Lutz has been busy this season making 13 of his 14 field goal attempts on the season. He has a long kick of 51 yards with six more field goals from beyond 40 yards. There is a lot to like with the accuracy as Lutz has been perfect on his nine extra-point attempts as well.
Courtland Sutton, WR, Denver Broncos
I don’t love the price on Courtland Sutton tonight. The good news though, is that salary cap space might not even come into play which helps to truly make it an interesting slate.
Sutton’s upside is clearly tied to Nix, but he is also the number-one receiver in Denver. Last week, Sutton caught four of his six targets for 53 yards and a touchdown. He figures to be the most involved receiver again for the Broncos.
Spencer Rattler, QB, New Orleans Saints
There isn’t a plethora of skill position players available tonight, so it makes sense to target both quarterbacks. Say what you want about Spencer Rattler and his DFS upside, the rookie will have the ball in his hand a great deal tonight. I know, way to state the obvious, right?
It was a mixed bag last week for Rattler as he looked good on some throws and like a rookie on others. Overall, he completed 22 of 40 passes for 243 yards and a touchdown. Turnovers were a problem with two interceptions and a fumble, but Rattler also added 27 yards on the ground with four carries.
Check out all of our Week 7 Rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE | Flex
Value
Bub Means, WR, New Orleans Saints
After being targeted once in Week 1, Bub Means went silent until last week. While it did happen by default, Means did a great job of capitalizing on his situation. He caught five of eight targets for 45 yards and a touchdown. It’s a good sign that Rattler showed a comfort level with Means, and that is something we can expect to continue this week.
Troy Franklin, WR, Denver Broncos
Troy Franklin has emerged as the number two receiver for Denver alongside Sutton. The price is right for a starting receiver and the Saints do struggle against opposing receivers from a DFS perspective. He caught his first career touchdown last week, and Franklin is in position to build on that this week.
Fade
While we laid out our preferred targets above, everyone is in play tonight. Based on pricing, there is no one that stands out as a true fade.
Make sure to check out all of our Week 7 Fantasy Football Rankings and Analysis!