Let’s get it! Right back into the routine we go, and in Week 2, we have a strong Thursday night game to get things going. Both the Washington Commanders and Green Bay Packers won in resounding fashion at home to begin the season. Neither team was truly tested, but that should change tonight. Let’s dig into my Thursday Night Football DFS picks and rankings to help you set a winning lineup.
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Thursday Night Football DFS Notes
Another Game, Another Touchdown
At this point, it’s getting boring with Josh Jacobs. To begin the regular season, all Jacobs did was rush for another touchdown. That brings his streak to nine games in a row with a touchdown. Jacobs is the clear main man in Green Bay’s backfield, and he continues to be a dependable DFS option.
Overall, Jacobs carried the ball 19 times for 66 yards while catching one pass for four yards. We’ll see his workload continue on Thursday. However, it’s hard to accurately judge Washington’s run defense after the New York Giants failed to get much offense going in Week 1.
That’s a Debut
As the offseason came to an end with the trade of Brian Robinson to the San Francisco 49ers, Jacory Croskey-Merritt’s stock rose. The good news is that in Week 1, nothing happened to truly change our minds.
We know that Austin Ekeler is going to be involved from a receiving perspective, but it’s clear that Croskey-Merritt will have a legit role. The rookie had a six-yard touchdown run along with a 42-yard carry on his way to a 10-carry, 82-yard afternoon. Ekeler and Chris Rodriguez had a combined 10 carries, so we should feel good about Croskey-Merritt being the main ball carrier. He showed both a nose for the end one and the ability to break a big run.
Kraft Found the End Zone
The targets were spread out across Green Bay’s receivers, but Tyler Kraft catching a touchdown pass is notable. He caught two of his four targets for 16 yards as he resumed his role as the Packers’ number one tight end. Sunday’s victory was never in much peril, so that meant Green Bay didn’t have to take to the air all that much. In fact, Kraft’s four targets were second to Jayden Reed’s five.
The Change of Scenery Worked
At least for one week, Deebo Samuel turned the clock back by a few years. The Commanders quickly made Samuel a large part of their offense, and he was more than capable. Samuel caught seven of his 10 targets for 77 yards, while also adding a 19-yard touchdown run. There’s nothing to suggest this won’t continue.
Daniels Will be Busy
The game didn’t dictate that much was needed from Jayden Daniels, but the Washington quarterback certainly delivered. Jayden Daniels threw for 233 yards and a touchdown, with his real impact coming on the ground. From a DFS perspective, that’s what we’re after as Daniels added 68 rushing yards via 11 carries.
Love is in the Air
Game flow didn’t dictate that much was needed from Jordan Love, but he did come through in Week 1. The Packers dispatched the Lions with ease, and Love spread the ball around to his stable of receivers. Efficiency was key here as Love completed 16 of 22 passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns. He’s capable of more if the game needs it, but the fact that he doesn’t add value on the ground hinders things from a DFS perspective. It’s also unclear if Green Bay’s receivers can step up to the point that Love can truly light up the scoreboard. The good news, though, is that the pieces are there.
Reed is It
There are a lot of useful receivers in Green Bay. Trying to figure out which one to roster could be difficult and inefficient, from a DFS perspective. If I were to pick, though, Jayden Reed appears to be that guy. He led the Packers in targets on Sunday, with five, as he caught three passes for 45 yards and a touchdown.
I wouldn’t read too much into Reed not practicing on Monday, as it’s a short week and there is maintenance involved with Reed’s foot.
Give Scary Terry Another Week
DFS is tough as it’s all about recency bias. We know that Terry McLaurin had a rough offseason, between the holdout and the ankle injury, so there’s going to be a runway before he finds his groove. How long that takes is a different story, though. In Week 1, the success wasn’t there as he caught just two of four targets for 27 yards. It’s difficult with the short week here. McLaurin could break out, but the conservative approach is to wait another week.
Check out all of our Week 2 Rankings: Flex Rankings | QB Rankings | RB Rankings | WR Rankings | TE Rankings
Thursday Night Football DFS Picks
| Rnk | Pos | Player | Team | DK Salary | FD Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | QB | Jayden Daniels | WAS | 11,000 | 13,600 |
| 2 | RB | Josh Jacobs | GB | 10,600 | 12,400 |
| 3 | WR | Deebo Samuel Sr. | WAS | 8,600 | 10,200 |
| 4 | RB | Jacory Croskey-Merritt | WAS | 7,000 | 8,600 |
| 5 | QB | Jordan Love | GB | 10,000 | 11,800 |
| 6 | WR | Jayden Reed | GB | 8,200 | 9,800 |
| 7 | TE | Tucker Kraft | GB | 5,400 | 5,000 |
| 8 | WR | Terry McLaurin | WAS | 9,000 | 11,400 |
| 9 | RB | Austin Ekeler | WAS | 6,800 | 7,800 |
| 10 | TE | Zach Ertz | WAS | 5,800 | 5,200 |
| 11 | WR | Romeo Doubs | GB | 4,000 | 4,200 |
| 12 | WR | Matthew Golden | GB | 6,400 | 5,600 |
| 13 | K | Brandon McManus | GB | 5,000 | 7,000 |
| 14 | K | Matt Gay | WAS | 4,600 | 6,400 |
| 15 | WR | Noah Brown | WAS | 3,200 | 3,200 |
| 16 | DST | Packers | GB | 4,800 | 7,400 |
| 17 | WR | Dontayvion Wicks | GB | 3,600 | 3,600 |
| 18 | DST | Commanders | WAS | 4,400 | 6,200 |
| 19 | RB | Jeremy McNichols | WAS | 2,800 | 3,000 |
| 20 | TE | Ben Sinnott | WAS | 200 | 1,600 |
| 21 | RB | Chris Rodriguez Jr. | WAS | 1,400 | 2,000 |
| 22 | TE | Luke Musgrave | GB | 2,400 | 1,800 |
| 23 | RB | Emanuel Wilson | GB | 2,000 | 2,400 |
| 24 | WR | Jaylin Lane | WAS | 1,600 | 2,200 |
Make sure to check out all of our Week 2 Fantasy Football Rankings and Analysis!
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