Offense is going to be the name of the game tonight. We have two explosive offenses with lots of exciting weapons on both sides of the field. The big question here is going to be the status of Tyreek Hill and his wrist. After not practicing on Friday and Saturday, things aren’t looking great for Hill’s status but that is something to keep an eye on. Miami travels to Los Angeles to take on the Rams and the Dolphins are 2.5 point underdogs. It figures to be a closely contested, exciting game to close out the week. Here are some Monday Night Football NFL DFS picks with preferences ranked within each category so you can find success.
Monday Night Football NFL DFS Picks: Dolphins @ Rams
Captain
Jaylen Waddle, WR, Miami Dolphins
If we are going to operate under the assumption that Hill is out, Jaylen Waddle figures to be quite busy tonight. Last week, Waddle caught a touchdown and all has been restored to normal with Tua Tagovailoa back in action.
We can’t hold Waddle’s yardage total from last week against him as he ran backward and lost 23 yards on lateral gone wrong to end the game. It was the first touchdown of the season in what has been a challenging year for Waddle. The Rams have struggled against opposing receivers this season and there is no questioning Waddle’s role tonight.
Kyren Williams, RB, Los Angeles Rams
He is due. Kyren Williams is already up to 10 touchdowns on the season but he failed to find the end zone last week. It wasn’t for lack of trying, but the running back wasn’t exactly efficient. Williams carried the ball 22 times but he gained just 69 yards although he did catch three passes for another 26 yards.
Williams continues to have a heavy workload, averaging 20 carries per game, but efficiency hasn’t been his friend. The running back is averaging just 3.7 yards per carry but his propensity for finding the red zone truly makes a difference. Miami struggles against the run and we know Williams will get ample opportunity to make things happen. Controlling the tempo of the game will be important for the Rams as well.
Flex
Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Miami Dolphins
After another concussion, Tua Tagovailoa returned after a six-week absence. Through two games, he’s averaging 232.5 passing yards with three total touchdowns. Tonight against the Rams, the Dolphins offense will run through Tagovailoa as he continues to shake off the rust and get back on track for Miami. Facing the Rams is a solid landing spot and Tagovailoa should look to push things downfield more.
Puka Nacua, WR, Los Angeles Rams
While you can’t go wrong with either of the Rams’ receivers, roster construction forces you to make choices. In this situation, the salary cap savings that Puka Nacua brings to the table could help to move the needle. After a Week 1 injury, Nacua returned for a week before promptly getting himself ejected last week.
Prior to that ejection, Nacua managed to catch just one pass for 11 yards. He already proved that he is healthy the week prior with seven catches for 106 yards and two touchdowns.
De’Von Achane, RB, Miami Dolphins
Now that order has been restored in the Miami offense, things should get easier for De’Von Achane. He continues to be a versatile option averaging 4.5 yards per carry, on 93 carries, while also being a factor in the passing game. Achane has caught 37 passes for 302 yards on the season.
The last two weeks though, coinciding with the return of Tagovailoa, have been what we expected of Achane. In that span, Achane as 14 catches for 108 yards. His production on the ground hasn’t been hindered with 160 rushing yards on 22 carries.
Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams
We know that Cooper Kupp won’t come cheap. However, we also know that Kupp is capable. Health has also been a problem for Kupp though playing in just four games on the season. Last week, Kupp caught 11 of 14 targets for 104 yards after Nacua was ejected. With both receivers healthy, we can’t expect a similar, unbalanced, workload for Kupp. However, defenses having to split their focus between Kupp and Nacua is a good thing.
Matthew Stafford, QB, Los Angeles Rams
If there is going to be a lot of offense tonight, and we are on Kupp and Nacua, then it makes sense to take a look at Matthew Stafford. Despite his stud receivers being sidelined for most of the season, Stafford is still averaging 246 passing yards per game. The problem though, is that he has just nine touchdowns on the season. with healthy receivers, that should change beginning tonight.
Value
Jonnu Smith, TE, Miami Dolphins
The Rams struggle against opposing tight ends and Jonnu Smith has carved out a solid role as of late. In the last four games, Smith has 21 receptions on 27 targets for 222 yards and a touchdown. If Hill is sidelined tonight, Smith should be in line for another strong game.
Joshua Karty, K, Los Angeles Rams
If there’s going to be offense, then the kickers should be involved. Of the two, Joshua Karty is a little cheaper, and opposing kickers have the third most DFS points against the Dolphins.
So far this season, Karty is 11 of 13 on field goal attempts with a long of 52 yards. Additionally, Karty converted 15 of 17 extra-point attempts.
Fade
Raheem Mostert, RB, Miami Dolphins
Raheem Mostert is touchdown dependent, and he has only found the end zone twice this season. The Dolphins offense is closer to full strength now and they don’t have to rely just on the run game. Even with that being the case though, Mostert only has 214 rushing yards on the season. That simply isn’t worth the cost.