NFL DFS: DraftKings Thursday Night Football Showdown Picks: Chiefs vs. Lions

The stage is set for an electrifying showdown as the Kansas City Chiefs square off against the Detroit Lions in the inaugural game of the season, taking center stage on Thursday Night Football. However, the excitement doesn’t end there; it’s a DraftKings DFS Showdown slate that promises to add a whole new level of intensity to the action.

I’ll be writing these helpful articles each week for TNF and MNF showdowns, so be sure to follow me on X, @PotPharma. With star-studded rosters, explosive offenses, and high-stakes fantasy competitions in play, this matchup is poised to ignite the fantasy football world like never before. Get ready to dive into the insights you’ll need to dominate your DraftKings DFS contests featuring tonight’s highly-anticipated game.

Thursday Night Football Showdown Picks (DraftKings)

Captain

Patrick Mahomes ($18 ,300)

The price is high, yes. But if anybody can pay off this kind of price tag it’s Patrick Mahomes. Currently sitting at 52.5, the Chiefs-Lions matchup has the highest over/under of Week 1. Mahomes had a hand in 45 of the Chiefs’ 61 touchdowns last season, that’s 73% ! By that logic, when the Chiefs are projected to score, Patrick Mahomes is projected to score.

And score he does, especially in Week 1. Check out Patrick’s stats in every opener since becoming the starter in 2018:

As you can see, Mahomes is something like one of those high-tech air fryers; he doesn’t need to preheat. And just in case you were wondering, with Kelce’s status/health in question, he’s only accounted for four of Patrick’s 18 opening-day touchdowns. I’ve crunched the numbers. Even with Patrick Mahomes in your captain slot, there is still a wide variety of lineups you can build featuring a stud like Travis Kelce or Amon-Ra St. Brown.

Another captain to consider: Amon-Ra St. Brown ($15,300)

Core Play

David Montgomery ($6,600)

With all the hype surrounding the rookie Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery has been slipping under the radar. People assume that because he’s the larger of the two running backs, he’ll be the goal-line back. I’m on board with that assumption. However, folks also seem to think that his role stops there.

I believe that he’ll be on the field much more than others are projecting. Playing against the defending Super Bowl champions, in the first game of the season, I believe that the Lions will rely on their vets first and foremost. I expect David Montgomery to get the Lion’s share (no pun intended) of touches in this matchup.

Core play to consider: Jared Goff ($9,400)

Value

Josh Reynolds ($2,800)

With Jameson Williams (suspension) sidelined for the first six games of the season, Reynolds is currently listed as the WR3 behind Amon-Ra St. Brown and Marvin Jones. However, a closer look reveals that Reynolds could be the preferred option over Jones. Marvin Jones played for the Lions from 2016 to 2020, while Jared Goff has been a Lion from 2021 to the present; their paths have yet to cross until now.

Josh Reynolds, a former fourth-round pick of the LA Rams, overlapped with Goff there for four seasons. The connection has been on display at camp this offseason with Josh Reynolds coming down with multiple deep balls in joint practices. I’m confident that when the going gets rough for the Lions in Week 1, Goff will find comfort in throwing to a more familiar face.

This is really a wonderful situation for all Lions pass catchers. If this game is going to live up to the hype and come anywhere near the projected over/under, then the Lions are going to have to contribute to the scoring. Regardless of which scenario we get, the shootout, or the Lions playing from behind, Lions receivers should be plenty busy.

Value to consider: Jerick McKinnon ($5,600)

Sleeper

Richie James Jr. ($2,000)

I don’t know; you don’t know; hell, Patrick Mahomes might not even know yet. One thing we do know is that Richie James has just as much of a chance as anybody to be the Chiefs’ leading WR this season. With Kadarius Toney, Justin Ross, and Ihmir Smith-Marsette all suffering minor injuries in camp this offseason, James was able to step up and earn first-team reps alongside Mahomes.

A 43-yard TD from Blaine Gabbert in the Chiefs’ preseason game against the Saints shows that the six-year vet still has the ability to separate in this league. It must be noted that James began the week on the injury report, logging a limited practice on Monday. James, however, was able to get in a full practice the next time the team was out there on Tuesday, so he should be all-systems-go. Being priced at $2000 on DraftKings, Richie James Jr. doesn’t have to do much to pay off his salary and his low cost opens up space to add a stud whose role we’re more certain about.

Sleeper to consider: Justyn Ross ($1,000)

Bust

Kadarius Toney ($7,000)

When I look for a bust candidate on DraftKings, I start at the top and work my way down until I land on a player that I am not comfortable rostering at their current salary. Priced at $7000, it didn’t take me long to land on Kadarius Toney. Toney has been a boom-or-bust player throughout his short NFL career. His career hasn’t been short just because of the mere fact that he’s only entering his fourth season, it’s been short because he’s hardly been available. Toney has only appeared in 19 games in his three years as a pro, that’s barely even a full season.

Recovering from a torn meniscus, which he sustained at the start of training camp this offseason, Toney presents much more risk than reward. Chiefs coach Andy Reid assured us last week that the WR would be “ready to go” for tonight’s matchup. Although that may be the case, an in-game setback is very possible. In reality, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Toney’s workload limited in his first game back from an injury that required surgery. You can find better ways to spend your salary.

Week 1 rankings for season-long leagues: Quarterback | Running Back | Wide Receiver | Tight End