We are back in business! After what seemed like an interminable break, NFL football is back. We begin with an exciting matchup on Thursday between the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs. Regardless of the two teams taking the field against each other, there would be a buzz. But considering it’s two of the top teams in the AFC, things are that much more enhanced. There is no doubt that you will want to jump into the DFS pool, and we have you covered. Let’s dig into some Thursday Night Football DFS picks with preferences ranked within each category.
Thursday Night Football DFS Picks – Baltimore Ravens vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Captain Plays
Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens
The most expensive player on the slate also has the highest ceiling. Lamar Jackson set a few career highs last year with 457 pass attempts, 3,678 passing yards, 307 completions, and a 67.2% completion rate. He was also efficient throwing just seven interceptions to go along with 24 touchdown passes. Jackson’s production through the air didn’t come at the expense of his ground game though with 821 yards and five touchdowns.
Despite not playing in the preseason, Jackson does enter the season with his health. There are some concerns with rust, but that is ultimately across the board as it is Week 1. What makes Jackson intriguing though, is the fact that he will have the ball in his hands the most of any player.
Isiah Pacheco, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
As we enter the season, there are no questions that Isiah Pacheco is the clear lead running back in Kansas City’s backfield. He brings both power and speed to the table and has the benefit of running behind a strong offensive line.
Last year, Pacheco finished with 935 rushing yards (4.6 yards per carry) and seven touchdowns. While not an incredibly prolific receiving option, Pacheco did catch 44 of 49 targets for 244 yards and two touchdowns. Kansas City increasingly leaned on Pacheco in the postseason last year, and I would look for that trend to continue at the start of 2024.
Flex Plays
Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs
Granted it’s far from original, but this is a matchup that truly begins with each quarterback. On paper, Patrick Mahomes is facing the tougher defense, but we get him at a discount compared to his counterpart and he has a home-field advantage.
The Chiefs improved their receiving corps this off-season by adding Xavier Worthy while Rashee Rice has another year of experience. Mahomes did enough in the preseason to shake off the rust which included a long completion to Worthy. At this point though, Mahomes doesn’t need to prove anything even though his 2023 regular season wasn’t exactly prolific. He did break the 4,000-yard mark (4,183) but finished with 27 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.
After not rushing for a touchdown last year, Mahomes doesn’t offer much of a ceiling in that department.
Mark Andrews, TE, Baltimore Ravens
Prior to a leg injury in Week 11, Mark Andrews was having another strong season. At this point, it shouldn’t come as a surprise as Andrews has established himself as one of the best tight ends in the game.
In 10 games before his injury, Andrews caught 45 of 61 targets for 544 yards and six touchdowns. Assuming Jackson and the Ravens begin the season playing conservatively, Andrews should, once again, prove to be a busy safety valve.
Rashee Rice, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
While Travis Kelce isn’t going anywhere, 2024 will be the season that we see Rashee Rice continue to emerge. We are going week to week here, and while it appears Rice won’t be suspended, we know that he will be on the field on Thursday against the Ravens.
Rice established chemistry with Mahomes last season, and that will only continue to grow. He finished his rookie season with two games of greater than 100 yards as Rice finished with 938 receiving yards. As a rookie, Rice dropped five passes as he caught 79 of 102 targets. With seven touchdowns, Rice showed an ability to get into the end zone. There is no questions regarding who the downfield threat is for Kansas City, and with Marquise Brown injured to start the season, that is only enhanced.
Value Plays
Justice Hill, RB, Baltimore Ravens
While Baltimore did add Derrick Henry this off-season, he won’t be the only running back in the Ravens’ backfield. Justice Hill is the clear second option, and the expectation is that he will maintain a solid role.
At this point, Hill is the depth behind Henry. The Ravens will likely take it slow with Henry, and Hill will have a third-down role. Last year, he caught 28 of his 39 targets for 206 yards and a touchdown. Additionally, Hill averaged 4.6 yards per carry and he can do some damage when given the chance.
Harrison Butker, K, Kansas City Chiefs
Kickers generally don’t receive much in fantasy football. In fact, some leagues don’t even utilize them anymore and others are trying to follow suit. When setting DFS lineups though for single-game slates, they shouldn’t be overlooked.
With Harrison Butker coming in at $400 cheaper than Justin Tucker, he becomes the target. While some kickers are clearly better than others, both Butker and Tucker are strong options, so salary cap space becomes the target here.
We know that the Chiefs are going to move the ball down the field, and that gives Butker plenty of opportunity. He parlayed a strong season, 33 of 35 made field goals along with all 38 extra point attempts, into a contract extension. Butker is all set to continue that success.
Fade
Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs
Did you really think we would have a whole article without mentioning Travis Kelce?
For all of his pop culture buzz, Kelce is still one of the best tight ends in football. With that being said, he is quite costly as the most expensive non-quarterback in the Thursday NFL DFS slate.
Kelce did have a strong season last year, but it was a step back from his previous levels. He caught 93 of 121 targets for 984 yards and just five touchdowns which while elite for a tight end, likely doesn’t match the cost. It’s not to suggest that Kelce won’t have a strong game, but there are better ways to build a roster.
Make sure to check out all of our Week 1 Fantasy Football Rankings and Analysis!