The first week of the NFL season gave us a lot to think about. There were both good moments and bad, but the good news is that we have a lot more games remaining. We have just two days without football before an exciting divisional matchup. Week 2 will begin with the Buffalo Bills traveling to Miami to take on the Dolphins. The expectation is that there will be a lot of offense. From a DFS perspective, fear not, as 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 – Buffalo Bills vs. Miami Dolphins
Captain
Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills
No Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis, and no problem for Josh Allen in Week 1. It wasn’t a truly prolific passing day for Allen, but he did exactly what he needed to. Buffalo picked up the victory as Allen connected on 18 of 23 passes for 232 yards and two touchdowns. More importantly, Allen ran for two more touchdowns while picking up 39 yards on nine carries.
It was apparent that there was some rust to be shaken off. Allen did show some chemistry with Keon Coleman and Khalil Shakir and things will only get better from here. We do have a quick turnaround for Allen, but he should be up to the task. His rushing production provides a strong floor, but Allen can also move the ball with ease through the air.
Jaylen Waddle, WR, Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins have two prolific and explosive receivers. This doesn’t mean that we like Jaylen Waddle straight up over Tyreek Hill, but based on the pricing, the former is the more attractive option.
By no means though is that meant as a knock on Waddle. The fact that defenses also have to contend with Hill opens things up for Waddle, but he is good enough to stand on his own. Waddle began the season with a 63-yard reception while catching five passes for 109 yards. He figures to have another big game on Thursday in the quest for his fourth straight season of at least 1,000 yards.
Flex
Tyreek Hill, WR, Miami Dolphins
There is no player, maybe with the exception of Allen, in Thursday’s game with the upside of Tyreek Hill. All Hill did on Sunday was catch seven of 12 targets for 130 yards. That included an 80-yard touchdown reception as Hill continues to be a big play threat.
When we last saw Hill against Buffalo, he caught seven of his 13 targets for 82 yards and a touchdown. At this point, performances like that have become the norm for Hill. In 2023, Hill caught 119 passes for the second straight season gaining 1,799 yards and scoring 13 touchdowns. Hill doesn’t show any signs of slowing down.
Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Miami Dolphins
If we are going to target the top Miami receivers, it only makes sense to pair them with their quarterback. It took Tua Tagovailoa a little time to get going on Sunday, but he still broke the 300-yard mark. It really shouldn’t be a surprise that Tagovailoa threw for 338 yards though considering Hill had an 80-yard reception while Waddle caught a pass for 63 yards.
It was a strong second half for Tagovailoa and that is momentum he can carry through to Week 2. With De’Veon Achane dealing with an ankle injury, the Dolphins could be positioned to lean more on the passing game this week. As Tagovailoa continues to shake off the rust, he is in position to have another strong game.
James Cook, RB, Buffalo Bills
When it comes to James Cook, a lack of touchdowns continues to be an issue. In each of the last two seasons, Cook only had two touchdowns each. That trend continued on Sunday as Allen picked up both rushing touchdowns for Buffalo. While we would expect that to turn around at some point, it’s hard to truly bank on it. The good news though, is that between Allen and Cook, you are likely in position to at least get a share of each of Buffalo’s offensive touchdowns.
What is clear though, is that the Bills are focused on establishing a ground presence. To begin the season, Cook gained 71 yards on 19 carries while adding another 32 yards on three catches. Buffalo will continue to focus on Cook which will benefit him from a DFS perspective.
Keon Coleman, WR, Buffalo Bills
While Keon Coleman didn’t catch a touchdown pass in his debut, he did lead Buffalo with five targets. Coleman made some difficult and big catches for the Bills while establishing an initial chemistry with Allen. I would expect to see Coleman find the end zone in Week 2 while he continues to be a large part of Buffalo’s passing game.
Jason Sanders, K, Miami Dolphins
I know how people feel about kickers, myself included, but sometimes we just have to do it. Last week proved how valuable kickers can be at times and we can’t ignore them.
From a cost standpoint, Jason Sanders provides slightly more salary relief in his second home start. Last week, Sanders made two of his three field goal attempts to go along with both extra points. One of those field goals was from 52 yards away as Sanders showed off some leg strength. Tonight, Miami figures to be busy offensively, and that sets Sanders up to get a piece of their action.
Value Plays
Jeff Wilson, RB, Miami Dolphins
We know that the Dolphins are beat up in the backfield, and it’s not just Achane. Raheem Mostert has also yet to practice this week after gaining just nine yards on six carries last week. That opens things up for Jeff Wilson to take on a larger role. When given a chance on Sunday, Wilson gained 26 yards on five carries. With the quick turnaround, Wilson could truly play a factor on Sunday.
Jaylen Wright, RB, Miami Dolphins
Despite being inactive on Sunday, Jaylen Wright could make a real impact on Sunday. Speed and elusiveness is a large part of Wright’s game and with Achane potentially sidelined on Thursday, those skills could be on display. The quick turnaround could work against Achane and in Wright’s favor. Buffalo did struggle against the run last week as well.
Fade
De’Veon Achane, RB, Miami Dolphins
Admittedly, we are spending a lot of time in Miami’s backfield, but it is for good reason. Achane doesn’t come cheaply this week, and he was unable to practice on both Monday or Tuesday. Assuming Achane does play on Thursday, it’s likely he will be at much less than 100% health and Miami will limit his workload.
Make sure to check out all of our Week 2 Fantasy Football Rankings and Analysis!