I’m liking these divisional matchups to begin the week. As we start Week 7, experience is at the top of the quarterback list as Aaron Rodgers takes on Joe Flacco. Rodgers is having a solid season throwing for 1,021 yards and 10 touchdowns as the Steelers are off to a solid start. Things aren’t nearly as favorable in Cincinnati. The Bengals are working on their third quarterback of the week while they still work on getting Chase Brown and the running game going.
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It’s expected to be a relatively close game with the Steelers favored by 4.5 points. An over/under of 44.5 means the veteran quarterbacks are expected to generate a fair amount of offense. Now, let’s jump into my Thursday Night Football DFS picks and rankings to help you set a winning lineup.
Thursday Night Football DFS Notes
The Volume is Still There
While it’s hard to trust the Bengals’ offense overall, Ja’Marr Chase is proving to be truly immune. Despite Jake Browning’s struggles two weeks ago, Chase still caught six passes for 110 yards and two touchdowns. Last week, he quickly showed chemistry with his new quarterback.
Joe Flacco looked Chase’s way 12 times, and that translated into 10 catches for 94 yards and a touchdown. The Steelers are ranked 25th on DraftKings against opposing wide receivers, and Chase is averaging 78 yards per game this season. If Chase fits into your lineup, it appears we can move forward without issue.
Is There Room for Two?
When Joe Burrow is healthy, Tee Higgins coexists perfectly fine with Chase. There’s certainly enough space for both of them to be productive. However, it’s been a rough start to the season for Higgins.
From a salary cap perspective, we aren’t getting a bargain this week on Higgins despite his struggles. In fairness to Higgins, though, he’s coming off his best game of the season. The fact that it’s just five catches for 62 yards is enough to give us some pause.
A Quick Turnover for Joe
With limited notice, Joe Flacco changed teams last week and threw for 219 yards and two touchdowns against the Packers. Things weren’t exactly efficient, though, as Flacco completed 29 of 45 passes, and there wasn’t much depth of target.
Things don’t get any easier for Flacco in the short week, but at least he has a few more days in the offense under his belt. The Steelers are ranked 26th in DK points against opposing quarterbacks, so Flacco should have a solid day. But will Cincinnati open up the playbook?
Take Advantage of the Matchup
With the Bengals allowing the most DK points to opposing running backs, it only makes sense to target that position tonight. So far, it’s been a modest start to the season for Jaylen Warren. After missing Week 5, Warren returned last week gain 52 yards on 11 carries.
Warren has modest success on the ground this season, 184 rushing yards, while adding 13 receptions through four games. Kenneth Gainwell will also have a role, but I’d look for Warren to hold a small majority when it comes to touches.
The Veteran Gets it Done
While Aaron Rodgers isn’t exactly lighting things up with 1,021 passing yards in five games, he’s still having a strong season. He has 10 touchdowns, with at least one per game, compared to only three interceptions. There figures to be a solid amount of offense tonight, and Rodgers has one of the slate’s most reliable floors.
A Strong Introduction to Pittsburgh
While DK Metcalf hasn’t caught more than five passes in a game, it’s hard to argue with the start to his career in Pittsburgh. Metcalf has shown chemistry with Rodgers and is averaging 71 receiving yards per game to go along with four touchdowns. Especially with Calvin Austin out, it should be a busy night for Metcalf.
Check out all of our Week 7 Rankings: Flex Rankings | QB Rankings | RB Rankings | WR Rankings | TE Rankings
TNF DFS Picks and Rankings
| Rnk | Pos | Player | Team | DK Salary | FD Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | WR | Ja'Marr Chase | CIN | 12000 | 13200 |
| 2 | WR | DK Metcalf | PIT | 10400 | 12200 |
| 3 | QB | Aaron Rodgers | PIT | 9800 | 12600 |
| 4 | RB | Jaylen Warren | PIT | 8400 | 9200 |
| 5 | QB | Joe Flacco | CIN | 9400 | 11200 |
| 6 | TE | Jonnu Smith | PIT | 4000 | 5600 |
| 7 | K | Chris Boswell | PIT | 5400 | 6800 |
| 8 | DST | Steelers | PIT | 5800 | 7200 |
| 9 | K | Evan McPherson | CIN | 5000 | 6200 |
| 10 | WR | Tee Higgins | CIN | 10000 | 8600 |
| 11 | RB | Kenneth Gainwell | PIT | 6400 | 6600 |
| 12 | RB | Chase Brown | CIN | 8000 | 10600 |
| 13 | TE | Noah Fant | CIN | 3600 | 5000 |
| 14 | DST | Bengals | CIN | 3200 | 6000 |
| 15 | TE | Pat Freiermuth | PIT | 3000 | 4600 |
| 16 | WR | Roman Wilson | PIT | 1200 | 1600 |
| 17 | TE | Darnell Washington | PIT | 2000 | 2400 |
| 18 | WR | Scotty Miller | PIT | 1000 | 1200 |
| 19 | WR | Andrei Iosivas | CIN | 2800 | 3600 |
| 20 | RB | Samaje Perine | CIN | 4400 | 3200 |
| 21 | RB | Kaleb Johnson | PIT | 2400 | 2600 |
Make sure to check out all of our Week 7 Fantasy Football Rankings and Analysis!
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