I fought back tears writing this one. It is so very fitting that this TNF game is streamable on Amazon. There is this AWS (Amazon Web Services) commercial stating that the NFL uses its AI and machine learning to predict injuries and assist with schedule making. That commercial surely hasn’t aged well. Both teams have been bitten by the injury bug. This game is the epitome of Thursday Night Football. Both rosters are an absolute mess. The Chargers have scored one touchdown in the last two games, while the Raiders will look to get on the scoreboard as they were blanked by the Vikings last week. Alas, we’re here to make money. This article offers DFS insights on who should take the coveted DraftKings captain slot, which core player should anchor your player pool, a value gem that can boost your salary cap flexibility, a sleeper pick with breakout potential, and one player to steer clear of – the dreaded bust.
TNF DFS Picks for DraftKings
*Disclaimer: These picks have been constructed with the mindset of building a single lineup. When building large field/multi-entry tournaments, if the player sees the field you’ll want to have a piece of him somewhere, my “busts” included.*
Captain
Jakobi Meyers
DraftKings Captain’s Salary- $12,00
Let me preface this by saying that if Davante Adams is active tonight, he is the clear captain pick. However, the superstar wide receiver came down with an illness and missed Wednesday’s walk-through. It is unclear whether or not Adams got sick Tuesday night or Wednesday morning. The former would provide him with more time to recover, so this is definitely a situation to monitor. Therefore in an ugly matchup, I’m tentatively selecting Jakobi Meyers as my TNF captain.
There has been no word yet as to whether or not Aidan O’Connell or Jimmy Garoppolo will be the starter tonight. Although reports suggest that O’Connell will remain under center, he profiles as an extremely risky pick tonight. For starters, his production has been scattered, not to mention he’ll likely be on a short leash and could be benched at any moment. Regardless of who has been under center, Meyers has stayed involved. Meyers has at least five targets in the last three contests. While his production would likely receive a boost if Jimmy G were to return to the lineup, he’ll likely get a boost tonight anyway with Adams battling the flu.
Core Play
Raiders DST
DraftKings Salary- $4,200
The offense is in shambles, but the Raiders DST has been shining as of late. Most recently they held the Minnesota Vikings to just three points. They are a consistent group. They play well against the teams that they should play well against. In Weeks 11 and 12 the Raiders’ DST gave up 20 and 31 points to the Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs. Two respected offensives, so the crooked numbers are to be expected. But against the Giants in Week 9 and the Jets in Week 10, this defense only gave up 6 and 12 points. Without Justin Herbert (IR) and Keenan Allen (OUT), the LA Chargers are in the same offensive category as the two New York teams mentioned above. The Raiders were able to get after Dobbs last week, sacking him 5 times. If the stellar play against crap offenses continues, Easton Stick could be in for a rude awakening when he makes his first career start tonight on TNF.
Value
Cameron Dicker
DraftKings Salary- $5,000
Allow me to introduce you to the LA Chargers’ top offensive threat tonight, Cameron “The Kicker” Dicker. For the first time this season, Dicker did not record a single FG attempt in last week’s loss to the Broncos. However, tonight, FG points might be the only way the Chargers can get on the scoreboard. Cameron Dicker is a real weapon. He has drilled 4 field goals from 50+ yards this season, his longest being the 55-yarder he nailed against the Jets. Dicker also has four games this season with double-digit fantasy points. The over/under for tonight’s Thursday Night Football contest is sitting at a puny 34.5. Most of that might come from the leg of Dicker.
Sleeper
Alex Erickson
DraftKings Salary- $1,000
Tonight is not a night where we are desperate for salary savings. Still, a $1000 Alex Erickson may come in handy. Whenever a backup quarterback takes the field you almost always see a third or fourth-string player emerge right alongside of him. In Easton Stick’s case, it could be Jalen Guyton, Derius Davis, or even Quentin Johnston. There is no telling who Stick has built a rapport with practicing with the second team. My money is on the guy who got peppered with 7 targets last week, Erickson. While Alex was heavily targeted, the production was lacking. He was only able to reel in one pass for 9 yards. Josh Palmer‘s return normally would have pushed Erickson back down the depth chart, but seeing as Keenan Allen is out, he remains in play as a TNF sleeper.
TNF Bust
Austin Ekeler
DraftKings Salary- $11,000
Boy oh boy. It is not looking good for Austin Ekeler rest of season. His prospects weren’t looking great even before the injury to Herbert. Before last week the team was reportedly very open to giving other running backs a chance. This was no doubt in response to the lack of production that Ekeler has had this season on the ground. To this point, he has carried the ball 136 times and picked up just 497 rushing yards. The Chargers made good on their promise to give other back the ball last week. Joshua Kelley ended the game with three carries, while Isaiah Spiller got six. Ekeler was able to find the end zone last week. That fact may have saved his job for another week. Without Justin Herbert, Ekeler is sure to face a ton of loaded boxes as teams will not have to respect the pass until Easton Stick proves he can push the ball down the field. Austin Ekeler was a bust candidate before Hebert went on IR. I’m comfortable fading Ekeler on tonight on Thursday Night Football.
Week 15 Rankings: Quarterback | Running Back | Wide Receiver | Tight End |