The Los Angeles Rams take on the New Orleans Saints tonight on Thursday Night Football. With a chance at fantasy glory and a hefty $300,000 on the line, it’s now more crucial than ever to assemble a winning DraftKings lineup that can dominate the competition. This article offers DFS picks and insights on who should take the coveted 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. Get ready for a wild DFS TNF showdown.
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
Chris Olave
DraftKings Captain Salary- $12,900
Yesterday head coach Dennis Allen told the media that Chris Olave is “good to go” for tonight’s Thursday Night Football contest. Olave, who had been nursing an ankle injury was not able to practice all last week before being ruled out. This week Olave got in a limited practice on Tuesday, followed by a full one yesterday. Seemingly back to form, Olave will be returning to an offense that will still be without Michael Thomas (IR, knee). The Saints WR room was in absolute shambles without Olave on the field. Last week against the Giants, RB Alvin Kamara led the team in both receptions and yardage. The next highest yardage total (38) belonged to TE Juwan Johnson, who also scored a touchdown. Operating as the default WR1, Rashid Shaheed was only able to gather three catches for 36 yards. Chris Olave should immediately take over his role as the Alpha in the Saints’ passing attack. His salary, just the 7th highest of the slate, allows you to pack in some of our other studs tonight.
Core Play
Kyren Williams
DraftKings Salary- $11,200
Kyren Williams has been doing it all for the LA Rams. Some would say that he has been the engine propelling the offense. I would consider myself to be one of those people. A model of consistency, Kyren has only busted twice in his 10 appearances. Those two bust games came in Week 3 at Cincinnati and in Week 5 against the Eagles. In both of those games, Williams received at least 10 carries and recorded two receptions. Even in his lackluster performances, Williams is still afforded the opportunities. He has been the workhorse for this team, only coming off the field for breathers. Williams recently lost two fumbles last week, but even still head coach Sean McVay leaned on his star runner to ice the victory. Tonight’s TNF matchup presents Williams with a tougher challenge to produce, as the Saints are historically stingy against the run. However, Williams has been involved in the passing attack as well so his outlook tonight is still positive.
Value
Taysom Hill
DraftKings Salary- $6,600
Last week was a great week for New Orleans Saints tight ends not named Taysom Hill. Playing without their star wide receiver the tight end room really stepped up. Juwan Johnson recorded the second-highest amount of receiving yards while both he and Jimmy Graham were able to score touchdowns. Hill was not needed as the Saints had the game under control from the very beginning. Taysom is generally used in situations that require a fair amount of toughness and elbow grease. Tonight’s TNF game in LA fits the bill. Taysom generally does his damage with very little work. That can sometimes be very scary, but in Hill’s case he gets a pass because a large majority of the packages designed for him are meant to be utilized in the red zone. Taysom Hill in the wildcat formation on the goal line is a sight that we would all love to see tonight.
Sleeper
Tutu Atwell
DraftKings Salary- $2,800
Welcome back, Tutu Atwell. After missing last week’s game against the Commanders due to a concussion, Atwell will play on TNF tonight. Tutu was able to log full practices on Tuesday and Wednesday showing that he has put the brain injury behind him. Prior to being taken out during the Baltimore game Tutu had just 4 catches for 85 yards in his last two games, not spectacular by any stretch of the imagination. However, that does equate to 21.25 yards per reception, a huge part of why he could be the sleeper you need tonight. At just $2,800 Atwell provides you with the salary relief you’ll need if you want to play multiple high-priced studs. Atwell is almost as likely to grab a long reception as Rashid Shaheed is, however, Atwell is less than half the price. If you’re looking for a dart throw that doesn’t break the bank, Atwell may be your man.
TNF Bust
Cooper Kupp
DraftKings Salary- $11,000
The Saints DST has allowed just one wide receiver to reach 100+ yards this season. That came during Week 4 when Buc’s WR Chris Godwin went for 114 scoreless yards. The “scoreless” is important because in addition to being stingy in terms of yardage, the Saints’ secondary has been equally impressive by keeping WRs out of the end zone. The Saints’ DST has only given up 1 receiving TD to the WR position in the last five games. I know that this is a particularly hot take given that Kupp is on a two-game 100+ receiving yard streak and a three-game TD streak. It’s especially spicy because most fantasy leagues are in the semi-final rounds this week. I am in no way telling you to sit Kupp in your fantasy leagues, because c’mon, Kupp on your bench? How could you live with yourself if he popped off. However, I am saying if you’re building one lineup for Thursday Night Football on DraftKings, I would leave Kupp out as his $11,000 salary does not match my projection for him.
Week 16 Fantasy Football Rankings: Quarterback | Running Back | Wide Receiver | Tight End | Half-PPR by Position | Flex Rankings | Positional Ranks w/ K & DST | Dynasty | Superflex Dynasty