Monday Night Football Info
Time: Monday, December 10th @ 5:20 PM Pacific
Location: SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA
Weather: 56f Partly Cloudy
TV: Fox, NFL Network, Amazon
Spread: Los Angeles -5.5
MoneyLine: -245 | +205
Total: 44.5
Odds courtesy of MyBookie.ag *Promo Code SGP*
Welcome to a highly top-heavy slate as the Patriots and Rams set up our DraftKings Thursday Night Football picks. It’s this way mainly because there are but a handful of productive players on each team. This limits potential value in that the pricing for these productive players make for somewhat limited roster builds. Finding salary relief will come down to how comfortable you’ll be with big play potential over past performance.
Consider two things when filling out your lineups. One, the Patriots lean towards the running game. You probably would too if your quarterback was capable of RB1 production every week. Two, the Rams throw the ball, quite a bit actually. Since the departure of Todd Gurley, the Rams have turned to a committee. Darrell Henderson had claimed the top looks, but Cam Akers has bit into his fantasy value recently. Armed with that knowledge, I’ll help you navigate the slate and put together a winning lineup.
As always, the players below are not meant to be considered a “core four.” These are simply players to consider as you are building your lineups. Play one, play them all, it is entirely up to you. My job is to help you see the reasoning behind selecting these players and how they can help you win.
DraftKings Thursday Night Football Picks
1. Josh Reynolds – Captain $8,400; Flex $5.600 WR Los Angeles
Working from the assumption the Rams will continue to put the ball in the air, their receivers get a bump. Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods certainly own the show as far as LA wideouts are concerned. But, Reynolds has been a contributor from time to time and has the potential to be again on Thursday night. It is looking as if Woods will get an unfavorable date with Patriots corner Stephon Gilmore. According to the ActionNetwork, he has held the likes of DeAndre Hopkins, Keenan Allen, and Mike Williams to a paltry 53 yards on 5 combined catches and no touchdowns.
This matchup gives Reynolds a path to increased usage and the potential for a higher floor than normal. Something that could possibly derail this would be if Van Jefferson ends up earning more of Jared Goff’s attention. But comparing the track record of the two, Reynolds seems like the one more likely to have the bigger day. He is probably not a good candidate for captain, but his flex pricing makes a Goff/Kupp/Reynolds stack something to consider.
2. Sony Michel – Captain $7,200; Flex $4,800 RB New England
Damien Harris is shiny, new, and productive. James White catches passes. But there is a third name in the Patriots backfield that has value. He was also very recently shiny and new himself. Michel has basically eased his way back onto the field since returning from injury. He saw only one offensive snap in his first game back against the Cardinals. The following week against the Chargers, he took the field on 22 occasions. Of those 22, he carried the ball 10 times and caught his lone target. His total touches were outpaced by Harris’ 16 carries and 14 by Cam Newton.
It looks as if Michel will get an opportunity to regain the top spot in the New England rushing attack. This carries a lot of weight given his price point as compared to James White. White could very well see his usage slip once again this week against a tough Rams defense. It’s a squad that has done well to contain pass catching backs so far this season. I expect the Patriots to try and stick with their run first mentality. This should provide the opportunity for Michel to continue to ramp back up to form. At just under $5k, you get some flexibility. Plus, if you are so inclined, you can lock up the New England backfield and pair him with Harris.
3. Nick Folk – Captain $6,000; Flex $4,000 K New England
Touchdowns may be at a premium for the Patriots making their kicker primed for a DraftKings Thursday Night Showdown pick. Folk has been listed as questionable, but is expected to play against the Rams. He’s been reliable when called upon, missing only two field goals, and two extra point attempts all season. He’s 9 of 11 from outside of 40 yards and a perfect 11 of 11 from inside of that. The implied total suggests field goals will play a large part in New England’s offensive output. Hopefully one or two of them will come from far enough away to get Folk into double digit fantasy range. He’s certainly not a cash game option, but could be an affordable fit in a tournament lineup or two.
4. Damiere Byrd – Captain $1,200; Flex $800 WR New England
Even Cam Newton has to attempt passes from time to time. So far this season, Byrd has been the receiver with the most looks when he does. His 59 targets has him holding a slim lead over the 53 for Jakobi Meyers. Byrd also leads the team in total receiving yards and has one of the three touchdown catches from the wideout position this season. When given the choice of a cheap option with similar upside, Byrd makes an enticing play.
As his price suggests, he is a high ceiling dart throw with a volatile floor. He can give you a 29 point outing like he did three weeks ago against Houston. Or, he can turn in the 3 point performance he did last week. With the over under at 44.5 and the Ram favored by 6, the game script could call for a few more pass attempts for Newton. Myers will still get his share, but he will likely have his hands full of Jalen Ramsey most of the night. This will force Newton to look elsewhere. Maybe that means more James White, but more than likely it means Byrd sees an uptick in targets. There is certainly value here if you are one of the brave souls looking to stock your shelves elsewhere.
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