RADIO
John's top NFL DFS lineup picks for FanDuel, DraftKings - Saints vs Cardinals showdown slate on 10/20. His Thursday Night Football daily fantasy football advice.
Welcome back, RotoBallers! We're back at it again with some Week 7 Thursday Night Football DFS lineups. We had another ugly Thursday night game last week, but I do think tonight could be different. While I don't think either of these teams is in the "elite" or even "good" tier of teams in the entire scope of the NFC, we should see some points. That's all that matters after these last two weeks, so let's break it down.
We've been pretty successful so far with these showdown slates and hopefully, that trend continues throughout this year. Most of us started our fantasy journeys with football, so it's always nice when it comes around once again. Thanks to the advanced analytics of today, I'll do my best to provide you with as much in-depth analysis as possible regarding positional matchups and the like to help put some lunch money in your pocket. Let's make some coin this season gang, and let's get right to it.
I will be providing you with daily fantasy football picks on FanDuel and DraftKings for the Saints vs. Cardinals NFL DFS showdown slate on October 20th. These NFL DFS lineup picks can vary from higher-priced players and elite options to lower-priced players and value picks on both DraftKings and FanDuel. If you have any questions, you can follow me on Twitter @LucidMediaDFS and fire away, or sign up for a premium RotoBaller NFL package and chat with me and other NFL DFS analysts at any time you'd like!
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MVP/Captain Plays
Kyler Murray - QB, $16,800 (DK), $17,000 (FD)
Key Stats
- 2022 Stats: 1,463 passing yards, six touchdowns, four interceptions, 233 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns.
- 2022 Offensive Pass DVOA: -9.3% (27th), per Football Outsiders.
- 2022 Opposing Defense Pass DVOA: 13.2% (21st), per Football Outsiders.
I'll start off tonight's slate with Kyler Murray. Now, I'll start off by saying despite my writing up the passing game for both offenses in this article, I'll be relatively split between the passing and rushing offenses of both teams. That doesn't matter as much with the Cardinals, as Kyler Murray has a solid rushing floor as well as his passing ability. The Cardinals' backs are against the wall now, and it's time for Kyler to step up and win them a football game. The Saints' defense hasn't been as great as they have been in years past, so I'll look for Kyler to take advantage.
Chris Olave - WR, $11,100 (DK), $11,000 (FD)
Key Stats
- 2022 Stats: 42 targets, 25 receptions, 389 receiving yards, two touchdowns.
- Individual Matchup: N/A
I think we're getting pretty solid value on Chris Olave given his relatively cheap price tag on both sites. Olave missed Week 6 due to a concussion he sustained the week prior, which may be the reason PFF doesn't give him a matchup, and why there isn't one above. Olave has been a target monster in the Saints' passing offense all season, and tonight should be no different, as both Michael Thomas and Jarvis Landry were ruled out for tonight's game due to injuries.
Other Captains/MVPs: Jameis Winston, Alvin Kamara, DeAndre Hopkins
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DFS Flex Plays
Jameis Winston - QB, $9,600 (DK), $14,000 (FD)
Key Stats
- 2022 Stats: 858 passing yards, four touchdowns, five interceptions.
- 2022 Offensive Pass DVOA: -5.7% (26th), per Football Outsiders.
- 2022 Opposing Defense Pass DVOA: 16.1% (24th), per Football Outsiders
One guy that has been ruled in is Jameis Winston. Now I may have to come and switch this up to Andy Dalton sometime during the day should he be named the starter over Winston. However, if there's one thing about Jameis, it's that he's a gamer. He knows his job is at stake and as long as he starts I think he's cheap enough on both sites to prove to be solid value against a struggling Cardinals pass defense.
Eno Benjamin - RB, $8,200 (DK), $11,000 (FD)
Key Stats
- 2022 Stats: 45 attempts, 173 rushing yards, 20 targets, 15 receptions, 125 receiving yards, one touchdown
- 2022 Offensive Rush DVOA: -8.4% (20th), per Football Outsiders.
- 2022 Opposing Rush DVOA: -7.3% (14th), per Football Outsiders.
Another guy whose price doesn't match up with his production is Eno Benjamin. This may not be the case if James Conner is in for Thursday night's showdown, but Conner didn't practice Wednesday so it's tough for me to believe that he'll be at 100% even if he ends up suiting up. If he's not, Eno is my go-to guy as I do give the Cardinals a slight funnel lean toward their rushing attack.
Other Flex Options: Alvin Kamara, DeAndre Hopkins, Zach Ertz, Taysom Hill
DFS Value Plays
Rondale Moore - WR, $5,800 (DK), $9,000 (FD)
Key Stats
- 2022 Stats: 23 targets, 16 receptions, 128 receiving yards.
- Individual Matchup (vs Justin Evans): 12% targets per route, 67% catch rate, 0.16 fantasy points per route, per PFF.
Both sites seem to be giving us solid value across the board, and I'll take a look at Rondale Moore here. While DeAndre Hopkins is finally back following his six-game suspension, Moore should see a solid boost with Marquise Brown being out indefinitely. He should see north of six targets tonight and should be able to maneuver in the open field to make things happen. He also is a threat out of the backfield, and while he hasn't done it yet, he's my sleeper pick to score a touchdown tonight.
Will Lutz - K, $4,000 (DK), $9,500 (FD)
Key Stats
- 2022 Stats: 9/13 field goals made/attempted, 12/12 extra points made/attempted.
Whether it's Dalton or Jameis under center, I do have to think that there will come a time or two (or three, or four) when the Saints' drives will stall out and they'll have to bring Lutz in to knock down a field goal. He's been a bit shaky thus far this season, making just nine of 13, but I expect him to get things done tonight. I will give him a boost should it be Dalton starting at quarterback tonight, but he's a solid value play in this spot regardless.
Other Value Plays: Cardinals D/ST, Juwan Johnson, AJ Green
Enjoy your night and good luck everyone!
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