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It's that time of the year again, RotoBallers! We're back at it with some Week 2 Thursday Night Football DFS picks. We have an interesting matchup for Week 2, as the defending NFC Champion Philadelphia Eagles (1-0) take on the Minnesota Vikings (0-1). Neither team looked great in Week 1, particularly Minnesota, and it’ll be interesting to see how this one plays out.
We've been pretty successful so far with these showdown slates in previous years, and hopefully, that trend continues throughout the 2023 season and playoffs. 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, etc. 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 Vikings vs. Eagles NFL DFS showdown slate on September 14. 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!
MVP/Captain Plays
Jalen Hurts - QB, $17,100 (DK), $17,500 (FD)
Key Stats
- Week 1 Stats: 170 passing yards, one touchdown, nine carries, 37 yards, one fumble.
- 2022 Offensive Pass DVOA: 23.92% (9th), per FTN.
- 2022 Opposing Defense Pass DVOA: 14.19% (26th), per FTN.
I’ll start things off with Jalen Hurts. Hurts had a relatively mediocre Week 1 outing against the Patriots. Perhaps it was due to the weather, him shaking the rust off (he did not play in the preseason), or the fact that Bill Belichick and the Pats had months to prepare. Nevertheless, I don’t see a poor performance repeating itself, and my model projects Hurts to clear 25+ points on both sites tonight.
T.J. Hockenson - TE, $10,200 (DK), $10,000 (FD)
Key Stats
- Week 1 Stats: Nine targets, eight receptions, 35 yards.
- Individual Matchup (vs. Christian Eliss): 9% TGT/route, 50% catch rate, 0.1 FP/route
We’ll take a look at T.J. Hockenson next. Hockenson was a target vacuum in Week 1 but he didn’t do a ton with them. I think that changes tonight, as the Eagles have ruled out starting linebacker Nakobe Dean in this one. It’ll be Christian Elliss, Nicholas Morrow, and Zach Cunningham controlling the middle of the field for Philly, making an already weak positional group even weaker. I think the Vikings will plan to attack the middle of the field, and Hockenson will be the beneficiary of that.
Other Captains/MVPs: Justin Jefferson, A.J. Brown
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DFS Flex Plays
Justin Jefferson - WR, $12,400 (DK), $16,000 (FD)
Key Stats
- Week 1 Stats: 12 targets, nine receptions, 150 yards.
- Individual Matchup (vs. Josh Jobe): No Stats.
I can’t go without mentioning practically the consensus number-one overall pick in this year’s fantasy drafts. Everyone remembers Week 2 in Philadelphia last year, where Darius Slay and James Bradberry held JJ to six catches for 48 yards. Here’s the issue if you’re an Eagles fan: James Bradberry has a concussion and has been ruled out for tonight’s game. While Josh Jobe is a good young player, he still has quite a lot of developing to do, and I expect Jefferson to eat him up tonight.
A.J. Brown - WR, $12,400 (DK), $13,000 (FD)
Key Stats
- Week 1 Stats: 10 targets, seven receptions, 79 yards.
- Individual Matchup (vs. Akayleb Evans): 17% TGT/route, 33% catch rate, 0.09 FP/route
On the other side of the field, I’ll look at A.J. Brown. Brown didn’t really get going until the second half of the Eagles’ Week 1 matchup in Foxborough. With that said, he has the better of the two matchups between him and DeVonta Smith, and I expect the Eagles to take advantage of a weak Vikings secondary that allowed Baker Mayfield to throw for 173 yards and two touchdowns last Sunday.
Other Flex Options: Dallas Goedert, Kirk Cousins, DeVonta Smith
DFS Value Plays
D’Andre Swift - RB, $4,000 (DK), $8,500 (FD)
Key Stats
- Week 1 Stats: One rush, three rushing yards, two targets, one reception.
- 2022 Offensive Rush DVOA: 15.3% (1st), per FTN.
- 2022 Opposing Defense Rush DVOA: -4.24% (19th), per FTN.
We’re getting a steal on a pair of Eagles' running backs in the value slots today, as Week 1 lead back Kenneth Gainwell has been ruled out with a rib injury. I wouldn’t typically suggest using a pair of running backs on the same team, but I think Swift and Penny play a different style of game that can complement each other. Swifty should get some work out of the passing game and has a 53% chance of finding the end zone according to my model.
Rashaad Penny - RB, $1,600 (DK), $7,000 (FD)
Key Stats
- Week 1 Stats: No stats.
- 2022 Offensive Rush DVOA: 15.3% (1st), per FTN.
- 2022 Opposing Defense Rush DVOA: -4.24% (19th), per FTN.
Rashaad Penny was a healthy scratch in Week 1 for Philly. A real head-scratching decision in my opinion, considering the fact that when Penny is healthy, he’s one of the best running backs in the league. When Penny was on the field in 2022, he finished first among qualified backs in YPC and breakaway run rate. He now gets to run behind the best run-blocking offensive line in football. I may have just talked myself into playing 100% of him tonight.
Other Value Plays: Jake Elliott, K.J. Osborn, Eagles D/ST
Enjoy your night and good luck everyone!
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