X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community!

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
Fantasy Updates
24x7 News and Alerts

TNF NFL DFS Lineup Picks for FanDuel, DraftKings - Broncos vs Browns Showdown

Happy Thursday, RotoBallers! Week Seven is here! We have a bit of a tainted matchup tonight, as the Broncos head to Cleveland to take on the Browns, who will be without Baker Mayfield, Nick Chubb, and Kareem Hunt. These absences have led bookmakers from making Cleveland a six-point favorite to just a two-point favorite as I'm writing this. The total has moved 3.5 points as well, going from 44.5 to just 41. 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. 

In this article I will be providing you with daily fantasy football picks on FanDuel and DraftKings for the Thursday Night Football slate on October 21st. These lineups 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 any time you'd like. Let's make some coin this season gang, and let's get right to it!

 

DFS Captains/MVPs

Teddy Bridgewater ($16,500 DK, $14,500 FD)

With the injuries piling up on the Cleveland side, it would be pretty foolish to not consider Teddy as your captain/MVP tonight. Teddy isn't the type of guy who will light the world on fire, but has the upside to be a profitable option. In six games this season, he's tallied 1,514 passing yards, 10 touchdowns to just four interceptions. Despite having Jerry Jeudy on the IR, top wide receivers Cortland Sutton and Tim Patrick are viable offenses to move the ball down the field against the porous Cleveland secondary. The Broncos have a passing funnel here, as the Browns have a DVOA of 17.3% (20th) against the pass and a DVOA of -30.9% (3rd) against the run. I'll spread my captainship across different members of the Denver passing game, but it's likely that Bridgewater will be my highest owned captain/MVP. 

O'Dell Beckham Jr. ($10,200 DK, $10,000 FD)

On the other side of the ball, we have OBJ. It's really unfortunate that OBJ isn't the fantasy receiver he once was, but injuries have derailed his last few seasons, and quarterback play hasn't helped. After missing weeks one and two, Beckham has caught just 14 of 27 targets for 203 yards and hasn't found the end zone yet. I think he should see more targets tonight as Case Keenum will need to use him as a safety blanket without Chubb or Hunt in the backfield. He gets a solid matchup against Denver as well who has a 43.3% DVOA against 'WR1s' this season. If the Broncos are able to put up points early, there's no reason that OBJ isn't the best "run-back" option on the Cleveland side of the ball.

Other Captain/MVP Plays: Cortland Sutton, Broncos D/ST (GPP Only)

 

DFS Flex Plays

Case Keenum ($9,400 DK, $5,000 FD)

If I'm being quite honest, I forgot that Case Keenum was in the league. Whenever I hear his name I smile though, as it brings me back memories of the Eagles' 38-7 victory in the 2017 NFC Championship (sorry, Vikings fans). After that magical season in Minny, Keenum has been nothing but average, throwing 5,643 yards with 29 touchdowns to 20 interceptions since 2018. He is reunited with former QB coach Kevin Stefanski, though, and could invigorate some of that magic tonight. I don't expect much, but between the game script pointing to the Browns throwing the ball combined with the Broncos having a DVOA of 18% (21st) against the pass, he's a viable flex option considering there aren't many viable flex options on the board tonight. Oh, and there is a revenge narrative here as well, as Case Keenum quarterbacked the Broncos in 2018.

Tim Patrick ($7,600 DK, $11,000 FD)

A fantasy surprise this season, Tim Patrick has taken a nice step forward, catching 25 of 34 targets for 344 yards and three touchdowns this season. With Jeudy on the IR and Noah Fant in a tough matchup, I think both Patrick and Sutton are excellent options for both captain/MVP and flex. Cleveland has a DVOA of 15.1% (20th) against 'WR2s', and I think both Denver wide receivers are primed to have a good night. 

Other Flex Plays: Melvin Gordon, Donovan Peoples-Jones

 

DFS Value Plays

D'Ernest Johnson ($4,600 DK, $10,000 FD)

It's expected that Johnson will be pretty chalky tonight, considering he'll likely be given the lead rushing role for Cleveland. He's only rushed the ball three times this season for 11 yards. He's also caught one pass on one target for seven yards. There's a lot of unknown about Johnson. While he's not Nick Chubb or Kareem Hunt, Browns folks are bullish on Johnson being able to run behind Cleveland's offensive line that is 7th in the league in power run blocking and lead the league in 2nd level blocking and open field yards. This is sure to regress with Johnson, but creates optimism that he'll hit value in this one.

Broncos D/ST ($3,400 DK)

This is a play just based on the game total for this one and of course the fact that Cleveland is missing four of their top five offensive playmakers. While Denver's defense hasn't been great, coming into this one with a 6.8% DVOA (24th), they've been able to get to the quarterback. With a 6.7% adjusted sack rate, expect them to put pressure on Case Keenum and force a few turnovers while keeping the Cleveland offense at bay. 

Other Value Plays: Rashard Higgins, Austin Hooper

 

Overall Slate Note

This slate is pretty gross if I'm being honest. I myself will definitely be going lighter than typical showdown/single-game slates and mixing up ownership across all of the guys in my player pool. I normally wouldn't recommend putting both Melvin Gordon and Javonte Williams in the same lineup, but I will use that building strategy as a hedge in the event that Denver goes up early and doesn't look back. I'll mostly be on Denver's passing game though and minimizing my Cleveland ownership to 2-3 Browns in my lineups, depending on site. Let's hope this game is better than I expect it to be.

Have a good Thursday everyone, see you soon!



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!




Win Big With RotoBaller

Be sure to also check out all of our other daily fantasy football articles and analysis to help you set those winning lineups, including this new RotoBaller YouTube video:

More Weekly DFS Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
Fantasy Updates
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Luis Arraez17 mins ago

Suffers Injury On Saturday
DeAndre Hopkins1 hour ago

Expected To Play In Week 3
DK Metcalf1 hour ago

Active For Week 3
Ryan Preece3 hours ago

Will Start 25th At Texas
Chase Briscoe3 hours ago

The Top Value Play On Sunday At Texas
Ricky Stenhouse Jr3 hours ago

.'s Struggles At Texas To Continue This Weekend
Joey Logano4 hours ago

Makes For A Nice Bounce Back Play At Texas
NASCAR4 hours ago

Bubba Wallace Wins Pole At Texas Motor Speedway
Ryan Blaney5 hours ago

A Core Play At Texas
Harrison Burton5 hours ago

Still On Wood Brothers Hot Seat
Austin Cindric5 hours ago

Keeps On Struggling In Qualifying
Daniel Suarez5 hours ago

Thrives In Texas Qualifying Saturday
Jamaal Williams5 hours ago

Placed On Injured Reserve
Chase Elliott5 hours ago

Starts From Near The Back At Texas
Ross Chastain5 hours ago

Offers Less Upside At Texas
Jaylen Waddle5 hours ago

Won’t Play In Week 3 Against Denver
Ty Gibbs5 hours ago

Poised To Continue Strong Run In Texas
Aric Almirola5 hours ago

Tops Stewart-Haas In Qualifying
NASCAR6 hours ago

A.J. Allmendinger Surprises With Sixth In Qualifying
Kyle Larson6 hours ago

Starts 11th On Sunday Afternoon
Kyle Busch6 hours ago

Looks To Rebound On Sunday
Martin Truex Jr6 hours ago

. Hoping For Better Fortunes In Texas
Kenley Jansen9 hours ago

Returns From COVID List
Mike Trout10 hours ago

Hits Off Tee
Deon Jackson11 hours ago

Colts Release Deon Jackson
Yordan Alvarez11 hours ago

Doubles In A Run, Managing Elbow Issue
MLB11 hours ago

Diamondbacks-Yankees Postponed Saturday Due To Rain
MLB11 hours ago

Braves-Nationals Postponed On Saturday
Nolan Arenado11 hours ago

Cardinals Place Nolan Arenado On Injured List
Sandy Alcantara12 hours ago

Suffers Setback After Rehab Start
Clayton Keller12 hours ago

Ready To Become 100-Point Player
Nicklas Backstrom12 hours ago

Feeling At 100 Percent
Oliver Ekman-Larsson12 hours ago

Set To Get Look On Top Power-Play Unit
Carter Verhaeghe12 hours ago

Battling Muscle Tightness
Nikolaj Ehlers13 hours ago

Struggling With Neck Spasms
Logan Cooley13 hours ago

Scores Wonder Goal In Preseason Opener
13 hours ago

Chauncey Billups Backs Scoot Henderson To Become A "Star"
Josh Green13 hours ago

Aims To Become A Bigger Defensive Presence
Josh Hart13 hours ago

Set To See Minutes As Power Forward
Cade Cunningham13 hours ago

Jaden Ivey Believes Cade Cunningham Will "Shock" People
DeMar DeRozan14 hours ago

Ready To Shoot More Threes
Marcus Morris14 hours ago

Sr. Set To Remain A Starter In New Season
DK Metcalf17 hours ago

Returns To Practice On Friday
Brandon Lowe21 hours ago

Finished For 2023 With Knee Fracture
Salvador Perez21 hours ago

On Track For Return On Sunday
Andy Dalton21 hours ago

To Start In Week 3
Triston McKenzie21 hours ago

Set To Return For Sunday's Start
Jaden McDaniels22 hours ago

Timberwolves Desire To Extend Jaden McDaniels
Boston Celtics23 hours ago

Celtics Signing Lamar Stevens As Bench Piece
Frank Ntilikina23 hours ago

Could Be Limited At Training Camp
Jayson Tatum23 hours ago

To Play More Point Guard In 2023-24?
Randy Arozarena1 day ago

Leaves With Right Quad Tightness
Isiah Pacheco1 day ago

Picks Up Questionable Tag
Brandin Cooks1 day ago

Set To Return In Week 3
David Montgomery1 day ago

Doubtful To Play In Week 3
Ha-Seong Kim1 day ago

Returns To The Lineup
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.1 day ago

Rejoins The Lineup On Friday
Zay Jones1 day ago

Ruled Out For Sunday Against Houston
Luis Arraez1 day ago

Back In The Lineup On Friday
Puka Nacua1 day ago

Back At Practice On Friday
Rasmus Dahlin1 day ago

Sabres Aiming To Lock Up Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power Long-Term
Joe Burrow1 day ago

Limited In Friday's Practice
Connor Hellebuyck1 day ago

Focused On The Jets In 2023-24
DK Metcalf1 day ago

Questionable For Week 3
Trevor Zegras1 day ago

Jamie Drysdale Absent On First Day Of Camp
Jaylen Waddle1 day ago

Questionable With Concussion
Andrew Cogliano1 day ago

Hoping To Be Cleared For Season Opener
Amon-Ra St. Brown1 day ago

Listed As Questionable For Week 3
Alexander Barabanov1 day ago

Prefers To Remain In San Jose
Austin Ekeler1 day ago

Ruled Out Again
Mattias Ekholm1 day ago

Roughly A Week Away From Skating
Matt McLain1 day ago

On Track To Return Tuesday
Orion Kerkering1 day ago

Phillies Promote Prospect Orion Kerkering Friday
Michael Kopech1 day ago

Undergoes Surgery, Placed On Injured List
Luke Raley1 day ago

Placed On 10-Day Injured List
Jamaal Williams1 day ago

Ruled Out With Hamstring Issue
Royce Lewis1 day ago

Goes On Injured List
DeAndre Hopkins1 day ago

Listed As Questionable Against Browns
Christian Yelich1 day ago

Back In Brewers Lineup
Amari Cooper1 day ago

No Longer On The Injury Report
Deebo Samuel1 day ago

Considered Day-To-Day With Rib Injury
Damian Lillard1 day ago

Suns Considered Dark Horse To Facilitate Damian Lillard Deal
Donovan Mitchell1 day ago

Not Expected To Sign An Extension Next Summer
1 day ago

Amen Thompson Is Ready To Go For Training Camp
Buddy Hield1 day ago

Mavericks, 76ers, Bucks Have Shown Interest In Buddy Hield
Kelly Oubre1 day ago

Jr. Expected To Sign With 76ers
Mateusz Gamrot1 day ago

Seeking Victory In Seventh UFC Appearance
Rafael Fiziev1 day ago

Looks To Get Back In Win Column
Michelle Waterson-Gomez1 day ago

In Dire Need Of Victory
AJ Fletcher1 day ago

Set To Showcase On Main Card
Bryan Battle1 day ago

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 79
Evgeny Kuznetsov2 days ago

Sees New Head Coach As "Perfect Match"
Mark Scheifele2 days ago

Open To Staying With Jets
BUF2 days ago

Buffalo Sabres Reportedly Eyeing Patrick Kane
Alexander Romanov2 days ago

100 Percent For Training Camp
Jack Quinn2 days ago

Not Close To Returning
Christian Dvorak2 days ago

Out Until November
Jusuf Nurkic2 days ago

Heading To Phoenix?
Damian Lillard2 days ago

Could Be Moved Before Training Camp
Ricardo Ramos2 days ago

Set For First Fight In Over A Year
Charles Jourdain2 days ago

Hoping To Bring UFC Record Above .500
Marina Rodriguez2 days ago

Gets A Rematch At UFC Vegas 79
Dan Ige2 days ago

Enters UFC Vegas 79 On Two-Fight Win Streak
Bryce Mitchell2 days ago

Looking To Bounce Back After First Career Loss
VEG2 days ago

Daniil Miromanov Ruled Out Long-Term
Chris Wideman2 days ago

Out Indefinitely With Back Injury
Mason McTavish2 days ago

Nursing An Upper-Body Injury
Brooklyn Nets3 days ago

Jordan Hall Signs With Nets
Xavier Moon3 days ago

Signs With Clippers
Aleksej Pokusevski3 days ago

To Miss Next Six Weeks
Buddy Hield3 days ago

Pacers Attempting To Trade Buddy Hield
Alexa Grasso5 days ago

Retains Flyweight Title With Split Draw
Valentina Shevchenko5 days ago

Unsuccessful In Bid To Recapture Title
Jack Della Maddalena5 days ago

Pulls Out Close Decision Win At Noche UFC
Kevin Holland5 days ago

Takes Close Loss In Split-Decision Showing
Raul Rosas Jr.6 days ago

Knocks Out Terrance Mitchell In 54 Seconds

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP