Best DFS lineup strategy for 49ers-Titans on Thursday night

Two playoff contenders will do battle on Thursday night when the AFC South-leading Tennessee Titans host the San Francisco 49ers, who are looking to win their third consecutive game.

The Titans (9-5) have dropped three of their previous four games and will have to turn the page quickly after they were held scoreless after halftime and squandered a 10-point lead in a road loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The 49ers (8-6) are going in the other direction as they have won five of their past six games. They overwhelmed the Falcons, 31-13, in Week 15 with the help of 162 rushing yards and three TDs on the ground.

Here are the players to target in this game for your DFS contests on Thursday night.

Injuries

49ers running back Elijah Mitchell will be a game-time decision. He has missed the past two games and although he has cleared the league’s concussion protocol, he is still managing a knee injury. Titans wideout A.J. Brown appears likely to return to action after missing three games due to a chest injury. The news is not as positive for Julio Jones, who left last week’s loss early due to a hamstring injury and didn’t practice on Monday or Tuesday.

Captain’s Chair

George Kittle, TE, 49ers — ($16,800)

The Titans don’t offer a great matchup for tight ends, but that may not matter for Kittle who has been a man possessed over the past three games, catching 28 of 33 targets for 425 yards and three touchdowns. He’ll cost $16,800 as your captain, but he’s been so undeniable of late, it’s worth paying that price. Stay with the hot hand here; you know Jimmy Garoppolo will.

D’Onta Foreman, RB, Titans — ($11,400)

Neither quarterback is appealing for DFS here. They are both flawed players attached to pretty conservative offenses. So, the second-best captain option is probably Foreman at $11,400. He’s not a fun player to watch because he is pretty slow, but he has been getting it done for fantasy managers with at least 14 DK points in three consecutive games. He was bothered by an ankle injury in Week 15, but he’s on track to see another 15-20 touches against a middling run defense on Thursday.

Value Plays

Jeff Wilson Jr, RB, 49ers — $7,800

With Mitchell out, Wilson is a pretty easy buy at his price. Granted, the Titans have permitted the fewest DraftKings points per game and just shut down Najae Harris to 18 yards on 12 carries, but the touches should be there for Wilson to pay off. He handled the rock 23 times for 119 yards and a score last week. The worry here is that if Tennessee grabs an early lead, Wilson may take a back seat, but the value here is difficult to ignore.

Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, WR, Titans — $5,400

It’s hard to ask for consistency from any of the Titans’ secondary pass-catchers, but NW-I has seen at least six targets in three of the past four games, and he should get a sufficient number of looks with Julio likely sidelined again. His 107 yards yards in Week 11 looks like a total outlier at the moment, but he should have opportunities to put up a useful box score against a Niners defense that has allowed seven receiving touchdowns to WRs in their past four games. Eight wideouts accrued double-digit DraftKings points during that stretch.