There have been nine NFL teams to win back-to-back championships: Green Bay Packers, Miami Dolphins, Pittsburgh Steelers (twice), San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs.
Eight were unable to make it three in a row, but the Chiefs are still live to make history. DK Sportsbook currently has Kansas City as the favorite to win the Super Bowl at +500, but the San Francisco 49ers are right below at +600.
The Three-Peat has happened three times in the NBA: Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers. It’s been done four times in MLB: New York Yankees (three times) and Oakland Athletics.
The KC quest for three starts Thursday night when the Chiefs host the Ravens in the season opener. DK Sportsbook has Kansas City favored by three points with the O/U at 47.5.
Set your DraftKings fantasy football lineups here: NFL $2.5M Thursday Kickoff Millionaire [$1M to 1st] (BAL @ KC)
Captain’s Picks
Derrick Henry ($13,500 CP): Henry is the fourth-highest priced player on the slate, but he’s projected to be the eighth-most rostered player. He provides direct leverage against Lamar Jackson ($11,400), who will likely be on more than half of teams. Henry has a ton of miles on his legs and he’s approaching 30 years old, but the lanes he should see will be the parting of the Red Sea compared to what he had to deal with in Tennessee. Last season, there were plenty of teams that played good defense and pounded it on the ground against Kansas City. The New York Jets ran 16 times for 108 yards in a 20-23 loss. The Denver Broncos won 24-7 while rushing 40 times for 153 yards. The Green Bay Packers rushed 25 times for 129 yards in a win. The Las Vegas Raiders pounded it 29 times for 157 yards in an win. …in Kansas City. The Raiders.
UTIL Plays
Rashee Rice ($7,600): Last season under defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, the Ravens blitzed at the eighth-lowest rate (21.9%) while leading the league in net yards gained per passing attempt (4.7). Rice isn’t a burner with 4.51 40-yard speed. Instead, he uses his 6-foot-1, 204-pound frame to box out defenders in the short-to-intermediate areas of the field, which should align well with what will likely be available. Sure, the Ravens do have a new defensive coordinator in Zach Orr, but he’s been in the organization for years, so I don’t foresee drastic changes. If anything, the players may take some time to adjust to the little nuances that Orr implements. Last season, Rice received 102 targets and had four games with at least 10. More importantly, he led the team with 29 red zone targets despite starting only eight of 16 games.
Travis Kelce ($9,600): Kelce did miss three games last season and the Chiefs did seem to load manage him a bit, at least early, to make sure he was healthy for the playoffs. That said, he still led the team in targets with 121 and had 27 red zone looks. As mentioned above, the short-to-intermediate areas will likely be the paths of least resistance, so Rice and Kelce could both get theirs. In addition, the Ravens allowed the fewest rushing touchdowns last season and there’s no way Kelce doesn’t get busy with Taylor Swift in the stands. Before the leaked split becomes reality, the story tellers have to insert one last crescendo, right?
Isaiah Likely ($2,600): The third-year tight end for the Ravens has caught 66 of 100 targets for 784 yards and eight touchdowns in his career. It’s difficult to get too much playing time when Mark Andrews ($6,400) is ahead on the depth chart. In limited action, though, Likely has shown flashes and, with Andrews missing seven games last season due to injury, Likely averaged 13.7 yards per reception and garnered the trust of the team and coaching staff. During the offseason, there have been glowing reports and hints of more playing time. Baltimore was below league average in 12 personnel usage last season, but that could change this season, since they were very efficient when utilizing it. The risk/reward seems favorable at the price.
Fades
Isiah Pacheco ($8,400): This will be Pacheco’s third season in the NFL, and last year he improved in almost every statistical category from his rookie season. The emergence in the passing game — catching 44 of 49 targets — has been most illuminating. That said, the Ravens allowed the fewest rushing touchdowns last season and there’s uncertainty as to how much Samaje Perine ($3,000) will eat into his passing role. Over the last two seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals and Denver Broncos, Perine received 51 and 56 targets, respectively. Pacheco is the fifth-highest priced player on the slate and is projected to be the fifth-highest rostered player.
THE OUTCOME
The Ravens and Chiefs were top four in passing touchdowns allowed last season, while Baltimore was the stingiest on the ground with Kansas City tied for fourth in rushing touchdowns allowed. It’s a new season with changes on the Baltimore side, and both teams have explosive offenses, but I think both teams are well coached and disciplined. Therefore, I lean towards the under with the Ravens playing good defense, pounding the rock with Henry and walking out of Arrowhead Stadium with the victory.
Final Score: Ravens 23, Chiefs 20
Set your DraftKings fantasy football lineups here: NFL $2.5M Thursday Kickoff Millionaire [$1M to 1st] (BAL @ KC)
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is sontzu) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
