Two AFC East rivals face off in primetime when the scrappy New England Patriots take on Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets on Thursday Night Football.
To kick off a loaded Week 3 slate, DraftKings is having a Thursday Night Millionaire contest. In this mode, choosing the right captain is crucial since they earn 1.5x fantasy points. Here are three players that could lead your team to a big win before the start of the weekend.
Set your DraftKings fantasy football lineups here: NFL $1.5M Thursday Night Showdown [500K to 1st] (NE@NYJ)
DraftKings Showdown Captain (CPT) Picks
Aaron Rodgers ($15,000)
The results have been mixed for Aaron Rodgers in his first two games wearing a different shade of green. After a disappointing loss to the 49ers on Monday Night Football, New York and its Hall of Fame quarterback rebounded with a solid 24-17 win over the Titans last Sunday. While his numbers weren’t gaudy (186 passing yards), the 40-year-old threw two touchdowns without turning the ball over.
Going up against New England’s stout run defense, there’s a chance that the Jets might need someone other than Breece Hall ($17,700) to carry the offense. As a result, we could be in store for A-Rod’s first signature game as a Jet against a team that has had New York’s number for years; since 2014, New England is 18-2 in this matchup.
While the Patriots boast quality defensive backs like Christian Gonzalez and Kyle Dugger, they showed some vulnerability against the Seahawks last week. Geno Smith was able to throw for 327 yards, completing 33 of his 44 passes.
Even at his advanced age, Rodgers is still a Pro Bowl-caliber NFL quarterback. With Jerod Mayo’s defense focused primarily on stopping Hall, there should be plenty of looks for the veteran gunslinger on Thursday night.
Rhamondre Stevenson ($17,100)
Rhamondre Stevenson is the rare gamescript-proof running back. If the Patriots are winning handily, they have no problem handing the ball off to their best offensive weapon. Should New England find itself trailing in the second half, Stevenson is often fed a hefty diet of dump-off passes. Through two games, he’s recorded over 200 rushing yards to go along with five catches.
Despite Antonio Gibson’s ($5,400) performance on Sunday (96 rushing yards), Stevenson was still the clear 1A in this backfield with a team-leading 21 rush attempts. Expect that to continue Thursday in a game uniquely tailored to his skill set.
The Patriots, 6.5-point underdogs on DraftKings Sportsbook, will likely need to gain yards through the air while avoiding New York’s dangerous secondary. That should make the short-to-intermediate passing game a priority.
While Stevenson has rushed for just 3.1 yards per carry in three career games vs. NYJ, he’s made up for it with his work as a receiver (14 catches for 141 yards). Regardless of what the score is, New England will need to get its star heavily involved.
Garrett Wilson ($15,300)
If we’re going to play Rodgers, it only makes sense to buy into his star wideout as well. Garrett Wilson finally has competent quarterback play, but it hasn’t translated to the stat sheet. Having recorded ten catches for 117 yards, it’s fair to say the third-year man has been slightly underwhelming to start the season. That could change on Thursday.
Look a little closer, and you’ll see that the entire Jets offense has yet to find its rhythm; New York is averaging 265.5 total yards of offense this season. Against the Titans, wide receivers accounted for just eight of Rodgers’ 18 completions. Don’t expect Gang Green to become the Chiefs this week, but there should definitely be more downfield passes in the future.
As mentioned before, the Patriots’ back end isn’t infallible; Seattle’s D.K. Metcalf and Jaxon Smith-Njigba put together a combined 22 catches for 246 yards and a touchdown. On the year, they’ve given up the 4th most DK points to opposing wide receivers. A breakout game could be in store for Wilson, making him a prime DFS contest target this week.
Set your DraftKings fantasy football lineups here: NFL $1.5M Thursday Night Showdown [500K to 1st] (NE@NYJ)
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is barmy) and I 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.
