The Week 8 edition of Thursday Night Football sees the 5-1 Minnesota Vikings travel to Los Angeles to take on the 2-4 Rams. The Vikings are hoping to rebound from their first loss of the season while the Rams look to build on the return of Cooper Kupp. The Vikings are currently 2.5-point road favorites over the Rams on DraftKings Sportsbook.
There are far more ways to get involved in the action than just traditional betting. One of the more unique features on DraftKings this year is Pick6 Fantasy Football!
Vikings at Rams Pick6 Plays
The Vikings were the final undefeated team in the NFC before losing a thriller to the Lions last week. They will look to bounce back quickly with a primetime road win over the Rams. Minnesota has been one of the best teams in the league on both sides of the ball this season. However, in such a tight divisional race, it can’t afford to drop a second straight game against LA.
The Rams have had a bit of a lost season with Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua out for most of the season, but Kupp returns in this game for the first time since Week 2. The Rams finally picked up their second win of the season against the Raiders last week and will look to build on that momentum with Kupp back on the field.
Here are my top Pick6 plays for the Thursday night NFC matchup.
Aaron Jones More Than 68.5 Rushing Yards
Aaron Jones has been a boom-or-bust player so far this season but he has gone well over his props in the weeks that he hits. He has rushed for 32 or fewer yards in two games this season against the Jets and 49ers, both very good run defenses. However, in his other four games, he has rushed for 93 yards or more. Most recently, he ran for 93 yards against the Lions on Sunday. The Rams are the 28th-ranked run defense in the league by EPA/rush and Jones should be able to shred this Los Angeles front seven on the ground.
Jordan Addison More Than 39.5 Receiving Yards
Jordan Addison is averaging 52.3 receiving yards per game this season. Against a bad Rams defense, the entire Vikings offense should be productive. Aaron Jones will be able to run the ball well, which will set up the play-action pass game, where Addison has been successful in catching deep shots. The amount of attention defenses put on Justin Jefferson opens up the field for guys like Addison to catch some long passes.
Cooper Kupp More Than 6.5 Receptions
Cooper Kupp is back for the Rams. In the roughly 5.5 quarters he played this season, nobody in the NFL has a higher target share than Kupp. He had 14 catches on 21 targets against the Lions in Week 1. In Week 2, he had four catches on six targets despite getting hurt in the second quarter. If he hits anywhere near that pace in this game, he should comfortably go over 6.5 receptions. The Vikings also have the best run defense in the league, so the Rams should lean heavily on Matthew Stafford in this game.
Tutu Atwell More Than 39.5 Receiving Yards
With Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp both out for most of the season, Tutu Atwell has led the Rams in receptions and receiving yards. In the four games without Kupp, Atwell is averaging 71 receiving yards per game. While his target share may go down slightly with Kupp back, he will also be getting significantly less attention from opposing defenses. Atwell has become a reliable target for Matt Stafford and when Kupp is covered, he should be the first person Stafford turns to. If he can be the Rams’ WR2 until Nacua comes back, he should still put up productive numbers.
Will Reichard More Than 7.5 Kicking Points
Will Reichard has been one of the best kickers in the NFL this season as a rookie. He is 12/12 on field goals, including being 4/4 from 50+ yards, and 18/18 on XPs this season. That means Kevin O’Connell is comfortable going with Reichard from anywhere on the field, giving him more opportunities to kick. Reichard is averaging nine kicking points per game and has made two or more field goals in four out of six games this season. He should have another great kicking game in what could be a high-scoring game between these two teams.
Matthew Stafford More Than 0.5 Interceptions Thrown
The Vikings have an elite defense and have forced mistakes out of almost every quarterback they have faced this season. Other than Jared Goff last week, the Vikings forced an interception out of every starting quarterback they faced this season. In fact, Daniel Jones and C.J. Stroud both threw two INTs against them while Aaron Rodgers and Jordan Love had three INTs against Minnesota. The Vikings lead the league with 1.8 opponent interceptions thrown per game. Matt Stafford has thrown an interception in three straight games and should throw another one here against Minnesota.
What is DraftKings Pick6?
Pick6 is a peer-to-peer fantasy variant where you build a lineup (your “Pick Set”) of two or more players and select whether you believe each will outperform their listed stat projection. Enter your Pick Set in Pick6 contests to compete against other users. Get enough picks correct and win a share of cash prizes.
How to Play DraftKings Pick6
Create a Pick Set
Create a Pick Set by choosing two or more players from the same sport and Pick Group (a set of picks available from a group of set competitions). For each player, simply select if you think they’ll have more or less than their listed stat projection. In each Pick Set, you cannot pick the same player twice and you must pick players from at least two different teams.
Enter an Amount
Once you finalize your Pick Set, choose your entry fee amount. Your entries will be automatically distributed into available contests, subject to your confirmation.
Sweat Your Picks
When the games go live, use the My Picks tab to follow your picks in real time to track how your players are performing against their projections and how they stack up against other users.
Compete for Prizes
Make enough correct picks and win a share of the contests’ guaranteed prizes. Any prizes won will be credited to your DraftKings account after contests are finalized.
Play at DraftKings Pick6 or by downloading the DraftKings Pick6 app on Apple or Google!
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and customer (my username is blakekrass) 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 cannot access any non-public information.
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