Week 8 will be concluded by just one Monday Night Football game this week as the Steelers face off against the Giants. This matchup will be taking place in Pittsburgh as the Steelers enter with a 5-2 record while the Giants sit at just 2-5 on the year.
The Steelers enter at 6-point favorites in the matchup and -278 on the Moneyline. The Giants are +225 on the Moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook with the game total set at 36.5 points.
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!
Steelers vs Giants Pick6 Plays
The biggest storyline for the Steelers season has been the quarterback outlook. Justin Fields suited up for the first six games of the season and led the team to a 4-2 record while playing some solid football. Even still, Pittsburgh elected to make a quarterback change last week and turned the reigns over to Russell Wilson. The veteran struggled through the first half but showed why the decision was made and opened up the aerial attack in a way Fields was unable to. Mike Tomlin continues to play mind games with the quarterback outlook, but Fields is considered questionable for this game and the expectation is for Wilson to start again tonight.
Regardless of the quarterback, the Steelers’ defense will be the driving force of their success. They rank second in the NFL in points allowed and sixth in yards this season. Pittsburgh has held teams to 15 points or fewer in five of their seven games thus far.
New York also has quarterback concerns but without alternative options. Daniel Jones will continue to be the starting quarterback and play through the flaws in his game. While Jones has had some solid stretches this year and is not the main issue with this Giants’ team, there is not much optimism for him to become the guy to turn things around for the team. Overall the Giants rank 31st in scoring and 27th in yards gained.
With the stage set, here are my top Pick6 choices for the Week 8 Monday night matchup.
Russell Wilson More Than 202.5 Passing Yards
The level of play from Russell Wilson with the Broncos was concerning, to say the least. To take it a step further, it is a bit telling that it took so long for Wilson to take over as the starting quarterback when battling with Justin Fields. While the lingering calf injury was a factor, Wilson had every opportunity to win the job throughout training camp and failed to do so.
With this all said, the offensive improvements brought on by Wilson are clear. He shows a willingness to throw the ball downfield in a way that Fields did not. The former Super Bowl champion completed 15 of his 29 pass attempts for 264 yards and a pair of touchdowns in his Steelers’ debut. He connected with George Pickens on a 44-yard pass in the game and showed the willingness to put the ball up for grabs and allow the Steelers star wide receiver to make a play.
Heading into this matchup, expect more of the same game plan. Wilson has thrown for more than 202.5 passing yards per game every season of his career except for his rookie season. Expect Pittsburgh to open up the playbook a bit more this week and continue to shift into a more pass-oriented attack than was the case with Fields. The 202.5 passing margin is too low for Wilson based on his track record and he should have no problem recording more passing yards in the matchup.
George Pickens More Than 61.5 Receiving Yards
George Pickens likely cracks the top of the list for players impacted by the Steelers’ quarterback change. The third-year pass-catcher is coming off a 1,140 receiving-yard season last year in which he tallied five touchdowns and led the NFL in net yards per reception. Through the opening seven games of this season, Pickens has tallied 31 receptions for 474 yards and a touchdown.
While Pickens also had a 113-yard receiving game with Fields as his quarterback, he looked even better playing with Wilson last week. In last week’s victory, he tallied five receptions for 111 yards and his first touchdown of the year. He has recorded more than 61.5 receiving yards in three of the seven games on the season overall.
Heading into this matchup, expect the deep targets to be a part of the Steelers’ game plan. The Giants allow a league-worst 60.7% completion percentage on deep balls this season. New York has allowed more than 61.5 receiving yards to seven different pass-catchers and at least one in every game except for the opening game against the Vikings. Expect George Pickens to be the next name to join this list and for him to headline the Steelers’ offensive attack.
Malik Nabers More Than 66.5 Receiving Yards
While Pickens may end up leading the game in receiving, we can expect Malik Nabers to give him a fight for the title. The rookie sensation has tallied 39 receptions for 427 yards and three touchdowns this season while missing a pair of games with a concussion. Nabers has tallied 66 or more receiving yards in four of the five games he has played in with last week’s 41-yard performance being the lone miss.
Chalk up last week’s struggles to the disastrous 28-3 blowout loss and him still shaking off the cobwebs of the two-week absence. Even while missing the two games, Nabers ranks 11th in the NFL in targets and 17th in receptions. He is the most talented player on the Giants’ offense and will be at the epicenter of their attack.
Pittsburgh’s defense has been sharp this season, but they rank 20th in passing yards allowed. Especially with the Steelers entering as notable favorites and looking like the more complete team, expect the Giants to be playing from behind and having to air the ball out. Count on Daniel Jones to target Nabers frequently and for Nabers to record more than 66.5 receiving yards in the matchup.
Theo Johnson Less Than 1.5 Receptions
Week 8 of the season was proudly claimed ‘National Tight Ends Day’ and for the first time all season, the players at this position delivered. On the season as a whole, the production from the tight-end position has been extremely disappointing. The Giants have been one of the biggest culprits regarding this level of production with just 14 total receptions coming from the tight end position so far this year.
Theo Johnson has headlined the tight end production on the team and has tallied 11 receptions for 115 yards on the season overall. The rookie seemed to be showing some signs of a breakout in Weeks 5 and 6 as he recorded eight receptions for 78 yards. Outside of this, he has not tallied more than one reception in a game and was not even targeted in last week’s loss. He also did not receive a target in the Giants’ Week 2 loss.
As the Giants face off with the stingy Steelers’ defense, expect New York to struggle. While better days are ahead for Johnson in his NFL career, he is not dynamic enough of a receiving talent to be a significant part of the game plan. Shift your focus to the more dynamic offensive talents and expect Johnson to remain on the back burner and fail to make an impact on this game.
Daniel Jones More Than 188.5 Passing Yards
It has been an up-and-down season for Daniel Jones as the starting quarterback for the Giants this year. Overall he is averaging 206.0 passing yards per game, but is coming off his worst passing performance of the season throwing for just 99 yards last week against the Eagles. Looking at the wider view, Jones has thrown for more than 188.5 passing yards in four of the seven games.
For this matchup with the Steelers, expect Jones to be prepared to air it out. Pittsburgh’s passing defense is their biggest weakness as shown by their 20th rank in passing yards allowed. The Steelers also have a great chance to take full control of this game and force the Giants to play from behind. If this is the case, expect Jones to be throwing the ball plenty.
Jones has an impressive wide receiver group around him that is capable of turning a short catch into a big play. It may not be the cleanest route to reaching it, but whether it is garbage time or in the regular flow of play, count on Jones to record more than 188.5 passing yards.
Najee Harris More Than 63.5 Receiving Yards
Najee Harris has quietly been one of the more productive running backs in the NFL since he has come into the league. He has tallied over 1,000 rushing yards in all three seasons thus far and has a great chance to reach this total once again.
So far this season, Harris has tallied 117 carries for 478 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He is coming off back-to-back weeks with over 100 yards rushing and has recorded more than 63.5 yards on the ground in five of the seven games. While there has been some positive buzz surrounding Jaylen Warren’s impact, Harris still recorded nearly double the carries last week and has nearly four times the amount of carries on the season.
Harris has had 13 or more carries in each game and this will continue against the Giants. Especially considering the blowout potential, Pittsburgh may be looking to keep the ball on the ground and burn out the clock. Whether it is the normal game script or increased volume sent Harris’ way, expect him to have no problem eclipsing 63.5 yards on the ground.
What is DraftKings Pick6?
Pick6 is a peer-to-peer fantasy variant where you build a lineup (your “Pick Set”) of at least two 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 2+ 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 select 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.
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is seanbarnard) 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.
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