There is an exciting Thursday Night Football matchup as the Jets host the Texans to kick off Week 9 of the 2024 NFL season.
The Jets have lost five straight games and are looking to stop their season from spiraling further out of control. The Texans have played well this season but they are currently dealing with a lot of injuries on both sides of the ball, making this a tough spot on a short week.
There are plenty of breakdowns for the game’s outlook, player props, and more, but this article will look at some of the top DFS options to help you build your best Showdown team.
Set your DraftKings fantasy football lineups here: NFL $1.25M Spooky Showdown [$300K to 1st]
Captain Plays
Hitting on your captain (CPT) is essential to having Showdown DFS success on DraftKings. Players drafted as the captain earn 1.5x fantasy points, so they can make or break your slate. Here are my favorite captain plays for this week’s TNF slate:
Joe Mixon ($16,500)
Joe Mixon has been on fire since returning from injury. He has cleared 100 rushing yards in all three games and scored five total touchdowns. The Jets’ defense has been vulnerable all season, ranking 22nd in the NFL in defensive rush EPA. The Texans are short at wide receiver, with Stefon Diggs out for the season and Nico Collins out for this game. To make life easier for CJ Stroud, OC Bobby Slowik should rely heavily on Mixon to carry the offense for as long as possible. Unless the Texans get into a big deficit, which is unlikely, then they should stick with a run-first approach all game. That translates to a lot of carries and a lot of yards for Mixon which should result in at least one trip to the end zone.
Breece Hall ($10,400)
Breece Hall has been putting up big numbers the past few weeks after a slow start to the season. He is doing it all for the Jets at the moment. Despite getting a relatively equal share of the carries as rookie RB Braelon Allen, Hall has been the much more productive back. Hall averaged 5.0 YPC against the Patriots last week, cleared 100 receiving yards against the Steelers the week before, and combined for 169 rushing and receiving yards the week before that. Hall is rounding into form and should get more looks in this game, including at the goal line.
Value Picks
Garrett Wilson ($9,600)
Garrett Wilson has been the clear WR1 for the Jets, even after the arrival of Davante Adams. Wilson has been targeted more times this season than any other receiver in the NFL. It is worth paying this price for Wilson when you are guaranteed that he will get that many looks in every game. Wilson has also created such good separation all year that his YAC numbers are very good on top of the catches. He has cleared 100 receiving yards in three of his past four games and has scored two touchdowns in those games. The Texans have not been able to take away WR1s all year and Wilson should have a lot of success against them.
Dalton Schultz ($7,000)
Dalton Schultz should pick up a much bigger role with Nico Collins and Stefon Diggs out. In 2023, Schultz was a reliable target for CJ Stroud but his production has gone downhill this season with such a loaded wide receiver room and Joe Mixon in the mix. However, that tight-end outlet will become important for Stroud with less experienced receivers in the game. The Jets also have a good pass rush which should get to Stroud, making those quick throws to the tight end even more important. Schultz had 52 receiving yards last week, his highest mark of the season so far, and should keep getting targets in this new-look Texans offense.
Ka’imi Fairbairn ($5,200)
Fairbairn has been one of the best kickers in the league this season. He is 19/21 on field goals and 17/17 on XPs. Fairbairn has also been nails from deep, going 9/10 on 50+ yard field goals. Fairbairn’s reliability on long-field goals has made decisions easier for DeMeco Ryans on fourth downs because he knows he can trust his kicker. In this road game on a short week with a banged-up offense, Ryans should call a very conservative game which should result in more looks for Fairbairn rather than potentially aggressive calls on fourth down.
Xavier Gipson ($1,200)
Xavier Gipson had been quiet this season until last week when he got into the end zone. Aaron Rodgers has spoken a lot this season about wanting to get Gipson more involved in the offense because of the unique skill set he possesses. He is somebody that the Jets can use in the screen game, out of the backfield, in the slot, and many different ways inside the red zone. That makes him a dangerous threat to get in the end zone anytime they are in a goal-to-go situation. Gipson got more snaps in the slot last week with Allen Lazard out. Lazard is set to miss this game as well. Gipson should see more time on the field and is clearly someone Rodgers looks for close to the end zone.
Set your DraftKings fantasy football lineups here: NFL $1.25M Spooky Showdown [$300K to 1st]
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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.
