There is an important divisional Thursday Night Football matchup this week, as the Ravens host the Bengals to kick-off Week 10 of the 2024 NFL season.
The Bengals have won three of their past four games to get their season back on track. The Ravens also bounced back with a nice win over the Broncos last week. Both teams are still chasing the Steelers at the top of the AFC North and need a big win in this spot.
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 Thursday Night 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:
Ja’Marr Chase ($16,200)
Ja’Marr Chase leads the league in receiving touchdowns and is second in receiving yards. He is the go-to guy for Joe Burrow once again and has a very favorable matchup against Baltimore. The Ravens’ defense ranks 29th in the NFL in EPA/drop back and they have been shredded by multiple quarterbacks in recent weeks. The first time these teams faced this season, Chase had his biggest game of the year, going for 10 catches, 193 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Chase should have another monster performance against Baltimore on Thursday night and is well worth a play as a captain in your lineup.
Joe Burrow ($15,600)
Joe Burrow is an MVP candidate this season, ranking second in the league in passing touchdowns and QBR, as well as fifth in passing yards. Burrow is tied for fifth in the league in 40-plus yard passes and has been able to hit explosives to all of his receivers this season. The Ravens’ defense is 29th in the league in EPA/pass and has been susceptible to the deep ball all year. In their first matchup this season, Burrow had an amazing performance, with 392 passing yards and five touchdowns. He is also coming off a monster game where he had five passing touchdowns against the Raiders. This is a favorable matchup for Burrow and the Ravens will score a lot of points themselves, so Burrow will need to throw all game to keep up.
Value Picks
Mike Gesicki ($6,600)
Gesicki has had back-to-back huge games for the Bengals’ offense. Over the last two weeks, he combined for 173 yards on 12 catches and scored two touchdowns. In the past two games, Gesiciki has had two of his three biggest target shares of the season. Joe Burrow is really starting to rely on Gesicki and it is resulting in big numbers for the tight end. TEs have also played well against Baltimore this season. Five out of nine starting tight ends they have faced have put up at least 61 yards against. Gesicki should bet set for another big game against the Ravens.
Rashod Bateman ($5,800)
The Bengals’ defense is 20th in the league in EPA/drop back. They have given up some huge numbers to opposing wide receivers this season and Bateman could be in line for some explosive plays in this game. Bateman’s target share hasn’t been overwhelmingly high, but he has been explosive when he does get looks. Bateman is seventh in the league in yards per catch, among qualified wide receivers (17.9). In fact, the most targets Bateman has had in a single game all season was the first matchup against Cincinnati where he had 58 receiving yards and a touchdown. This should be a shootout between two great passing offenses and Bateman should find a way to break some big plays.
Justin Tucker ($5,400)
Justin Tucker is a Hall of Fame kicker but public perception has waned on him a bit this season. He missed a couple of long field goals early in the season and seems to have lost a bit of his power. However, he is still one of the best kickers in the league and currently ranks fifth in the NFL in fantasy points for kickers. Tucker is still 13-for-14 from inside 50 yards and is yet to miss an extra point this season. He is still incredibly reliable and, with how productive the Ravens’ offense is, he will always get plenty of chances to put up points, especially against a Bengals defense with a lot of issues.
Justice Hill ($5,200)
Justice Hill has struggled to get carries this season with Derrick Henry being the dominant back. However, he has been utilized in the passing game by Lamar Jackson. He has had 43 or more receiving yards in four out of nine games this season, including getting as many as 78 yards in one game. As the season goes on and more wear-and-tear accrues on Henry, there is a chance Hill will start to see more carries, as well. The Bengals’ defense is 30th in EPA/rush and 32nd in rushing success rate, so even on limited carries, Hill could make a big impact. He tied his season-high of five carries last week against Denver, and if that number increases, Hill could be in for a season-best performance.
Set your DraftKings fantasy football lineups here: NFL $1.25M Thursday Night 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.
