We’ve got a doozy of a matchup for Sunday Night Football, as the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens are two of the best teams in the NFL, with two of the premier quarterbacks in the league. While both teams sport good defenses, the O/U is 50.5—the highest in Week 1—so the potential for fireworks and plenty of fantasy goodies is high. Nom nom nom.
While we’d love to stack our lineups with Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, and James Cook, there is a salary cap in this beautiful game that we play, so roster construction is of paramount importance. Finding lower-priced options is often the difference between screaming for joy and curling up and crying. Here are three value plays to consider in all DFS contests ahead of Sunday’s festivities.
Set your DraftKings fantasy football lineups here: NFL $1.25M Sunday Night Showdown [$300K to 1st, (BAL @ BUF)
RB Justice Hill, Baltimore Ravens ($3,000)
Derrick Henry is the man in the backfield, but he is not the most prolific pass catcher. Those responsibilities are held by Justice Hill. Last season, Hill led Ravens running backs with 51 targets.
The Bills and Ravens were both stout against the run last season, posting the second- and fourth-best EPA per carry. The total is over 50 points, so points are expected to be scored, and there could be elevated pass attempts. That means Hill could see more snaps than usual.
Last season, Buffalo allowed the third-most receptions to running backs. Granted, Lamar Jackson had the fourth-lowest checkdown rate last season, but Hill did post six double-digit FPTS games, with one over 20 FPTS.
WR DeAndre Hopkins, Baltimore Ravens ($4,200)
The volume may not be there for Hopkins, and he may not even be on the field all the time. But when the Ravens need to move the chains or get into the red zone, Hopkins will likely be a favorite of Jackson. Back in July, Jackson said, “He caught the ball so smoothly and got up easily.
I don’t even think he put his other hand on the ground to get up; he just caught the ball and just started running. That’s some super vet type of stuff. It’s just dope to have him here, and I am looking forward to throwing a lot of touchdowns to him this year.” A few weeks ago, Hopkins said that the chemistry has progressed well.
WR Josh Palmer, Buffalo Bills ($5,400)
Josh Allen spreads the ball around, so there will be no target hogs in the Bills’ passing attack. That makes any recommendation a gross one, but Allen is still going to throw passes, and Palmer has decent upside at the price.
After spending four seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers, Palmer was signed to a three-year, $29 million contract in free agency. He is 6’1″, 210 pounds, and runs a 4.57 40-yard dash. The aDOT was a healthy 15.2 last season, so he has the ability to stretch the field and make contested catches.
This game could be a shootout, with Palmer having a good chance to exceed salary expectations.
