Week 1 of the 2024 season has arrived! The Chiefs will be stepping right back into primetime to defend their title, this time facing the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday Night Football.
Hitting on your Captain (CPT) is essential to having Showdown DFS success on DraftKings. Players drafted as Captain earn 1.5x fantasy points, so they can make or break your slate. Let’s take a look at my favorite Captain plays for this week’s TNF slate.
Set your DraftKings fantasy football lineups here: NFL $2.5M Thursday Kickoff Millionaire [$1M to 1st] (BAL @ KC)
DraftKings Showdown Captain (CPT) Picks
Lamar Jackson ($17,100)
Lamar Jackson is the most expensive player on this list and rightfully so. The reigning MVP averaged 20.7 fantasy points per game last year based on DraftKings scoring and there is reason to believe he can be even better this year. In 2023, Jackson had a career-high 3,678 yards through the air with 24 touchdowns. He also added 821 yards on the ground and five touchdowns.
Derrick Henry’s impact on Jackson’s workload will be an interesting development to follow. Jackson entered camp having reportedly lost 25 pounds and has presumably gained an even more impressive burst in his step. While Henry will be an important part of the Ravens’ offense, expect Jackson to continue to be as effective as he has been from a fantasy perspective.
Patrick Mahomes ($15,600)
Patrick Mahomes will be at the epicenter of everything the Chiefs do offensively once again. The two-time MVP is coming off a bit of a down fantasy season in which he averaged 19.3 points per game based on DraftKings scoring. He ranked 50th overall in fantasy production last year which is his worst ranking since becoming a full-time starter. Mahomes will benefit from having an improved wide receiver group this season.
Another argument in favor of choosing Mahomes is the Chiefs’ heavy reliance on him. The Ravens will be working to find the right balance between using Henry and Jackson. This will likely not happen within a week. Mahomes is sure to be at the core of everything the Chiefs will do.
Travis Kelce ($14,400)
Travis Kelce is the most expensive non-QB. The star tight end signed an extension this offseason and will continue to be relied on as the primary weapon for the Chiefs. Kelce finished last season with 93 receptions for 984 yards and five touchdowns. These are impressive numbers for the average player, but a down season for the three-time Super Bowl champ. That marked Kelce’s fewest yards since 2015 and fewest touchdowns since 2019.
From a fantasy perspective, Kelce averaged 15.1 points per game last season based on DraftKings scoring. For reference, he had 19.7 in 2022, 17.2 in 2021, 22.1 in 2020, and 16.3 in 2019. Expect a bit of a rebound from Kelce this season and this very well could start in Week 1.
Derrick Henry ($13,500)
My personal favorite captain’s choice for the week is Derrick Henry. In addition to his cheaper price relative to the aforementioned players, he has a strong chance to tally the most points out of every player in this list. Henry is a dynamic running back who has led in the NFL in carries four times. He has led the NFL in yards and touchdowns twice each. He will now face an opportunity to play in an offense in which he is not the sole offensive focus and will likely have the most wide-open running lanes he has ever seen.
It remains to be seen how involved in the offensive attack Henry will be, but the 30-year-old is accustomed to carrying an offense on his back from past years. Most notably, expect Henry to make his presence felt in the red zone. While Lamar Jackson will eat into some carries over the course of the drive, Baltimore will be reliant on Henry around the goal line. He has tallied 10 or more touchdowns in each of the past six seasons and has a strong chance to set a career-best in this category this year.
Set your DraftKings fantasy football lineups here: NFL $2.5M Thursday Kickoff Millionaire [$1M to 1st] (BAL @ KC)
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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.
