Fantasy Football Picks: Bengals vs. Ravens DraftKings NFL DFS SNF Showdown Strategy

The Week 5 Sunday Night Football contest features an AFC North matchup between the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens.

Let’s look at this game from a DraftKings NFL Showdown perspective.

Set your DraftKings fantasy football lineups here: NFL $1.5M Sunday Night Showdown [$500K to 1st] (CIN vs BAL)

SHOWDOWN STRATEGY

Captain’s Picks

Tee Higgins (CP $12,300)

Ja’Marr Chase’s numbers are down this season. This isn’t a sophomore slump. Defenses are shifting their coverage and help to Chase’s side of the ball. This has allowed Higgins to enjoy a steady stream of one-on-one matchups, and he has enjoyed — 20 receptions for 315 yards and two touchdowns (he even missed part of the Jets game). Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey got torched by Chase last season, and Humphrey is having a rough start to the 2022 season, so he’ll definitely need help.

Higgins will be in one-on-one coverage against a pass defense that has allowed the most passing yards (1,261), most air yards (743) and the fifth-most yards after the catch (569) and touchdowns (eight). Chase and Joe Burrow still garner most of the attention from football fans. Higgins has begun to pique the interest of the masses, but most DFS players do not realize how good he is and his amazing role in this offense.

FLEX Plays

Ja’Marr Chase ($11,000)

Even with bracket coverage and double teams, Ja’Marr Chase can still go off. He can make catches that 99% of receivers in this league cannot, and he can break plays unlike any other. If he breaks one, then you’ll likely need him. If he breaks two — and he’s not in your lineup — go ahead and turn the TV off.

Joe Burrow ($10,600)

If Higgins or Chase are in the winning lineup, and this seems like a statistical certainty, then Burrow is going to tag along. If both go off, then Burrow will absolutely be in the winning lineup. If just one has an enormous game, then Burrow will still likely fit and Lamar Jackson ($12,200) will likely slide into the winning lineup. Jackson — on his own — is a better fantasy pick, but he doesn’t pair as well as Burrow and his receivers. Jackson has Mark Andrews ($9,600), but they’re facing a tougher defense. Ultimately, Burrow works better from the upside-combo perspective. The Burrow combo also allows for more differentiation. Burrow can even be paired with Joe Mixon ($8,800), who is a quality receiving back.

Fades

Rashod Bateman ($6,400)

Hollywood Brown was traded to the Cardinals and it was assumed that Bateman would become WR1 for the Ravens. He looked the part vs. the Dolphins — 4-108-1. In his other three games, he has seven receptions for 135 yards and a touchdown. Those are hardly WR1 numbers. Pro Football Focus ranks Bateman as the 70th wide receiver out of 106. It doesn’t seem like Week 5 will be a breakout week for the No. 27 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Cincinnati has the No. 8 pass-defense DVOA and the No. 13 defense vs. WR1. Tyreek Hill posted a 10 for 160 line on the Bengals in the Week 4 Thursday night matchup. Cee Dee Lamb caught seven passes for 75 yards and Diontae Johnson also caught seven for 55 yards. None of these receivers found the end zone. More importantly, all of these receivers are significantly better than Rashod Bateman.

THE OUTCOME

Which version of the Bengals will show up on Sunday night? Cincinnati has the offense and the defense that can throttle opponents. They also have the propensity to play down to their opponents. If Cincinnati puts together four solid quarters for the first time this season, then they will smoke the Ravens. If they play around, they’ll find out. The Ravens don’t have the dogs to hang with the Bengals if Joe Burrow et al are dialed in. This is a big divisional game and a launching pad for the rest of the Bengals’ season.

Final Score: Cincinnati 31, Baltimore 20

Set your DraftKings fantasy football lineups here: NFL $1.5M Sunday Night Showdown [$500K to 1st] (CIN vs BAL)

Put your knowledge to the test. Sign up for DraftKings and experience the game inside the game.

I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is greenflagradio2) 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.