This article is part of our DFS NFL series.
Thursday Night Football brings a matchup between two disappointing teams in the Colts and Broncos. The Broncos are 2-2, while the Colts are 1-2-1. Both teams are dealing with injuries to their starting running backs, as well. As we try to make sense of this matchup, there is money to be won on Monkey Knife Fight.
Three Game Types are offered, including "More Or Less," "Rapid Fire" and "Stat Shootout." For a full breakdown of the rules for each game, see the House Rules page. Let's dive into some of the contests within each Game Type and discuss how things might play out.
More Or Less Contest
One option to ponder is a 2/3 goal for 1/7X the prize. The options are Russell Wilson to score 18.5 fantasy points, Matt Ryan to score 15.5 fantasy points and Courtland Sutton to score 14.5 fantasy points. Ryan has had significant turnover issues in his first four games with the Colts, throwing five interceptions and losing three fumbles. He has actually fumbled nine times, but six were recovered by the Colts. If there is a bright side, he has thrown for at least 350 yards in a game twice, while totaling five touchdown passes. That said, give me the under on his fantasy points total. The Broncos have allowed the fifth-fewest passing yards per game in the league, with just three passing touchdowns.
For Sutton, I'll roll with the over. While he had a season-low 52 receiving yards in Week 4, he caught his first touchdown in the process. He's received at least seven targets in all four games, and a total of six targets inside the red zone. With his target share and big-play ability, another juicy stat line could be forthcoming.
Rapid Fire Contest
For this contest, let's look at a 2/3 goal for 1.7X the prize. The options are Ryan vs. Wilson passing yards (with Ryan receiving a +5.5 yards bonus), Sutton vs. Michael Pittman receiving yards (with Pittman receiving a +1.5 yards bonus) and Melvin Gordon vs. Nyheim Hines rushing yards (with Hines receiving a +17.5 yards bonus).
With regard to Sutton and Pittman, take Sutton. The Broncos defense will provide a tough opponent, and Pittman could see a lot of cornerback Patrick Surtain II. Sutton and Pittman have both surpassed 120 receiving yards in a game once this season, and Sutton has at least 72 yards in three of four games. They have similar upsides, but give the matchup edge to Sutton.
With regard to rushing yards for Gordon and Hines, take Gordon, even with Hines receiving the hefty bonus. Hines is more of a pass-catching running back. Jonathan Taylor (ankle) is out, which will be the first game that he has missed since 2020. When Taylor sat Week 12 of that year, Hines only had 29 yards on 10 carries. However, he had eight receptions for 66 yards. Gordon is a more traditional running back, and he should see plenty of work with Javonte Williams (knee) out for the season.
Stat Shootout Contest
Despite this game having two struggling quarterbacks, an appealing option is for three players to combine for 17.5-plus receptions for 2X the prize. The two top choices for this are Sutton and Pittman. Pittman is averaging 9.3 targets and 6.7 receptions per game, while Sutton is averaging 8.8 targets and 6.0 receptions per game.
For the final option, I'm targeting Hines. He's already been an important part of their passing game, catching a total of 17 passes through four games. With Taylor out, Hines should spend even more time on the field. It wouldn't be a surprise to see him approach double-digit targets.
