This article is part of our DFS NFL series.
It doesn't get much better than the Thursday Night Football matchup for Week 10. It's an AFC North battle between the Ravens and Bengals. Let's dig into the DFS options for the single-game contests on DraftKings and FanDuel.
Quarterback
Lamar Jackson ($11,400 DK, $15,500 FD) is dealing with a knee injury, but it will not prevent him from playing. He was also battling injury heading into Week 9 and threw for 280 yards and three touchdowns against the Broncos. In his last five games, he has thrown for 1,521 yards and 15 touchdowns, while also rushing for 197 yards. That included a Week 5 game against the Bengals in which he threw for 348 yards and four touchdowns, to go with 55 rushing yards. His ceiling is as high as any player in this game, making him difficult to pass up in DFS.
Joe Burrow ($10,400 DK, $14,000 FD) exploded for five touchdowns against the Raiders last week. He had thrown three total touchdown passes over his previous three games. He also exploded in that Week 5 matchup between the Bengals and Ravens, throwing for 392 yards and five touchdowns. The Ravens have allowed the most passing yards per game in the league, so squeezing Jackson and Burrow into the same DFS lineup isn't a bad idea.
Running Back
There continues to be no stopping Derrick Henry ($11,200 DK, $14,500 FD), who ran for 106 yards and two touchdowns last week. He has scored a touchdown in every game this season and has rushed for at least 100 yards in a game five times. While Justice Hill ($5,200 DK, $7,500 FD) doesn't usually receive many carries behind him, he has posted at least 43 receiving yards in a game four times. In what could be a high-scoring affair, Hill is a viable option in tournament play.
With Zack Moss (neck) landing on injured reserve, Chase Brown ($9,000 DK, $12,500 FD) is the clear top running back for the Bengals. He had his best game of the season last week, posting 157 total yards and a touchdown against the Ravens. This will be a much more difficult matchup for him, considering that the Ravens have allowed the fewest rushing yards per game in the league. Avoiding him in DFS might be best.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
With Jackson thriving, Zay Flowers ($9,600 DK, $12,000 FD) has recorded at least seven receptions and 111 receiving yards in four of his last five games. Behind him on the Ravens' depth chart are two underwhelming DFS options in Rashod Bateman ($5,800 DK, $8,000 FD) and Diontae Johnson ($4,800 DK, $11,000 FD). Bateman has finished with 30 receiving yards in a game four times this season. In his first game since being acquired from the Panthers, Johnson played just 16 offensive snaps and was not targeted against the Broncos. It could take him some time to get involved in their offense.
The big news on the injury front for the Bengals in this game is that Tee Higgins ($8,800 DK, $10,500 FD) is doubtful with a quadriceps injury. He has already missed the last two games with the injury and his likely continued absence will be significant. The Bengals have yet to get much production out of their other wide receivers behind Ja'Marr Chase ($10,800 DK, $13,000 FD). One player who has benefited from Higgins being out has been tight end Mike Gesicki ($6,600 DK, $9,500 FD). In the last two games, he has caught 12 of 14 targets for 173 yards and two touchdowns. Also working in his favor is that the Ravens have given up the third-most receiving yards to tight ends in the league.
As far as tight end goes for the Ravens, Mark Andrews ($4,200 DK, $10,000 FD) has four touchdown receptions in his last four games. However, he only had 14 receptions for 169 yards during that span. The Bengals have given up five touchdowns to tight ends, so it wouldn't be a surprise if Andrews reaches the end zone again. Fellow Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely is out with a hamstring injury.
Kicker
The normally reliable Justin Tucker ($5,400 DK, $9,000 FD) has missed four of his 19 field goal attempts this season. He missed five all of last year. A concerning stat is that he is just 3-for-10 on field-goal attempts of at least 50 yards since the start of last season. Evan McPherson ($5,000 DK, $8,500 FD) hasn't exactly been dialed in from deep, either, making three of his six attempts from at least 50 yards this season.
Defense/Special Teams
Both of these defenses have struggled. The Bengals ($3,800 DK, $8,500 FD) have allowed 25.2 points per game, while the Ravens ($4,400 DK, $9,000 FD) have given up 24.3 points per game. Not only are the Ravens giving up a lot of yards through the air, but they are also tied for the third-most passing touchdowns allowed. A positive for their defense is that they have given up just six rushing touchdowns. The Bengals have not been as successful at keeping running backs out of the end zone, giving up 12 rushing scores.
