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Monday Night Football has arrived and we get treated to a key AFC North battle as the Baltimore Ravens take on the Cleveland Browns. This is a big pivotal matchup for the AFC Wild Card picture as both teams are in the hunt and a loss for the Ravens could really hinder their playoff chances. This game features an over/under of 46 with the Ravens being favored by 3 points.
In this article, I will be providing you with daily fantasy football picks on FanDuel and DraftKings for the Monday Night Football slate on December 14th (Week 14). These lineups can vary from higher-priced players and elite options to lower-priced players and value picks on both DraftKings and FanDuel.
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DFS Quarterbacks
The quarterback play for both teams must be exceptional if either team wants to walk away with a win on this showdown slate. This is a big game for both quarterbacks and while it might not end up resulting in a big game from a fantasy perspective, both Baker Mayfield and Lamar Jackson will need to be decisive with the football and protect it since both defenses will be lurking to force turnovers. Lamar Jackson had a nice bounce-back game against Dallas as he threw for two touchdowns and completed 70% of his passes. While Jackson has only thrown for 2,000 yards this season, the real upside lies with his rushing ability as he has had double-digit carries in five straight games and has over 600 rushing yards on the season. Jackson had a monster game against the Browns in Week 1 as he threw for three touchdowns and 275 yards while also rushing for 45 yards so it is hard to imagine him not being able to find success in both the air and on the ground. While the Browns Defense does a good job stopping the run, they rank 26th against the pass as they allow 274 passing yards per game so this could be a game where we see the Ravens lean on the passing game a tad more.
The Browns were red hot last week against the Tennessee Titans and partly due to the monster performance of Baker Mayfield who threw for 334 yards and four passing touchdowns. Mayfield was having a solid season to start but hit a dry spell where he didn't throw a touchdown pass for three straight games (the big factor was playing in games that featured terrible weather). He has bounced back quite nicely and is looking to erase a terrible Week 1 performance against Baltimore. In the opening game of the season, Mayfield completed 53% of his passes for 189 yards while throwing one touchdown and one interception. It was a very lackluster performance which left all of the Dawg Pound scratching their head wondering if this year would be another lost year. Mayfield is averaging 220 passing yards against Baltimore in his career and has eight passing touchdowns and seven interceptions. The Ravens allow 243 passing yards to opposing teams so if the Browns can establish the running game early on, it could open up things downfield for the Browns later on in the game.
Analysis: Jackson offers a higher floor and higher ceiling than Mayfield in this matchup and is the better overall quarterback option. Mayfield is a risky play with how much Cleveland runs the ball so he is better suited for tournament lineups only.
DFS Running Backs
Both the Ravens and the Browns have dominant running games and they will be featured throughout the game. The Browns run through Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt as this is the best 1-2 tandem in the league. Chubb is averaging 99 rushing yards per game and has eclipsed 100+ rushing yards in three out of his last four games played. Chubb sees a heavy volume as he has gotten 15+ carries in each of his last four games while also find the end zone in three of those games as well. Chubb was suppressed in Week 1 against the Ravens as he only saw racked up 60 yards on 10 carries but part of that was due to the negative game script and how quickly they fell behind in the game. Kareem Hunt is a very valuable piece to this Browns offense as well as he too has seen double-digit carries in each of his last four games played and also sees targets in the passing game as well. The Ravens Defense is allowing opponents to rush for 111 rushing yards per game so this seems to be a good spot for both Chubb and Hunt.
The Ravens will also try to establish the ground game and will most likely run through J.K. Dobbins. Dobbins has emerged as the lead back for this Ravens offense as he has lead all Ravens running backs in rushing attempts in three of his last four games played. Dobbins has attempted double-digit rushing attempts in three of those games and has scored a rushing touchdown in his two most recent games played. Mark Ingram II and Gus Edwards will split carries behind Dobbins but with how sporadic the carries can be for them, it is best to roster them in tournament lineups only. The Browns rank eighth in the league against the run as they limit opposing teams to just 104 rushing yards per game so in order for the Ravens to pull out the win, they will need to find a way to get the ground game going against a tough rushing defense.
Analysis: Load up on the running backs in this game! Chubb, Hunt, and Dobbins make for great plays in all formats while Ingram and Edwards could be used for tournaments only (risky plays).
DFS Wide Receivers
Both teams really focus on establishing the running game which usually means less production from both receiving crews. Ever since Odell Beckham Jr. was lost for the season, Jarvis Landry has emerged as the top target for Mayfield in this offense. Landry leads the team in target share and receptions and has seen double-digit targets in back-to-back games. Landry will continue to be a top option in this offense and we should expect him to be a viable play in all formats. Rashard Higgins looks to have carved out a role in this Browns offense as well as he has seen the second-most targets over the last four games played and has hauled in at least three catches in three of his last four games. If looking for more bargain bin plays from the Browns receivers, Donovan Peoples-Jones could be worth a look in tournament lineups. While he is a risky option, he has flashed big-play ability as he hauled in a 75-yard touchdown catch against Tennessee last week.
The Ravens will need to be more effective in the passing game if they really want to make a deep run at the playoffs. They are a very run-heavy offense but the minute they fall behind, they tend to struggle to get the passing game going. Marquis Brown leads the team in targets and while he has shown his big-play ability, there have been times where the Ravens have fazed him out in the gameplan altogether. He has seen eight targets in each of his last two games and has also hauled in a touchdown in each game so it seems as if they are making it a priority to getting him the ball. Willie Snead IV, Miles Boykin, and Devin Duvernay round out the receiving group and while they can't be fully trusted in cash game builds, they make for great tournament pairings with Jackson. Snead is the safest option as he has seen seven targets in three out of his last four games played and has built a solid rapport with Jackson while Duvernay and Boykin are still battling for a few targets per game for themselves.
Analysis: Landry looks to be the safest receiving option in this game and is worth looking at in all formats. Brown and Snead are the safest Ravens options but with how run-centric this offense is, they aren't as reliable as Landry. Higgins, Peoples-Jones, Duvernay, and Boykin should all be in tournament player pools as they could help differentiate your lineups and provide salary relief.
DFS Tight Ends
The tight end position could be a good position to target in this game, especially for your tournament builds. Mark Andrews is the top tight end target on the slate for both teams as he leads all tight end option with 60 targets, 38 receptions, and six touchdowns. Andrews is averaging six targets per game and actually leads the Ravens in touchdown receptions. He has built a great rapport with Jackson and will be looked at early and often when the Ravens do decide to throw the football. Andrews had himself a great game when they played Cleveland in Week 1 of the season as he hauled in five of six targets for 58 yards and two receiving touchdowns. The Browns look to be without their starting tight end Austin Hooper so Harrison Bryant and David Njoku look to be the tight end pairing that will take over the pass-catching duties for the Browns. Bryant has seen 23 targets on the season while Njoku has only seen 15 total targets so they will see a small bump with Hooper out and for their price points, they would be viable in all formats. Bryant leads the Browns tight end crew with three receiving touchdowns and could see more targets in the end-zone should the Browns get into scoring position.
Analysis: Andrews is the best option out of the tight end group and is one of the better receiving options on the slate. Hooper is out so Bryant and Njoku will split the tight end targets but for their prices, they could be viable in all formats.
DFS Defense/Special Teams
This game features a lower point total which means it could be a grind-out type of game with fewer scoring opportunities. The Ravens are averaging 24 points per game while the Browns are averaging 24.2 points per game so this should be a close game. Both teams rank in the top three when it comes to rushing yards per game and both squads rank in the bottom four when it comes to passing yards per game. The philosophies of both teams are identical as they want to run the clock, keep control of the ball and limit turnovers. With all of this being said, this means that both defenses are in play especially if we are anticipating this being a field position battle. With the scoring chances being more limited, both Justin Tucker and Cody Parkey are in play as they both average over eight DK points per game. Both kickers are valuable weapons for their teams as they are both making roughly 90% of their field goal attempts which bodes well for rostering them in showdown contests.
Analysis: Both defenses and kickers are in pay for all formats. The low total indicates that the scoring chances will be sparse which means that teams might also opt to kick field goals when the chances present themselves.
Good luck, RotoBallers, and remember to mix it up and don't be afraid to be different in these large field GPPs!
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