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Thursday Night Football has arrived and we get treated to a great matchup as the New England Patriots head west to take on the Los Angeles Rams. This is a key game for both squads as the Patriots are looking to keep pace with all of the other AFC wild-card teams while Los Angeles looks to fend off their divisional opponents as a win would give them a one-game lead in the NFC West division heading into the weekend. This game features an over/under of 44.5 with the Rams being favored by 6 points.
In this article, I will be providing you with daily fantasy football picks on FanDuel and DraftKings for the Thursday Night Football slate on December 10th (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
This game features two quarterbacks that have polar opposite styles of playing the quarterback position. Cam Newton has always been a player that has relied on his athletic ability more than anything else while Jared Goff is more of a traditional pocket passing quarterback that relies on his arm talent and a clean pocket. Both quarterbacks have flashed brilliance but have also had their bumps along the way this year and both opposing coaches will have their hands full containing them and their offenses. Cam has been very up and down this season as he has only thrown for 2,053 yards and five passing touchdowns while throwing nine interceptions. Newton has found plenty of success running the ball though as he has over 400 yards rushing and 11 rushing touchdowns on the season. He has had 10+ rushing attempts in three out of his last five games and that is really where his fantasy upside lies. The matchup is extremely tough as the Rams Defense is tops against the pass and is the third-best defense against the run so Newton will literally need to carry the rock and find the end zone several times to pay off his value.
Goff on the other hand will need to be precise with his passes if he wants to succeed against this stingy Patriots Defense. The Patriots are limiting opponents to scoring just 20.8 points per game which is the 6th best in the league while holding teams to 354 total yards which is the 10th best in the league. Goff has had a solid season so far as he has thrown for over 3,300 yards and thrown 17 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions. Goff has been pretty consistent as he has had double-digit DK performances in 11 out of 12 games played and has attempted 35+ passes in four out of his last five games played. The Patriots are middle of the pack when it comes to defending the pass as they allow 235.8 passing yards per game so Goff draws a solid matchup.
Analysis: Goff looks to be the safer play out of the two quarterbacks while Newton presents the biggest upside with his rushing ability.
DFS Running Backs
This game features a plethora of running backs that can be used since both teams tend to rotate backs and sometimes ride the hot hand. The Patriots rushing attack has featured Damien Harris the most as he has had double-digit carries in seven out of his last eight games played. In that same stretch, he only produced double-digit DK points in five of those games which shows he could be a hit or miss kind of play for his price point. Harris has only two rushing touchdowns on the season and is rarely involved in the passing game so he would need a big yardage type of game or a touchdown for him to hit his value. James White and Sony Michel are the other backs that see enough playing time that warrants consideration as Michel is the clear backup to Harris and can see double-digit rushing attempts while James White is being used in passing situations. White has seen 25 targets over his last six games and has hauled in two of those catches for touchdowns. The Rams defense is very strong against the run as they hold opponents to just 93.1 yards per game and if they can limit the ground attack for the Patriots, James White could be the strongest Patriot running back play as they could look to open things up more with the passing game.
The Rams situation has been a little tough to figure out as they have three capable backs who all carry the rock. Darrell Henderson has operated as the primary ball carrier for most of the season and Malcolm Brown slid into the backup role while Cam Akers was out tending to an injury but in their most recent game, both Henderson and Brown took a backseat to Akers as he carried the ball 21 times for 72 yards and a touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals. Akers has scored a rushing touchdown in back-to-back games and scored double-digit DK points in back-to-back games as well. With Akers rushing volume taking a massive jump and the instant production that he is seeing, he looks to have supplanted Henderson as the top running back on this Rams roster. The Patriots defense is middle of the pack as they allow 118.8 rushing yards per game so if the Rams can establish the run early and often, Akers could be a viable play in all formats.
Analysis: The top running back plays are Akers, Harris, and White. Akers looks to have taken over the top running back role in LA while Harris still leads the Patriots on the ground while White is the main passing back in this Patriots offense. Michel, Henderson, and Brown are all tournament viable but do carry some risk as well.
DFS Wide Receivers
Unlike the running back situation for these teams, the wide receiver position is a little easier to navigate through and figure out. For the Rams, they have a dynamic receiver duo in Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods. Kupp leads the team with 106 targets and 840 receiving yards while Woods leads the team with 71 receptions and five receiving touchdowns. Both receivers average over eight targets per game and see over 20% of the teams' total target share so they are viable in all formats. Complimenting Woods and Kupp are Josh Reynolds and Van Jefferson who operate as the # and #4 wide receivers in this Rams offense. They tend to stretch the field more as they both have an 11-yard average depth of target but carry more risk as they see fewer snaps when compared to Kupp and Woods. In their most recent game, Jefferson actually out-snapped Reynolds so this could be an opportunity where Jefferson is quietly passing Reynolds on the depth chart and could see an increased role here in the coming weeks.
The Patriots are more of a run-first type of team so they are pretty straightforward when it comes to their receiving group. Jakobi Meyers has emerged as the top receiving option in this New England offense as he is seeing the most snaps per game and has the most catches on the season (38 receptions). He is averaging over 11 DK points per game which is solid but could draw Jalen Ramsey in coverage which limits his upside quite a bit, especially if he does not operate in the slot during this game. Damiere Byrd and N'Keal Harry round out the Patriots receiving trio and while their fantasy production is a tad inconsistent, their pricing is quite a steal, especially on DK. Harry is just $1,800 and Byrd is $800 which is too good to be true, especially for someone who plays the second-most snaps out of the receiving group and has seen 27 targets over his last four games (referencing Byrd). While the Rams have a strong passing defense, the Patriot receivers could be in play as they might be forced to throw if they fall behind early.
Analysis: Kupp and Woods are the top Rams receivers to play in this game while Meyers is the top Patriots receiver to roster as well. They are viable in all formats and will carry high ownership. The pricing on Byrd and Harry is too good to pass up and can even be used in cash games since it opens up salary for the rest of your roster while Jefferson and Reynolds make for solid lower-owned tournament options.
DFS Tight Ends
The tight end position on this showdown slate is better suited as tournament pieces than cash game pieces. Tyler Higbee and Gerald Everett form a strong tight end duo for the Rams but their overall upside is capped because there are so many options on this Rams team in addition to them cutting into one another's target shares as well. Higbee has seen 18 targets over his last four games while Everett has seen 17 targets over the same stretch so they see have seen a similar volume over the same number of games. Ryan Izzo is one of the main tight end targets and he could end up missing this game with a hamstring injury so Jordan Thomas and Dalton Keene could see increased roles. They have combined for two catches on the entire season with Thomas recording one receiving touchdown so they would be nothing more than an extreme value punt play in tournament lineup builds.
Analysis: Higbee and Everett are both good tight ends but don't offer much upside or consistency on a week to week basis. They are the best tight end options on this slate while the Patriots tight end options are more extreme punt type of plays.
DFS Defense/Special Teams
This game features a lower game total and with how sound both coaches and defenses can be, it is hard to imagine this game being a blowout either way. Both of these defenses are top tier defenses as they both rank in the top six when it comes to points allowed per game as they both hold opponents to under 21 points. This should be a good field position battle and both offenses will need to capitalize on any mistakes that are made. With it being more of a field position game, the kicking game could be quite important as scoring opportunities might not be as prevalent. Nick Folk is listed as questionable with a back injury and Matt Gay is questionable with a should injury so their injury statuses must be monitored as we head into this game on Thursday night. Folk has been fantastic this season as he is carrying a 90% field goal percentage. Gay has filled in nicely for the Rams but his injury could leave the Rams kicking option depleted as they would promote a kicker from the practice squad to take his place should Gay not be able to kick (Of course he is not in the player pool either).
Analysis: Both defenses are in play with the Rams defense having the overall advantage. Both kickers are in play as well but their injury statuses are up in the air and should be monitored closer to kickoff.
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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