If you’re competing in a DFS tournament or 50/50 competition for today’s single-game slate between the Bengals and Raiders, then you’ve come to the right place for picks. We’ve run through dozens of potential game scripts to arrive at the most likely scenarios, and we’ve determined how these scenarios would impact fantasy football performances. Here is our top recommended Bengals vs. Raiders DFS lineup, based on DraftKings pricing.
Top NFL DFS picks for Bengals vs. Raiders | Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals portion of this DFS slate assumes a balanced attack, led by one of fantasy’s top running backs. It also assumes Cincinnati’s top receiver will not have a blow-up performance.
Joe Mixon, RB, Cincinnati Bengals ($15,600)
Joe Mixon is the overall RB4 and is No. 3 in rushing attempts and rushing yards. Lingering questions about his durability have been put to rest, at least this season. He’s also No. 4 in rushing touchdowns, aided by a strong passing attack that forces defenses to make tough choices: stop Joe Burrow, or stop Mixon?
Given Mixon’s rather middling 4.1 yards per carry, there’s a good chance the Raiders will lean heavily on containing Burrow. This would open the door for another vintage 20+ touch Mixon performance. If you have a DFS MVP slot, he belongs there.
Tee Higgins, WR, Cincinnati Bengals ($7,600)
Ja’Marr Chase is $4,000 more expensive. That’s a 53% price jump for a guy who’s outperforming Tee Higgins by only 2.3 fantasy points (15%) per game. In other words, Higgins is the clear value play on DraftKings, giving you more salary cap room to land one or two additional high-impact producers.
And let’s face it: Higgins is no slouch as the WR13 in fantasy points per game. He also has a better catch rate than Chase, making him a relatively safe, high-upside DFS pick.
Tyler Boyd, WR, Cincinnati Bengals ($5,600)
Last season, Tyler Boyd averaged a respectable 12.8 fantasy points per game. Then Chase came along, a healthy Joe Mixon thrived, and this season Boyd is down to … 11.5 fantasy points per game. Correct — not a big difference.
He has the best catch rate among his WR peers (71.3%) and owns a healthy 67-828-5 receiving line. What we lose with Boyd is the kind of breakout potential reserved for Chase and Higgins. But what we gain is a fairly consistent playmaker who should outperform his favorable DFS price.
Top NFL DFS picks for Bengals vs. Raiders | Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders portion of this DFS slate assumes Cincinnati leads early and often, forcing Las Vegas to largely abandon the run. It also assumes a balanced passing attack as their star tight end continues to reacclimate after spending weeks on the injured list.
Hunter Renfrow, WR, Las Vegas Raiders ($8,400)
How much does Hunter Renfrow mean to the Raiders? Well, imagine a passing attack led by Zay Jones, Bryan Edwards, and DeSean Jackson. No offense to those three, but it’s hard to envision any of them stepping up as No. 1 options. It’s been surprising enough to see Jones thrive in a No. 2 role.
Renfrow is 18th in the league in receiving first downs. He’s also 15th in first-down catches on third down, meaning Derek Carr is looking to him not only as a red-zone target (all 9 of his touchdowns have come from inside the 12-yard line), but also as a chain mover. Renfrow has been the complete package this season and should find space to produce against the Bengals.
Darren Waller, WR, Las Vegas Raiders ($7,000)
Can we trust Darren Waller in his second game back? He’s missed seven games this year, most recently because of an IT band injury in his knee. The Raiders have trudged on without him, thanks in part to solid backup Foster Moreau (and, of course, the rest of the team stepping up).
But the Bengals are yielding the sixth-most TE fantasy points. Granted, this stat might seem flawed, as they’ve played against Mark Andrews twice and Travis Kelce once. But in those three games, these two monster tight ends averaged just under 16 points. Cincinnati has been exposed by numerous “lesser” tight ends. In an elimination game, the Raiders will throw everything they have at the Bengals, including their elite tight end.
Zay Jones, WR, Las Vegas Raiders ($5,000)
Not a flashy pick, but a necessary one assuming Carr is slinging it often in an effort to keep pace with Cincinnati’s high-flying offense. Jones is hardly a touchdown threat, having found the end zone only twice in the last three seasons. But he has become a favorite target of Carr’s, and his consistent field presence in Week 18 — despite Waller’s long-awaited return — suggests Jones will continue to see a solid 7+ targets.