If you’re like me, you enjoy sitting by the fireplace, roasting marshmallows, and setting single-game DFS fantasy football lineups so you have an excuse to watch three more hours of football. So let’s give ourselves yet another reason to cheer on our favorite players. Who are the best DFS bargains for Week 9 Thursday Night Football?
Update 11/04/21: Even though he is listed in this article, Colts RB Marlon Mack ended up being a surprise healthy scratch for their game against the New York Jets.
Thursday Night NFL DFS Picks | Colts
Here are my five favorite DFS plays for the Colts vs. the Jets, using FanDuel scoring. Collectively, they fall within the single-game tournament and 50/50 salary cap.
Carson Wentz, QB, Colts ($16,500)
Carson Wentz has 17+ DFS fantasy points in each of his last five games, thanks in part to 2+ TDs in each of those contests. Yes, Wentz is playing like the starting-caliber QB Indianapolis hoped he would be. The Jets’ pass defense has been surprisingly middling thus far. But confronted with stopping the high-flying Jonathan Taylor and the equally high-flying Michael Pittman, I think they’ll fail on both fronts. Pencil in 20+ fantasy points for Wentz.
Jonathan Taylor, RB, Colts ($16,000)
Not much needs to be said. With Derrick Henry going down for the year, Taylor is now the unquestioned No. 1 fantasy RB. The only downside might be his touches. He’s exceeded 19 only once in his last seven games.
If Indianapolis jumps out to a big early lead, we might see Taylor phased out. However, who might account for that big early lead? You guessed it. Taylor is a no-brainer DFS play.
Michael Pittman, WR, Colts ($13,500)
Originally, I put Mike White in this spot. But that would force us to start two fringe Jets receivers, at best. That’s the price of starting three high-cost DFS players.
Yet, we can’t in good conscience keep Pittman out of our lineup. With T.Y. Hilton ailing, he is the clear-cut No. 1 receiver in a team that should put up 28+ points. That makes him worth the investment
Marlon Mack, RB, Colts ($5,500)
Here’s where it gets tricky (if you’re an anxious person) or interesting (if you embrace serenity). We have only $14,000 left in our budget. Assuming the Colts get out to that big lead I’ve already promised, Marlon Mack should be in line for mop-up work with Nyheim Hines.
Related | Buy Low, Sell High: Fantasy football trade targets for Week 9
I prefer Mack because he’s $2,000 cheaper, and now that the NFL trade deadline has passed, the team isn’t trying to protect him from injury to maintain his trade value. He’s there to spell Taylor so that Taylor can be ready for their next game. That’s great news for DFS competitors like us.
Thursday Night NFL DFS Picks | Jets
We don’t want to play as many Jets as we do Colts, but there’s still one New York player that could be productive and can fit into our lineup.
Elijah Moore, WR, Jets ($8,000)
If we took Hines, the best player we could afford would have been Denzel Mims. I prefer the Mack/Elijah Moore stack for upside, as Moore has the strong potential to be the Jets’ No. 2 wideout tonight. A lucky touchdown would make him an incredible bargain. It’s worth the risk, given his ceiling as one of only a handful of Jets playmakers.