Fantasy Football FanDuel DFS Showdown for Thursday Night Football: Josh Allen to Shine Against Lions
In this story:
This past Thursday, the 49ers came into Melbourne and walked all over the Rams in a 27-7 win. In hindsight, last week's picks should have taken more into account the fact that the Rams stepped off the plane of a 16 hour flight right into a NFL game… thankfully, we have a clean slate tonight to bounce back.
The Detroit Lions face off against the Buffalo Bills tonight in the Bills home opener in the new Highmark Stadium. When there’s Thursday Night Football, that means there’s FanDuel Showdown to be played.
FanDuel TNF Showdown gives players a $60,000 salary to choose six fantasy players total, including one MVP whose points and salary are multiplied by 1.5x. Here, we will dive into the best plays for tonight’s Thursday night matchup.
Josh Allen MVP 1.5X Points ($19,800)
When Josh Allen is on the table to give you points, it’s really a non-negotiable to take him first overall as the MVP here. Allen is coming off a four touchdown game (two passing, two rushing) with 334 passing yards in his week 1 win against the Texans. With a revamped offensive core Allen has a healthy receiving core of DJ Moore, Khalil Shakir, and Keon Coleman to target downfield.
The last time Allen faced off against the Lions was in 2024, where he threw for 430 yards and had four touchdowns. With the inaugural game at Highmark Stadium tonight, Allen will be looking to give Bills fans a show, and a win, which should result in a great fantasy performance from the star quarterback facing a Lions secondary which is facing scrutiny and concern.
Jahmyr Gibbs AnyFLEX ($12,400)
Jahmyr Gibbs slots into our first AnyFLEX position for tonight’s matchup. Gibbs had a stellar week one performance with 29 attempts for 156 yards and two touchdowns. Gibbs usage continues to increase and he will be a focal point of the Lions offense tonight against a Bills run defense that gave up 124 yards in Week 1, and three Touchdowns to the Texans lead back David Montgomery.
Gibbs is coming off a big week of touches, but in week 2 of the season, there’s no reason to assume it will be anything but business as usual for the star running back. He will remain the primary option to drive the ball down the field for the Lions, and in the red zone.
DJ Moore, AnyFLEX ($8,800)
DJ Moore slots into the second AnyFLEX spot for tonight, as the main stack with Josh Allen. The Bills traded for Moore in the off-season to revamp their receiving core, and in Week 1 their investment immediately paid off. Moore went for 5 receptions for 100 yards and a touchdown in his Bills debut. Allen targeted Moore eight times in Week 1, more than any other offensive member. With Moore’s success in Week 1, he should be expected as the number one target option coming into Thursday night.
Moore brings a consistent deep ball threat which makes him a nice high ceiling play against the Lions. Moore has boosted himself to WR1 status in just a week's time, and will be Allen’s go-to receiver tonight.
Dalton Kincaid AnyFLEX ($7,600)
Kincaid is also coming off a successful week himself, tallying five receptions for 130 yards on six targets. Kincaid is coming off a 72% snap share, his highest since week 9 of the 2024 season.
Kincaid has had injury concerns in the past, but when is healthy he transforms the Bills offense into an even more dangerous force. Kincaid was making big plays down the field, and looked like a big part of the Bills offense against the Texans.
Josh Allen with the throw and Dalton Kincaid with the catch 🔥
— NFL (@NFL) September 13, 2026
BUFvsHOU on CBS/Paramount+ pic.twitter.com/fj7tVqbYlg
Kincaid will look to feed off his successful week 1 performance against the Lions as a main contributor and target over the middle of the field for Josh Allen.
Sam LaPorta AnyFLEX ($7,400)
LaPorta’s Week 1 was his first time playing in an NFL game since he suffered a herniated disc against the Commanders last November in 2025. In his first game back in action, he racked up 48 yards on five receptions. LaPorta was also targeted twice in the endzone in the Lions week 1 win over the Saints.
Now that LaPorta has gotten a week of NFL action under his belt and reacclimated, it should be expected for him to ramp up his reception and target shares over the middle of the field. LaPorta will continue to be targeted in the endzone and look to haul in his first touchdown of the season tonight.
Joshua Palmer AnyFLEX ($3,200)
Lastly, with a remaining salary of $4,200, the best play on the board is Joshua Palmer. Palmer caught the game winning touchdown on Sunday on a 34 yard dot from Josh Allen to eventually sink the Texans. Palmer saw a 29% snap rate, but should see an increase after his 34 yard touchdown reception in Week 1. The Lions defense is in for an air raid, and Palmer could sneak another deep ball past their secondary with his big chunk play capability.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Samuel Jacovitz has a diverse background in the sports media landscape having worked with Mandalay Sports Media, NBC Sports, and the NBA. A born and raised New Yorker and Syracuse University Graduate, Sam focuses on research and analysis when it comes to his fantasy sports content.
Follow SJacovitz