Jaylen Warren Headlines Our Best Picks for Fantasy Football FanDuel DFS Showdown Lineup for Thursday Night Football
In this story:
Week 4 Thursday Night Football is back in action tonight with the Pittsburgh Steelers facing off against the Cleveland Browns with both teams in position to take over sole position of first place in the AFC North. 42 year old Aaron Rodgers looks to lead the Steelers to 3-1, while Deshaun Watson and the Browns look to achieve a 3-1 start for the first time since 2021 led by Baker Mayfield.
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.
Jaylen Warren MVP 1.5X ($17,100)
Jaylen Warren gets the nod tonight for our DFS MVP. The RB1 in Pittsburg put up 176 all purpose yards on Sunday against the Bengals with 127 rushing and 49 receiving yards. Steelers RB2 Rico Dowdle has been ruled out of Thursday’s matchup with a toe injury, setting up Warren for more snaps and a big night against the Browns.
The Browns run defense is currently ranked 23rd this season giving up the most 10+ yard runs in the league so far this season. With Warren set for a big night, his high upside makes him a great pick as MVP with his value.
Aaron Rodgers AnyFLEX ($12,600)
ARod gets the first AnyFLEX slot tonight against the Browns. Father time who? 42 year old Aaron Rodgers is still slinging it, and should continue to perform tonight in Cleveland. Rodgers is coming off a vintage performance against the Bengals on Sunday, where he threw for 292 yards and three touchdowns in the win.
Rodgers will be playing in what can be assumed to be his last ever Thursday Night Football game. He holds a 13-7 record with 46 touchdowns to 7 interceptions. Rodgers will look to piggyback off his Sunday performance with high efficiency and winning football against the Browns. Rodgers continues to spread the wealth on offense, diversifying his receiver share.
Deshaun Watson AnyFLEX ($11,800)
Watson will spearhead a Browns team that is looking to start 3-1 for the first time since 2021. This feat has only been achieved three times in the 21st century for the Browns. The Cleveland faithful will be loud and proud as they look to help Watson and the Browns to their third win of the season.
Watson boasts a 5/1 TD to INT split in 2026 focusing on efficiency spreading the wealth among his receivers and tight ends. In the Browns past two matchups, Watson has attempted 30 passes suggesting a pass heavy offense that should continue into tonight against the Steelers.
The Steelers traded cornerback Joey Porter Jr. this week to Dallas, and star safety Jalen Ramsey is currently listed as questionable. The Steelers defense is in a precarious spot tonight, as Watson will look to capitalize against a depleted secondary that has had trouble guarding deep pass rate, ranking 28th in the league on that front.
Harold Fannin Jr. AnyFLEX ($9,400)
Star Tight End Harold Fannin takes the third AnyFlex spot for tonight’s matchup. Fannin is coming off his best game of the season against the Panthers with 59 receiving yards and two touchdowns. The connection between Watson and Fannin is beginning to blossom in real time with Fannin having a 20.9% target share so far this season, giving his solid floor coming into tonight with the opportunity to go off similar to his 24.1 PPR point game last week.
Fannin’s target rate continues to increase and he will look to capitalize on the Steelers struggling deep ball defense with the upside of a stack with Watson.
KC Concepcion, AnyFLEX($5,800)
Rookie KC Concepcion is waiting to break out in the NFL and this could be the game he makes his mark. Concepcion relies on his versatility and explosive speed and can take advantage of the shorthanded Steelers secondary tonight. Concepcion had a snap rate of 86% last week against the Panthers, and while he only hauled in two receptions he was targeted nine times.
With three games under his belt now in the NFL, Concepcion is due for a breakout game as the target share is already there. Watson stated that him and KC worked on chemistry in practice this week as he looks to elevate the rookie to the next level.
Deshaun Watson and KC Concepcion are working together this week on improving their chemistry and timing in practice:
— SleeperBrowns (@SleeperBrowns) September 29, 2026
Watson: “The more reps, the more experience that we get playing with each other and seeing the same thing, it’ll get better for sure.”#DawgPound pic.twitter.com/yPA0iwQCFS
With the home crowd behind the Rookie tonight, he is a great high upside play with his price tag for tonight’s DFS.
Blake Whiteheart AnyFLEX ($1,700)
With the last spot for tonight’s matchup, Blake Whiteheart gets the call as the back-up tight end to Harrold Fannin. Whiteheart caught a touchdown for the Browns in Week 2 against the Buccaneers. For a backup, his snap rate is pretty solid averaging 41% through three games, which is comparably better to other lower volume plays in this pool. Whiteheart will look to get involved along with Fannin against the Steelers defense, with the Tight End stack.
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