Perfect TNF FanDuel DFS Showdown Lineup: Khalil Shakir Tops High-Scoring Matchup
In this story:
In the blink of an eye, Week 3 is already upon us as the Buffalo Bills will play host tonight to the Miami Dolphins. This game is a story of two very different realities. The Bills are the consensus best team in the AFC, while the Dolphins are in turmoil, facing an 0-3 record and big questions regarding their future. Despite many storylines leading in to this game, I do project to see some high scoring in primetime, leading us to a great DFS Showdown slate to nail down.
Thursday Night Football Preview - Fantasy Football
The Bills are the clear best offense in the NFL through two weeks. They have totaled 70 Points in two games, very impressive numbers. Josh Allen has 542 Passing Yards with 4 All-Purpose Touchdowns. James Cook has 176 Yards and 3 Touchdowns. The run game of the Bills has been a staple, and should remain in primetime tonight.
The Dolphins rank 25th is yards allowed to running backs through two games. They rank as the worst defense in the entire NFL. It may be a short week, but the Bills will go lethal, no doubt.
As far the Dolphins, they rank as the 22nd offense in football — Poor, but not awful. I believe that this offense does have weapons to be a threat week in and week out. On a short week with less preparation for this abstract offense, I could see Miami putting up plenty of points. The Bills defense is good, but not dominant, ranking as the 12th best unit in the NFL. I am projecting a Bills win, 33-26.
Thursday Night Football DFS Lineup
MVP - 1.5X PTS - Khalil Shakir ($13,500)
The goal is always going to be to avoid the highest owned players in the MVP slot. To take advantage of the field, you must aim to hit a big ROI on a lower owned player. Shakir is projecting to be MVP-owned in less than 10% of lineups, making him an ideal choice. Shakir is going to mostly face Jason Marshall tonight, whom ranks among the worst slot corners in the NFL through two games.
FLEX - James Cook ($11,600)
He is going to be highly-owned, no doubt, but he is a must-play asset tonight. Every showdown slate, you will have to play at least a couple highly-owned options. If you pick them right, you will be just fine. Cook is surely of the safest options tonight. The Bills project a run script in the 2nd half which shall feed extra him extra touches. This is a great price for a high probability of two touchdowns, relatively speaking. Ray Davis is also a cheap, good play tonight if you decide to fade Cook. I am not a fan of playing two running backs on the same team.
FLEX - De'Von Achane ($12,200)
Whether leading or trailing, Achane is a safe for his massive workload. He is a running and pass-catching back, making him among the most versatile running backs in the entire NFL. Achane leads the team in targets through two games (14) and receiving touchdowns (2). On the ground, he has 67% of team rushes and 4.7 yards per carry. This is a safe, must-play option. He is projected as the 5th high-ownership player in this showdown slate.
FLEX - Tyreek Hill ($11,000)
He comes with a lot of baggage this year. Trades have lingered, and it has been newsworthy. That being said, Hill has played quite well through two games, showing his willingness to ball-out when the clock starts running. He has 10 Catches for 149 Yards through two games, and due for a touchdown.
The Bills secondary has been more reliant of their pass rush to find success. This was on full display in Week 2. In Week 1, that is where Lamar Jackson exposed them. This Mike McDaniel offense that gets guys in space should perform well tonight, in my expectation. Look to Hill to take off the 2-high coverage and see a couple deep shots, hopefully connecting on at least one. This is a high-leverage game for Hill, whom is healthy tonight, for once.
FLEX - Dalton Kincaid ($6,600)
Kincaid is one of the my must-start tight ends in Week 3. The Dolphins actually have held tight ends to lower statistics through two weeks (Bowers, Henry). That being said, all expectations point to this being flukey, and that they are not truly that great. As seen in Week 2, the Bills made a point to feed Kincaid in the short game. By projecting this team to score 33 points, I am implying 1.48 passing touchdowns for Josh Allen and 310 Passing Yards, leading plenty of feed for Kincaid.
FLEX - Nick Westbrook-Ikhine ($4,600)
Malik Washington has been cleared to play tonight, but I still love myself some Westbrook-Ikhine. Washington has accomplished very little this season, and the fresh signing, Westbrook-Ikhine should pick up that slack. I foresee him playing over 50% of passing snaps and being a dark-horse touchdown threat. He scored nine times for the Titans a year ago. The player is a good, and has further value in a play-action, passing game script. I am projecting Tua to throw for 1.52 Touchdowns and 296 Yards tonight.
More Fantasy Sports On SI News:
Thomas Carelli is a sportswriter based on Northern New Jersey. He is a massive New York Jets and Mets fan, but that is not where is sports fandom stops. He loves to watch and play golf, all things football, baseball, and much more. If he can watch it, he will. Thomas graduated from William Paterson University in 2018 with a Bachelor's Degree in Sport Management. He spent 4 years working at a local golf course, volunteered past PGA events, and spent some part-time experience with the New York Jets events team. His passions for sport runs deep and his articles show for it.