Perfect Week 9 TNF FanDuel DFS Showdown Lineup: Stack Derrick Henry, Keaton Mitchell
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Tonight, we have a football game filled with storylines. The Ravens have Lamar Jackson back at quarterback as they chase their way back into the playoff race. The Dolphins continue to struggle and look for some breath of life. They also endure the injuries of Tyreek Hill and Darren Waller. This game will display much firepower, but I suspect that this may favor one team a lot more than the other. This is how we see Thursday Night Football playing out and how we might leverage a DFS showdown lineup.
THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL PREVIEW - RAVENS VS DOLPHINS
Tonight we feature two teams that should be highly efficient on offense. The Dolphins are scoring at the 21st best rate in the NFL while gaining yards at the 28th best rate. This shows that, despite struggles, they do score big plays and touchdowns when it matters. A team with a Points Standing> Yards Standing is always considered efficient at scoring on a pound-for-pound basis.
The Dolphins will get a Ravens secondary that has been poor all season. It is up to them to leverage Jaylen Waddle and score some big plays down the field. They are not ideally equipped to do this as they run an RPO/short-passing offense, but it is a path to success.
The Ravens will face a Dolphins coverage that is above average in the NFL. This could make it difficult on the passing game, but we expect Baltimore to expose this zone defense and find gaps with Zay Flowers, Mark Andrews, and various other gadget players that they possess.
The Dolphins are the 28th best rush defense. They have been exposed all year long, most notably with the 206-Yard Rico Dowdle game. This could be a huge affair for Derrick Henry. However, he may also be heavily owned in DFS.
My overall analysis is that the Ravens are a better team through and throughout. They could allow some points to Miami, but they should win this game comfortably. Their soft upcoming schedule is primed to be display run for this team. The Ravens have upcoming the: Vikings, Browns, Jets, Bengals 2x. This is why they are NFC North favorites.
PERFECT WEEK 9 THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL DFS SHOWDOWN LINEUP
MVP - 1.5X PTS - De'Von Achane - $18,000
Fantasy Sports On SI Week 9 Ranking: RB4
This pick carries risk and reward. Despite his high profile, projections suggest that Achane will be MVP-owned at less than 40%. This is still high, but lower than that of Jackson and Henry, in which they are the two other high-upside options. We will roster all three, but leverage the lowest projected ownership.
Let's remind ourselves that the Ravens are not very good on defense. They are 29th in Fantasy Points Allowed to Running Packs. They are 16th in Run Stop Win Rate, but Achane's elusiveness should offset this. He is still very likely to score a touchdown and break off some big runs with 100+ rushing yard upside. Without Hill and Waller, his usage could literally touch on 50% between to run and pass.
AnyFLEX - Lamar Jackson - $13,600
Fantasy Sports On SI Week 9 Ranking: QB1
The thought did cross my mind to add Jackson to our MVP slot. Per projections, he does have the far best value. However, by playing Jackson or Henry at MVP, we cannot afford our "big three". For that reason, it makes the most sense to play this the way that we are. Do not worry, we offset the high ownership with value down the board here.
Lamar Jackson is BACK to face the Dolphins 👀 pic.twitter.com/cJ91Kxle9T
— PFF (@PFF) October 30, 2025
Jackson is at full-health post-injury and we know that he is among the NFL's best across all positions. He is fresh, getting a short-week defense. In Jackson's last two games versus the Dolphins, he threw for 300+ Yards. He has thrown for 5+ Touchdown in 2-of-4 games against Miami. I stress that Baltimore will get creative and play in-space tonight. Jackson may run or pass and value will be found. This is a very bad matchup for a relatively good Dolphins coverage.
AnyFLEX - Derrick Henry - $12,600
Fantasy Sports On SI Week 9 Ranking: RB7
We cap off our "big-three" with Henry. Despite his dominance, he does not run the ball at a high usage rate. We see Henry having 50-60% of total team rushing yards. In this game, that will be playable.
Big play ability is in store for Henry. In fact, the Dolphins are the 4th worst tackling team in the NFL. Get Henry in space and he may not be taken down. If things really go our way, the Ravens will break out to a big lead and go run-heavy in the second half.
AnyFLEX - Mark Andrews - $8,600
Fantasy Sports On SI Week 9 Ranking: TE8
Check out our Start 'Em Sit 'Em piece featuring Andrews for a full analysis of his Week 9 matchup. We love Andrews will high-upside against Miami. A defense that is good versus wide receivers is mediocre against tight ends. Andrews should see great volume in this game compared to past games. His breakout is due any week now.
When better than a shortly-prepared game for the defense and Jackson's return? Andrews will be owned <25% and so a touchdown provides a great advantage. A touchdown seems in store.
AnyFLEX - DeAndre Hopkins - $4,400
Fantasy Sports On SI Week 9 Ranking: WR65
I project that Hopkins is undervalued at $4,400. He has just 2.0 Targets per Game, but he also has 2 Touchdowns. A matter of fact, Hopkins is among the highest graded wide receivers across seven games this season, per PFF (3rd). He has fit this scheme very well and that has shown face.
When on the field, Hopkins is seeing a target share above 30% against man coverage. The Dolphins play man at an above average rate. The Ravens should play free today. A big play or a red zone fade route is in play for Hopkins. He very likely will be owned 15% owned and Hopkins has higher upside than many that are close in salary (Tanner Conner, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Isaiah Likely).
AnyFLEX - Keaton Mitchell - $2,200
Fantasy Sports On SI Week 9 Ranking: RB54
I have been wondering all year long where Mitchell has been. He had been injured, but when healthy, he has also been elite. I suspect that his larger role is around the corner.
Mitchell had a season-best 4 Carries in Week 8. This is not many, but he has only been active for three games. He did break off 43 Yards on those 4 Carries. Success is success whether minimal or high volume.
Just a reminder that Keaton Mitchell needs more playing time @Ravens pic.twitter.com/TuMEeK5iq6
— The Ravens Realm (@RealmRavens) October 30, 2025
Mitchell fits the scheme to get guys in space tonight. A matter of fact, the Ravens could load-manage Henry on a short week. We just need one big run. A 4-43 lines would reward us with 2.5x. That line is very much in sight.
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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.