Welcome to the Tuesday Night Showdown Slate for NFL Week 5!

After more than a week of wondering what the heck is going on, we finally were given word today that the Titans/Bills game would officially be played tonight. Seasonal fantasy owners can finally stop crying about losing Derrick Henry and Josh Allen and now we, the DFS community get to play another round of Showdown Slate Lottery.

Before we start with the game and player specifics, please allow me to reiterate that while we all love having a little skin in the game, these showdown slates are basically lottery tickets. Sure, there are times when the chalk hits and everyone shares in the prizes, but more often than not, you need that random, differentiate yourself from the herd dart-throw to hit in order to claim that top prize. As a result, we encourage to play responsibly. Stick to the GPP contests (single-entry preferred), don’t blow your whole bankroll and understand that, unless you are a max-entry player, you should prioritize having fun.

OK, lecture over. Let’s get to tonight’s action.

Buffalo Bills at Tennessee Titans

Spread: Bills -3.5

O/U: 51.5

Betting Facts:

Line opened at Bills -6.5 with an O/U of 53

Money Line: Bills -175; Titans +150

Bills are 6-1 against the spread in their last seven games as favorites

Titans are 0-4 against the spread in their last four games overall

Weather: It’s raining COVID in Nashville!!! Actually, high 50s, clear skies and no wind

Last 5 Match-Ups:

Bills lead series 3-2

Average Margin of Victory – 3.2

Last Match-Up – Bills beat the Titans 14-7 in Tennessee on 10/6/2019

Notable Injuries:

Bills:

Titans:

Defensive Rankings (Using DVOA):

Titans:

vs Pass: 19th  

vs Run: 21st

Bills:

vs Pass: 17th  

vs Run: 20th

Prop Bets to Watch:

The reason we are listing these here is to help you understand what the Vegas expectations are. If you aren’t routinely amazed by how accurate spreads and totals are, you haven’t been paying attention and you’re missing out on a valuable tool. Take a look at the list below and understand how to utilize for DFS. When you see the over and under have the same money line, that’s Vegas’ way of saying it can go either way. You have the base number and can determine whether you use a player or not based on that. But when there is a different money line on the over and unders (highlighted in green), Vegas is telling you what to expect. A negative money line means they feel it is more likely to happen which can help you make decisions regarding which players to play.

  • Ryan Tannehill Passing Yards: 239.5 (over -118; under -106); TD Passes: 1.5 (over & under -112)
  • Josh Allen Passing Yards: 295.5 (over -124; under +100); TD Passes: 1.5 (over -250; under +195)
  • Derrick Henry Rushing Yards: 99.5 (over & under -112); Receiving Yards: 14.5 (over -106; under -118)
  • A.J. Brown Receiving Yards: 58.5 (over & under -112)
  • Stefon Diggs Receiving Yards: 78.5 (over & under -112)
  • Cole Beasley Receiving Yards: 49.5 (over & under -112)
  • John Brown Receiving Yards: 45.5 (over & under -112)
  • Jonnu Smith Receiving Yards: 51.5 (over & under -112)
  • Dawson Knox receiving Yards: 21.5 (over & under -112)

Here’s a breakdown of which players we suggest looking at for tonight:

Quarterbacks:

Ryan Tannehill , TEN – He doesn’t throw a ton, but when he does, he’s extremely efficient. The problem is, outside of A.J. Brown and Jonnu Smith , he’s not dealing with a strong corps of pass-catchers. There’s a reason the prop for the under on his passing yards is still at -106.

Josh Allen , BUF – Hard to argue against Allen in any format, showdown or classic. He extends plays with his legs, he loves to run, he poaches work at the goal line and he’s definitely enjoying his receiving toys. Definitely worthy of the Captain/MVP slot, especially with Tennessee’s mediocre secondary.

Running Backs:

Derrick Henry , TEN – Always worthy of the Captain/MVP spot as the Titans will offer up a heavy dose of carries for Henry, given the struggles with COVID at the other positions. Buffalo is only giving up 101 rushing yards per game this season, but they’ve also been in some shootouts that don’t require a lot of RB carries. Henry will get the volume here.

Devin Singletary , BUF – He’s seen a steady increase in carries, but Zack Moss has been out, so that could be the reason. Still, he should see close to 15 again in this game with the Titans allowing a whopping 166 rushing yards per game this season. Moss’ return might put a damper on the TD-upside, but Singletary has still entrenched himself as the leader of this backfield. UPDATE: I like him more now that Moss is out.

Wide Receivers:

A.J. Brown, TEN – He’s making his return to the field tonight from a bone bruise and will be matched up against Tre'Davious White . Not ideal, but he’s also one of maybe two decent targets on this team. He deserves a look for your showdown lineup but would avoid the Captain/MVP spot. UPDATE: White is inactive for the game so get your shares of Brown!! 

Kalif Raymond , TEN – He’s going to have to be more than just a deep threat this week as Raymond is now the team’s No. 2 wideout. He has the capability of breaking a big TD thanks to his speed, but when Brown and Jonnu are healthy, the second receiver doesn’t see a whole lot of opportunity.

Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, TEN – Dart-throw at best. Drunken dart-throw.

Stefon Diggs , BUF – Should see a lot of Jonathan Joseph ion coverage tonight and for that, I am in on Diggs. Probably more of a contrarian play as the Captain/MVP, but once Allen finds a groove, he’ll be hunting down Diggs in that suspect Titans secondary.

Cole Beasley , BUF – He’s returning from a foot injury and it’s unknown what his snap count will be like, especially since Gabriel Davis has looked strong working out of the slot recently. The match-up with Chris Jackson looks good on paper, but actually, Tennessee has be soldi against slot receivers, so I may just avoid him altogether.

Gabriel Davis, BUF – Davis is probably a more interesting dart-throw than Beasley because he does a good job on the outside as well as in the slot. Seems to be a player on the rise and Allen likes him. Bit of a longshot but better than most longshots on the slate. UPDATE: With John Brown inactive for tonight's game, Davis becomes a much more interesting option as he will take the snaps on the outside.

Isaiah McKenzie , BUF – Just a dart-throw if you’re a multi-lineup person. Capable of scoring a long TD, but the odds are not good.

Tight Ends:

Jonnu Smith , TEN – Buffalo ranks 23rd in DVOA against the tight end and is allowing almost 70 yards per game to the position. I’d say that’s a nice, bright green light for Smith, especially when you see the Bills giving up the fifth-most fantasy points to the TE.

Anthony Firkser , TEN – He won’t pick up a bunch of yardage, but he’s still a strong threat to score, especially with so many receivers out for the Titans.

Dawson Knox , BUF – The Titans rank 28th against the tight end and are allowing the seventh-most fantasy points per game to the TE position. You won’t see a lot of yards, but look for him inside the green zone!

Tyler Kroft , BUF – He’s like a poor man’s Firkser. Maybe a TD dart-throw, but that’s about all you’ll get from him.

Defense/Kickers:

Tennessee Titans D/ST – The secondary is banged up and the team has been fighting off COVID. You may want to avoid them.

Buffalo Bills D/ST – Good in real life but pretty sucky in fantasy. They don’t get a lot of turnovers and this O/U in the 50s makes me nervous.

Stephen Gostkowski , TEN – I’m in on Gostkowski. This offense and all it’s COVIDness could stall out quite a bit.

Tyler Bass, BUF – I’d prefer to use Gostkowski.

If you are looking for lineup help, check out our NFL Lineup Generator which can be adjusted for Showdown Slates.