After back-to-back Thursday Night Football DFS slates featuring the NFC West we head back to the best coast as the Eagles head to the Meadowlands to pay a visit to the Giants in a classic NFC East battle.

There’s certainly no love lost between these two organizations. The defending Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles sit at 4-1 coming off a loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 5. Meanwhile, the New York Giants sit at 1-4 after a humbling defeat handed to them by the New Orleans Saints. But we do have a matchup, albeit on a short week, that features two quarterbacks with rushing upside so that always makes the Thursday Night Football DFS Playbook spicier. Let’s dig into the matchups, betting lines, and top plays for our Eagles vs. Giants DFS picks!

 

 

 

Eagles vs. Giants DFS Picks & Preview: Thursday Night Football, 10/9

Despite sitting at 4-1, the Eagles are not exactly in a great spot with some of their personnel. Despite winning a Super Bowl in the last calendar year, there is friction within the personnel on offense. They’re averaging the fourth-fewest pass attempts per game (27.8) so naturally A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith are growing frustrated even if one is more vocal about it than the other.

Usually winning helps cover up these locker room warts. And truly, A.J. Brown is still seeing plenty of targets in the passing game. In four straight games he’s seen at least eight targets in each matchup. We always emphasize a “squeaky wheel” narrative when a receiver complains about his role in the offense. For Brown, he’s complaining every week so that narrative is always on the table for him. In Smith’s case, he’s been more productive than Brown but not consistently seeing the targets week-to-week like his teammate. There’s more fluctuation there.

Another aspect plaguing the Eagles offense is the regression of Saquon Barkley. Now he’s still found the end zone in four-of-five games this year, but he hasn’t rushed for 100+ yards in a single game this season. Moreover, he hasn’t topped 50 rushing yards since Week 2 and he’s averaging 3.2 yards per carry on the year.

For all the negative narratives casting a cloud over Philly’s start to the year, the Giants would gladly take a 4-1 record right now. There’s certainly optimism with the G-Men, however. They made a change at quarterback and have gone with rookie Jaxson Dart over their last two games. The rushing upside has been exciting to watch and he’s completed 65% of his pass attempts through two games. That’s always promising, but at the same time, shows room for improvement. Fellow rookie, Cam Skattebo, has also emerged for the Giants and has surprisingly been a volume hog since Tyrone Tracy went down with an injury.

The implied total is pretty low for this matchup but I’m taking some unique stands in this Thursday Night Football DFS Playbook. You don’t have to necessarily agree but I’m looking for some unique ways to gain an edge. With that said let’s take a look at the Eagles vs. Giants DFS picks for Thursday Night Football!

 

 

 

Eagles vs. Giants TNF Odds at DraftKings & FanDuel

DraftKings Sportsbook

  • Spread:
    • Eagles -7 (-120)
    • Giants +7 (+100)
  • Money Line:
    • Eagles (-395)
    • Giants (+310)
  • Game Total:
    • Over 40.5 (-115)
    • Under 40.5 (-105)

FanDuel Sportsbook

  • Spread:
    • Eagles -7.5 (-105)
    • Giants +7.5 (-115)
  • Money Line:
    • Eagles (-390)
    • Giants (+310)
  • Game Total:
    • Over 40.5 (-115)
    • Under 40.5 (-105)

 

 

 

NFL Weather: Eagles vs. Giants TNF, October 9th

The temperatures may be dropping but the skies are certainly clear for our Eagles vs. Giants DFS picks. This game will kick off at about 53 degrees and cool off throughout the evening. Winds will stay below 10 miles per hour with no rain in the forecast.

 

Eagles vs. Giants Injuries: Thursday Night Football Week 6

Saquon Barkley’s name popped up on Tuesday’s injury report, but it was only because he was a limited participant. All signs are pointing to him playing tonight without limitations. A big downgrade for the offensive line for this matchup is that they’ll be without Landon Dickerson. The good news for the defense is that linebacker Nakobe Dean is practicing in full and he’s expected to make his 2025 debut this evening.

Jaxson Dart’s been dealing with a mild hamstring injury, but he looks set to start in this matchup for our TNF DFS picks. Fellow offensive weapon, Darius Slayton, is dealing with a hamstring injury and has been ruled out for this matchup. Tyrone Tracy has been limited in practice this week with his shoulder injury, but he’s expected to return tonight.

 

 

 

NFL Thursday Night Football DFS Picks: MVP/Captain

Jalen Hurts, QB, Philadelphia Eagles - DraftKings: $11,000 | FanDuel: $13,600

There are certainly frustrations across the board in terms of how the touches are distributed, but at least Hurts comes in with momentum. There are notable criticisms about Hurts’ ability to throw deep, but he’s still providing production and has gone for 24+ fantasy points on DraftKings twice this year.

I will add the caveat that I highly doubt he registers the 300-yard passing bonus, but he has the rushing upside we seek. He’s scored four touchdowns on the ground and rushed for 40+ yards three times already this year. Additionally, he has seven touchdown passes in his last three games.

Hurts also hasn’t thrown an interception in 11 straight games so he’s doing his part in keeping drives alive. The Giants defense isn’t an imposing threat to opposing quarterbacks and coming off a loss on a short week, Hurts is primed to put up solid numbers especially if Saquon Barkley is limited in any fashion.

Cam Skattebo, RB, New York Giants - DraftKings: $10,000 | FanDuel: $11,000

Skattebo has really come on strong of late in the wake of Tyrone Tracy’s absence. And it’s surprising to see a team commit this much volume to a rookie so early in the season. In four straight games he’s had at least 13 touches and in three straight games he’s seen 16 touches including 14 total receptions in that span.

Efficiency hasn’t been on his side but that can also be chalked up to the bad offensive line. The O-line for New York ranks 17th in yards before contact per carry (1.04) and run block win rate (71%) so it makes sense that Skattebo is only averaging 3.8 yards per carry. Luckily the involvement in the passing game turns him into a bit of a PPR cheat code.

The Eagles have been a bit prone to giving up production on the ground. They’ve allowed 100+ rushing yards to all five opponents. The Eagles defensive line ranks 29th in the NFL in rush success rate (47.5%) and they’re 30th in stuffed run rate (13.1%). So Skattebo can hopefully see enough volume and involvement in the passing game. Even in a negative game script there’s potentially an opportunity for him to land in the optimal lineup.

A.J. Brown, WR, Philadelphia Eagles – DraftKings: $9,800 | FanDuel: $10,000

For all the narratives regarding Brown and the “lack” of a passing attack in Philadelphia through the first month of the season, he still has 35 targets over the last four games. And he went into last week’s matchup with complaints about his production. And it was probably a bad time for him to make said comments going against Pat Surtain and the Denver Broncos. He caught five receptions for 43 yards.

I’m wondering if the Eagles maybe went to him and said “Look, it’s a tough matchup this week. But we’ll get you in the end zone against the Giants in a few days,” and to make matters worse, the Eagles lost last week’s game. Even Jalen Hurts has mentioned that he’s grateful it’s a short week because it helps them get the bad taste of a loss out of their mouth in quicker fashion. Their star running back is beat up and Brown is the squeakiest wheel that needs a heavy dosage of oil in the form of targets. The last time he played in Metlife Stadium he caught five passes for 89 yards and a touchdown. I like to believe he can get the 100-yard bonus tonight in addition to a touchdown.

DeVonta Smith, WR, Philadelphia Eagles – DraftKings: $9,600 | FanDuel: $9,600

Both A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith have reportedly been unhappy with the lack of the passing attack with new offensive coordinator, Kevin Patullo. Brown is obviously more vocal about it while Smith has probably had more private conversations with Patullo and Nick Sirianni behind closed doors. 

Everything we just said about the Eagles wanting to get Brown going tonight arguably applies to Smith. And he may be a good leverage option off Brown since more ownership likely goes to Philly’s WR1. Smith hasn’t seen the volume that Brown has so far this season. However, he has eight receptions in two of his last three games and he even registered the 100-yard bonus last week. Moreover, the Giants allow the most points to opposing slot receivers and that’s where Smith lines up for most of his routes and he’s been a big chain mover for the Birds as he’s averaging 3.34 YPRR on third down, fourth-most among qualified receivers.

 

 

 

NFL Thursday Night Football DFS Picks: Core Plays

Saquon Barkley, RB, Philadelphia Eagles – DraftKings: $11,600 | FanDuel: $13,000

This should surprise some people and I get it. A player of Barkley’s caliber and with his upside should definitely be in the Captain section most weeks. I know that. You know that. But the large majority of the DFS community also knows that. You can find any excuse to play him at Captain: the volume, the revenge game narrative, the touchdown equity, etc. That’s all fine but he’s going to come in with over 20% exposure at Captain.

For all those reasons that we like Barkley, he’s yet to eclipse 20+ fantasy points this season. And this has happened while he’s scored four touchdowns. In his first four games he recorded 20+ touches in each game. Now he was a bit limited last week with just nine touches, but he’s been dealing with some general knee soreness.

And sure, there’s the revenge game narrative but he also got that out of his system last year when he rushed for 176 yards and a touchdown in his first game against the Giants during his monstrous season in 2024.

I just think that when you combine the knee injury with the inefficiency, and the fact Landon Dickerson will miss the game, we should really temper expectations in the short-term with Barkley. I am not opposed to getting some exposure to him at Captain but on a short week this feels like a spot to go underweight and get some leverage.

Jaxson Dart, QB, New York Giants – DraftKings: $10,200 | FanDuel: $12,200

This might surprise some readers, especially those who know my stance on quarterbacks with rushing upside. I’ve already highlighted Jalen Hurts in the Captain section above. I’m not as optimistic about Dart. Through two games he’s rushed for 50+ yards in both performances but he’s still yet to eclipse 20+ points on DraftKings. So the rushing upside is elevating his floor, which is great. But I don’t think he has the ceiling to be optimal at Captain in this matchup.

Dart did have three turnovers in his last game and those are typical growing pains with a rookie. His pass attempts were limited in his first start to just 20 attempts. Last week he attempted 40 passes and completed 26 of them. And yet, he only threw for 202 total yards. His offensive line is also a bit beat up and the Eagles will likely get Nakobe Dean back for this game. There’s a good floor with this play but I’d rather chase upside elsewhere.

 

 

 

NFL Thursday Night Football DFS Picks: Mid-Tier Play

Wan’Dale Robinson, WR, Philadelphia Eagles – DraftKings: $7,200 | FanDuel: $8,400

Quinyon Mitchell has quickly emerged as one of the best young defensive backs in the NFL. He’s shadowed some of the league’s best receivers through five games: Hollywood Brown, Davante Adams, Emeka Egbuka, George Pickens, and Courtland Sutton. He largely stays on the perimeter. But with no Malik Nabers and no Darius Slayton, does Mitchell follow Robinson out of the slot?

Honestly, I’m not entirely sure. That hasn’t really been his thing. It honestly feels like it could be an easy-going night for Mitchell because he just doesn’t really travel to the slot. Because of that, I’m still somewhat optimistic Robinson can see some volume out of the slot. He’s averaging almost seven targets per game, but he only has a dozen total targets in the two games Jaxson Dart has been the starting quarterback for the Giants. This also doesn’t feel like a big spike week for Robinson as his biggest game came against the Dallas Cowboys. Since then he has 70 total receiving yards and no touchdowns. It’s hard to view him as a Captain option or a core play for our TNF DFS picks.

Dallas Goedert, TE, Philadelphia Eagles – DraftKings: $6,400 | FanDuel: $8,000

Goedert has lived up to the billing of the tight end position the last handful of weeks. In season-long formats, I truly believe there are maybe only five or six tight ends we can trust every single week. But for the most part, this position is very touchdown dependent. In his last three games, he has eight receptions on 15 targets for a total of 89 yards. But he’s scored four touchdowns in that span. So he’s averaging 13.6 PPR points in that span.

Even with the touchdowns he’s a flex-worthy option at best and there may even be a value option or two below that provide more of a ceiling than Goedert. But with Darius Slayton out, and Tyrone Tracy returning from injury, I’m not loving too many options in this range on DraftKings and FanDuel.

 

 

 

NFL Thursday Night Football DFS Picks: Value Plays

Theo Johnson, TE, New York Giants – DraftKings: $5,800 | FanDuel: $5,200

Johnson’s come on very strong the last two weeks, but let’s at least try to remain a bit objective and transparent. He is a tight end, and the position is as touchdown dependent as it ever was (see Goedert’s write-up above). Johnson has three touchdowns in his last two games but only 50 receiving yards.

He does have 15 receptions on the year and rookie quarterbacks do tend to lean on their tight ends to start out. Even Daniel Bellinger caught all four of his targets last week for 52 yards. The Eagles are not an easy matchup for tight ends so if he isn’t finding the end zone, he may not do much for our NFL DFS Showdown lineups. But with Darius Slayton out we can elevate both tight ends.

Will Shipley, RB, Philadelphia Eagles – DraftKings: $4,400 | FanDuel: $2,600

Paying down to a cheap running back on the Eagles sounds nice especially in a potential blow out. However, Saquon Barkley touched the ball just nine times last week as he dealt with a sore knee. And despite the small workload for Barkley, that translated to just four total touches between Shipley and A.J. Dillon.

If this game turns into a blowout then we could see some production from Shipley, Dillon, or even Tank Bigsby, who has had zero opportunities since being acquired by Philadelphia. Any sign that he could be limited will provide a slight boost to these cheaper options, but I doubt we hear any news of that sort.

Jalin Hyatt, WR, New York Giants – DraftKings: $3,200 | FanDuel: $5,000

With Malik Nabers out for the year, Hyatt was able to play 34 offensive snaps, which was a season high for him and the third-most on the team. He saw three targets but didn’t bring any of them in so he’s yet to record a single fantasy point in the three games he’s been active.

With Slayton out tonight, that may open things up for Hyatt to see snaps and targets similar to Sunday. And with Nakobe Dean potentially returning, that may make things a bit more difficult for Theo Johnson who will likely draw more ownership. Now I am concerned that Hyatt is the player that draws coverage from Quinyon Mitchell. I can’t shy away from Hyatt because the price is so good but you have to imagine he becomes Mitchell’s primary focus tonight on the perimeter.

 

 

 

TNF DFS Picks: Kickers & D/ST

Neither defense necessarily sticks out as a great fantasy option, but when the implied total is this low (40.5 points as of Thursday morning), we obviously find ourselves inclined to play at least one or both across multiple lineups. The Eagles rank 12th in defensive EPA/DB (0.04) while the Giants are tied for 17th (0.12). If the Eagles can get Nakobe Dean for this matchup then that certainly helps their outlook especially since Darius Slayton is out and Jermaine Eluemunor could miss this game.

Surprisingly through five weeks, neither offense is generating many explosive plays. Explosive plays are defined as plays of 15+ yards. The Eagles rank 28th in total explosive play rate (7.0%). They’re 11th in rushing explosive play rate (2.0% which is still not great), but they’re 30th in passing explosive play rate (5.0%) and that is why Brown and Smith are growing so frustrated.

The Giants are surprisingly better in this department, but not by much. They rank 26th in total explosive play rate (8.0%) including being 22nd in rushing explosive play rate (1.7%) and 25th in passing explosive play rate (6.3%). But mind you, there was arguably more explosive potential when Russell Wilson was under center for New York. These rates help shed more light on Vegas’ lack of faith in expecting much offense in this matchup.

The Eagles D/ST can get a massive bump if Dean does make his return tonight. Their defense certainly is not giving up explosive plays, which are plays of 15+ yards being allowed by the defense. They tout a 1.2% rushing explosive play rate (8th in the NFL) and a 6.9% passing explosive play rate (11th). They don’t create a ton of pressure (seven total sacks through five games) and they have allowed three straight opponents to post 350+ yards of offense. The Eagles are the preferred D/ST simply because the Giants give up too many yards and points and don’t project as a D/ST with a great ceiling.

Low-implied totals should lead us to want to play the kickers since the belief is that the offenses can’t get into the end zone. And while that’s true, I do want to acknowledge that Jake Elliott has only attempted five field goals this season. In his last three games he hasn’t attempted a kick of more than 40 yards. This tweet from Football Insights highlights Jake Elliott’s problem. The Eagles don’t make many trips to the red zone. They’re averaging just about 2.6 trips per game but they’re converting touchdowns at a nearly 90% rate once they do reach the red zone. That explains why he’s 14-for-14 on extra points attempts and only 5-for-5 on FGA’s.

Graham Gano is likely out a couple more weeks so the Giants will likely go with either Jude McAtamney or Younghoe Koo. I’m not going to spend too much specific time on either kicker aside from mentioning that they correlate well in New York stacks whether those are 4:2 or 5:1 builds. The Giants have a 16.75-point implied total for this game so Philly stacks will be far more popular and whoever the Giants go with as their kicker will be a risky play.

 

 

 

Eagles vs. Giants DFS Player Pool: SNF, 10/9

Player Pool

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