Week 4 NFL DFS kicks off tonight with a fantastic battle between the Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals. Both teams are expected to contend for playoff spots here in the 2022 NFL season and both offenses are more than capable of throwing a ton of points up onto the scoreboard. There were some injury concerns earlier in the week, but it looks like both teams will have every weapon in their arsenal ready to go. With players like Tyreek Hill and Ja’Marr Chase, you can expect things to move pretty quickly out there and the game total of 48 tells us we’re going to see some points scored. In order to make the right NFL DFS Week 4 picks and build that winning lineup, you’re going to have to get a little chalky, but still have that one play that differentiates you from the rest of the pack. Fortunately, we’ve got everything you need right here. You’ve got a full rundown of players and suggestions below and you can always take a look at our Weekly Match-Up Report and use NFL DFS Tools like our DFS Lineup Generator (a.k.a. the DFS lineup optimizer). We have everything you need to build a winning DFS lineup.

Now before we begin, for those who are new to the process, please take a moment to understand what exactly you are getting yourself into by playing single-game Showdown Slates. We love to have some skin in the game, for sure, but these slates are, for all intents and purposes, a lottery ticket. Sure, there are times when the chalk hits and everyone shares in the prizes, but, more often than not, you need to hit on that random dart-throw that differentiates your lineup from that of the herd in order to claim the top prize. As a result, we encourage you to play responsibly and not over-invest. 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.

 

 

Miami Dolphins at Cincinnati Bengals

Spread: Bengals -3.5

O/U: 48

Weather: Clear skies with temperatures in the high-50s w/ winds blowing NE at 6mph

Notable Injuries:

Miami Dolphins

Cincinnati Bengals

2022 DVOA Defensive Rankings

Miami Dolphins

  • vs Pass: 29th 
  • vs Run: 7th  

Cincinnati Bengals

  • vs Pass: 8th 
  • vs Run: 9th 

**Please note that players not listed below are not necessarily a complete fade and any player listed can certainly be used as the MVP/Captain. These are merely suggestions for players to use when setting Showdown lineups.

MVP/Captain

Ja’Marr Chase, WR CIN – There is so much working in favor of Chase tonight, especially as your potential captain for tonight’s contests. First of all, most people default to the quarterback as their top play so there is potential lower ownership. Then you’ve got the Dolphins with the second most passing yards per game allowed along with six touchdowns given up through the air. And then on top of all of that, you have Xavien Howard banged up which means he’s not at 100-percent and if he needs to miss time on the field, Nik Needham will be tasked with covering Chase and that’s the kind of match-up we’re all here for tonight.

Joe Burrow, QB CIN – We enjoyed watching Burrow right the ship in Week 3 and he’s slowly worked his way back from the appendectomy that sidelined him towards the tail-end of the pre-season. Now he’s got himself a match-up against a struggling pass defense with a banged-up secondary that has seen opposing quarterbacks post a strong 104.2 passer-rating against them. We can expect another strong performance from Burrow in this match-up. 

Tyreek Hill, WR MIA – The Bengals aren’t going to shadow Hill in this match-up, especially because it sounds like Jaylen Waddle will play, but he’s got some tough match-ups against Chidobe Awuzie and Mike Hilton. However, Hill is lining up all over the field so look for Miami to try and get Hill opposite Eli Apple as much as possible. This is the vulnerable part of the Bengals secondary and the Dolphins should try to work this angle as much as possible.

Mid-Tier Top DFS Picks

Tee Higgins, WR CIN – How do you not love Higgins this week? Borderline spot in the captain’s seat for me as the Dolphins rank 23rd in DVOA against the opposition’s No. 2 receiver, but you also have to account for the potential that the Fins have to shift around coverage to account for potential injuries, so while Higgins may get a bump in value, so does Chase. He may not be in my top spot, but I’ll still be getting Higgins’ points into my lineups.

Jaylen Waddle, WR MIA – While Waddle is listed as questionable with a groin injury, he is fully expected to play in tonight’s game. As such, you always need to be concerned that these two offenses just start throwing haymakers at each other and we get a little something like we saw when Miami played the Ravens. Maybe not to that extent given the Bengals cover-corners, but it won’t be for a lack of trying.

Joe Mixon, RB CIN – He was pulled off the official injury report after Wednesday’s practice, so the ankle tweak he dealt with in Week 3 is behind him. Mixon is off to a slower start than we’d like to see, but then again, so are all the Bengals. The offensive line is still jelling and the Bengals are routinely a team that uses the pass to set up the run, so if the pass isn’t clicking, then the run game certainly won’t be. That should change tonight as Burrow & Co. showed signs of line upon which to build last week. The trickle-down to Mixon isn’t far behind.

Tua Tagovailoa, QB MIA – We all still have images of a wobbly Tua trying to get off the field last week, but he was cleared of any sort of concussion during the game and the residual effects seem to be in his back, not in his head. It’s a tough match-up, given the Bengals strength in coverage, but things are clicking for Mike McDaniel’s offense and we can expect to see a productive Tua under center for this battle against a Bengals club looking to right their ship in the AFC.

Chase Edmonds, RB MIA – The Bengals run defense has been strong this season, holding the opposition to an average of just 86 rushing yards per game with only one rushing touchdown allowed, so it could be slow at first for Edmonds and the Dolphins ground game. McDaniel is splitting the work in the backfield between Edmonds and Mostert, but it’s been Edmonds who has seen the rushing work inside the 10-yard-line near the goal line. We’ll lean on the touchdown upside here if we are using anyone in this Dolphins backfield.

Raheem Mostert, RB MIA -- He becomes a decent contrarian play as anyone who does use a Miami running back in their lineup will likely try to go with Edmonds after his two touchdown carries last week. Mostert has seen more snaps but that seems to be more of a testament to his pass-blocking as Edmonds has out-touched him. Still, McDaniel brought Mostert with him from San Francisco for a reason and he does like to rotate his backs.

Tyler Boyd, WR CIN – One would think that, on any other team, Boyd’s target share would be ridiculous, but because he sits behind Chase and Higgins, he doesn’t see the work maybe he really should be seeing. Miami has ranked 19th in DVOA against slot receivers this season and Boyd’s 14 targets this season have had a strong return of 10 catches for 155 yards and two touchdowns, including last week’s 56-yard touchdown. People also may have missed his four-yard score last week that got wiped out due to a holding penalty, so you know Burrow has his eyes on him. 

Hayden Hurst, TE CIN – Through the first two games, Hurst saw a surprising 15 targets and while he failed to find the end zone at all, seeing him as strongly incorporated into the passing game was encouraging. Last week, he battled a groin injury and was held out of action in a game well in-hand, so look for him to get back into Burrow’s sights this week. Miami ranks 30th in DVOA against the tight end and the opposition is throwing an average of 10 passes to the position, resulting in 80-plus yards per game when facing them.

Mike Gesicki, TE MIA – While he’s been out-snapped by Durham Smythe, it is still Gesicki who is running more routes. The Bengals are allowing the third-most fantasy points per game to the tight end position, thanks to a battle against Mark Andrews, but just because Gesicki isn’t on that level doesn’t mean he can’t produce. 

Trent Sherfield, WR MIA – With Cedrick Wilson banged-up, Sherfield, another former 49er McDaniel brought over with him, should see some extra snaps in three-receiver sets. He’s probably a little better than a dart-throw here, but not by much.

Top Bargain DFS Picks

Samaje Perine, RB CIN – He’s been seeing third-down work even with Mixon healthy, so you have to keep an eye on him. It’s not so much that we’re worried about Mixon’s ankle as much as it is Zac Taylor’s preference for Perine’s blocking. If you want a contrarian salary-saver, Perine should warrant consideration.

Durham Smythe, TE MIA – He has the same number of targets as Gesicki and he’s even played a few more snaps. He gets the offensive game-plan and McDaniel likes his blocking more than Gesicki’s so expect him to be in-play tonight. Again, the Bengals are weak against the tight end and if Miami is near the goal-line, Smythe’s big body will be seen by Tua.