And just like that, NFL Week 8 DFS is here. The Thursday Night Football game features Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hosting Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens and it gives us a fantastic set of possibilities for building winning DFS Showdown lineups. Keep in mind, the NFL Injury Report is already lengthy and there are a number of players on both sides of this game who are questionable, so you are going to have to pay attention to who is in and who is out leading up to game-time. Even with the injuries, there are still plenty of marquee names from which to choose, so we will do our best to help sort them out for you.

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.

 

 

Baltimore Ravens at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Spread: Buccaneers -2

O/U: 46

Weather: Partly cloudy with temperatures in the high-70s w/ winds blowing NW at 3 mph

Notable Injuries:

Baltimore Ravens

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

2022 DVOA Defensive Rankings

Baltimore Ravens

  • vs Pass: 8th 
  • vs Run: 23rd 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • vs Pass: 6th 
  • vs Run: 11th 

**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

Mike Evans, WR TB – The Ravens secondary was already allowing an average of nearly 90 yards per game to the opposing No. 1 wide receiver and now with both Marcus Peters and Marlon Humphrey banged up, Evans should have no trouble getting separation or coming down with the ball after a contested catch. He still needs to atone for that big touchdown drop to open the last Bucs game, so tonight, he gets it done.

Lamar Jackson, QB BAL – Pretty tough to not get Jackson into your captain seat as his rushing ability alone raises the floor to a level with which you can be comfortable. Last week, he gave up a pair of touchdown carries to a returning Gus Edwards, but knowing that he is up against the GOAT in prime time, he’s going to want to take center stage in this one.

Leonard Fournette, RB TB – The Ravens may only be allowing 105.1 rushing yards per game, but they’ve given up eight rushing touchdowns on the season, fourth-highest in the NFL. He’ll have the occasional dud games like last week, but usually he’s good for 18-20 touches between rushing and receiving and will be leaned on fairly often in this one.

Mid-Tier DFS Value Plays

Mark Andrews, TE BAL – If it wasn’t for the questionable tag, Andrews would be in the top spot for us tonight as the Bucs are allowing the 11th-most fantasy points per game to the tight end and rank 15th in DVOA against the position. Opponents are throwing about a half-dozen passes to the tight end when facing Tamp and the Bucs are giving up just over 52 yards per game. We know Andres is a top target for Jackson, especially inside the red zone, but the knee is a bit concerning. If he plays, you can feel good about using hm, but you may want to leave him out of the top spot just for the night.

Chris Godwin, WR TB – This is actually a fantastic spot for Godwin tonight as he will likely be matched up with slot-corner Damarion Williams tonight. We’ve looked at the data and we’ve watched how Williams handles himself against the slot receivers he’s faced throughout the season and its doesn’t look good. Not to mention the physical advantage Godwin has over him as well. Expect him to see plenty of targets from Brady as the Bucs move the chains and head towards the end zone.

Gus Edwards, RB BAL – The Gus Bus returned to action last week and the Ravens got him involved immediately, particularly down near the goal line. We are going to see that pretty often as he pushes his way back into the lead role in the backfield, but just understand the type of back he is. You can’t expect 100-yard efforts from him. It just doesn’t happen often and this match-up, despite watching the Bucs get shredded by the run last week. But if we can get 50-60 yards and a touchdown from him this week, he'll pay off his salary.

Tom Brady, QB TB – You never count Brady out, no matter how bad he looked last week or how much you think his mental make-up is shook from his personal life. If Brady sees a weakness in this Baltimore defense, he’s going to expose it every chance he gets. We still believe he will lean on Fournette, but when you have weapons like Evans and Godwin and you see holes in the secondary, you take full advantage.

Rashod Bateman, WR BAL – You will have to monitor his status leading up to game-time as Bateman remains questionable with his foot injury. He did put in a full practice Wednesday so that is certainly encouraging. If he is on the field, Jackson is definitely going to look his way anytime he is not covered by Jamel Dean. The Bucs have a bunch of injuries in the secondary, so if Bateman is lined up opposite anyone else, he could be long gone for a big touchdown.

Cade Otton, TE TB – The Ravens rank 24th in DVOA against the tight end and are allowing the ninth-most fantasy points per game to the position. Otton has averaged roughly five targets per game over the last four and will be the lead pass-catching tight end for Tampa with Cameron Brate out with a concussion. There is good value to be had, though the upside seems a little limited. If he does get into the end zone for his first touchdown of the year then he will, obviously, pay off his salary.

Demarcus Robinson, WR BAL – The Bucs are dealing with a variety of injuries in the secondary, so whether Bateman plays or not, Robinson could be a guy you want in your lineups. Very few people will play him because they’ll be all over Devin Duverany, so a contrarian Robinson play could be what you need to differentiate yourself from the rest of the pack.

Breshad Perriman, WR TB – In similar fashion to Robinson, but on the other side, Perriman could be an intriguing way for you to differentiate yourself from the rest of the field. With Julio Jones continuously banged-up, Perriman is the guy on the field in three-receiver sets. He won’t see much in the way of targets but if he gets some separation downfield, Brady will find him.

Devin Duvernay, WR BAL – He’s always a little chalky because he gets so much love from the fantasy football community, but Tampa actually does well against slot-receivers, limiting them to fewer than 30 yards per game. He’s lined up as the Z-receiver while Bateman has been out, so if Bateman is out, we are much more bullish on Duvernay, so plan your lineup out early and pivot once the inactives are reported.

**Both kickers – Justin Tucker and Ryan Succop can be used as a salary-saver if you need. Tucker always gets the first nod.

Dart-Throw DFS Bargains

Isaiah Likely, TE BAL – If Andrews is out, you lock him into your lineups, but even if Andrews is on the field, Likely could be an intriguing option as you never know if Andrews’ snaps are limited due to his knee issue. 

Rachaad White, RB TB – We’ve seen White get more involved and Brady has praised the rookie for his efforts on the field. Should Tampa play from behind, he could be on the field a little more than usual which could open up some late-game possibilities.