Thursday Night Preview Week 4
Photo By: Mark Brown/Getty Images via dknation.draftkings.com
We could be in store for a fun, fully loaded Thursday night game tonight. The 3-0 Dolphins travel to take on the 1-2 Bengals who are looking to turn it around in a big way this week to hit .500. They may be able to, but a lot of that is going to come down to protecting Joe Burrow and unleashing that wide receiver group.
Lets jump into the player breakdowns for Week 4 of Thursday Night Football.
* All Prices Come Via Draft Kings *
Joe Burrow (CIN) – Despite getting massacred week in and out behind the line of scrimmage, Burrow has managed to still be a top 10 fantasy option so far this season. Right now he sits in rankings as the QB9, and takes on a Dolphins defense that has allowed the 2nd most passing yards in the NFL. Miami loves to blitz and play man coverage, so protection will be key. If Burrow is able to get a little time, I have no doubt that his weapons will be able to get open downfield. I would bet the talent he has in his receivers will be able to beat the Dolphins corners in man coverage for some big gains. That could be nice, considering the Bengals only have 2 plays of 40+ yards this season. Keep those fingers crossed the O-Line can protect him, and he could have a very solid game. ($9,600 or $14,400 as Captain)
Tua Tagovailoa (MIA) – Raise your hand if you had Tua in the top 5 fantasy quarterbacks to start the season off. Yeah, not a lot of people did, and yet, he has dominated and is the QB5 on the season at this time. Tua and Dolphins passing game will have a middle of the pack Cincy secondary to face tonight in terms of yards allowed. However, the kicker is the Bengals are tied for allowing the least amount of touchdown passes this season (2). Hill and Waddle have shown up in a big way, and even though they have a decent foe, I still expect them to levitate Tua to be a formidable fantasy asset tonight. Tua has been playing great, and he should be absolutely fine tonight. ($9,400 or $14,100 as Captain)
Photo By: Dylan Buell/Getty Images via cincyjungle.com
Joe Mixon (CIN) – Miami is a bit more stout at stopping the run compared to being swiss cheese in the secondary. But they still do allow a bit of yardage. The downside is they don’t really allow rushing touchdowns to opponents which isn’t a great sign for Mixon, they’ve only allowed 1 rushing touchdown this season. Mixon is yet to cash in a touchdown himself, and over the last 2 games only averaged 7.5 fantasy points per game. It could end up being an uphill battle for Mixon tonight, but the thing is you have to start him. You spent too much fantasy capital for him to sit on your bench. The plus side that could help; with the blitz coming from the Dolphins and the Cincy line being a mess, Mixon could see a bunch of targets on check downs. He has 20 total targets right now on the season, which is 3rd most for running backs. So it might not end up being all doom and gloom as long as he is involved in the passing game. ($9,000 or $13,500 as Captain)
Chase Edmonds/Raheem Mostert (MIA) – Right now the Dolphins backfield might be the most confusing and frustrating in fantasy football. Edmonds leads in rankings at RB29 to Mostert’s RB50, but the snap counts is where it gets hard to look at. The last 2 games they look like this. Edmonds week 2 – 51%, and week 3 – 44%. Mostert week 2 – 55%, and week 3 – 56%. It’s pretty evenly matched, and there’s packages where they are both on the field. However, Edmonds leads the duo since he cashed in 2 touchdowns last week against the Bills. The Bengals have allowed the 8th least amount of rushing yards to running backs and only 1 touchdown. It isn’t a pleasant match-up for either Edmonds or Mostert, and I guess if I’m rolling out one of them it’s Edmonds. My main reasoning, he gets the goal line work. So if you’re throwing him in, cross your fingers for another goal line touchdown. (Edmonds - $6,200 or $9,300 as Captain) (Mostert - $4,400 or $6,600 as Captain)
Ja’Marr Chase (CIN) – If we are betting on one of the 3 Bengals receivers to have a nice game I’m leaning on Chase this week. In man to man coverage he is a beast, and that is what he’s going to be facing tonight. He is also the one that is going to catch an 8 yard pass, and turn it into a monster gain. What he can do after the catch is one of the best in the game, and that is where he has his chance to shine against Miami. In 3 weeks he’s had 35 targets, and although the last two games have been modest, he’s running the most routes for Bengals receivers. He ran 39 last week and played on 59 snaps. He should have a good game, with the potential upside to explode if he can get deep in the secondary. ($11,000 or $16,500 as Captain)
Photo By: Wilfredo Lee/AP Photo via si.com
Tyreek Hill (MIA) – The Miami wide receives have been on fire this season, and believe it or not, Hill is ranked lower than his partner in crime. Honestly it doesn’t matter, because Hill has backed his words on Tua’s play and their ability to stretch the field. Last week Hill ran the most routes for the Dolphins and played the most snaps. Now the Bengals as mentioned have only allowed 2 touchdowns through the air so far, but that doesn’t mean Cheetah can’t get behind them, because you know he can. Look for Hill to get deep often, and try to light up the scoreboard against the Bengals. ($10.800 or $16,200 as Captain)
Tee Higgins (CIN) – Tee Higgins will have his chances just as much as Chase in this game, but it’s those explosive plays from Chase that sets him apart from Tee. That’s not to say Higgins can’t produce, because he can, and against this man coverage in Miami he is more than capable of burning the corners. It’s assumed Howard (Miami’s CB1) will be on Hill, so that gives Higgins a little more leverage to make a play. Last week he only ran 4 less routes than Chase, and that will be a trend, but he is still accumulating enough targets, and could have a nice game against the Dolphins secondary who give up a ton of yards through the air. ($8,200 or $12,300 as Captain)
Jaylen Waddle (MIA) – Waddle leads the Miami receiver group for the time being in rankings, coming in at WR3. But that can change in the blink of an eye with Cheetah on the other side. That being said, Waddle has been fantastic. He has a total of 30 targets through 3 games that have totaled 342 yards and 3 touchdowns. It’s hard to argue with an average of 114 yards and 1 touchdown a game for Waddle. He will get more opportunities tonight, as it will be a sure plan for the Bengals to somehow lock up his speedy partner in crime. But make no mistake, Waddle is quick, and right now is almost running the same amount of routes as Hill. Him and Hill are both great starts, and I’d be willing to put either in my lineup. ($10,200 or $15,300 as Captain)
Photo By: Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer/USA TODAY Sports via dknation.draftkings.com
Tyler Boyd (CIN) – Out of the 3 receivers for the Bengals, Boyd is my least favorite to start tonight. But that doesn’t mean he won’t produce either. His snap percentage has been going down since he start of the year, but he could still see some targets if Burrow can’t get the time to huck it downfield to Chase or Higgins. Boyd has 2 touchdowns on the season, but the least amount of targets and catches. I’m not chasing the points on him from last week in this situation. He might be a boom or bust candidate, and tonight you could start him, but expect flex type numbers. ($7,000 or $10,500 as Captain)
Mike Gesicki (MIA) – Gesicki was on my bust list headed into this season, and I think you have seen a product of why. Hill and Waddle have demanded targets, which has left Gesicki only having 6 through 3 games. A lot of why I had him as a bust is because the Dolphins need him blocking, and if you’re blocking you aren’t running routes. Last week he only ran 7, playing on only 17 snaps. It isn’t looking good for Gesicki, and unless he gets end-zone targets, he won’t be productive. ($5,000 or $7,500 as Captain)
Hayden Hurst (CIN) – Hurst made an appearance on my waiver list a few weeks back, and that it because he is actually out there running routes and getting targets. The tight end pool is rough, and you should know this by now. He has 17 total targets on the year compared to Gesicki’s 6. He has yet to score a touchdown, but if he is able to somehow turn those targets into 6 points he could be an OK start. But I’m not fully confident in doing so. He is without a doubt a touchdown dependent player at this point. ($5,400 or $8,100 as Captain)
SKOL
JD