Lions vs. Chiefs Picks, Lineup Tips for Daily Fantasy DraftKings for TNF
September 7, 2023Lions vs. Chiefs Picks, Lineup Tips for Daily Fantasy DraftKings for TNF
The Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions are set to kick off the 2023 NFL season on Thursday night. It will be a welcome event for football fans and fantasy enthusiasts alike, as it will also mark the return of NFL daily fantasy sports (DFS) games.
With two potent offenses on the field for the season's inaugural game, this should be a fantasy manager's dream. However, Travis Kelce's recent knee injury—a bone bruise, according to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport—throws some uncertainty over what would normally be one of the game's safest plays.
Below, you'll find a few DFS tips for Thursday's matchup, along with values from DraftKings and a few of our favorite plays for opening night.
Get the latest DFS values at DraftKings.
General DFS Tips for Lions at Chiefs
The biggest piece of advice we can offer for this game is to lean on the consistent performers. This is especially true if you're eyeing Thursday's game as part of the weekend-long slate.
Kelce's injury leaves Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes ($8.1K) and Lions wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown ($7.5K) as the two can't-miss options. Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco ($5.9K) is in the mix as well, as he should see a steady workload.
Keep in mind, though, that Pacheco typically gives up a chunk of the receiving duties to Jerick McKinnon ($5.1K), who has PPR upside but a bit of boom-or-bust potential.
Managers looking to lean into Kansas City's backfield would do well to play both McKinnon and Pacheco since both are relatively budge-friendly backs. Clyde Edwards-Helaire ($4.4K) should be viewed as more of a deep sleeper, and his floor isn't particularly high.
With a lack of high-floor wideouts behind St. Brown, MnKinnon is a solid flex option for Thursday-only games.
Due to Kelce's injury, it may also be worth starting Lions rookie tight end Sam LaPorta. Detroit's offense didn't heavily feature tight ends last season—which was part of the reasoning behind the T.J. Hockenson trade—but LaPorta is a strong value at $3,800.
Trust Jared Goff
Mahomes is the most consistent quarterback in fantasy, and his DFS price point reflects that fact. However, we could see more of an emphasis on the ground game on Thursday as Andy Reid looks to attack a Lions defense that ranked 30th in yards-per-carry allowed in 2022.
Kelce's injury could limit Mahomes' ceiling in this one.
Managers looking to save a few DFS dollars at the quarterback position should feel good about starting Lions QB Jared Goff. With a $6,000 value, he can leave enough salary space to splurge on skill players.
Goff will have a full complement of playmakers, including St. Brown, Josh Reynolds, Marvin Jones Jr., LaPorta, David Montgomery and rookie tailback Jahmyr Gibbs. He was also a capable fantasy starter last season, finishing with 4,438 yards and 29 touchdowns.
While Goff's highs are rarely as high as Mahomes', he should be trusted to have a solid performance on Thursday. The Chiefs added a few new pieces but haven't dramatically upgraded a defense that allowed the third-most fantasy points to opposing QBs in 2022, according to FantasyPros.
Start Jahmyr Gibbs
While Pacheco is worth a start, and McKinnon is a viable flex option, managers should make room in the starting lineup for Gibbs.
The Lions rookie is expected to split time with former Chicago Bear David Montgomery. However, the speedy, multi-faceted back is likely to get on the field as more than just a runner.
"We might use Gibbs in some ways that people don't quite think we might," offensive coordinator Ben Johnson said, per Tim Twentyman of the team's official website.
Montgomery ($5.7K) has never been the most explosive back (3.9 career yards-per-carry average), and he's likely to play more of a grinder role on Thursday. He'll see enough ground work to keep Gibbs fresh, but the rookie is the home-run hitter and Detroit's biggest backfield asset in the passing game.
Gibbs averaged 6.1 yards per rush and 10.1 yards per reception at Alabama last season while finding the end zone a total of 10 times. Expect him to carry enough point-per-reception (PPR) upside to be well worth his $6,100 DFS value.
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