NFL Week 9 begins with the Jacksonville Jaguars facing the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday Night Football at 8:15 p.m. ET. Injuries to quarterbacks Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley elevate third-stringer Joe Fagnano, leaving Trevor Lawrence and Derrick Henry as the main highlights of the player pool.
Top Players and Strategies
Additional options for daily Fantasy lineups feature Jakobi Meyers and Parker Washington for Jacksonville, alongside Zay Flowers from Baltimore. Brian Thomas Jr. emerges as a potential sleeper choice after catching a touchdown on Sunday following a two-game drought. For those anticipating offensive struggles and field goals from a short-handed Ravens offense, injury-replacement kicker Jake Moody stands out as a viable roster option. Furthermore, deploying the high-scoring Jacksonville defense against Baltimore’s depleted lineup is worth considering on platforms like FanDuel and DraftKings.
Expert Insights and Key Picks
Professional DFS expert Mike McClure, known for over $2 million in career winnings and multiple tournament victories, uses a simulation model factoring in matchups, statistics, and injuries. For this matchup, McClure highlights Baltimore running back Derrick Henry. Henry boasts an average of 129.1 rushing yards and 14 total touchdowns across his last 10 appearances against his hometown Jacksonville team. With the Ravens missing their top quarterbacks, the offense is expected to heavily rely on Henry against a Jags defense that has surrendered over 100 rushing yards in each of the past two contests. Additionally, Jacksonville struggles to defend pass-catching running backs, which could expand Henry’s role.
McClure also includes Jaguars running back Bhayshul Tuten in his optimal lineup despite ankle and foot injuries. Tuten enters the matchup following a career-best performance that included 104 rushing yards, 55 receiving yards, and two touchdowns. Having recorded at least 87 scrimmage yards in all but one game this season alongside consecutive multi-touchdown weeks, Tuten faces a Baltimore defense that has proven vulnerable to opposing running backs.
Additional optimal daily Fantasy football selections and undervalued sleeper choices for the Thursday night matchup can be found exclusively at SportsLine.
