Thursday Night Football Buccaneers at Falcons
Last Thursday night’s game between the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants was lackluster for NFL fans. Both offenses looked completely out of sync, and as a result, it was a relatively low-scoring game, with the Cowboys defeating the Giants 20-15. We also saw Giants kicker Greg Joseph kick 5 field goals, scoring all 15 points, which was great for fantasy players but a terrible look for the organization. To top off the Giants night, rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers suffered a concussion later in the game and is currently ruled out. Now, looking at the Dallas Cowboys, I realize that they didn’t impress me either. The offense could not find rhythm and the running game is atrocious. Overall, neither team looks like a contender.
Game Preview
Thursday night’s game features the Tampa Bay Buccaneers traveling to take on their NFC South rival, the Atlanta Falcons. A few notes about the game include Falcons running back Bijan Robinson only scoring 1 touchdown the entire season, which is not being utilized fully. Quarterback Kirk Cousins is not playing to his full potential as he stated that he is not fully healthy, which explains why the passing game has not operated well thus far. The only thing the Falcons have going for them is their defense, which has been playing relatively well this season. Now, looking at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, quarterback Baker Mayfield looks like a solid QB1 who has finally found his home and is playing the best he has in his entire career. Both Chris Godwin and Mike Evans are still one of the fantasy “stud” duos in the entire NFL. Rookie running back Bucky Irving is seeing much more work in the offense, splitting carries with Rachaad White. Expect a back-and-forth battle between these two teams on Thursday night on Amazon Prime and your local channel at 8:20 pm EST.
DFS Sleepers
$10,000 Fanduel
Irving has seen an increase in production both in the rushing game and passing game over the course of the season. He has averaged 8.5 carries per game which isn’t bad for a backup running back who is only a rookie. Against the Falcons defense, the Buccaneers offensive gameplan should include spreading the ball around as they have plenty of playmakers. Expect Irving to be a prominent player on Thursday night and is worth a flex spot in your DFS lineup.
$9,000 Fanduel
Surprisingly Allgeier has received a load of work in the backfield even with the Falcons drafting Bijan Robinson last season. So far this season Allgeier has rushed for 166 yards on 27 carries. Expect Allgeier to continue to split carries with Robinson and is a worth a flex spot in your DFS lineup on Thursday night.
Prop Bets
Any Time Touchdown Scorer
Year after year Evans has shown to be a solid contributor to the Buccaneers offense. Now that he has a franchise quarterback in Baker Mayfield, I feel more confident than ever that Evans has the potential to score a touchdown in any given football game. Expect a deep pass touchdown from the duo of Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans in their NFC South rivalry game.
Over/Under (-110) 62.5 Rushing Yards
I am utterly surprised that Robinson has not had a better start to begin the season as he has only amassed 224 yards on 55 carries and scored 1 rushing touchdown. However, in a great matchup against the Falcons defense that is ranked 25th in the league in rushing yards allowed, there is great potential that Robinson hits the over on this bet.
Prediction
I believe the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are going to defeat the Atlanta Falcons 27-20.
