Thursday Night Football Commanders at Eagles
Before last Thursday night’s game, the atmosphere was full of anticipation as the two AFC North division rivals clashed. As I predicted, the game was a shootout and did not disappoint. It was an entertaining back and forth game that had fans on the edge of their seats. Top performers of the game included Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (scored 33.7 fantasy points), Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase (scored 55.4 fantasy points PPR), and Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (scored 32.9 fantasy points).
Let’s talk about Ja’Marr Chase’s historic performance for a moment. In this game, he recorded 11 receptions for 264 yards and scored 3 touchdowns. He became the first player in NFL history to have multiple career games with 250 receiving yards and multiple touchdown catches. Chase now leads the league in receiving yards with 981 and in touchdown catches with 10. Finally, his 55.4 PPR fantasy football performance puts him in 7th place for one of the highest fantasy football scoring performances of all time.
The game ended with a failed two-point conversion from the Cincinnati Bengals, that ended the game losing to the Baltimore Ravens 35-34.
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Around the league and their fans, most can feel the anticipation of another intense division game that has a lot on the line. This Thursday night, we get the pleasure of enjoying an NFC East matchup between the Washington Commanders traveling to take on the Philadelphia Eagles. Whoever wins this game takes the lead in the NFC East and has the potential to win the division.
The Philadelphia Eagles are coming into this game with a win over the Dallas Cowboys. The Eagles dominated the Cowboys, winning 34-6. The game was headlined by the Eagles coming in red-hot with running back Saquon Barkley playing at peak performance similar to his 2018 season and the Dallas Cowboys’ morale being at an all-time low. Not only is Cowboys starting quarterback Dak Prescott out due to a torn hamstring, but the offensive line is not allowing a running game to be established and the defense is playing extremely poor. With that being said, the Eagles are fully confident coming into this matchup against another NFC East rival with the expectation to win and take the lead.
On the other hand, the Washington Commanders are coming into this game with a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers 28-27. Unfortunately for the Commanders, the offense could not get the passing game going as quarterback Jayden Daniels was only able to complete 17/32 passes for 202 yards with zero touchdowns. I believe their main problem on offense is their lack of wide receiver depth. It truly is only “Scary” Terry McLaurin and everyone else. There is no true WR2 that can complement McLaurin and help Daniels in the passing game. Every game usually is a toss-up between Noah Brown, Luke McCaffrey, and tight end Zach Ertz. For them to be able to fully operate at a high level, especially in the post season, they are going to need to sign a WR2. That is the biggest reason why I don’t believe they will go as far as they have the potential to do so.
As far as the defenses go, I love the additions of duo rookie cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. After the 2024 NFL Draft, I thought the Eagles “won” the draft. They bolstered up a position that was needed and these two rookies have the potential to become one of the best duo cornerbacks in NFL history.
On the Washington Commanders side, I am impressed that they traded for Marshon Lattimore from New Orleans. This is a huge addition to their defense and now plays alongside Emmanuel Forbes Jr. who has not lived up to his potential yet. However, Lattimore is currently nursing a hamstring injury and is waiting to make his debut (may not be this week). In conclusion, I do not expect much from this defense until these things get resolved.
Overall, it should be a good game and whoever wins should be able to conquer the division down the stretch.
DFS Picks
$7,500 Fanduel
Dotson is playing against his former team in this matchup. Also, tight end Dallas Goedert is nursing an ankle injury and has been a non-participant in Tuesday’s practice. Dotson was traded to the Eagles from the Commanders to become their WR3. This is the game to live up to that position. I expect Dotson to be an active participant of the offense and receive a good amount of targets.
$9,000 Fanduel
The kicking game for Philadelphia has always been a crucial part of their gameplan. In the past two games, he has attempted at least two field goals and has gone 6/7 in that time. This does not count all the extra points he scored. Expect Elliott to score at least 8 points at a minimum and 12 points at a maximum Thursday night.
$9,500 Fanduel
The highlight of Brown’s career was catching Jayden Daniels’ hail mary that allowed the Washington Commanders to defeat the Chicago Bears a few weeks back. Since then, he has established himself as a regular on offense. The Commanders are going to need everyone to perform at their best against Philadelphia’s elite defense.
$8,000 Fanduel
I’m thoroughly impressed by how many times Ertz gets targeted per game. He is a safety net for quarterback Jayden Daniels. Just with his PPR points alone, it is enough to carry him into a solid DFS lineup. Expect Ertz to receive a good number of targets Thursday night.
Prediction
I believe the Philadelphia Eagles are going to defeat the Washington Commanders 30-27 in a close game.
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