Double the Games, Double the Fun: Week 7 MNF Doubleheader
- Ravens at Bucs +3.5 | O/U 50
- Chargers at Cardinals +1 | O/U 44
Week 7's Sunday games have come and gone, and despite their struggles, Pat Mahomes and the Chiefs remain undefeated. With the Vikings' loss to the Lions, the Chiefs are now officially the last unbeaten team in the NFL. In other news, another week brings more injuries. This includes Deshaun Watson, whose injury appears to be a torn Achilles, and Brandon Aiyuk, who may have suffered a torn ACL. But enough about Sunday—let's dive into yet another Monday Night Football (MNF) doubleheader.
The first game takes us to Tampa, where the Ravens visit the Buccaneers. The injury report for this game is relatively light on both sides. For the Ravens, Keaton Mitchell remains out and has yet to play a snap this season. As for the Buccaneers, Rachaad White is listed as questionable with a foot injury, but after practicing fully on Saturday, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him suit up. Even if White does play, have we seen enough from Bucky Irving to consider this his backfield now? It may not make much difference with Tampa's receiving corps healthy and the Ravens' pass defense struggling. Offensively, the Bucs run the ball on just 42.9% of plays, meaning a healthy Mike Evans and Chris Godwin should capitalize on their 57.1% pass plays. Meanwhile, the Ravens' clean injury report suggests that Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry will continue to handle the bulk of the 53.2% rush attempts. In the passing game, Zay Flowers should maintain a significant target share, but there are plenty of opportunities left for a Ravens team that throws on 46.8% of plays. Expect this game to feature a pass-heavy Bucs offense against a run-heavy Ravens attack.
The second game of the night shifts from the Southeast to the Southwest, where the Cardinals host the Chargers. Let’s start with the Cardinals, whose injury report is relatively empty. Third-string running back Trey Benson is the only notable absence on offense, but with just 30 carries in six games, including one where he didn’t play a single snap, his absence shouldn’t affect Arizona much. The Cardinals run the ball on 47.5% of plays and, for the first time this season, their passing attack should be at full strength with Zay Jones returning from injury and suspension. This should boost efficiency in the 52.5% of passing plays.
On the other hand, the Chargers have a busier injury report. Hayden Hurst and Quentin Johnston are doubtful, and Ladd McConkey is questionable with a hip injury but managed a limited practice on Saturday. RB Gus Edwards remains on IR, while DJ Chark could return. Despite the injuries, the Chargers run the ball on 52.4% of plays, primarily through J.K. Dobbins, with rookie Kimani Vidal getting his first action last week. It’s unclear who will step up in the passing game, with Justin Herbert's arm only being utilized on 47.6% of plays. This game looks tougher to predict, as John Harbaugh’s Chargers will likely slow the pace with their strong rushing attack, while the Cardinals prefer a more up-tempo approach. Either way, I’m targeting the Chargers’ ground game in this matchup.
With all that said, let’s get into my favorite plays at each position. Since this is a two-game slate, we’ll be focusing on full-team contests rather than showdown rosters.
Quarterback
$8.0K - Lamar Jackson (QB, BAL)
Lamar is the most expensive QB on the slate for a good reason. He can do it through the air or on the ground. Averaging 26 fantasy points a game, Lamar has back-to-back games with 300+ passing yards. This season has also seen him rush for 75+ yards twice despite only finding the endzone twice since the addition of Derrick Henry in the offseason. Finding a way to make him fit in lineups will be tough, but I have a hard time seeing Jackson not finish as the top QB on this two-game slate. If you want to find a pivot, Baker Mayfield would be the clear second option, as I expect this game to be high-scoring.
Running Back
$6.4K - JK Dobbins (RB, LAC)
Dobbins is the top back for this Chargers rushing attack, seeing 15+ touches in 4 of 5 games so far this season. Averaging 17 fantasy points a game and with Gus Edwards on IR, Dobbins should be in line to see another week of 15+ touches. Arizona’s run defense ranks in the bottom half of the league, so he should be able to find room to run. I expect Kimani Vidal to be the change of pace back, but he really shouldn't cut into Dobbins' overall use.
Wide Receiver
$7.3K - Mike Evans (WR, TB)
Evans is coming off a bad game that saw him catch only 2 of 6 targets for 34 yards. This may be enough to shift some of the ownership off him to Chris Godwin this week, as people always seem to overreact to bad games. Here’s why I'm not concerned: Evans only has 2 touchdowns and 23 catches in his last nine games against the Saints. That’s an average of about 2.5 catches for less than 50 yards per game. Simply put, Mike Evans is a fade against the Saints but is otherwise the top receiver on this team. Now, he gets to face the poor pass defense of the Ravens. Give me Mike Evans in this game as my favorite WR play on this DFS slate.
Bonus Bet: Mike Evans ATTD @ +125 on DK
Tight End
$3.6K - Cade Otton (TE, TB)
There were a couple of options here at TE, but the truth is, Otton is the one that intrigues me the most. Over the last 4 weeks, Otton has seen at least 4 targets per game and has hit 40+ yards in 3 of those games. These stats are ugly, I know, but TEs have largely continued to struggle this season. Otton seems destined to see his fair share of targets, especially if the Bucs are trailing. Looking at the other options at TE: I’m not convinced I could get the Ravens' TE room right, plus I’m really feeling like this is going to be a Zay Flowers game. In the later game, I think the Chargers are going to slow down the pace too much, plus the Cardinals' passing game is expected to have Zay Jones for the first time this season, and Marvin Harrison Jr. should be back after clearing concussion protocol. Bottom line, give me the upside of Otton in what I expect to be a high-scoring game.
Flex
$6.7K - Zay Flowers (WR, BAL)
Speaking of the high-scoring TB vs BAL game, Zay Flowers is my bonus flex pick. In lineups where I have Lamar, I want exposure to one of his pass catchers, and that is going to come in the form of Flowers. Over the last two weeks, when Lamar has had to air the ball out, Flowers has gained over 100 yards on 7 and 9 receptions. I’m fully expecting this week to be another passing week for Lamar, meaning a big game should be in store for Zay Flowers. He is my second favorite WR on the slate, only slightly being bumped out of the WR1 spot by Evans.
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