Ravens vs. Chiefs: DFS Picks for Week 1 Thursday Night Football
The NFL regular season kicks off with a stellar Thursday Night Football matchup between the Chiefs and Ravens on September 5. The Chiefs begin their quest for a third-straight Super Bowl title behind Patrick Mahomes, while Lamar Jackson will try to finally win his first ring with the Ravens.
Let’s look at some of the best Week 1 NFL Thursday Night Football DFS picks on PrizePicks for the battle between the Chiefs and Ravens. Included is a demon pick to boost your payout, and a goblin pick if you want to take a safer route for the season opener.
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Ravens vs. Chiefs: NFL Kickoff Time, TV, Location
Date: Thursday, September 4, 2024
Time: 8:20 p.m. ET kickoff
Location: GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Mo.
TV: NBC, Peacock (streaming)
The Ravens had the best regular season record in the AFC last year at 13-4, while the Chiefs finished with an 11-6 mark before going on their Super Bowl run.
Chiefs vs. Ravens: Week 1 Thursday Night Football DFS Picks
QB Lamar Jackson: 1.5 pass + rush + receiving TDs — MORE
Jackson had another excellent season for the Ravens in 2203, throwing for 3,678 yards and rushing for another 821 yards. He totaled 24 touchdown passes to go along with five scores on the ground. For just the second time in his career, he played in at least 16 games.
The Ravens added Derrick Henry to their backfield, and he could rack up plenty of touchdowns when the team gets near the goal line. However, this is likely to be a high-scoring game in which the Ravens will ask Jackson to do damage with his legs and through the air. More than is the way to go here.
WR Zay Flowers: 56.5 receiving yards — MORE
Flowers is the undisputed top wide receiver for the Ravens. He had an excellent rookie campaign, catching 77 of 108 targets for 858 yards and five touchdowns. He averaged 5.9 yards after the catch, which ranked inside the top 20 percent of NFL receivers. He also accounted for 22.7 percent of the Ravens’ total targets.
The Ravens and Chiefs faced off in the AFC Championship game last year. In that game, Flowers was targeted eight times for five receptions for 115 yards and a touchdown.
With regards to this projection on PrizePicks, Flowers posted at least 57 receiving yards in eight of his 16 games during the regular season. The Chiefs have one of the best offenses in the league, so the Ravens might need to throw more than usual to keep pace.
Flowers should receive enough targets to help him finish with at least 57 receiving yards.
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Demon Pick: Mark Andrews 0.5 rushing + receiving touchdown — MORE
Andrews only appeared in 10 games last season, but still finished with six receiving touchdowns. The Ravens gave him a total of 14 targets inside the red zone, seven of which came within 10 yards of the end zone. Over the last five seasons, Andrews has finished with at least six touchdown receptions four times.
The Ravens have an excellent rushing quarterback in Jackson. Henry is elite when it comes to converting red zone rushing attempts into touchdowns.
However, they don’t have a ton of size at wide receiver with Flowers, Rashod Bateman, and Nelson Agholor leading the group. Flowers and Batemon combined for just 18 targets inside the red zone last year. When the Ravens are close to the end zone and want to throw the ball, they will likely look Andrews’ way.
Note: Demon picks add a payout boost to your lineup on PrizePicks, as they are more difficult projections to hit.
Goblin Pick: WR Rashee Rice: 34.5 receiving yards — MORE
As last season wore on, rookie Rashee Rice became the top wide receiver for the Chiefs. Over his final six games of the regular season, he averaged 9.3 targets and 86.3 receiving yards per game. His lowest receiving yards total for any of those games was 57 yards.
The Chiefs signed Marquise Brown during the offseason, but a shoulder injury is expected to sideline him for this game after he missed Monday’s practice. That leaves rookie Xavier Worthy and Justin Watson as the top wide receivers behind Rice.
Expect Rice to have a hefty target share right out of the gate and sail past this modest total.
Note: Goblin picks reduce your payout on PrizePicks, as they are easier projections to hit.
TNF Prediction: Chiefs 23, Ravens 20
The Ravens were 7-1 on the road last season, while the Chiefs were just 5-4 at home. Of the Chiefs four home losses, three of them came at the hands of the Lions, Eagles, and Bills. The Chiefs lost those three games by a combined eight points.
If a couple of plays go their way, their home record could have looked much different.
The prior two seasons, the Chiefs went a combined 14-3 at home. The Chiefs have proven to be a difficult matchup for Jackson, who is 1-4 against them during his career, including the playoffs. He lost both games that he has played against them in Kansas City.
Build Your Week 1 NFL DFS Lineup on PrizePicks
Whether you’re going big with a Demon pick or playing it safe with a Goblin projection, there’s no better way to add to the excitement of the Week 1 NFL matchup between the Chiefs and Ravens than building your perfect PrizePicks lineup.
With two teams with Super Bowl aspirations set to face each other, playing on PrizePicks can add even more fun to your Week 1 NFL Thursday Night Football experience. Lock in, build your squad, then sit back and enjoy the ride.
Sign up on PrizePicks with promo code “Playbook” and get $50 instantly when you play your first $5 NFL lineup
Follow Mike Barner on Twitter: @rotomikebarner
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