Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford and wide receiver Cooper Kupp are two of the top options in the NFL DFS player pool for Thursday Night Football. The last time Kupp played a full game, he had 21 targets from Stafford. How should that enormous usage factor into your NFL DFS strategy when the Rams face the Vikings at 8:15 p.m. ET? The Vikings enter 5-1, fueled by Justin Jefferson having another strong start. Jefferson is an expensive option in the NFL DFS player pool, but after scoring a touchdown in five of the first six games, can you build Thursday Night Football NFL DFS lineups and keep Jefferson out of your NFL DFS picks?
Rams receivers Cooper Kupp (ankle) and Puka Nacua (knee) are both officially active. Before locking in any NFL DFS lineups for Vikings vs. Rams on sites like DraftKings and FanDuel, be sure to check out the NFL DFS lineup advice, strategy and player stacks from SportsLine NFL daily Fantasy expert Jimmie Kaylor.
Kaylor is a NFL and DFS expert for SportsLine, who opened the 2022 NFL season by winning DraftKings’ NFL Showdown Thursday Kickoff Millionaire contest. He edged out over 355,000 other entrants in the contest and also has multiple five-figure tournament wins on his DFS resume. Kaylor, who cashed big all season in 2022, has covered the NFL and college football for close to a decade as a member of the Pro Football Writers of America, and his background as a former college and NFL player gives him a unique perspective when building his fantasy lineups and locking in his betting picks on sites like DraftKings and FanDuel.
Kaylor hit on epic NFL DFS picks for SportsLine members throughout the 2022 and 2023 seasons. In 2022, he was all over Travis Kelce’s four-touchdown performance against the Raiders on Monday Night Football, Kirk Cousins‘ 460-yard, four-TD performance on Thanksgiving Day, and T.J. Hockenson’s 13 catches for 109 yards and two touchdowns in Week 15. In 2023, he hit on Ja’Marr Chase’s massive Week 5 performance (15 catches, 192 yards, three TDs), D.J. Moore’s eight catches for 230 yards and three touchdowns in Week 14, and De’Von Anchane’s breakout performance (233 total yards, four TD’s) in Week 3. Anyone who followed his picks is way up.
This season, some of Kaylor’s top picks in Showdown DFS slates include Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed, (4-138-1, 33-1), Bills quarterback Josh Allen (263-4), and Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (509-4).
Now, Kaylor has turned his attention to Rams vs. Vikings on Thursday Night Football in Week 8 and locked in his top daily Fantasy football picks. You can only see his picks and analysis at SportsLine.
One of Kaylor’s top NFL DFS picks for Thursday Night Football is Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson. The three-time Pro Bowler has been one of the most consistent receivers in the NFL this season with more than 80 yards in each of his last five games. There were some concerns entering this season about how Jefferson would perform without Kirk Cousins at quarterback and a perceived drop off with Sam Darnold, but Jefferson’s close to his career average of 97.4 receiving yards per game as he’s averaging 88.5 yards per game this season.
Jefferson has more targets (51) than all other Minnesota wide receivers combined (46) as the clear alpha within the organization at the position. He’s averaging a career-best 16.1 yards per reception, creating even more explosive plays with Darnold than he did with Cousins and other quarterbacks. His nine receptions of at least 20 yards or greater are tied for the second-most in the NFL and Kaylor expects some more chunk plays against the Rams, who have allowed two plays of more than 50 yards over the last two weeks.
Kaylor is also targeting Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford. Last season, Stafford was in the MVP mix and finished eighth in the voting. Although the Rams’ offense won’t be at full strength for Thursday Night Football, it will be closer with Cooper Kupp’s return. Kupp was a pivotal reason for Stafford throwing for 3,965 yards in just 15 games last season. Stafford averaged 264.3 passing yards per game last season, which was 32.4 more yards per game than the year before.
When Kupp was fully healthy for Week 1, Stafford threw for 317 yards and a touchdown against the Lions. Since, he’s averaged just 215 passing over his next five games, but Kupp’s return changes Stafford’s outlook for Kaylor. Just Kupp’s presence on the field changes how defensive coordinators scheme for the Rams and Stafford and the 36-year-old quarterback could have better opportunities and matchups to find open receivers. Kaylor expects a more vintage Stafford performance on Thursday at home for NFL DFS lineups. See who else Kaylor likes right here.
Kaylor is also targeting another undervalued player who could explode for huge numbers in Vikings vs. Rams. This pick could be the difference between winning your tournaments and cash games or going home with nothing. You can only see who it is, and the rest of Kaylor’s NFL DFS picks, at SportsLine.
So who is Jimmie Kaylor including in his optimal NFL DFS lineups for Thursday Night Football, and which under-the-radar NFL DFS picks offer huge value? Visit SportsLine now to see optimal NFL DFS picks, rankings, advice, and stacks, all from a DFS expert who won a prestigious millionaire maker tournament, and find out.
