This week’s Thursday NFL game kicks off at 8:20 p.m. ET tonight between two teams that aren’t typically rated among the league’s most intriguing rosters, as the Panthers square off with the Texans.
The Texans are going to be without starting QB Tyrod Taylor, leaving Davis Mills to man the already-putrid offense against what has been arguably the best defense in the NFL through two weeks. The beauty of having two teams without a ton of star power is the fact that most players have extremely generous multipliers on SuperDraft. As always, I have included my top options in this article.
A quick note — Christian McCaffrey (1x score multiplier) is an elite play without the score multiplier. With that said, he’s too obvious of a play to write up, as it’s important to highlight the ancillary pieces. Excluding him from my three players listed does not mean I am fading him, as I strongly advise against that strategy.
Below are my top three plays for Thursday Night Football.
Sam Darnold, QB, Carolina Panthers (1.5x score multiplier)
Darnold has seen a bit of revitalization in production since being freed from Adam Gase’s curse (shocking, I know), as he’s averaged 292 passing yards on a completion rate over 68% through the first two weeks. He’s posted a 3:1 touchdown to interception ratio and has already shown solid rapport with all three of his top assets in DJ Moore, Robby Anderson, and Christian McCaffrey.
Against a Texans defense that will be picked on the week in and week out, he comes in as a stone-cold lock in my lineups, especially with such a generous 1.5x score multiplier.
Brandin Cooks, WR, Houston Texans (1.65x)
While the quarterback situation in Houston is far from ideal, Cooks has been a constant through the first two weeks. With virtually no competition for targets, Cooks has amassed 21 over his first two games, recording 14 catches for 210 total yards and a touchdown.
His production didn’t drastically fall off in Week 2 once Mills relieved the injured Tyrod Taylor, either, which should instill some confidence heading into Week 3. The matchup is far from ideal, as the Panthers have only allowed 21 total points through two games. Even so, Cooks should be peppered with targets and in an assumed negative game script, the Texans are going to be forced to air it out.
DJ Moore, WR, Carolina Panthers (1.7x)
Moore has been a polarizing asset for the last two years, as we’ve all been waiting for the big break. Well, 2021 maybe it. Through two weeks with quarterback Sam Darnold, Moore leads the team in targets (19), receiving yards (159), and is tied for the team lead in touchdowns (1) and receptions (14). Against a turnstile secondary, he should continue to be a mainstay in the passing game and is certainly not priced for his role with his 1.7x multiplier.
SuperDraft champion rankings:
1. Sam Darnold (2.25x champion multiplier)
2. DJ Moore (2.55x)
3. Davis Mills (2.45x)
4. Brandin Cooks (2.45x)
5. Christian McCaffrey (1.5x)
This article expresses the personal views of the writer and does not reflect the view(s) of SuperDraft in any way.
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