The Chargers against the Raiders pits two teams who are in their very own states of flux. They’ll both start the 2024 season with different coaches than they had at the start of this season and they both appear to lack leadership on the field too. The Raiders didn’t trouble the scorer on Sunday, but this Chargers defense allowed the Broncos to score 24 points. That’s the most points the Chargers have conceded since Week 10, Brandon Staley’s charges have picked a fine time to completely run out of steam. But with two new quarterbacks starting picking DraftKings DFS bargains is a tricky business.
DraftKings DFS Bargains For Thursday Night Football
The Poised For A Big Game DraftKings DFS Pick – Jalen Guyton
With Justin Herbert’s fractured finger, it’s easy to imagine the Chargers will want to run the ball as much as possible this week. But Austin Ekeler hasn’t had a 100-yard rushing game since Week 1! And the Chargers are ranked 26th in the league with an average of just 96 rushing yards per game. Add to that the fact that Justin Herbert is their most incisive weapon in the run game and it’s going to be tough to run over the Raiders. Herbert averages 4.4 yards per carry this season and has scored 3 of their 10 rushing touchdowns.
So, passing the ball is going to be crucial if they are to generate any offense at all. And Jalen Guyton caught a pass in each of the Chargers’ last 3 games. He’s not exactly racking up the yards though, but this week he’s up against Amik Robertson. Robertson is 4 inches shorter than Guyton and he’s allowed 5 of the last 6 passes thrown in his direction to be completed. Easton Stick should definitely be looking his way. Robertson has missed 13.9% of the tackles he’s been asked to make in 2023 too. Guyton is valued at $1,400 on the DraftKings DFS Captains Showdown this week, he’s the 7th most expensive receiver so he’s a bargain.
The Trending Upwards DraftKings DFS Pick – Alex Erickson
Erickson only made the Chargers’ active roster on the 3rd of December, but he’s been impressive when he’s been on the field. The Chargers are his 6th team since the Bengals signed him as a UDFA in 2016. But he’s what we like to call “farmer strength”, he graduated from Wisconsin with a degree in Agricultural Business Management. Erickson is averaging 15.25 yards per catch in 2023.
This week he should find himself lined up opposite Nate Hobbs who is allowing a 68/5% completion rate in 2023. Hobbs has conceded 3 touchdowns in 2023 and he’s missed 3 tackles in his last 3 games.
The Big Play Guy DraftKings DFS Pick – Tre Tucker
Tucker ran a 4.40-second 40-yard dash at the combine. And when the Raiders have managed to get him the ball, he’s been impressive. He averages 14.9 yards per touch! He’s averaging 20.1 yards per reception, but he’s only had 8 catches.
Tucker is definitely a DraftKings DFS bargain at just $1,200 this week. If the Raiders can figure out how to get him the ball in space he’ll score some points.
The High Upside Pick – Hunter Renfrow
Renfrow is one of the crispest route runners in the league, but just like Tucker, the Raiders can’t quite figure out how to make the most of his talent. He has been more involved in the offense in the last 3 weeks though. He’s seen 14 targets and hauled in 12 of them. He’s averaging 42 receiving yards per game across those games too. But he’s yet to score a touchdown in 2023. Only four teams have allowed more touchdowns to receivers than the Chargers though, so this could be the week.
He should line up opposite Essang Bassey this week and he is not having a great season. He’s allowed 68.8% of the passes thrown his way to be completed. And he’s missed 22.7% of his tackles in 2023. In his last 3 games, 6 of the 7 passes thrown to the receiver he’s been covering have been completed! Renfrow is one of the more expensive budget options in this game at $4,000 on the DraftKings DFS slate. But he’s cheaper than 5 of the other receivers available.
The Random Tight End Pick – Stone Smartt
There are long shots, there are very long shots and then there’s this pick! He’s only caught 3 passes in 2023 and he’s been targeted 12 times! But he’s averaging a whopping 26.7 yards per catch! And the last time he caught a pass it went for a 51-yard touchdown. There’s only a tiny chance he holds on to a pass this week but if he does it’ll be a big one!
Smartt costs just $200 on this DraftKings DFS slate, he’s a gamble but one that could pay off big time.
Main Photo: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports
