Only the DraftKings DFS slate can save your Thanksgiving night. The 49ers travel to the Pacific Northwest and it’s going to be cold and damp. So, expect a heavy dose of running the ball. By both teams. Especially if Geno Smith hasn’t recovered from being trucked by Aaron Donald and it was painful to watch so it must have been excruciating to be on the receiving end of. As if getting your QB injured on a short week wasn’t bad enough Kenneth Walker III got injured against the Rams too. Zach Charbonnet did a fine job in his absence but having to rely on two running backs who haven’t started a game this season is less than ideal. Especially when you’re facing the 49ers defense.
The 49ers offense is a very concentrated playbook. And it certainly isn’t broken so Kyle Shannahan won’t be fixing it this week. But that makes it very difficult to find bargains in the San Francisco team. You know Purdy, McCaffrey, and Kittle are must-haves and after last week Brandon Aiyuk is looking like a big points scorer too.
On the Seahawks side, they need the home win to regain top spot in the NFC West but don’t expect it to happen.
DraftKings Thursday Night Football Bargains
The Cheap Longshot DraftKings DFS Pick – DeeJay Dallas
Dallas is one of those Seahawks running backs who haven’t started a game this season. And while nobody could claim he’s good he is available and, more importantly, cheap. He’ll cost just $2,200 on the DraftKings DFS Captains Showdown slate this week.
Dallas has only had 11 touches on offense this season, but he has recorded an 8-yard run and an 11-yard catch, so he has ability, he just demonstrates it so infrequently.
The “Go On Just Pass To Him” Pick – Noah Fant
Fant is averaging 13.9 yards per touch, yet the Seahawks don’t involve him very often. Fant averages just 1.7 receptions per game. That’s why he costs just $3,200 on the DraftKings DFS Captains Showdown slate this week. And the 49ers are allowing an average of 9.1 points per game to tight ends. If someone who costs less than $4,000 scores you more than 9 points you should be pretty happy with your work.
The Too Big To Stop DraftKings DFS Pick – Jauan Jennings
He’s a very big man and he’s averaging 14.5 yards per touch this season. And that’s a lot. He stands 6”3’ tall, so not many defenders can out-jump him to knock the ball away. And he weighs 212lbs, so he takes some tackling once he’s got the ball.
He should find himself lined up opposite Devon Witherspoon in this game. Witherspoon is one of the candidates for Defensive Rookie of the Year and he is very physical, but he’s no Jennings.
Jennings is yet to score a touchdown this season, but he has caught 6 passes in his last 4 games for 62 yards. The Seahawks are allowing 37 points per game to opposing wide receivers this year. Jennings only costs $1,200 on the DraftKings DFS Captains Showdown slate, so he’s definitely a bargain.
The Exciting Rookie DraftKings DFS Pick – Jake Bobo
The Seahawks rookie is a very big man and as such very difficult to defend. He’s very, very difficult to defend in the red zone. At 6”4’ tall and weighing a touch over 200lbs you’d expect him to be great catching fade passes to the corner of the endzone, but the Seahawks have used him to the run ball too this season. He’s had just 14 touches of the ball in the NFL. But he averages 11.4 yards per touch, and he’s scored 3 touchdowns.
It’s going to take something a bit different or surprising to beat this 49ers defense and Bobo is definitely a bit different.
The Expensive Bargain DraftKings DFS Pick – Jaxon Smith-Njigba
There’s absolutely no reason to pick the disappointing rookie beyond the fact there are four receivers who cost more than him. And Tyler Lockett might still be injured. But the 49ers have the 3rd ranked run defense in the league. The Seahawks are going to have to pass. And someone is going to have to catch those passes if the Seahawks are going to be successful.
Smith-Njigba is averaging 10.1 yards per touch in 2023 and he has seen 22 targets in his last 4 games. But he’s only caught 16 of them.
Main Photo: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports
