Thursday Night Football DFS Breakdown: Bills vs. Dolphins

Thursday Night Football DFS Breakdown: Bills vs. Dolphins

This article is part of our DFS NFL series.

Week 2 brings an exciting Thursday Night Football matchup between the Bills and Dolphins. Injuries could play a key part in this game, especially on the Dolphins' side. Let's dig into the DFS options for the single-game contests on DraftKings and FanDuel.

Quarterback

Josh Allen ($11,000 DK, $17,000 FD) was a one-man wrecking crew in Week 1 against the Cardinals. While he only produced 232 passing yards, he had two passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns. He also racked up 39 yards on the ground. He destroyed the Dolphins last season, combing for 679 passing yards, six passing touchdowns, 84 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown in wo games against them. While Allen injured his left hand in Week 1, he has been a full participant in practice, making him someone to consider building your entire entry around.

Tua Tagovailoa ($9,400 DK, $14,000 FD) emerged from his Week 1 matchup against the Jaguars with 338 passing yards and one touchdown. With Tyreek Hill in the fold, Tagovailoa will continue to have the potential to rack up passing yards in bunches. However, he wasn't great against the Bills last season, combining for two touchdown passes and three interceptions across two games. Of the two quarterbacks in this game, Allen is the far better option.

Running Back

Running back is the big question for the Dolphins. De'Von Achane ($9,600 DK, $12,500 FD) is listed as questionable with an ankle injury, while Raheem Mostert (chest) is out. Mostert didn't do much in Week 1, but Achane finished with 100 scrimmage yards and a touchdown. Even if Achane does play, he might be limited because of the short week. Jeff Wilson Jr. ($2,400 DK, $6,500 FD) and Jaylen Wright ($2,000 DK, $5,500 FD) could provide significant value, especially if Achane doesn't take the field. Wright was inactive Week 1, while Wilson turned five carries into 26 yards. Wilson could have the upper hand with regards to a larger role.

The Bills have a clear leader at running back in James Cook ($9,000 DK, $12,000 FD). Against the Cardinals, Cook had 19 carries for 71 yards. He also caught all three of his targets for an additional 32 yards. Backup running backs Ray Davis ($3,600 DK, $7,500 FD) and Ty Johnson ($2,200 DK, $6,000 FD) combined for just five carries, so there is no reason to consider either over Wilson or Wright.

Wide Receiver/Tight End

The Bills are still a work in progress at wide receiver with Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis no longer in town. Rookie Keon Coleman ($5,800 DK, $10,000 FD) lead the team with five targets in Week 1, which he turned into four receptions for 51 yards. Khalil Shakir ($6,200 DK, $10,500 FD) received three targets. He caught all of them, finishing with 42 yards and a touchdown. No other wide receiver was targeted more than twice. Given their reasonable salaries, both players are still worth considering, despite their potentially modest upside.

The Dolphins have no questions at wide receiver with Tyreek Hill ($11,600 DK, $16,500 FD) and Jaylen Waddle ($8,600 DK, $11,000 FD) leading the way. Hill caught seven of his 12 targets for 130 yards and a touchdown against the Jaguars. Waddle caught all five of his targets for 109 yards. With lackluster options behind them and at wide receiver and tight end, both should receive plenty of targets this season. Since the Dolphins will be limited by injuries at running back, Hill and Waddle could both produce juicy stat lines.

The Dolphins' tight ends combined for two catches for 13 yards in Week 1. Don't expect any to make a significant mark in Week 2. On the Bills' side, it was surprising to see Dalton Kincaid ($7,200 DK, $9,500 FD) emerge from Week 1 with one reception for 11 yards on two targets. Dawson Knox ($2,600 DK, $7,000 FD) was also targeted twice in the game. Kincaid logged 51 snaps, compared to 33 snaps for Knox. As long as Knox remains healthy, Kincaid might not live up to the lofty expectations that he entered the season with.

Kicker

Tyler Bass ($4,800 DK, $9,000 FD) converted both field-goal attempts and all four extra points against the Cardinals. Last season, he converted eight of his 12 attempts from at least 40 yards and missed just one extra point. Jason Sanders ($4,400 DK, $9,000 FD) missed one of his three field goal attempts in Week 1, but he did make a 52-yard attempt to win the game. Last season, he converted five of his seven attempts from at least 50 yards.

Defense/Special Teams

The Bills ($4,000 DK, $8,500 FD) allowed the fourth-fewest points per game in the league last year. They held the Dolphins to 20 and 21 points in their two matchups. The Dolphins ($3,000 DK, $8,500 FD) allowed 48 points to the Bills in their Week 4 matchup last year. For the season, they gave up the 11th-most points per game in the league.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Mike Barner plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: mbarner, DraftKings: mbarner51.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mike Barner
Mike started covering fantasy sports in 2007, joining RotoWire in 2010. In 2018, he was a finalist for the FSWA Basketball Writer of the Year award. Mike also won the 2022-23 FSGA NBA Experts Champions league. In addition to RotoWire, Mike has written for Sportsline, Sports Illustrated, DK Live, RealTime Fantasy Sports, Lineup Lab and KFFL.com.
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