Thursday Night DFS Showdown: Titans v. Steelers

The Titans square off with the Steelers in what should be a low scoring affair in Pittsburgh. These two teams come in needing a win for different reasons. The Steelers want to avoid dropping to .500 in a competitive AFC North, while the Titans are trying to claw back to .500 and be in the playoff picture. It’s a game that I have had a hard time getting a feel for, especially after what Will Levis did in his debut. Plus on the Pittsburgh side, Kenny Pickett is dealing with a rib injury that could hinder his play. Let’s get into it and breakdown this Thursday night DFS showdown.

Captain

Diontae Johnson, Pittsburgh Steelers (DK-$12,600/FD-$12,000)

The Steelers offense is not the best, but Johnson is efficient in it. I see Pittsburgh playing from behind tonight and that means lots of passing. In his second week back from his hamstring injury it was nice to see 14 targets for Johnson. Even with Mitch Trubisky taking over for Kenny Pickett it didn’t change much for Diontae. Look for him to have a good night individually, even if the Steelers as a whole don’t.

Flex

Deandre Hopkins, Tennessee Titans (DK-$11,200/FD-$13,000)

It’s amazing what happens for teams when they remember they have one of the best wide receivers to ever lace them up on the team. Hopkins went off with 4 receptions for 128 yards and 3 touchdowns. Honestly if Will Levis is just going to use Hopkins as a red zone threat…I’m good with that. Hopkins is the most reliable wideout on the team and I expect the rookie QB to use him as a security blanket. Plus the Steelers defense hasn’t been fairing well against top wideouts this year. Hopkins could easily have another big game.

Will Levis, Tennessee Titans (DK-$9600/FD-$15,000)

I didn’t think when I picked Levis as a value pick this past weekend that he would pan out so well. He far exceeded any expectations I had. Levis completed 19 of his 29 pass attempts for 238 yards and four touchdowns while adding 11 yards on the ground. That’s an impressive debut start and earned him the guarantee of another start from Head coach Vrabel. The Steelers defense can be intimidating with TJ Watt and Cam Hayward coming back, but they aren’t invincible. Levis could have another solid game and I like the stack with Hopkins that could really pan out into big points.

Bargain Bin

Connor Heyward, Pittsburgh Steelers (DK-$2800/FD-$7500)

With the thought that Pittsburgh will be forced to pass more, I present Connor Heyward as my bargain bin. Over the three games in which Pat Freiermuth has been sidelined, Heyward has secured 10 of 13 targets for 70 yards. It’s not a large amount of production, but as I always say, “it’s enough”. Doesn’t matter where I say that, just know it applies to Connor here and now.

Hope these picks help get everyone in the green tonight. Good luck!

*All customers of daily fantasy sports should use their skills and judgment in building lineups. In addition, I may use different players and strategies than what I recommend above as games get closer.