Buccaneers vs. Bills Picks, Lineup Tips for Daily Fantasy DraftKings for TNF
The Buffalo Bills and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are set to kick off Week 8 with another intriguing Thursday night matchup.
Last week's game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and New Orleans Saints featured a fair bit of late drama and a couple of standout fantasy performances. Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. found the end zone twice, while Saints RB Alvin Kamara finished with 12 catches and 153 scrimmage yards.
We may not see running backs take center stage in Thursday's Bills-Bucs matchup, but there should be a few smart daily fantasy sports (DFS) plays for managers to target.
Below, you'll find some general DFS tips for Thursday night, along with a couple of our favorite plays.
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General DFS Tips for TNF
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This is an interesting matchup because the Buccaneers have been strong defensively (sixth in points allowed) and inconsistent offensively. The Bills, meanwhile, have struggled recently with slow defensive starts, and their defense has been riddled by injuries.
While Buffalo's injuries level the playing field a bit, fans shouldn't expect a ton of scoring in this matchup. The highest points total in a Buccaneers game this season has been 44.
Therefore, managers should target volume players in this game, especially if they're looking to wrap players into a week-long DFS contest. Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid, for example, could be a smart play for a week-long game at only $5,000.
Fellow Bills tight end Dawson Knox recently underwent wrist surgery, and Kincaid is coming off an eight-target, eight-catch outing. Tampa is a middling matchup for Kincaid, as the Bucs have allowed the 12th-fewest fantasy points to opposing tight ends.
It's probably worth avoiding both quarterbacks in week-long games. Baker Mayfield has only thrown multiple touchdown passes in two of his six games this season, and he's also dealing with a knee injury—though it isn't considered to be serious.
"Just re-aggravated what I had against the [New Orleans] Saints," Mayfield told reporters.
At $9,200, Mayfield is only a reasonable value play in Thursday-only games, but it should be noted that Buffalo has allowed the second-fewest fantasy points to opposing QBs.
Josh Allen is an overpriced option at $11,800. The Bills offense has been underwhelming over the last three weeks, and Allen doesn't provide the scrambling upside that he did in recent years.
Allen will probably provide more fantasy points than Mayfield, but given the price difference, it's kind of a wash for Thursday-only games, depending on how heavily managers want to splurge on skill players.
Trust Stefon Diggs as WR1
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Both Bills receiver Stefon Diggs ($11.4K) and Buccaneers wideout Mike Evans ($10K) represent relatively safe plays.
The Bills pass defense hasn't been the same since Tre'Davious White was lost for the season, and Mayfield tends to target Evans often. However, Diggs is one of the league's top volume receivers and has the better matchup.
Tampa has done a great job of keeping players out of the end zone (six passing TDs allowed), but it will give up yards. As a result, the Buccaneers have surrendered the 14th-most fantasy points to opposing receivers.
Diggs, meanwhile, has seen no fewer than six receptions in a game this season. He's had no fewer than 58 yards in a game and has six touchdown receptions in seven outings.
While the price discrepancy is notable between these two, Diggs has the higher floor and is more trustworthy as WR1 for Thursday-only DFS games.
Don't Discount Rachaad White
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As was the case in 2022, the Buccaneers have struggled to field a functional ground game this season. As a team, the Bucs are averaging just 3.1 yards per carry, and they rank 29th in rushing yards.
Yet, managers shouldn't discount Buccaneers running back Rachaad White ($8K) as a slightly cheaper alternative to James Cook ($8.6) for RB1. Cook remains Buffalo's starter, but he will cede the occasional backfield work to Latavius Murray ($4.8K). Murray has seen 44 touches this season, and if managers are going with Cook, a flex stack with Murray would be advisable.
White, on the other hand, leads Tampa's backfield by a significant margin. Backup Ke'Shawn Vaughn ($600) has logged a mere 20 touches. White, who is coming off a six-reception game, also provides a fair bit of point-per-reception (PPR) upside.
The Bills defense, meanwhile, has struggled against the run. For the season, Buffalo has allowed the 12th-most fantasy points to opposing RBs, but with DaQuan Jones and Matt Milano on injured reserve, the defense is even more vulnerable.
The Bills are now allowing 5.2 yards per play on the ground.
*Fantasy scoring information from FantasyPros.
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