Jaguars vs. Bengals Picks, Lineup Tips for Daily Fantasy FanDuel, DraftKings

Week 4 of the 2021 NFL season is set to begin with a Thursday night matchup between the Cincinnati Bengals and Jacksonville Jaguars. This is a great way to start the week for Jaguars and Bengals fans—and those who want to see the past two No. 1 overall picks face off—but many fans won't consider it a huge draw.

There is some intrigue involved with this matchup, as the upstart Bengals have a chance to move to 3-1 and remain a surprise contender in the AFC North. However, Jacksonville and Cincinnati are both relatively small-market teams. Fantasy football, though, is a national pastime.

A lot of non-Bengals and non-Jaguars fans are going to turn to daily fantasy sports (DFS) to keep this one interesting. They are going to care more about how individual players perform on Thursday night than whether Cincinnati stays in the hunt or Trevor Lawrence gets his first win as a pro.

For those fans, we're here to examine some of the top plays and sleeper picks for DraftKings and FanDuel DFS.

Joe Mixon, RB, Cincinnati Bengals

Jeff Dean/Associated Press

DFS Price: $6,500 DraftKings, $7,500 FanDuel

Bengals running back Joe Mixon is finally healthy after missing 23 games over the past two seasons. He's also been running hard, racking up 286 yards and a touchdown through the first three weeks. He currently ranks second in the NFL behind only reigning rushing leader Derrick Henry.

Mixon has a good opportunity to produce his second 100-yard outing of the season in this one. While a lot of attention has been paid to Jacksonville's struggling offense—and we'll discuss that shortly—its defense has been arguably even worse.

Jacksonville ranks 29th in total defense and 28th in points allowed. In fantasy, it has allowed the fifth-most points to opposing running backs.

The only real concern for Mixon managers is the fact that he doesn't have an extremely high points-per-reception (PPR) floor. He has never caught more than 43 passes in a season and has just one reception in each of his last two games.

The 25-year-old did catch four passes for 23 yards in the season-opener, though, so there's a decent PPR ceiling here.

Overall, Mixon should top 100 scrimmage yards, and he's a solid bet to find the end zone.

Ja'Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

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DFS Price: $5,900 DraftKings, $7,400 FanDuel

Bengals wideout Ja'Marr Chase is an even better bet to find the end zone in Week 4.

The fifth overall pick in this year's draft has notched receiving touchdowns in each of his first three pro starts. In Week 3, he caught two touchdown passes while hauling in four catches for 65 yards.

It's safe to say that the chemistry between Chase and quarterback Joe Burrow has emerged. The drop issues that the receiver exhibited during the preseason, meanwhile, have largely disappeared.

According to Pro Football Reference, the 21-year-old has only dropped one pass on 16 targets.

It's highly unlikely Jacksonville is going to shut down Chase where teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers and Chicago Bears have failed. It ranks 28th in pass defense and 31st in yards per pass attempt allowed.

In fantasy, the Jaguars have allowed the 12th-most points to opposing wideouts. While Chase may not run wild over the Jacksonville secondary, his floor this week is extremely high. At a minimum, managers should expect three or four receptions, 50-plus receiving yards and a score.

Sleeper: DJ Chark Jr., WR, Jacksonville Jaguars

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DFS Price: $5,000 DraftKings, $6,200 FanDuel

It's impossible to roster the most expensive players at every position, but it's good to target at least one or two premier skill players in DFS.

Balancing the budget by rostering second-tier players at every position will usually result in second-tier results, unless the majority of your players happen to exceed expectations significantly.

One way to ensure fitting a couple of top stars into the budget is by adding a legitimate sleeper to one slot. Jaguars wideout DJ Chark Jr. is just such a player in Week 4. At DraftKings, for example, he's a full $3,000 cheaper than the top-priced Tyreek Hill.

The 25-year-old has caught touchdown passes in two of three games this season, and he carries a ton of upside. He's been hampered by a lack of chemistry with quarterback Trevor Lawrence after missing most of camp with a broken finger. He's been targeted 22 times in three games but has come down with just seven receptions.

"I think every week that goes by, we know we are getting better, so I feel pretty confident in that," he said, per ESPN's Michael DiRocco.

If things finally click, Chark could explode. The Cincinnati defense has been rock solid this season, but it has allowed the 14th-most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers.

Sleeper: Cincinnati Bengals Defense

Jeff Dean/Associated Press

DFS Price: $3,300 DraftKings, $4,600 FanDuel

Given the relatively low price point of fantasy defenses, it's often best to target one of the top two or three units for the week. However, squeezing a few extra cap dollars out of the position can provide a little extra flexibility at one of the premier skill slots.

The Bengals defense is a second-tier unit for Week 4 in terms of price—in FanDuel, for example, it's $400 cheaper than the top-ranked Buffalo Bills. This may not seem like a massive saving, but that's enough to roster fantasy stud Dak Prescott instead of the decidedly average (in fantasy) Baker Mayfield.

Cincinnati is the 12th-most expensive defense at DraftKings.

And managers should expect good things from the Cincinnati defense in this one. The Bengals field the league's eighth-ranked defense and have allowed the sixth-fewest points, an average of 18 per game. Meanwhile, Lawrence has been turnover-prone, tossing seven interceptions and two fumbles through three weeks.

The Jaguars have allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing defenses.

With Jacksonville struggling to find a groove on offense—it ranks 23rd overall and 27th in points—there's reason to believe Cincinnati can outperform even the top-priced units this week.

*Fantasy points against from FantasyPros.

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