Monkey Knife Fight: Thursday Night Football Picks

Monkey Knife Fight: Thursday Night Football Picks

This article is part of our DFS NFL series.

Thursday Night Football brings some star power in Week 11 with Aaron Rodgers and the Packers taking on Derrick Henry and the Titans.  It also marks our first opportunity of the week to play on Monkey Knife Fight.

Three Game Types are offered, including "More Or Less," "Rapid Fire" and "Stat Shootout." For a full breakdown of the rules for each game, see the House Rules page. Let's dive into some of the contests within each Game Type and discuss how things might play out.

More Or Less Contest

One option that stands out for this contest is a 2/2 goal for 3.5X the prize. We'll pick sides on Henry 18.5 fantasy points and Aaron Jones 15.5 fantasy points. For Henry, take the over. The Broncos held him to 53 rushing yards last week, but he was at least busy again with 19 carries. He has five games this season with at least 100 rushing yards and averages 22.4 carries per game. Add his nine rushing touchdowns and he could do plenty of damage against a Packers team that has allowed the seventh-most rushing yards per game in the league.

Let's lean toward the over on Jones, as well. There is always some risk involved with him because the Packers also have AJ Dillon, who can cut into Jones' workload. However, when Jones is given extended opportunities, he usually produces. He has had at least 15 carries in a game four times this season and he finished with at least 110 rushing yards in each. He is also dangerous in the passing game, which is noteworthy because the Titans have allowed the third-most receptions to running backs in the league.

Rapid Fire Contest

Let's focus on a 2/2 goal for 3X the prize. The battles are Henry vs. Jones fantasy points (with Jones receiving a +3.5 fantasy points bonus) and Rodgers vs. Ryan Tannehill fantasy points (with Tannehill receiving a +1.5 fantasy points bonus). Take Henry over Jones. While Jones has shown a high ceiling, the presence of Dillon gives him a much lower floor than Henry.

For the two quarterbacks, I'll give a slight edge to Rodgers. Make no mistake about it, neither of these quarterbacks has put up many impressive stat lines this season. The big difference in this matchup is that the Titans have allowed the second-most passing yards per game in the league, while the Packers have allowed the third fewest.

Stat Shootout Contest

Finishing things off, we'll examine the option in which three players have to combine for at least 2.5 touchdowns. The top choice is Henry. He has at least one touchdown in six of nine games, including three multi-touchdown performances. Second, let's go with Jones. He found his way into the end zone against the Cowboys last week, and he has two receiving touchdowns in Week 7 against the Commanders. Considering how many receptions the Titans have allowed to running backs, he could record a touchdown through the air.

Rounding out our trio will be Allen Lazard, who has become Rodgers' most trusted wide receiver. He recorded eight touchdowns in 15 games last season, and he has five scores through eight games this season. He has three games with multiple targets inside the red zone, including four red-zone targets in a matchup with the Lions in Week 9.

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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