Week 8 Monday Night Football features a pair of division rivals squaring off in the Factory of Sadness. Will Joe Burrow and Tee Higgins continue their highwire act without Ja’Marr Chase or will Jacoby Brissett and the hometown Browns end their four game slide?
Heading into NFL Week 8 Monday Night Football, Stokastic is bringing plenty of NFL DFS tools and information for all of the different slates, game formats and sites.
This column will provide a free analysis of the single-slate action on DraftKings and FanDuel. It includes team capsules, player rankings, comments and NFL DFS picks. There is loads of information and NFL DFS Showdown analysis to get into for both DraftKings and FanDuel on this Week 8 Monday Night Football slate featuring the Cincinnati Bengals at the Cleveland Browns.
NFL DFS Picks: Week 8 Monday Night Football – Bengals-Browns
Cincinnati will be without WR Ja’Marr Chase (hip) for at least a month, which is just a shame. Tight end Hayden Hurst (groin/ankle) was limited in practice all week, but expected to play. Cornerback Eli Apple (hamstring) is doubtful and DT Josh Tupou (calf) is out on the defensive side of the ball.
Cleveland is running thin on offense,TE David Njoku (ankle) and offensive linemen Joe Haeg (concussion) along with Wyatt Teller (calf) already ruled out. Defensive backs Greedy Williams (illness) and Greg Newsome II (oblique) are questionable, along with linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and backup tight end Pharaoh Brown (concussion).
Cincinnati Bengals: 24.0 Points
Quarterback
The Stokastic fantasy projections have been quite affable towards Joe Burrow as he has landed the top five on both DraftKings and FanDuel among all Week 8 signal-callers. Not having Ja’Marr Chase is going to be a detriment, however, the Bengals have a plethora of capable pass-catchers.
Among signal-callers with at least half a dozen starts, Burrow ranks third with 299.6 passing yards per appearance. Even better his touchdown rate is the third best in the league and that is what DFS gamers are really concerned about.
Running Back
While it is a fun narrative that Cincinnati may want to “establish the run” with Chase sidelined, they already have installed Joe Mixon as one of the few remaining “bell cow” backs in the league. Three different running backs have scored two touchdowns against the Browns this season and clearly that is something Mixon has within his toolkit.
Cleveland has the 27th rushing DVOA per Football Outsiders, which bodes well for Mixon to get there from a fantasy perspective tonight on volume alone. Mixon has been on the field for 73% of the offensive plays on the season.
Samaje Perine is a fine backup and he is a viable dart throw in large-field tournaments. For the last month, Perine has played all but six snaps when Mixon was getting a break. While Perine is unlikely to have a moment aside from something befalling Mixon, 10 different running backs have tallied at least 50 or more combined yards against the Browns.
Wide Receiver
While Ja’Marr Chase has burst onto the scene, it is hard to ignore the track record of Tyler Boyd who just continues to get it done. Then we still have third-year man Tee Higgins who was a second round draft pick and of course Ja’Marr Chase, before Chase.
Of course the hidden gem for the Bengals is Michael Thomas. WAIT NO, not THAT Michael Thomas who has been a star for the Saints, rather the receiver of the same name, out of Stanford who has bounced around the league for the last decade. Thomas is likely to be on the field for around two-thirds of the snaps, targets are a different story.
Tight End
This season five different tight ends have tallied at least 40 yards against Cleveland, though there has been only one touchdown from this position. Hayden Hurst has the third most targets on the team this season with 39 while his counterpart Mitchell Wilcox has just five.
Over the last three weeks, all but three snaps have gone to this duo with Hurst being on the field around 70% of the time. Cincinnati rarely runs two-tight end sets, though that could be tweaked a little now that Chase is on the shelf.
Defense/Special Teams
The Bengals have only two multi-sack games and in their last three tilts they have managed only one takeaway. That could change tonight as the Browns have ceded nine sacks in their last two games along with a trio of turnovers.
Cleveland Browns: 21.0 Points
Quarterback
Jacoby Brissett is likely in for a long night as the Bengals have the seventh best passing DVOA per Football Outsiders. Cincinnati has been able to shut down opposing quarterbacks over the last five games allowing only 152.6 passing yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions. In his last four games, Brissett has a dozen carries for 66 yards and a score, along with two fumbles.
Running Back
Nick Chubb and the Cleveland offensive line have propelled the Browns to the second best rushing DVOA this season. One wrinkle in play is tomorrow’s trade deadline and with the front office lowering their asking price to just a fourth round pick for Kareem Hunt, there is a chance he does not suit up. If that is the case, then D’Ernest Johnson would serve as the backup and he has proven to be a capable contributor when given opportunities.
Back to Chubb, the only knock against him is that he is not overly active in the passing game. That is a slight misnomer as he has three targets in three different games and Hunt is only seeing one more on average. Tight end David Njoku (ankle) is out so if Hunt does sit, then Chubb could be in line for a handful of receptions. Demetric Felton would be the third running back if Hunt is inactive.
Wide Receiver
Amari Cooper has been solid in his Cleveland debut with 59 targets, including 10 or more in five games. Donovan Peoples-Jones is also in the mix for half a dozen opportunities every tilt and while he is not a flashy fantasy option, he is still a solid building block.
The rest of the receivers have 17 targets combined, though rookie David Bell has at least worked his way into the rotation and should be on the field for at least half of the offensive plays.
Tight End
Even though he is the backup, Harrison Bryant is fourth on the team in targets and he has four or more in four games. Njoku is out and Pharoah Brown (concussion) is questionable, so Bryant could be in line for a big workload tonight. Miller Forristall is the only other tight end on the roster and he has seen offensive action in just two games, with one lonely target.
Defense/Special Teams
Cleveland has a marginal pass rush and they have only two interceptions this season. Cincinnati has allowed multiple sacks in all but one outing and the Browns are in line for 4.5 combined sacks and takeaways.
Monday Night Football Single-Game NFL DFS Strategy For Bengals-Browns
The rankings below are best utilized for building out single-entry and three-max lineups, and for head-to-head and three-man formats. They provide a nice barometer for player value. However, those taking the MME approach should remember that correlation is key. This means matching a receiver or two with a quarterback in the Captain/MVP slot. That also works conversely, pairing a Captain/MVP pass catcher with their quarterback.
Week 8 Monday Night Football NFL DFS Rankings For Bengals-Browns
Top 10 NFL DFS Showdown Picks
- Joe Burrow:Â In a plot twist, Burrow does have a rushing touchdown in three consecutive games.
- Joe Mixon:Â Looks like a cherry matchup.
- Tee Higgins:Â Remember when everyone got rugged by his hidden ankle injury on Sunday Night Football in Week 5?
- Nick Chubb:Â Gets by on efficiency, but tonight there could be added volume depending on Hunt.
- Tyler Boyd:Â Quietly getting it done all season.
- Amari Cooper:Â The secondary will by keying in on him all night.
- Jacoby Brissett:Â Still looking for his first 20 fantasy point performance.
- Evan McPherson:Â Great name, even better kicking game!
- Harrison Bryant:Â Last man standing at the tight end position.
- Mike Thomas:Â Steal at $1,200 on DraftKings and $5,500 on FanDuel.
Secondary NFL DFS Showdown Picks For Bengals-Browns
- Donovan Peoples-Jones:Â Solid but far from spectacular.
- Cleveland D/ST:Â Gets the homefield nod.
- Cincinnati D/ST:Â Fantasy opportunities could be hard to come by if the Browns establish the run.
- Cade York:Â 13 of 16 on the season for the rookie, 2.3 field goal attempts per game is just inside the top 10 kickers.
- D’Ernest Johnson: Minimum salary on DraftKings ($200) is appealing with the full-PPR scoring, FanDuel ($5,000) minimum salary does not have the same impact. If Thomas was not looking so good, Johnson would be replacing him at #10 above, this of course makes Johnson excellent indirect tournament leverage. Johnson also returns kickoffs.
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Lottery Ticket NFL DFS Showdown Picks For Bengals-Browns
- Kareem Hunt:Â Even if active, likely will be encased in bubble wrap and only stepping on the field if something happens to Chubb.
- Samaje Perine:Â Needs to find the end zone to be a difference maker.
- David Bell:Â Plenty of other discount dandies in the pool tonight, still warrants his own line.
- Pharaoh Brown:Â Minimum salary, in play for those making 50 or more lineups if he clears the concussion protocol.
- Trent Taylor:Â Minimum salary on DraftKings, likely the fourth receiver which is of marginal value with Higgins, Boyd, Thomas, Hearst and Mixon all above him in the pecking order. Also returns punts.
- Demetric Felton Jr.:Â Moves to the top of this section if Hunt is inactive, also returns punts.
- Mitchell Wilcox, Miller Forristall and Chris Evans:Â Trick or Treat!
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