Another weekend of NFL playoff action of the 2021 season brings another DraftKings showdown slate- the Divisional divisional game of Cincinnati @Tennessee. This game, while it has some decent defenses in it, is all about the offenses. The Bengals on the road will be looking to air the ball out with their receivers, while the Titans welcome back the human wrecking ball Derrick Henry. This game has some sneaky potential to be high-scoring, with an Over/ Under set at 47 points.
DraftKings Divisional Showdown 2021- Cincinnati @Tennessee Captain Picks
Derrick Henry ($16,500/ $11,000 Flex)
The King is back! If he hadn’t had such a long absence then this would be a slam-dunk must captain play. Let’s not forget just how dominant Henry was before his injury, with 117 rushing yards per game. And, despite only playing in only eight games, he finished ninth in rushing yards and tied sixth in rushing TDs. His importance on this offense is so high it’s hard to overlook him with the upside he carries. Dontrell Hilliard ($3,000 Flex) is worth considering if you need to save salary, as his pass-catching duties are unlikely to be hit by Henry’s return. But D’Onta Foreman ($4,800) isn’t really worth considering as he is likely to (at best) split carries with Henry.
Joe Burrow ($16,200/ $10,800 Flex)
Cincinnati are going to need to air the ball out in this game, which matches with the weakness of the Tennessee defense. The Titans have allowed the eighth-most passing yards per game, but have performed well against the run, allowing the second-fewest rushing yards per game. With the strength of the receivers that the team has, how does that not add up to Burrow having a good game!?
DraftKings Divisional Showdown 2021- Cincinnati @Tennessee Flex Picks
Ja’Marr Chase ($10,400)
Chase is an expensive option, but it comes with good reason. The rookie has the ability to just dominate a game with his production. If you look at his form, he has had three games back-to-back games with at least 10 targets, 7 receptions and 110 yards. With him being used as a downfield option too, it matches well with the weakness of the Titans defense of giving up big plays.
Joe Mixon ($9,600)
Even if he doesn’t manage to have a big impact on the ground, Mixon still has value due to his work as a receiver. In his past five games, he ran over 100 routes, which he converted to 20 receptions, 150 yards and a TD. It’s likely that he is going to be overlooked, because of the strength of the Titans defense on the ground. That should lower his ownership, which makes him an interesting GPP option.
Ryan Tannehill ($9,400)
Tannehill has all of his weapons on offense, something that has rarely happened this season. With the return of Henry, the Titans should be able to develop plenty of play-action opportunities. That bodes well for the QB to have time to allow the combination of A.J. Brown and Julio Jones the time to get downfield.
A.J. Brown ($8,600) & Julio Jones ($6,200)
I tried writing about these two seperately, but I think it’s better to group them together. Clearly Brown is the leading receiver on the offense, leading in targets, receptions, yards and TDs in games played with Jones. The thing is, Jones will be facing secondary coverage and has shown he does still have that downfield ability to get free.
The Bengals secondary have allowed some big passing plays this season, so both are really in play, but for me, I’d go with Jones’ cheaper salary. Both have similar ADoT’s and should enjoy some developing plays with the Titans moving the ball on the ground.
Tee Higgins ($7,200)
The fact that the Titans allow big plays really helps out Higgins too. He has an aDoT of 12.3, which puts him downfield ready to expose the secondary of the Titans. If Chase for whatever reason doesn’t have a big game, it’s likely that Higgins will. You could consider Tyler Boyd ($6,400) in this matchup too, but there isn’t the same (reliable) upside as with the other receivers.
Evan McPherson ($4,000)
On this slate, you are going to need to save some money for the big hitters, McPherson gives you a perfect opportunity. The rookie kicker has been fantastic all season, missing just 5 FGs and 2 PATs all season. With his long being 58 yards and 6-from-9 from 50+ yards too, he is a constant threat with the boot.
Remember any DFS questions, you can check out our articles here. Or you can find us on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
Image Credit: Jim Brown – USA TODAY Sports
