The NFL kicks off with a glorious Thursday Night opener with the Baltimore Ravens at Kansas City, taking on the two-time Super Bowl Champion Chiefs. The Ravens had the best record in the NFL at 13-4 last year but fell to the 11-6 Chiefs in Baltimore at M&T Bank Stadium for the AFC Championship game.
Now in Arrowhead Stadium, two top AFC contenders will duke it out in primetime after massive changes to each of their rosters. Although it seems like a revenge game, it won’t be until they rematch in the AFC Conference Round again in the playoffs for 2024.
Baltimore Ravens vs. Kansas City Chiefs DFS Start ‘Ems
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Here are a few of the players that we are leaning on heavily in this game. These players are in a good spot to put together a solid performance and have a favorable matchup.
Patrick Mahomes, Quarterback, Kansas City Chiefs (DraftKings: $6.9K, Fanduel: $8.7K)
With enhanced weapons at wide receiver, even with Marquise Brown ruled out for Week 1, Patrick Mahomes is set to have a good day in their opener. That includes rookie Xavier Worthy and Rashee Rice set to be his main receiving threats on the outside. It is also cost-inductive, as he is cheaper than Lamar Jackson and offers more of a discount on DraftKings ($0.9K difference) than Fanduel ($0.1K difference).
Rashod Bateman, Wide Receiver, Baltimore Ravens (DraftKings: $3.6K, Fanduel: $4.6K)
After his first relatively healthy offseason with Lamar Jackson, Rashod Bateman could be ready to take the next step forward as their second receiver. In the early portions of 2022, Bateman had explosive stat lines to start the year (mainly Weeks 1 against the New York Jets and Week 2 against the Miami Dolphins) and could do the same in primetime in 2024. He is priced at a cheap discount on both sites due to his boom-bust potential based on his 2023 campaign.
Baltimore Ravens vs. Kansas City Chiefs DFS Sit ‘Ems
On the flip side of things, here are a few of the players we are sitting in this one.
Zay Flowers, Wide Receiver, Baltimore Ravens (DraftKings: $6.1K, Fanduel: $6.4K)
Although he is the top wide receiver for the Baltimore Ravens, with Jackson spreading the ball around in Todd Monken’s scheme, there might not be much touchdown equity for the young receiver. Zay Flowers is also going against Chiefs’ Trent McDuffie in a tough matchup and they should focus on the run game more specifically against Kansas City. Rice’s price at $6.5K on both DK and FD might be worth the investment compared to Flowers.
Travis Kelce, Tight End, Kansas City Chiefs (DraftKings: $6.6K, Fanduel: $7.7K)
Tight end Travis Kelce, even at his age, should be impactful coming off a busy offseason for Kansas City. However, at his price point compared to Baltimore’s Mark Andrews (DraftKings $5K, Fanduel: $7.2K), I prefer the Ravens’ tight end over the Chiefs’. Kelce could be reserved for Week 1 compared to their receivers, as it is a long NFL season and he was injured for a few games to start the year last season.
Total Apex Lock of the Game
Derrick Henry, Running Back, Baltimore Ravens (DraftKings: $6.9K, Fanduel: $7.9K)
The Ravens should feed their new running back, as Derrick Henry has had historic games against the Chiefs specifically (according to Statmuse) when he was a Tennessee Titan. Especially after their playoff loss to them by not running enough, it should be easy for Baltimore to hammer a freak of nature on the ground like Henry. He is basically a guarantee to get into the endzone once, maybe even twice.
Total Apex Fade of the Game
Xavier Worthy, Wide Receiver, Kansas City Chiefs (DraftKings: $5.5K, Fanduel: $6K)
First-round rookie Xavier Worthy is set to smash later in the season. However, there is a caveat that the big play potential gets mitigated by a formidable Ravens defense. If those plays are subdued at his cost compared to an experienced Rice, it might not be worth gambling for his first start in the NFL.
The Chiefs could also involve other weapons in Andy Reid’s creative offensive scheme. Baltimore has an elite secondary that may lower potential targets for the speedster.
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