Ravens vs. Buccaneers Picks, Lineup Tips for Daily Fantasy FanDuel, DraftKings
The Baltimore Ravens and Tampa Bay Buccaneers could each use a win in Week 8 when they face off on Thursday night at Raymond James Stadium.
For the Ravens, it's been an inconsistent start to the season. They're 4-3, having alternated wins and losses every week thus far. Baltimore had leads at various points in its three losses (sometimes even big ones), but it hasn't been able to start a winning streak in 2022.
It's been a disappointing run for the Buccaneers, which have lost four of their past five games after a 2-0 start to the season. They're now looking to avoid a three-game losing streak that would drop them to a surprising 3-5.
There are a lot of talented players on both sides of this matchup, which makes things exciting for daily fantasy football managers. It's possible to build stacked lineups on DraftKings and FanDuel, but people still need to figure out the best combination of playmakers to utilize.
Here's some DFS advice for the Week 8 opener between the Ravens and Bucs on Thursday.
Jackson Is the Best Player in This Matchup
It's hard to go wrong with making Lamar Jackson your DFS captain/MVP pick any time he's on the field, and it's probably best to do so on Thursday night.
The 25-year-old is the most expensive name in the matchup ($17,700 on DraftKings; $17,500 on FanDuel), but he'll also likely be the best fantasy player between the two teams.
Jackson accounted for 12 total touchdowns (10 passing and two rushing) over the first three weeks of the season, but he's had only three (all passing) during the past four weeks. He's still had solid fantasy outputs because of his production in the run game, though.
Still, the Louisville product is overdue to get into the end zone at least a couple times on Thursday. The Buccaneers' defense is beatable on the ground (118.3 rushing yards allowed per game), which should be an opportunity for the Ravens to have success.
There's also the potential for this game to turn into a back-and-forth contest with plenty of offense, considering the two QBs will be Jackson and Tom Brady.
So, the Ravens signal-caller seems like a strong pick to anchor your DFS lineup.
Edwards Should Provide Tremendous Value
Jackson shouldn't be the only player to have success running the ball against Tampa Bay. There's also Gus Edwards, who returned to the Ravens' lineup last week after an ACL tear that caused him to miss the entire 2021 season.
The 27-year-old had an impressive 2022 debut, as he rushed for 66 yards and two touchdowns in the Week 7 win over the Cleveland Browns. He'll continue to be the Ravens' lead RB, as J.K. Dobbins is on injured reserve after undergoing a knee procedure.
Because Edwards now has a bigger role in the offense, his DFS cost has gone up ($11,400 on DraftKings; $12,000 on FanDuel). Still, he's a talented player with a nose for the end zone, so it's likely worth paying that price to get him in the lineup on Thursday.
Don't be surprised if the former Miami and Rutgers player makes the most out of his large number of touches once again.
Even though Leonard Fournette of Tampa Bay is the priciest running back in this matchup, Edwards has a chance to be just as productive, if not more so.
Otton Is Lower-Cost Steal at Tight End
If you're building your DFS lineup around names such as Jackson and Edwards, you'll also need some lower-cost players to balance the budget. And that's why Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton should be a great choice on Thursday.
For the second week in a row, Tampa Bay will be without starting TE Cameron Brate, who has a neck injury. That means there will again be increased opportunities for Otton as one of the top targets for Brady to throw to.
In Week 7, the 23-year-old rookie had a season-high 64 yards on four catches in the loss to the Carolina Panthers. He hasn't yet scored his first NFL touchdown, but that could be coming soon, as he has been getting more experience and time on the field.
If Otton ($7,500 on DraftKings; $8,000 on FanDuel) can get into the end zone on Thursday, he'll have a solid fantasy output. It's worth taking a chance on him after he played 81 percent of Tampa Bay's offensive snaps last week and was targeted five times.
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