Monday Night Football FanDuel Picks: NFL DFS lineup advice for Week 1 Ravens-Raiders single-game tournaments

The Ravens and Raiders wrap up Week 1 with a Monday Night Football matchup that has a healthy over/under of 52, which should be music to the ears of anyone playing in an NFL DFS single-game contest. Sportsbooks installed the Ravens as 5.5-point favorites, implying a relatively commanding road performance despite Baltimore having already lost three of its top-four RBs for the season (JK Dobbins, Gus Edwards, Justice Hill) and its first-round pick, WR Rashod Bateman (core), for at least three games. The Ravens roll into Sin City with the reputation for stingy defense, but our FanDuel lineup picks don’t snooze on the Raiders’ ability to move the ball and put points on the board after they finished No. 10 in scoring in 2020.

Before we get into our picks, here’s a reminder of FanDuel’s scoring system for single-game contests: The point total for the “MVP” is multiplied by 1.5, but he doesn’t cost any additional money like the “Captain” in DraftKings Showdown contests. FanDuel’s default scoring is half-point PPR and four-point passing TDs, and there are no bonuses for 300-yard/100-yard games like on DraftKings. 

FanDuel Single Game DFS Picks: Ravens vs. Raiders

$60,000 budget, need at least one player from each team 

MVP (1.5x points): QB Lamar Jackson, Ravens ($17,000)

With all of the Ravens preseason injuries and new faces being introduced into the offensive mix, we’re betting on Jackson taking on extra responsibility, both on the ground and through the air. Don’t look for differentiation from the field with this play, but we don’t have to treat “chalk” like it’s a bad word.

FLEX: QB Derek Carr, Raiders ($14,000)

The matchup is sour on paper, but Carr has access to a solid collection of weapons. Not to mention, sportsbooks in Carr’s backyard suggest the Raiders will be able to perform respectably on offense. Carr has eclipsed 20 FD points on 16 occasions under head coach Jon Gruden, including nine in 2020.

MORE MNF DFS: DraftKings Showdown Lineup

FLEX: TE Mark Andrews, Ravens ($11,000)

In this particular build, we’re asking Andrews to outscore Darren Waller ($13,000). He’s reached the 20-point plateau on five occasions over the past two years and will resume his post as one of Jackson’s top targets. We know the type of damage a tight end can do with a couple of scores and/or big plays, and we’ve seen Andrews dominate in the touchdown department, scoring 17 over his past 29 games.

FLEX: WR Marquise Brown, Ravens ($10,000)

Brown is another bet that the Ravens will lean on the familiar pieces in their passing game. Andrews and Brown have topped the team in targets in each of the past two seasons, and it’s reasonable to expect that trend to continue on Monday night. Brown didn’t break out the way many wanted in 2020, but he made encouraging strides nonetheless. It’s not too much to ask for a big play or two from the speedy third-year receiver.

FLEX: WR Bryan Edwards, Raiders ($7,000)

We know that Darren Waller is the Raiders’ “WR1” masquerading as a tight end, but that still leaves the No. 2 role in the passing pecking order up for grabs. Gruden has a proclivity for leaning on veteran wide receivers, so it was a bit of an eyebrow raiser when John Brown asked for and received his release. Unless Zay Jones ($6,000) is Gruden’s new veteran crush, Edwards — not to mention fellow second-year receiver Henry Ruggs III ($9,500) — will have the opportunity to stake his claim atop an unsettled wide receiver hierarchy.

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