Few teams turn late-round wide receivers into stars like the Los Angeles Rams, most notably Cooper Kupp (Round 3 pick in 2017) and Puka Nacua (Round 5 pick in 2023). The Rams have a chance to recreate that magic this season with Jordan Whittington, a sixth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Whittington had seven receptions for 89 yards in Week 5 before playing just nine snaps last week and leaving with a shoulder injury. If Whittington is active for Rams vs. Vikings on Thursday Night Football, is he a cheaper option from the NFL DFS player pool that daily Fantasy football players should consider?
Star wide receiver Cooper Kupp could return from his four-game absence with an ankle injury, so how should Kupp's presence affect your TNF NFL DFS strategy? Tight end Colby Parkinson has taken on a larger role and averaged 34.5 yards per game without Kupp, but is he a viable option with the return of the player who had 21 targets in Week 1? Before setting your NFL DFS lineups on sites like DraftKings and FanDuel for Thursday Night Football, be sure to check out the NFL DFS advice, strategy, and stacks from SportsLine daily Fantasy expert Mike McClure.
McClure is a legendary professional DFS player with more than $2 million in career winnings. He uses a powerful prediction model that simulates every snap of NFL action, taking factors such as matchups, statistical trends, and injuries into account. This allows him to find the best DFS values that he shares only with members at SportsLine. His methodology has led to enormous cashes on FanDuel and DraftKings. Last year, he won the DraftKings Millionaire Maker twice and the FanDuel Million once. Anyone who has followed him is way up.
Now, McClure has turned his attention to Rams vs. Vikings on Thursday Night Football and just locked in his top daily Fantasy football picks. You can only see his picks and analysis at SportsLine.
Top NFL DFS picks for Vikings vs. Rams
One of McClure's top NFL DFS picks for Thursday Night Football is Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold. The seven-year NFL signal caller is playing for his fourth franchise and just when it seemed his starting opportunities were behind him, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft is playing like someone drafted in that position. Darnold has the seventh-best quarterback rating (104.0) in the NFL this season with 12 touchdowns compared to five interceptions over six games. He's one of just five quarterbacks with at least five starts who are averaging at least two passing touchdowns per game this season, joining players like Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow.
Darnold has multiple touchdown passes in four of six games this season and is coming off throwing for 259 yards with a touchdown and an interception against the Lions. The 27-year-old completed a season-high 81.5% (22 of 27) of his passes last week and extended some plays with his legs, rushing for a season-best 39 yards on four attempts. Few daily Fantasy football players would have looked at this matchup preseason and said Darnold would have one of the highest floors in this contest, but given his turnaround this season, that's the case entering Thursday Night Football.
Part of McClure's optimal NFL DFS strategy also includes rostering Rams running back Kyren Williams. The 24-year-old rushed for 76 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries last week for his fourth straight game with more than 75 rushing yards. Williams is averaging 90.3 rushing yards over his last four contests.
Williams led the NFL with 95.3 rushing yards per game last season as he emerged as one of the top pure runners in the NFL in his second season. He wasn't expected to have a prominent role in the offense but after Cam Akers was traded, Williams became the featured back and shouldered a significant workload last year. Williams played at least 70% of snaps in 10 of 13 games last season and has played at least 79% of snaps in all six games this season. His usage and production make him a must-add to NFL DFS picks for McClure. See who else McClure likes right here.
How to set NFL DFS lineups for Thursday Night Football
McClure is also targeting another undervalued player who could explode for huge numbers on Thursday Night Football. This pick could be the difference between winning your tournaments and cash games or going home with nothing. You can only see who it is, and the rest of McClure's NFL DFS picks, at SportsLine.
So who is Mike McClure including in his optimal NFL DFS lineups for Thursday Night Football, and which under-the-radar player offers huge value? Visit SportsLine now to see optimal NFL DFS picks, rankings, advice and stacks, all from a daily Fantasy expert with more than $2 million in winnings, and find out.