There will be plenty of high-scoring stars on the field when the Dolphins and Bengals meet on Thursday Night Football in Week 4. However, if you're putting together a DraftKings Showdown lineup, you can't pick Ja'Marr Chase, Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and Tee Higgins without majorly sacrificing elsewhere. We're taking a bit more balanced approach with our squad in the hopes of bringing home some NFL DFS cash.
We're focusing on the Bengals with our build, thinking the home team will come through on a short week. We're also fading both of Miami's big-play receivers, partly for differentiation and partly because of Tua Tagovailoa's back injury. Hill and Waddle can both put up big numbers with any QB, but sometimes you have to take these chances in single-game contests.
Before we get into our picks, here are the key scoring settings for DraftKings Showdown contests: They're full-point PPR and there are three-point bonuses for 300 passing yards, 100 rushing yards, and 100 receiving yards. The Captain pick costs 1.5 times a player's original price, but he also gets his point total multiplied by 1.5.
MORE DK SHOWDOWN: How to win a Showdown contest
DraftKings Showdown Picks: Dolphins vs. Bengals Week 4 Thursday Night Football
$50,000 budget, need at least one player from each team.
Captain (1.5x points, 1.5x salary): WR Ja'Marr Chase, Bengals ($16,500)
Chase has "disappointed" so far this year, but he's still seen at least nine targets in each game and 35 overall. He'll get his chances against Miami's 31st-ranked pass defense, and he should deliver in a big way to pay off his high salary.
MORE DOLPHINS-BENGALS:
FD Lineup | Tua update | Waddle update | Start 'em, sit 'em
FLEX QB Joe Burrow, Bengals ($9,600)
Burrow is another solid "Captain" pick, but the beating he takes in a given game always lends itself to turnovers and a possible early exit. Either way, he's a must-have after making Chase our "Captain." For all of Burrow's faults, he's still delivered multiple TDs and 25-plus rushing yards in two of three games.
WEEK 4 DFS: Best values | Best stacks
FLEX RB Joe Mixon, Bengals ($9,000)
Mixon is dealing with a sore ankle, so we're hoping that scares some people away. He's the undisputed workhorse in the Bengals' offense, posting 71 touches in three games. That includes 13 catches on 20 targets. He works in a stack with Burrow, and he also guards against the off chance that Cincinnati is running out the clock in the second half with a big lead.
WEEK 4 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kicker
FLEX TE Hayden Hurst, Bengals ($5,400)
Hurst posted his first real dud of the season last week, but in Weeks 1 and 2, he had five catches and at least seven targets in each game. The Dolphins allow the third-most DK points to TEs this year, so Hurst should get his chances in a potential shootout.
WEEK 4 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kicker
FLEX RB Raheem Mostert, Dolphins ($4,400)
Chase Edmonds scored twice last week, so it only makes sense to pivot away from him and go with Mostert, who actually had more targets (two to one) and carries (eight to six). These two backs are one in the same, so the fact Mostert, who has more big-play upside, is $1,800 cheaper makes him an easy call. We can't afford much else after stacking Burrow, Mixon, and Chase, so we have to hope Mostert can break a long run or score a short TD.
WEEK 4 DFS LINEUPS: FanDuel | DraftKings
FLEX K Jason Sanders, Dolphins ($3,800)
The Dolphins have demonstrated they can move the ball, but given Tua Tagovailoa's back injury and the fact they're playing on the road on short rest, we could see them settling for more field goals. For what it's worth, Cincinnati is giving up the most DK points per game to kickers, so Sanders should provide a decent floor to help stabilize a build that's fading Miami's other big-play options.
