This week’s edition of Thursday Night Football features the Vikings, fresh off of a loss to the Lions, hosting the Steelers, who kept their playoff hopes intact with a dramatic win over their arch-rival Ravens. Both teams have work to do before they can crash the postseason party, and barring a tie, one team will be a step closer to January football while the other will be a step closer to a January vacation in the tropics. Needless to say, there's a lot to play for in real life and DFS, and we'll join in on the fun with our Week 14 FanDuel single-game lineup picks.
Here are the key scoring settings for FanDuel 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 100/300-yard games like on DraftKings.
MORE FD SINGLE GAME: How to win a FanDuel single-game contest
FanDuel Single-Game DFS Picks: Steelers vs. Vikings
$50,000 budget, need at least one player from each team.
MVP (1.5x points): WR Diontae Johnson, Steelers ($13,000)
Johnson had a pair of touchdowns on Sunday and would have had a third if not for a drop. After three straight games drawing at least 13 targets, he had to "settle" for 11, but he finished with 26.5 FanDuel points nonetheless. Another busy outing is on deck for Thursday against Minnesota's sieve-like pass defense.
MORE TNF: DraftKings lineup | Cook update | Start 'em, sit 'em
FLEX RB Najee Harris, Steelers ($14,000)
Harris’ fantasy output has cooled in recent weeks, but he’s still only failed to reach double-figure FD points once since Week 1. He continues to see heavy volume, touching the ball 26 times against the Ravens last Sunday, and will be in for another full plate against a Vikings run defense that ranks in the league’s bottom third in DVOA.
WEEK 14 DFS LINEUPS: DraftKings | FanDuel | Yahoo
FLEX WR Justin Jefferson, Vikings ($13,500)
As if Jefferson needed any additional help producing dominant fantasy performances, Adam Thielen (high ankle sprain) will be out for multiple weeks. Jefferson has scored double-digit FD points in five straight games, a span that includes two 30-plus FD-point performances over his past three. The Steelers will undoubtedly make slowing Jefferson a focal point, but that’s not going to scare us off of him.
WEEK 14 PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
FLEX TE Pat Freiermuth, Steelers ($9,500)
Freiermuth had a quiet game last week, but he had scored double-digit FD points in three of his previous six heading into Week 13. He’s already emerged as a dangerous red-zone target, and we can be confident that Ben Roethlisberger will look his way if/when the Steelers enter the red zone.
MORE WEEK 14 DFS: Best stacks | Best values | Lineup Builder
FLEX WR K.J. Osborn, Vikings ($8,000)
Osborn gets to play the "next man up" role for as long as Thielen is sidelined with a high ankle sprain. He finished Sunday with a 4-47-1 line and 12.7 FD points, his highest output since scoring 16.8 against the Panthers in Week 6. He’s scored double-digit FD points four times this season, and even though the Steelers present a stout defense, Osborn will be in line for enough volume on Thursday to cross that threshold once again.