The Spencer Rattler era has begun in New Orleans. The fifth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft made his NFL debut last week against the Buccaneers with Derek Carr (oblique) out. Rattler showed inconsistency, completing 22 of 40 passes for 243 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions in a 51-27 loss to Tampa Bay. Saints receiver Chris Olave missed the majority of the game with a concussion suffered following his first reception, and given the short week, he could be iffy for TNF. How should Olave's potential absence affect your NFL DFS strategy when the New Orleans Saints host the Denver Broncos on Thursday Night Football at 8:15 p.m. ET?
The Broncos have one of the best defenses in the NFL, allowing the fourth-fewest points (16.0 per game) on the third-fewest yards (284.3 per game), so can daily Fantasy football players rely on the rookie quarterback and New Orleans' skill position players when making NFL DFS picks? Before setting your NFL DFS lineups on sites like DraftKings and FanDuel for Saints vs. Broncos, 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 Broncos vs. Saints 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 Saints vs. Broncos
One of McClure's top NFL DFS picks for Thursday Night Football is Saints running back Alvin Kamara. The 29-year-old rushed for 40 yards and a touchdown and added five receptions for 24 yards in a 51-27 loss to the Buccanneers last week. He had eight targets as even with Spencer Rattler taking over at quarterback, Kamara remains an integral part of the passing attack. Kamara was tied for the team lead in both receptions and targets last week and he leads New Orleans in receptions (28) this season.
The eight-year veteran has more than 100 total yards in four games this season and he's averaging 111 yards per game. It may be a challenge for Chris Olave to clear concussion protocol before Thursday after suffering the head injury on Sunday, so Kamara will likely be featured even more heavily in the game plan leading up to the contest. With the Broncos sporting one of the top defenses in the NFL led by a talented secondary, utilizing the running back in the passing attack has been an effective strategy as the Broncos have allowed 27 receptions to running backs this season, which is tied for 12th-most in the league.
Part of McClure's optimal NFL DFS strategy also includes rostering Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton. The 29-year-old had four receptions for 53 yards and a touchdown last week against the Chargers for his second touchdown in his last three games. Sutton leads Denver in receptions (21) and receiving yards (277) with his 47 targets more than double the next-highest wide receiver. Sutton has 38.8% of all wide receiver targets this season as his usage is one of the main selling points toward including him in NFL DFS picks.
The Saints allowed 51 points to Tampa Bay last weekend, so their defense is vulnerable. Baker Mayfield passed for 325 yards and four touchdowns last week and the Broncos will look to find similar ways to expose the New Orleans defense. Given Sutton's large target share in the offense to begin this season, McClure expects Sutton to deliver a strong performance for Thursday Night Football NFL DFS lineups. See who else McClure likes right here.
How to set NFL DFS lineups for Broncos vs. Saints
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 Saints vs. Broncos, 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.
