NFL DFS Thursday Night Football picks: Raiders vs. Chargers fantasy lineup advice for DraftKings, FanDuel

Chargers quarterback Easton Stick has been on the roster for the last five seasons, but not many NFL daily Fantasy football players would know that. Given the franchise’s stability at quarterback with Philip Rivers and Justin Herbert since being selected in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, Stick had thrown only one career pass before last week. After Herbert suffered a broken ring finger on his throwing hand last week, Stick completed 13 of 24 passes for 179 yards in a 24-7 loss to the Broncos. With Herbert placed on IR, Stick will start on Thursday Night Football against the Las Vegas Raiders, but can you trust him in your NFL DFS lineups?

The 28-year-old doesn’t have much time to prepare for his first NFL start, so how should that affect your NFL DFS strategy? Can you trust often reliable options such as Austin Ekeler and Quentin Johnston with Stick at quarterback when making NFL DFS picks? Before making any NFL DFS picks for Chargers vs. Raiders on sites like DraftKings and FanDuel, be sure to check out the NFL DFS lineup advice, strategy and player stacks from SportsLine NFL daily Fantasy expert Jimmie Kaylor. 

Kaylor is a NFL and DFS expert for SportsLine, who opened the 2022 NFL season by winning DraftKings’ NFL Showdown Thursday Kickoff Millionaire contest. He edged out over 355,000 other entrants in the contest and also has multiple five-figure tournament wins on his DFS resume. Kaylor, who cashed big all season in 2022, has covered the NFL and college football for over a decade as a member of the Pro Football Writers of America, and his background as a former college and NFL player gives him a unique perspective when building his fantasy lineups and locking in his betting picks.  

Kaylor hit on epic NFL DFS picks all season in 2022. He was all over Travis Kelce’s four-touchdown performance against the Raiderson Monday Night Football, Kirk Cousins‘ 460-yard, four-TD performance on Thanksgiving Day, and T.J. Hockenson’s 13 catches for 109 yards and two touchdowns in Week 15.

This year, Kaylor has been all over players like Justin Jefferson (11-159), D’Andre Swift (175-1), DeVonta Smith (4-132-1), T.J. Hockenson (7-66-2), D.J. Moore (8-230-3), David Montgomery (121-3), Ja’Marr Chase (12-141, 11-149-1), Alvin Kamara (12-91, 76), Jordan Addison (7-123-2), Jahmyr Gibbs (152-1, 5-37), Javonte Williams (79, 3-31-1), Dak Prescott (331-4), CeeDee Lamb (12-116-1), and DK Metcalf (6-143-3) in single-game slates. Anyone who followed his picks cashed in big.

Now, Kaylor has turned his attention to Raiders vs. Chargers on Thursday Night Football Week 15 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 Chargers vs. Raiders on TNF

One of Kaylor’s top NFL DFS picks for Thursday Night Football is Las Vegas wide receiver Davante Adams. The Raiders have dealt with inconsistent play at the quarterback position all season, but this matchup projects well for Las Vegas to find success through the air against a below average Chargers defense. Los Angeles ranks 29th in the NFL, allowing 261.9 passing yards per game, and Kaylor expects Adams to shine on TNF.

“Despite the Raiders’ ongoing issues at the quarterback position, Davante Adams remains on track to post his fourth straight 1,000-yard receiving season in 2023. With the Chargers’ issues on the defensive side of the ball — particularly when it comes to defending the pass — I anticipate another outstanding prime time performance from Adams on TNF. The future Hall of Famer averages just under 10 targets per game this season, and I expect him to meet or exceed that number against the Chargers,” Kaylor told SportsLine.

Part of Kaylor’s TNF DFS strategy also includes rostering Chargers running back Austin Ekeler. The former undrafted free agent has battled injuries in 2023, but when he’s been on the field, his value to the Chargers’ offense has been undeniable. Ekeler enters Thursday with 497 yards and 5 TDs on the ground, and 36 catches for 344 yards and touchdown through the air. With Keenan Allen unavailable, Kaylor expects an even bigger role for Ekeler on TNF.

“Austin Ekeler has been fully removed from the Chargers’ Injury Report, which only boosts my confidence in his DFS value on Thursday night. With Justin Herbert and Keenan Allen both sidelined, I expect the Los Angeles offense to run through Ekeler against the Raiders on TNF. I have Ekeler projected to go over 100 total yards with around 20 combined touches on Thursday,” Kaylor said. You can see the rest of Kaylor’s NFL DFS picks here.

How to build NFL DFS lineups for Raiders vs. Chargers on TNF

Kaylor is also targeting another undervalued player who could explode for huge numbers for 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 Kaylor’s TNF DFS picks, at SportsLine. 

So who is Jimmie Kaylor including in his optimal NFL DFS lineups for Thursday Night Football, and which under-the-radar NFL DFS picks offer huge value? Visit SportsLine now to see optimal NFL DFS picks, rankings, advice, and stacks, all from a DFS expert who already won a single-game millionaire maker tournament, and find out.