Thursday’s night game may be a spooky one for the Arizona Cardinals as the San Francisco 49ers, their ferocious defense, and big tight end George Kittle look to scare up some big points. The 49ers are looking better and better as the season progresses, and are 7-point favorites tonight. This game merits close scrutiny right up to kickoff, as the status of a couple of prominent players could be game-time decisions. Here are four players to consider rostering in the Thursday Night Showdown.
George Kittle, 49ers TE
It’s been said many times how poor the Cardinals are against opposing tight ends, ranking worst in the league against them in DFS. This week, they face the man who may be the best tight end in the league. Through seven games, Kittle has 40 catches for 462 yards, but just one touchdown. Even with Emmanuel Sanders on the team for the first time last week, Kittle was still quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo’s favorite target. With Arizona’s known deficiency in defending big receivers, Kittle could be primed for a big Thursday night game.
Tevin Coleman, 49ers RB
After his monster Week 8 game against the Panthers, Coleman isn’t going to sneak up on anybody in DFS contests. He accounted for four total TDs in that contest, and rushed for 105 yards. Matt Breida injured his ankle in that game and is questionable for Thursday night, so Coleman could see more work. The Cardinals are 25th in the NFL in rushing defense, so Coleman could be in for another big game.
Christian Kirk, Cardinals WR
Kirk returned from injury last week and caught eight of 11 targets from quarterback Kyler Murray. In three of the five games that Kirk has played in 2019, he has at least 10 targets, although he has yet to score a TD. Even though the 49ers are very good against the pass, Kirk is likely to get his share of catches and yards in the game, making him probably the best play on the Cardinals.
49ers Defense
The Cardinals have a projected team total by oddsmakers of about 19 points. Obviously, Vegas doesn’t expect much from the home team tonight, and the fearsome 49ers defense (which may be second-best in the league behind the Patriots) is the main reason why. Through seven games, San Francisco has amassed 27 sacks, 10 interceptions, six fumble recoveries, and two defensive touchdowns, averaging 14.6 DFS points per game on DraftKings.