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DraftKings Week 6

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Who had Claypool in Week 5 in DraftKings? The Canadian sensation celebrated Canuck Thanksgiving with a bounty of 4 exceptional touchdowns. Did you have him in your fantasy? Neither did I.
Here are some of the picks I have in store for week 6 in the NFL.

QBs

Ryan Fitzpatrick $5900

Are you mad Wade? Taking Fitzmagic as a DK starter? Well, he is playing the Jets, and after the points he dumped on San Fran last week, I like his momentum at home. Fitzpatrick has been having fun this season, and you can see it in the way Flores makes his plays. The Jets are trash, and the Dolphins should have some fun here.

Kirk Cousins $6100

You like that? Not so much, I mean the Vikings have really struggled this year, but their ship will come in this week as they host the Atlanta Falcons. Atlanta has been a defensive mess this season, allowing more points than a drunken fencer. I like matching Cousins with the Thielen for maximum points.

RBs

David Montgomery $5800

Montgomery hasn’t really had much of a break out this season, as the Bears haven’t really racked up too many points. That could change Sunday, as the Bears visit the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers have allowed 133 rushing yards per game, which will only get worse this week. Hopefully they use him more in the slot option, rather than trying to bum rush Patterson for short gains.

Alexander Mattison $7200

He’s pretty pricey considering that it’s his first start as RB1, but the Vikings are facing the Falcons who struggle to contain the rush all season. Mattison will see loads of carries, and should gash the Falcons worse than 2020 has devastated the sports bar industry. I like him for at least 2 TDs.

DeVante Parker $6300

Miami is playing New York Jets, this game is going to be score-ific. Parker is the fave target of Fitzpatrick and he will easily find open holes in the Jets D. Loads of yards and maybe a few TDs to boot. Can’t go wrong for $6300.

WRs

Adam Thielen $7300

Stealin’ Thielen will look for loads of yards today as Hot-Lanta will be a steaming dump of hot on Sunday to control him. Atlanta sucks, and his pairing with Cousins will give you plenty o’points in this contest. ‘Contest’ is a funny word, since this game looks to be anything but.

Kenny Golladay $6200

Jacksonville has been falling apart as of late, as Minshew struggles anytime he doesn’t have a healthy Chark Jr. at his disposal. Gollday is Stafford’s favourite man, an he will see plenty of passes against a Jacksonville secondary who gushes zone coverage. He’s a good value for the number 1 receiver in this game.

DeVante Parker $6300

Miami is playing New York Jets, this game is going to be score-ific. Parker is the fave target of Fitzpatrick and he will easily find open holes in the Jets D. Loads of yards and maybe a few TDs to boot. Can’t go wrong for $6300.

TEs

Evan Engram $4900

Pretty much the only guy that Daniel Jones can hit on the field since he barely goes further than 8 yards a play. Engram is also the only player that can actually catch, so he is useful in short yardage. The Giants have proven they can score, they just can’t win.

Robert Tonyan $5100

Tonyan exploded 2 weeks ago for 3 touchdowns, so it’s unlikely he will match those highs, but he should be able to snag at least a TD. Rodgers will target RT often, which will also add to your point tally on the day.

DEF

Dolphins $2900

They’re playing the Jets. Last week the Miami D picked off Jimmy G so much, they pulled him from the game. Joe Flacco won’t have much success against this squad who are pumped up from recent victories, including the beat down from last week.

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The Picks Six

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Yo! Welcome to the first edition of The Picks Six. This is a new concept, so bare with me whilst I figure it out. But each week I’m gonna give 6 types of picks or tips for the upcoming slate of games. Each category is a little different; some are sure fire “this is definitely going to happen,” and some are long shots “this is a bit of a dream but it’s plausible at least.” Like for example last week. I thought the Dolphins had a great shot at upsetting the 49ers. And they did. Wish I’d started this column last week now… We’ll keep track of how I do in each category so you can know which ones to trust and which ones to laugh at. 

Anyway… for us Brits, this week’s Sky Sports Slate of games is absolutely electric. Steelers vs Browns, Buccaneers vs Packers, Rams vs 49ers (ehhhh okay not great), Bills vs Chiefs AND Cardinals vs Cowboys? 4 out of 5 are legitimately must see. But if I can avoid watching Jimmy G I will absolutely do so, so let’s just pretend that game isn’t happening for the rest of this article? Cool! Let’s get stuck into my picks. 

1) The 1st and Goal from the One 

This is my lock of the week. A sure fire winner surely. 

I’m very tempted to pick the Panthers to beat the (extremely fraudulent, sorry not sorry Wade) 4-1 Bears, but I’m not quite as confident in that as a couple other options this weekend. It’s two AFC East teams, and I just cannot see any way they lose this weekend. I’m talking about the Patriots and the Dolphins. New England have seemingly survived Cam’s corona scare… and he’s back this week to face the fairly unfortunate Broncos, who have been decimated by injuries and then this week had the story of Melvin Gordon getting a DUI. It’s not been great for Denver, and I don’t think their luck changes on Sunday. Belichick can see a glimmer of light at the top of the AFC East after the Bills lost on Tuesday night. I’m taking the Patriots to win in comfortable fashion. BUT – as a bonus for the first week of this column, I’m also taking the Dolphins, who face the newly LeVeon Bell-less Jets. Adam Gase man… where do you even start? Probably best to make this quick. Brian Flores has the Dolphins playing great football and winning games. The Jets are absolutely horrific. I feel (for once) very confident that my Fins get their 3rd win of the season on Sunday.

2) The 45yd Field Goal (around even odds)

This is my mid-range, toss up of the week. 

So my pick is going to Green to beat Tampa in the matchup I’ve dubbed “battle of the bays.” I’m sure that’s copyrighted by someone else but hey, it sounds good. Tommy B has been up and down since relocating to Florida, and AA Rod is in the middle of his “how dare you not rank me in the top 10 of the NFL 100” revenge tour. It’s hard for me to understand why the Packers are ONLY favoured by a solitary point here coming off a Bye last week. I know the Buccaneers defense is tasty, but Aaron Jones and the (hopefully) returning healthy Davante Adams are too electrifying to stop, and they’ll both benefit from having the other in the lineup. Let’s go for Green Bay -1.0.

3). The Hail Mary (4/1 or longer)

This is my shot from half field. Unlikely, but you never know. 

The AFC North is fast confirming itself to be – alongside the NFC West – the best division in Football. The Ravens, Steelers AND (surprisingly) Browns are all proving themselves to be playoff calibration teams, with potential SuperBowl aspirations. Big Ben’s comeback player of the year campaign is off to a flyer, and rookie WR Chase Claypool set the Fantasy Football world on fire last week with 45 points in his 4TD demolition of the Eagles. Cleveland faced their toughest defense (since the Ravens in week 1) and dismantled the Colts with relative ease. Baker looked good, Kareem Hunt is running like he did in Kansas City, and OBJ has maybe got his mojo back. I’m so excited for this matchup. BUT I think this really means a lot to the Browns. They’re used to getting eviscerated by Pittsburgh and, after the “contentious” ending to last season’s second matchup (you know, the one with the attempted murder??), I think Myles Garrett will be out for… errr… sacks!? Cleveland are the underdogs but if they can get the run game going they can limit the Steelers’ time of possession. Ben will always air it out to try and catch up but I think the Browns have enough to not only upset the Steelers but win by a wider margin than expected.

We’re gonna go Cleveland Browns to win by 7-12 points. 

4) The Over

I like points. Sue me. Give me 45-44 over 17-14 every day. I’m a Big XII guy. Points points points. Throw the ball. So, I’m using this section to look at the points totals and pick an over that I like. 

Cardinals @ Cowboys – Over 55.0

Yeah, it’s a high line, but this has “shootout” written all over it. I love the Cardinals. I absolutely love them. They’re so exciting. Kyler is a speed demon. Hopkins is – for me – the best receiver in the league. Their run game has struggled but we all know Kenyan Drake could just turn it on one week and blow people away again. And then you’ve got Dallas. Firstly, get well soon Dak. Secondly, Andy Dalton is… not Dak Prescott, but has a better set of weapons in Dallas than he EVER had in Cincinnati. Lamb, Cooper & Gallup can cause Patrick Peterson and the Cardinals DBs a lot of issues, creating space for Zeke between the tackles, especially now Chandler Jones is done for the year. But Kyler and Hopkins will feast on a suspect Cowboys secondary that made the Giants look like an offensive powerhouse at times last week. I’m excited to see these two offenses beat up on the defenses on Monday Night. 

5) The Parlay

A little 5 team accumulator for the people. 

Titans -3.5 (how are Tennessee, who are 4-0, only -3.5 against a 1-4 Houston team?!)

Dolphins -10.0 (yeah, it’s A LOT of points for the Dolphins and Fitzmagic to cover… BUT… I mean… have you SEEN the Jets?)

Patriots -9.5 (Cam’s back, and the Broncos are broken. Even if Drew Lock plays, the New England defense is nasty enough to give him nightmares)

Browns +3.5 (I think they win outright, but the FG + a half point here makes this feel like a safe bet)

Lions -3.0 (Golladay back, Sacksonville ain’t what it used to be, Lions managed to beat the Cardinals – a GOOD team – earlier this year. I trust Stafford to win this game)

£10 on this pays about £260 depending on your Bookmaker.

6) The Full English

This is just gonna be my straight up, nice and simple, prediction for who wins every single game each week. We’ll keep a rolling total and win % for me and hopefully it’ll be a number significantly higher than 50…

ATL vs MIN – Atlanta

BAL vs PHI – Ravens

CHI vs CAR – Panthers

CIN vs IND – Colts

CLE vs PIT – Browns

DEN vs NE – Patriots

DET vs JAX – Lions

HOU vs TEN – Titans

WAS vs NYG – Giants

NYJ vs MIA – Dolphins

GB vs TB – Packers

LAR vs SF – Rams

KC vs BUF – Chiefs

ARI vs DAL – Cardinals

And that’s it! Can’t wait to get absolutely none of these right this week. Hope you enjoyed reading my thoughts. Fingers crossed you come back next week. I’m @callumjdsquires on Twitter and Instagram if you wanna chat further. Have a good one!

All Lines and Totals accurate as of Friday 16th October at 15:00. 

Callum Squires is a London based writer, Dolphins fan and regular contributor to NFL in London. 

Week 6 Picks

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Week 6 of the NFL is upon us, and it’s already starting to feel like this season is an episode of the retro cartoon ‘Wacky Races.’
Just when you think someone takes the lead, tragedy befalls them, accidents happen and Dirk Dastardly is no where in site.
What will this week in the NFL hold for us?

Wade McElwain and Ryan Cull are both coming down from Canadian Thanksgiving celebrations, toasting fellow Canuck Chase Claypool who had one heck of a week 5, eh?
Who do they have for week 6? Listen to the podcast and find out.
Some of their top picks for this week include:

Redskins (1-4) vs Giants (0-5)
Giants -3  +43

How the heck are the 0-5 Giants favoured over a plucky Washington football team? The Giants have literally had their legs cut out from them this season, and haven’t really looked that convincing in any game. Their O-line blows, their D is porous, and they’ve blown more leads than a coked out 70s’ detective.
Still, Vegas has some hope for them against the tumultuous Washington team, Wade and Ryan do not however.
Ryan-Washington 30 Giants 24
Wade-Washington 21 Giants 17

Ravens (4-1) vs Eagles (1-3-1)
Ravens -7.5  +46.5

Philly played a tight game against a surprised Steelers team last week, almost walking away with the W. The Ravens laid a smackdown on the helpless Bengals in a relentless game for Joe Burrow.
Philly has been playing all out against every team, but they can only have so much gas left in the tank.
After seeing the Chiefs get humbled by the Raiders last week, Baltimore has to feel like they have a chance to get back into first place in the league.
Ryan thinks the Eagles can withstand all of the pressure Lamar Jackson piles on them, whereas Wade likes the Ravens to toss Philly back to the dumpster.
Ryan-Ravens 28 Eagles 21
Wade-Ravens 35 Eagles 20

Packers (4-0) vs Bucs (3-2)
Packers -1.5  +54

Aaron Rodgers vs Tom Brady in an epic match for the NFL ages, or aged depending on how you look at it. Rodgers has been playing like someone pissed in his Wheaties, while Brady has been playing like someone who ate a bowl of pissy Wheaties.
This game could either be a Pack blow-out, or TB12 orchestrating a takedown of the top team in the NFC North.
Tom Brady is 14-1 after a loss and being the underdog, so you have to appreciate his competitiveness.
Ryan sees the Packers outlasting the Bucs, where Wade likes Tommy Boy to give it to GB in a surprise. They have had 10 days to prepare, so a big loss would really hurt.
Ryan-Packers 30 Bucs 27
Wade-Bucs 28 Packers 26

Cardinals (3-2) vs Cowboys (2-3)
Cardinals -3.5  +54.5

Week 5 brought us the ankle break heard round the world, as we all took a knee for Dak’s safe recovery. We also held our stomachs at the thought of Alex Smith getting his leg mangled at the hands of Aaron Donald in front of his kids.
Dak is gone, and Andy Dalton is here to replace him..so that should be something. Andy lacks the rally ability of Dak, as well as movement, height, youth and vision. He does have a good support crew.
Kyler Murray has been inconsistent, but has a great cache of wide receivers to help him out against a hole ridden Dallas D.
Ryan thinks that the Cowboys will rally for Dak at home, but Wade thinks that the Cards will use this game to grab an easy win.
Ryan- Cowboys 30 Cardinals 27
Wade- Cardinals 30 Cowboys 27

Have a listen to the podcast and make sure that you share it with your friends, enemies, and inject it into any Facebook debate to change the conversation.

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Week 5 Upsets

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Week 5 in the NFL has some games that are teetering on their own odds. But which games should you pick if you want to get maximum value from the Vegas spread? Luckily I have no real life, so I have analysed some of the games that I think will help you make some money from Week 5 in the NFL.

UPDATE-As of Sunday, the game between the Broncos and the Patriots has been postponed due to another positive test from the Patriots. Bill Belichick must be a bit pissed as that uses up one of their bye weeks, leaving them vulnerable to forfeits going forward.

Panthers (2-2) vs Falcons (0-4)
Falcons -1.5 +54.5

No one seems to give the Panthers credit for being able to win a few games despite losing their top running back. Teddy Bridgewater has been solid as his debut as the starting QB, and their receivers have been gelling more with every game. Their defence also seems over-looked, as they have kept the team in close during their two losses.
Sure, Matt Ryan can score at will with Calvin Ridley, but as soon as they do they get punched in the nose by the opposing offence. The Falcons O-line is atrocious and their secondary isn’t much better.
Las Vegas must really believe in them to win at home despite their oh and four woes.
I really like the Panthers to win here and push for number one in the south.
Prediction: Panthers 31 Falcons 26

Dolphins (1-3) vs 49ers (2-2)
49ers -8.5  +47

Do you believe in Fitzmagic? I do, and this looks like it is going to be a magical weekend in San Francisco.
For everyone who thought that Miami was going to ‘Tank for Trevor’ they have surely silenced all talk of that.
Miami is one of the few teams that look like that they are actually having fun in the year of Covid.
Meanwhile Miami’s defence is no joke, and they have kept themselves close in pretty much every game.
The 49ers are coming off a loss to Philly, which is more dramatic than people think. Sure, they were without Jimmy G, but there were more glaring problems on D and special teams. They haven’t taken a magic pill in the week since the game, but they could be force fed a dose of Fitzmagic in week 5.
Prediction: Dolphins 23 49ers 20

Giants (0-4) vs Cowboys (1-3)
Cowboys -9.5  +54

America’s team is starting to look like America itself these days, lacking direction, focus and responsibility.
Dak continues to put up ridiculous numbers, but those don’t really matter if you let the opposition score just as many and more. Elliot hasn’t really gotten his running groove going thus far, and the O-line is so injured they’re on to practise squad players.
New York is a hot steaming dump of sadness. As much as Daniel Jones can shoulder the burden, this all comes down to coaching. Losing one of the top running backs in the game hurts, but they should be able to adapt to the ever evolving NFL.
The Giants have kept games relatively close this season, and while they might not have the firepower of the Cowboys, they still have a solid receiving corp which has the wheels to score.
Favouring the Cowboys by 9.5 points seems like malarky, and I like the Giants to cover.
Prediction: Cowboys 34 Giants 31

We don’t have a sports betting partner (yet), but I do recommend Bet365 as an app if you’re looking to make some bets. It’s fairly straight forward and best of all, it allows you to watch NFL games not on Sky. That’s right, you don’t need gamepass to watch the games as long as you put a small bet on games.

Make sure you also join our DraftKings League, so that you can play for free or win cash every Sunday.
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Stay safe, have fun, and happy betting!

Week 5 Preview

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It’s Week 5 in the NFL, so Wade and Ryan are here with another rousing podcast looking at all the games ahead.
It was a bit of a brutal week 4 for both guys, as Wade second guessed himself changing his picks last minute and dooming himself to a 6-9 record for the week. Ryan was a bit better at 7-9 for the week, consistent with his picks thus far this season.
Heading into week 5, Wade has a 35-26-1 record, and Ryan is battling a 24-37-1 record.
What does week 5 hold? Let’s take a look at some of their top picks.

Week 5 Picks

Panthers (2-2) Falcons (0-4)
Falcons -1.5  +54.5

The Falcons are favoured by 1.5 points, despite boasting no wins for the season thus far. The plucky Carolina team has been getting some nice wins and close games despite being without the best running back in the league. The Panthers defence has been playing solid every week and Teddy Bridgewater is starting to groove nicely into his role as starting QB.
Atlanta has been poor and porous, letting in more than a drunken doorman. They have tonnes of tools at their disposal, but despite Matt Ryans best efforts, their D continues to allow huge gains to wide receivers.
Ryan likes the Falcons to take their first win of the season, while Wade is calling for a Carolina upset.
Even more upsetting, if they win, they must sing ‘Sweet Caroline’ with their masks on.
Tragic.
Ryan-Falcons 24 Panthers 20
Wade-Panthers 31 Falcons 26

Eagles (1-2-1) vs Steelers (3-0)
Steelers -7  +44

Pittsburgh has benefitted from a Covid week off, while the Eagles are currently sitting in first place in the trash-tastical NFC East division.
Three games isn’t really enough to get a full grip on the Steelers, but they have looked pretty solid across the board. James Conner is ready to bust out for the rest of the season and establish himself as one of the premier running backs for the rest of the season.
The Eagles beat a depleted 49ers team last week under the helm of Nick Mullens, which isn’t saying much.
They have no real receivers, Carson Wentz is inconsistent, and they have relied on Myles Sanders to do all the dirty work. They have a fast front 4, but that will only get you so far.
Ryan likes the Eagles to cover a Steelers team that might not be fully focused, whereas Wade thinks that the battle of Pennsylvania will go to the hosts.
Ryan-Steelers 24 Eagles 20
Wade-Steelers 30 Eagles 18

Dolphins (1-3) 49ers (2-2)
49ers -8.5  +47

Jimmy G is back, and so is Raheem Mostert, but the team still doesn’t seem like it has all the pieces together to look like a contender.
Their defence is still full of holes, which was evident last week when the Eagles were able to move the ball down the field with ease.
No one expected much out of the Dolphins this year, but for some reason they have been close in most of their games. Miami has started with one of the toughest schedules in the league, and the games ahead should bode well for them. Most importantly, they’re having fun which is nice to see.
Ryan think that the 49ers are ready to romp over the Dolphins at home, but Wade has another plan…a Miami upset.
Ryan-49ers 23 Dolphins 20
Wade-Dolphins 23 49ers 20

DraftKings

One of the best ways to enjoy the NFL is to play along with Draftkings fantasy NFL. We have our own league called ‘NFL in London’ where we host loads of Sunday contests. Join the league and you can play every week for free or for paid contests. Our paid contests are modest, so you won’t be spending more than $5 to have some fun with new friends.
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Happy Thanksgiving to all of our Canadian friends, hopefully you can get together with your friends and family.
If you’re in London, pop down to the Maple Leaf in Covent Garden which will be showing the NFL until 10pm.

Stay safe, and have a great week in the NFL.