Underdog Fantasy Thursday Night Football Top Plays 9/4

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the first Underdog Fantasy Top Plays article. We will be bringing you an article each day when a game or multiple games are happening. The crew will break down their top plays from the action and tell you why you should target them, also! Let’s waste no time and dive into the first game of the season with the Philadelphia Eagles hosting the Dallas Cowboys.

Saquon Barkley HIGHER Than 13.5 Receiving Yards

First up is Saquon Barkley (oh no, the Madden Curse) and his receiving yards. Last season, we witnessed how dangerous Barkley was in this Philadelphia offense. I expect something similar again. He recorded eight games with 12 or more receiving yards. Also, he averaged nearly two receptions and 8.4 yards per reception per game.

Dallas allowed 4.1 receptions and 38.2 yards per game to the running back position last season. With Micah Parsons being traded to the Green Bay Packers, I expect Dallas’s defense to take a hit and for Saquon to feast in Week 1.

Dak Prescott HIGHER Than 1.5 Passing Touchdowns

Dak Prescott is always an interesting play across the industry. Prescott missed the majority of last season after tearing his right hamstring tendon in Week 8. He had recorded 11 touchdowns, eight interceptions within the first eight weeks while throwing for nearly 2,000 yards. Healthy and ready to go, he now has extra help with the acquisition of George Pickens.

This game has a total of 47.5 points, and the Cowboys have a team total of 19.5. That isn’t coming from their defense. Prescott is going to be forced to throw here, as we also don’t know what to fully expect from this running back group that the Cowboys have assembled.

George Pickens HIGHER Than 53.5 Receiving Yards

George Pickens was traded during the off-season right after the Pittsburgh Steelers acquired DK Metcalf, and boy, did he get an upgrade. Pickens had Justin Fields and Russell Wilson as his quarterbacks last season and could never get anything going. He also may have been unhappy being in Pittsburgh, and that was reported a couple of seasons back.

Now, Pickens has Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb. Lamb should gain the majority of the defense’s attention in games, leaving Pickens open to feast. The Eagles’ defense will be tough to get through, but like I mentioned above, Prescott will be required to throw to keep the Cowboys in this game.

Reed Blankenship HIGHER Than 5.5 Tackles & Assists

I love defensive plays when it comes to Underdog Fantasy. It makes the sweating more exciting! Reed Blankenship was someone who got down and dirty for the Eagles. He recorded 52 solo tackles and 26 assists in 15 games last season. He averaged 5.2 combined tackles and assists per game.

Blankenship had a solid playoff run, also. He recorded 11 combined tackles and assists against Green Bay, six against the Los Angeles Rams, and seven against Washington, but had a quiet game in the Super Bowl with three. With this being the first game of the season and against their division rivals, Blankenship will be having some fun against Dak Prescott and company.

**All projections are pulled from FantasyPros Weekly Research Tools.