Week 9 of the NFL season opens Thursday night when the Jacksonville Jaguars visit the Baltimore Ravens at 8:15 p.m. ET. The prime time matchup arrives with Baltimore once again dealing with an injury to quarterback Lamar Jackson, whose thumb problem leaves him out of the contest and reshapes the offensive outlook for both teams.
With Jackson unavailable, much of the attention shifts to Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence and Ravens running back Derrick Henry, who headline the pool of players drawing interest from daily Fantasy managers ahead of kickoff. Other names generating appeal include Jacksonville running back Bhayshul Tuten and wide receiver Parker Washington, along with Baltimore wideout Zay Flowers. A potential sleeper is Jaguars receiver Brian Thomas Jr., who found the end zone on Sunday after going back to back games without a catch.
Baltimore's recent scoring troubles are central to the preview. The Ravens have managed just one touchdown in each of their last three games, and they now face a Jacksonville unit ranked as the league's No. 2 scoring defense. If the Ravens struggle to finish drives again, kicker Tyler Loop could become a relevant Fantasy option, while the Jaguars' defense itself is also viewed as a strong play.
SportsLine daily Fantasy expert Mike McClure has weighed in on the matchup. McClure, a professional DFS player with more than $2 million in career winnings, relies on a prediction model that simulates every snap while accounting for matchups, statistical trends and injuries. His track record includes finishing tied for first in the DraftKings Millionaire Maker twice and winning the FanDuel Million once.
One of McClure's featured picks is Henry, a Jacksonville area native with a history of punishing his hometown team. Over his last 10 games against the Jaguars, Henry has averaged 129.1 rushing yards and scored 14 total touchdowns. With Jackson sidelined, Baltimore is expected to lean heavily on its star running back against a Jacksonville defense that has suddenly become vulnerable on the ground.
After allowing only 63.8 rushing yards per game across its first five outings, Jacksonville has surrendered more than 100 rushing yards in each of its last two contests. The Jaguars have also been generous to running backs in the passing game: only five teams allow more receptions per game to the position, which could expand Henry's role beyond his usual workload.
McClure is also building around Tuten, who is coming off a career performance in which he set personal highs with 104 rushing yards, 55 receiving yards and 159 total yards while scoring twice. Tuten has produced at least 87 scrimmage yards in all but one game this season and has scored multiple touchdowns in consecutive weeks. The matchup is favorable as well: only eight teams have allowed more touchdowns to running backs than Baltimore, and Buffalo's James Cook just posted 101 total yards and a score against the Ravens last week.
McClure has also identified another undervalued player he believes could deliver big numbers on Thursday night, a pick he describes as a potential difference maker in tournaments and cash games. His full set of recommended lineups, rankings and stacks for Jaguars vs. Ravens is available at SportsLine, with the advice applicable to contests on platforms such as FanDuel and DraftKings.
