3 Best NFL FanDuel Picks Plays for Seahawks at Cardinals on Thursday Night Football

Whenever a backup running back slides into a larger role, there will be some uncertainty about expectations.

For Trey Benson, I'm willing to be pretty aggressive, and I view him as an anchor for our FanDuel Picks lineups.

Let's start there, laying out the case for Benson, and then we can dig into other plays I like for the Seattle Seahawks at the Arizona Cardinals.

What Is FanDuel Picks?

FanDuel Picks is a peer-to-peer fantasy game where you build a lineup of 3-6 athletes and select whether you believe each will reach “more” or “less” than their listed stat projection.

Enter your lineup into contests to compete against other players. Get enough picks correct and you’ll win a share of cash prizes.

FanDuel Picks NFL Plays for Seahawks at Cardinals

Trey Benson More Than 0.5 Touchdowns

You could make the case this should be a "mild" pick, so getting it in the regular bucket is a plus for us.

Benson checks the key boxes for a backup running back. He was getting work even before James Conner's injury, he was utilized as both a rusher and a receiver, and he's likely the best goal-line back on the team. We can have more confidence in his outlook than that of most reserves.

Even against a tough Seattle defense, I have decently high expectations for the Cardinals. Thus, my any-time touchdown model has Benson scoring 58.1% of the time, making him a key pillar for lineups.

Emari Demercado Less Than 14.5 Rushing Yards

Even with Conner leaving early last week, Emari Demercado still had just two rush attempts. I don't think that'll be his key contribution in the post-Conner era.

In addition to Benson, I'd expect Zonovan Knight to be activated for this game. Both profile as better early-down rushers than Demercado, who hadn't played an offensive snap despite being active each of the first two games.

Demercado's most likely role is as the mop-up guy on 3rd and long when they want to give Benson a breather. That doesn't translate to much production, so I'm comfortable fading him even at a higher snap rate.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba More Than 84.5 Receiving Yards

It's hard to top Jaxon Smith-Njigba's role this year, and putting him against a banged-up secondary indoors just adds fuel to the fire.

Through three games, Smith-Njigba has 40.3% of the Seahawks' total targets with 71.4% of the deep targets. He has had 96-plus yards in all 3 games, including last week, when the team dropped back only 21 times.

I'm expecting a far more competitive contest this time around, so even at a high number, JSN deserves to be on our list.

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.