Vikings at Chargers Single-Game FanDuel NFL DFS Picks for Thursday Night Football

Week 8 opens tonight with a clash between the Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Chargers in LA.

For those unfamiliar with single-game NFL DFS on FanDuel, single-game slates feature five flex spots with identical scoring to the main slate. However, kickers are included in these contests, and there is an "MVP" roster slot. The MVP receives 1.5 times his total fantasy points, but beginning in 2025 on FanDuel, their salary also increases 1.5 times.

Here are players worth considering for tonight's game.

All NFL projections via our numbers at FanDuel Research, and NFL odds references are to FanDuel Sportsbook.

Vikings at Chargers NFL DFS Picks

MVP Candidates

Justin Herbert ($19,500 MVP/$13,000 FLEX) -- Justin Herbert profiles as the night's best MVP pick. Between the two QBs, he's clearly got more upside, and outside of Justin Jefferson, there aren't many guys on this slate with high ceilings. Herbert is averaging 21.4 FanDuel points per game and has topped 30.0 points twice, one of which came last week in a 420-yard passing day. He's also run for at least 20 yards in five of seven games. The only negative is that he'll likely be the chalk MVP. He paces our NFL DFS projections at 19.9 FanDuel points, 4.2 clear of anyone else.

Justin Jefferson ($20,100 MVP/$13,400 FLEX) -- Jefferson is putting up good numbers despite the Vikes' blah quarterback situation, with the star wideout averaging 88.0 yards and 5.7 catches per game. The Chargers' defense has cratered throughout the year and currently sits 25th overall, per our schedule-adjusted numbers. With a receiving prop of 81.5 yards, Jefferson has slate-winning upside.

Ladd McConkey ($11,700 MVP/$7,800 FLEX) -- I think this is a good slate to get a little weird at MVP, which puts me on Ladd McConkey. For one, using McConkey at MVP saves considerable salary and makes it a lot easier to put Jefferson and Herbert in flex spots. Secondly, the Vikings' blitz-heavy defense sometimes leaves them susceptible to big plays -- something we saw last week as A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith went off. McConkey has the highest receiving prop on LA (55.5 yards) and is +170 to score. He's at least a quality flex play if you don't want to risk him as your multiplier.

Flex Targets

Jordan Mason ($10,600) -- As of early Thursday, Minnesota's backup running back situation is up in the air as Aaron Jones and Zavier Scott are both iffy to play. If both sit, it could thrust a huge workload onto Mason. On the flip side, if both play -- or, really, if Jones plays -- it dings Mason's outlook. FanDuel Sportsbook is fairly bullish on Mason; his rushing prop is a solid 60.5 yards, and he is +120 to score.

Kimani Vidal ($8,800) -- If I'm rostering just one RB from this game, it'll be Vidal. Hassan Haskins is out, which paves the way for Vidal to handle a lot of touches. His rushing plus receiving yards prop is up at 77.5 yards, and he's tied with Mason for the game's shortest TD odds (+120). On top of that, Minnesota is a run-funnel defense, ranking third against the pass and 21st versus the run. Vidal is a viable MVP shout.

Will Reichard ($6,600) and Cameron Dicker ($6,400) -- Kickers Will Reichard and Cameron Dicker are both worth a look. In a game with a 44.5-point total, touchdowns should be harder to come by, and that helps kickers in single-game DFS. Also, the game is indoors. Reichard is -102 to go over 7.5 kicking points while Dicker is +102 to go over 8.5 kicking points.

Nyheim Hines ($1,000) -- With Haskins out for the Bolts, Nyheim Hines could get some run. Our model projects him for just 3.5 FanDuel points, but that's enough to make Hines the slate's best point-per-dollar play. He doesn't need to do much to hit, and the salary gives you flexibility elsewhere.

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Interested in playing NFL DFS? Head over to FanDuel’s daily fantasy football lobby to see all the offerings for this week's slates.

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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.