The Minnesota Vikings get one more week of Carson Wentz under center before both J.J. McCarthy and Aaron Jones are slated to return. The presence of Jordan Mason has helped to mitigate the loss of Jones. However, the Vikings do need better play out of the quarterback position as they currently sit at 3-3. With that being said, things line up as a relatively even game tonight with the home Los Angeles Chargers favored by 3.5 over the visiting Vikings. An over/under of 44.5, means there should be some action offensively. We have a lot to consider for Thursday’s action, so let’s jump right into some TNF DFS picks for Week 8.
Captain
Oct 5, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Chargers running back Kimani Vidal (30) reacts in the second half against the Washington Commanders at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Kimani Vidal, RB, Los Angeles Chargers ($10,500 DK/$13,200 FD)
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As the Los Angeles Chargers had to dig down on the running back depth chart two weeks ago, Kimani Vidal rose to the occasion. After not doing much as a rookie, Vidal took control of the backfield, gaining 124 yards on 18 carries. Last week, the Chargers, trailing most of the afternoon, didn’t work in his favor as he finished with just nine carries. We have to note, though, that Vidal wasn’t exactly efficient as he gained just 20 yards.
While he’s not a true receiving threat, it’s a good sign that Vidal has been a part of the Chargers’ receiving game. He has nine targets in the last two weeks, leading to seven catches for 29 yards and a touchdown. Hassan Haskins is now injured as well, which means Vidal’s hold on the job has only tightened. Carson Wentz isn’t going to put Minnesota up big to take away the running game, so game flow should work to Vidal’s advantage tonight.
Jordan Mason, RB, Minnesota Vikings ($12,900 DK/$15,900 FD)
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It’s a relatively even game tonight with no true, standout options that could be slate breakers. Sure, Justin Herbert could go nuts, and Justin Jefferson is a stud (more on them shortly), but this is about balance.
With Aaron Jones expected to miss one more week, the backfield belongs to Jordan Mason. With the Chargers ranking 25th against opposing running backs in DK points allowed, it’s a favorable matchup for Mason.
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Consistency is key here, as in five of six games, Mason has between 13 and 16 carries. Just like with Vidal, game flow should benefit Mason, who’s averaging 63 rushing yards per game. With four touchdowns, there’s a strong bet he reaches the end zone, and that gets us what we need from a production standpoint.
Flex Plays
NFL: Ranking the top 10 passing leaders entering Week 8
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) throws a touchdown pass in the first half against the Indianapolis Colts at SoFi Stadium. Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Justin Herbert, QB, Los Angeles Chargers ($10,400 DK/$13,000 FD)
From a quarterback perspective, Justin Herbert is priced fairly tonight. The fact that he’s not really a threat on the ground, 186 yards through seven games, certainly plays into that. However, it seems as if Herbert is adding weapons to the passing game on a daily basis as of late, so that’s beneficial as well.
What does give us some cause for concern, and bumps Herbert down slightly, is that the Vikings are allowing the fifth fewest DK points to opposing quarterbacks. To this point in the season, though, Herbert has been one of the better passing quarterbacks with 1,913 yards and 13 touchdowns. He has at least one touchdown per game, but in three of seven games, Herbert has only one touchdown pass.
We aren’t going to get the 420 yards he threw for last week in catch-up mode, and he has games of 166 and 203 passing yards this season, but he’s generally a solid source of production.
Oronde Gadsden, TE, Los Angeles Chargers ($5,800 DK/$8,000 FD)
Entering the season, Oronde Gadsden was an intriguing player. There certainly was an opportunity to find at the tight end position in Los Angeles, and in the last two weeks, the tight end has snatched it.
In Week 6, Gadsden popped on our radar as he was targeted eight times. He turned that into seven catches for 68 yards while gaining Justin Herbert’s trust. And then last week, Gadsden exploded.
No, this doesn’t mean I think Gadsden will catch seven passes for 164 yards and a touchdown again (he had a long reception of 53 yards), but with nine targets, he was again highly involved in the offense.
There’s going to be the thought process of putting Gadsden in the Captain spot, and based on the target share, I get it. However, I also think it’s going to be a tighter game than last week when the Chargers were playing from behind. But that doesn’t mean I’m not locking Gadsden into my lineup.
Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings ($11,800 DK/$13,400 FD)
Oct 19, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) reacts after a play against the Philadelphia Eagles during the second half at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images
Just get into the end zone. We get Justin Jefferson at a solid price tonight based on his upside and pedigree, but that’s also due to the fact that he has just one touchdown this season. However, we all know that it can change very quickly, and Jefferson becomes a slate breaker.
Yes, it’s Carson Wentz throwing him passes, and the Chargers are allowing the 8th fewest DK points to opposing receivers. However, Jefferson is also averaging 16.5 DK points per game this year with just one touchdown catch to his name. That’s impressive as he has 34 catches for 528 yards. It’s also a plus that Jefferson has been targeted either 10 or 11 times in each of his last three games.
Keenan Allen, WR, Los Angeles Chargers ($7,800 DK/$10,200 FD)
Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston were both active last week, and Keenan Allen was still targeted 14 times. That won’t happen again tonight, but it does speak to Allen’s role in the offense.
Allen hasn’t been targeted less than seven times per game this season and has 44 catches for 435 yards and four touchdowns.
Value Plays
Nyheim Miller-Hines, RB, Los Angeles Chargers ($200 DK/$1,000 FD)
While the backfield will likely belong to Kimani Vidal, someone has to play a supporting role. Next man up is Nyheim Miller-Hines. He doesn’t have a carry or catch yet this year, but he’s essentially free tonight, and any production would be a positive return on value.
TNF Prop Bets
Oct 12, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins safety Ashtyn Davis (21) tackles Los Angeles Chargers running back Kimani Vidal (30) during the second quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rich Storry-Imagn Images
Kimani Vidal Over 57.5 Rushing Yards (-113 on DraftKings)
If this is like two weeks ago, then Kimani Vidal will surge past this mark without a problem. What we need is a close game, and that should be the case tonight. If that happens, Vidal should get about 15 carries as the only true option. At four yards a carry, plus the potential for a big run, Vidal should surpass his modest rushing yard prop.
Kimani Vidal Over 2.5 Receptions (-127 on DraftKings)
Since Vidal has received regular playing time, he’s been targeted nine times while catching three and four passes, respectively. It’s going to be tight, but that’s enough to put him past his receptions prop tonight.
Oronde Gadsden Over 4.5 Receptions (+124 on DraftKings)
Of course, we’re going to chase Oronde Gadsden here. He caught seven passes in each of his last two games and had heavy target shares in each. The Chargers were healthy at the receiving position, so it’s not like Gadsden stepped into a void. The rookie has proven himself, and even if you take away two catches from last week due to game flow, Gadsden still hits this mark.
Oronde Gadsden Over 44.5 Receiving Yards (-111 on DraftKings)
Last week, Gadsden broke this mark with one catch. He’s surpassed this mark with ease in each of the past two weeks, so even if there’s regression, Gadsden shouldn’t have an issue.
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