Week 4 of the 2025 NFL season is here and we’ll be treated to an NFC West showdown on Thursday night featuring the Seattle Seahawks visiting the Arizona Cardinals. Seattle enters as a slight 1.5-point road favorite, with an over/under of 43.5. Both of these teams enter this matchup at 2-1 on the year and with everyone in the division sitting over .500, a loss here would put them behind the rest of the pack.
Below, we will take a look at the best DFS plays for this Thursday night showdown.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seahawks (FLEX $13,000, CPT $19,500)
Smith-Njigba has been one of the leagues top wideouts through the first three games of the season, hauling in 22 receptions for 323 yards and a touchdown for Seattle. He’s notably top-five in the NFL in receptions, receiving yards, and yards per routes run while also leading the league in target share at 40.28% The Seahawks’ offensive line has done a good job at giving Sam Darnold enough time in the pocket to be able to locate the third-year wideout and he could once again have a clean pocket against a Cardinals squad that has been ineffective at applying pressure so far this year.
JNS is averaging 17.9 fantasy points per game at FanDuel and carries the highest individual price for this matchup. Given his production, I think he’ll be worth it.
Sam Darnold, QB, Cardinals (FLEX $13,000, CPT $18,000)
As just mentioned, Darnold has been well protected so far this season and that allowed him to have an efficient day in their 44-13 blowout victory over the Saints last week, going 14-18 for 218 yards and two touchdowns. His 3.85% sack rate is one of the lowest in the NFL and that has contributed to a success rate of 54.43%. He’s been able to move the ball efficiently with weapons like Cooper Kupp, Kenneth Walker, and the aforementioned JNS in his arsenal and he could very well have another solid outing against the Cardinals. Sticking him at the top of your lineup wouldn’t be a bad idea.
Trey Benson, RB, Cardinals (FLEX $13,800, CPT $9,200)
Cardinals running back James Conner suffered a gnarly ankle injury against the 49ers on Sunday that will sideline him for the rest of the season, opening the door for Benson to step in as the starter. The second-year back out of Florida State had already been getting plenty of work in the offense and was highly efficient as Conner’s backup, averaging 6.0 yards per carry on 21 rushing attempts. Throw in eight receptions through two games and you have a tailback that can be used in a variety of ways within the Arizona offense. I think he’ll ease into his role as the starter just fine and there’s value to be had by placing him into a captain’s spot.
Tory Horton, WR, Seahawks (FLEX $5,400, CPT $8,100)
Horton is proving to be a valuable hand for Seattle in multiple aspects and that was the case in last Sunday’s victory over the Saints, where he caught a receiving touchdown for a second straight week and also housed a punt return 95 yards to the house. His skills on offense and special teams could make the rookie an X-factor for Seattle moving forward and he’s worth a spot in your lineup as a value play.
Emari Demarcado, RB, Cardinals (FLEX $4,200, CPT $6,300)
With Benson stepping into the starting role, Demarcado will presumably step up as Arizona’s RB2 moving forward. The third-year back has just two carries on the season, but has at least shown that he can be a reliable hand when called upon over the past two seasons. He’s worth taking a flyer on as a cheap option, especially if the Cards decide to keep things simple by running the ball in this primetime showdown.
Elijah Higgins, TE, Cardinals (FLEX $3,200, CPT $4,800)
Seattle has given up a league-high 50 fantasy points to tight ends on FanDuel so far this season. Higgins only has four receptions for 55 yards through three games but given the Seahawks’ vulnerability against the position, he’d be worth taking a cheap flyer on in this one.
