NFL DFS for Bills vs. Ravens: Top DraftKings and FanDuel plays, stacks, and strategy for Sunday Night Football

Showdown setup: tight spread, massive ceilings

This one checks every DFS box. Baltimore is a 1.5-point road favorite in Buffalo with a 50.5 total, two MVP quarterbacks, and recent history that actually matters for game planning. The Ravens thumped Buffalo 35-10 last regular season. The Bills answered in the postseason when a two-point try slipped through Mark Andrews' hands late. That mix of pride and recency makes coaching tendencies a little less random than a typical Week 1 primetime spot.

From a roster-building view, expect heavy ownership on both quarterbacks. Josh Allen’s dual-threat profile spikes his median and ceiling in single-game formats, while Lamar Jackson’s designed runs and scramble rate put him in every optimal conversation. If you’re playing DraftKings Showdown, remember the Captain gets 1.5x points and salary; FanDuel’s MVP gets 1.5x points with no salary bump. That difference changes everything. On DK, you feel the cost of luxury picks. On FD, raw points rule and you can jam stars with less penalty.

Start with the story you want your lineup to tell. If you think Baltimore plays from ahead, Henry at Captain/MVP becomes a leverage hammer. He soaks up goal-line equity and shortens the game, which naturally trims pass volume and knocks down Bills’ WR ceilings. If you expect a back-and-forth track meet, lean into QB-anchored builds with double stacks and a bring-back: Allen + two pass catchers with a Ravens skill player, or Lamar + an Andrews/Zay Flowers combo with a Bills receiver answering. In balanced scripts, kickers and defenses hold value, but you don’t need both. Prioritize correlation first.

Weather can swing single-game slates in Buffalo. If winds surge, deep routes lose bite. That would funnel targets to tight ends and slot types and add carries for both quarterbacks. In calmer conditions, vertical shots to Zay Flowers and any Bills perimeter options rise in value. Don’t lock your lineups until you’ve checked pregame reports; a last-hour breeze bump can make your “boring” kicker the slate breaker.

Basic rules still help: if your Captain is a WR/TE on DK, include his QB almost always. If your Captain is a running back, be careful about jamming multiple pieces from the trailing passing attack unless you’ve built a true shootout script. And if you Captain a QB, try to stack two teammates when salary allows—solo QB Captain lineups win less often on DK because raw passing stats need those catch-and-yard bonuses to keep up.

Players, stacks, and leverage for DraftKings and FanDuel

Quarterbacks: Allen and Jackson are the slate’s gravitational forces. Allen brings red-zone rushing and a willingness to play hero ball when drives stall. That alone keeps him live as the highest scorer, even if the passing line looks modest. Jackson can win two ways: a yardage-and-touchdown passing line if Baltimore bombs away off play-action, or a 90-yard rushing night that buries chalky receivers without warning. On FD, it’s reasonable to play both in cash. On DK, you’ll pay dearly, so pick a side or plan for salary relief elsewhere.

Ravens skill players: Mark Andrews remains a core stacking piece with Jackson. He’s the most stable red-zone option Baltimore has and a natural response if Buffalo shows two-high looks. Zay Flowers is your volatility lever—short-area targets with explosive YAC and the occasional deep shot. If you need a tournament pivot off Andrews chalk, Flowers is it. Derrick Henry is the slate’s fulcrum. If Baltimore wins on script, Henry soaks volume and touchdowns. If they trail, he still carries screen and draw equity but will need efficiency. Consider small doses of Ravens ancillary receivers only if you’re hedging against heavy Andrews exposure or betting on a blown coverage game.

Bills skill players: Joshua Palmer is the shiny new piece, which usually brings fragile ownership. The role matters more than the name: is he the perimeter field-stretcher, or a chain-mover who needs seven targets to pay off? Build accordingly. Khalil Shakir has chemistry with Allen and can stack intermediate catches in a hurry. Dalton Kincaid profiles as a high-floor, mid-to-high ceiling option, especially if Baltimore sends heat and forces fast throws. If you’re fishing for touchdowns, a bigger-bodied perimeter receiver—think the red-zone specialist archetype—pairs well as a bring-back to Ravens-heavy builds. If camp buzz or depth chart notes tilt Palmer’s way, use Shakir/Kincaid as leverage. If Palmer is quiet in pregame usage notes, the field may fade him too hard—perfect time to buy low.

Running games outside Henry: Buffalo’s backfield tends to fluctuate week to week. If you think the Bills control tempo, their primary back fits as a flex with a modest receiving lift. If you expect Allen to handle goal-line work, lower your RB exposure and push more salary into pass catchers. On the Ravens’ side, Henry’s presence also creates a tight-end double-stack angle—Andrews plus a secondary TE in jumbo looks—if you’re picturing a grind-it-out second half with play-action pop.

Kickers and defenses: With a 50.5 total, you don’t need both kickers, and you rarely want both defenses. But one kicker in a lineup can stabilize your floor while you hunt a single low-owned splash play to win the slate. Defenses make sense in lineups that bet on sacks and a couple of short fields—say, a windy night or aggressive fourth-down decisions gone wrong.

Leverage ideas that win these slates: Captain Henry with Ravens DST in a slow, field-position game. Lamar Captain with Andrews and Flowers while fading Henry completely—banking on TDs coming via Jackson’s legs and the air. Allen Captain with two pass catchers and a Ravens bring-back, while using a kicker as salary glue. Or, on FanDuel, MVP Allen with Lamar plus one pass catcher each, trusting raw QB points to beat the field.

Five quick build tips for DraftKings Showdown:

• If your Captain is a WR/TE, include his QB at least 90% of the time.
• Double-stack your QB when the spread is within a field goal and the total is 49+.
• Use at most one kicker or one defense unless weather is a clear factor.
• Pair Henry Captain with fewer Bills pieces; pair Allen Captain with at least two Bills pass catchers.
• Leave salary on the table in large-field GPPs to dodge dupes.

Core pool (format-agnostic): Jackson, Allen, Andrews, Henry, Kincaid, Flowers. Rotational values: Palmer, Shakir, kickers, and whichever low-salary WR/TE projects for routes over gadget snaps. If late news nudges Palmer into a full-time role, he becomes the GPP swing. If he’s a rotational piece, slide exposure toward Kincaid and Shakir and add more Henry/Andrews.

This slate has everything: two star QBs, a headline running back with classic TD equity, and premium tight ends who punish soft zones. Build your story, commit to correlation, and let ownership work for you. If you need a single anchor to start your lineups, center them around your favorite of Allen or Jackson, then decide whether you’re betting on Ravens control with Henry or a duel through the air that feeds the Bills’ pass catchers. That simple decision narrows the player pool and turns guesswork into a plan—and it keeps your NFL DFS picks sharp when the lights come on.