Monday Showdown Week 7

Photo: Brad Rempel, USA Today Sports

Disclaimer

These contests are intended to be fun as you’re watching the game. It’s incredibly difficult to get a real edge as there are so few options and in MME contests there are often many duplicate lineups. One play or one penalty can change the entire outcome of the game.

This article is going to have a heavy DraftKings lean simply because the decision making process is more interesting with the Captain having a salary premium to correspond with the scoring premium. On FanDuel, the pricing is the same for both MVP and flex, so just play either a quarterback or running back in that spot. There are scenarios where a wide receiver can pay off, but it’s difficult with it being the 0.5 per reception.

Game Strategy

This is an interesting matchup as it features the second-worst passing offense in football (New Orleans) facing a Seahawks passing defense that is allowing 306 yards passing per game which is 5^th-most in the NFL. On the other side of the ball, you have Geno Smith who has struggled so far replacing Russell Wilson taking on a New Orleans passing defense that is allowing 285 yards passing per game which is the 10^th most in the NFL.

Captain Consideration:

1. Alvin Kamara
2. Kenny Stills
3. Tyler Lockett
4. Marquez Callaway
5. Geno Smith
6. DK Metcalf

New Orleans Offense

Quarterback

Jameis Winston- Flex

The year Jameis Winston is off to is nothing short of confusing. After being a gun-slinger in Tampa Bay, Winston has been somewhat of a game manager in New Orleans throwing the ball just 23 times per game. At $11,800, Winston is somewhat expensive, but a large portion of that is driven by the matchup as Seattle has allowed four teams to throw for 300+ yards this season. The matchup is a good one facing off against a Seattle defense that is allowing the 6th-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. It's just hard to trust Winston to have the upside as either Kamara or one of his receivers due to the Saints very limited receiving options.

Running Back

Alvin Kamara- Great Captain/Flex

It’s going to be expensive, and he’s going to be popular but taking Alvin Kamara as your captain could be the way to go on this slate. Seattle is allowing the second-most fantasy points to opposing running backs this season, allowing 182 yards rushing+receiving and a staggering 7 receptions per game. Kamara has been an absolute workhorse for the Saints averaging 24.75 touches over the last three weeks. The other big news here is that with Taysom Hill being out, Kamara is not going to have the vulture situation he found himself in a few weeks ago when Hill ran for two touchdowns.

Wide Receiver

Marquez Callaway- Mid-Range Captain Only

Marquez Callaway is a tough play this week simply because of the price. At $8,600, he’s in the middle ground where it is going to be difficult to fit him and Alvin Kamara along with building out a competitive lineup. Callaway is a big play receiver, but he has bust potential that comes along with that. You’re essentially paying for his outlier performance last week in which he scored 2 touchdowns for 85 yards on just 4 receptions. Prior to that, he had more than 2 receptions just once this season.

Kenny Stills- Great Flex/ Low-End Captain

There are not a lot of great plays this week when it comes to saving salary, however Stills may end up being that guy. The Saints receiving options in this game are incredibly thin as both Deonte Harris and Taysom Hill will both miss this game, and last week Stills had 5 targets after the integration into the Saints offense has taken longer than hoped for in New Orleans. To get a player at just $1,600 who could see 5 or more targets by necessity, this is definitely a player to look at. You could look at Stills as a captain play as we know that he has deep play potential as well, which would allow you plenty of savings for the rest of your roster.

Ty Montgomery- Low-End Flex

The usage of Ty Montgomery is staggeringly low as he’s been on the field for 45% and 50% of plays the last two games. Over the last two weeks, Montgomery did not touch the ball last game, but two games ago, Montgomery did see five total touches including three receptions. He’s a low-end flex, as he does not have the upside that Stills has with the breakaway speed.

Other Targets

Juwan Johnson- Flex This is simply touchdown chasing as the converted wide receiver to tight end has three touchdowns on the season. He's a high-risk play, because he could score 0 in any game he plays in, but at his price if he's able to find the end-zone he will pay off.

Seahawks Offense

Quarterback

Geno Smith- Great Flex, Decent Captain

What’s interesting about New Orleans secondary is that outside of a weird outlier performance in Week 1 where they held Aaron Rodgers to just 133 passing yards, the other quarterbacks that they have faced have been towards the bottom of the league. Sam Darnold, Mac Jones, Daniel Jones, and Taylor Heinicke averaged 306 yards passing this season against the Saints. One would have to think that Geno Smith is not too far off from those quarterbacks.

Running Back

Alex Collins- Decent Flex- Tough Matchup

This is a tough one, because Alex Collins looked great last week against the Rams rushing for 101 yards and a touchdown, and is at a very affordable price at $7,400 this week. The problem is that it’s a difficult matchup this week as the Saints are only allowing 2.9 yards-per-carry to opposing running backs, and only allowing 55 yards rushing per game to the position. The other concerning play here is that Rashaad Penny should be coming back from IR this week and while that normally wouldn’t matter if Collins was 100% healthy, Collins is dealing with a groin injury this week that could limit his carries.

Wide Receiver/Tight End

DK Metcalf- Flex

Of the two Seattle receivers, Metcalf has been the one that has continued to play at a high level while Tyler Lockett’s production has fallen off since Geno Smith came under center for Seattle. The problem for Metcalf is the price and matchup. At $15,000 for a captain spot taking Metcalf greatly limits the rest of your lineup build, and he is likely going to have to face Marshon Lattimore throughout the night as it should be expected that Lattimore will shadow Metcalf. Lattimore is playing at a high level right now after dealing with injury early in the season, as he was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week in their last game.

Tyler Lockett- Good Captain/Decent Flex

It’s always difficult to figure out the performance of Seattle’s wide receivers and this week is no different. The key thing here is targeting the matchup as well as targeting the price. Last week, Tyler Lockett had as many targets as DK Metcalf last week, but was only able to haul in two of the seven that he received. Lockett has shown the tendencies to have a few down weeks only to break through with a massive week which will cause people to continue to start him at the captain spot along with not having to deal with Marshon Lattimore who will likely shadow DK Metcalf all night.

Other Targets:

Deejay Dallas- Flex If the Seahawks are unable to run the ball against the vaunted Saints offense, they may turn to Dallas who caught 5 passes last week as the team’s receiving back.

Gerald Everett- Fade Everett is likely too expensive this week as at $4,400, he only saw three targets last week while Will Dissly caught the touchdown.

Player Chart