Thursday Showdown Week 7

Photo: Jim Brown, USA Today Sports

NFL Showdown can be a fickle beast. These contests do not rely on median projections so much as leverage and uniqueness. Fading the highest-rostered plays can be a risky proposition. Typically, your edge is going to come by identifying the best low-rostered plays and finding clever ways to pair them with the juggernauts of the slate.

This article will have a heavy DraftKings lean simply because the decision-making process is more interesting, given the salary premium attached to the Captain spot. FanDuel's pricing is the same for both MVP and Flex spots. You will usually need the slate’s top scorer at MVP, so FanDuel strategy revolves around unique Flex builds.

Advice in this article will pertain predominantly to tournament lineups and strategy. For cash lineups, build around median projections. For head-to-head contests, continue to lean into the median projections, but if two options project closely, give the nod to the lowest rostered player.

GAME THEORY

The New Orleans Saints are heading to Arizona to take on the Cardinals as 1.5-point underdogs. The game total is set at 44.5. The Saints are riddled with injuries all over the offense and have yet to name a starting Quarterback as of Wednesday night. We will be operating under the assumption that Andy Dalton draws the start, but it matters little. The Cardinals are facing injury concerns of their own as Marquise Brown will miss at least a month. Fortunately, DeAndre Hopkins is making his return in addition to Robbie Anderson making his first appearance as a Cardinal. The Saints' offense is going to flow through just two players: Alvin Kamara and Chris Olave. The Cardinals' side of the ball is where we will get the most unique. We’ll be looking to stack Kyler Murray as uniquely as possible.

INJURY ROUND-UP

• Michael Thomas – Foot – Out
• Jarvis Landry – Ankle – Out
• Adam Trautman – Ankle – Out
• Keith Kirkwood – Ankle – DNP
• Mark Ingram II – Knee – Limited
• Jameis Winston – Back/Ankle – Limited
• Andy Dalton – Back – Limited
• Darrel Williams – Knee – DNP
• Matt Prater – Hip – DNP
• Eno Benjamin – Foot – Limited
• James Conner – Ribs - DNP

CAPTAIN CONSIDERATION

1. Kyler Murray
2. Alvin Kamara
3. Chris Olave
4. DeAndre Hopkins
5. Eno Benjamin

NEW ORLEANS OFFENSE

QUARTERBACK

Andy Dalton $9,400 – Flex

Andy Dalton appears to be the least injured between he and Jamies Winston, so he is likely drawing the start. In three games, he’s averaged 28 attempts and thrown for more than 200 yards just once. He’s giving up a ton of work to Taysom Hill on crucial downs, so his touchdown upside is limited. Dalton fits well in lineups, including Chris Olave at Captain but is not a priority otherwise.