OVERVIEW
NFL Showdown can be a fickle beast. These contests do not rely on median projections so much as leverage and uniqueness. Fading the highest-owned plays can be a risky proposition. Typically, your edge will 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's 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 Green Bay Packers are heading to Kansas City to take on the Chiefs as 6-point underdogs with a 42.5-point total. The Packers exploded on offense against the Lions as Jordan Love put together his best performance to date. The Packers' roster percentages are difficult to project because the field may be weary of trusting one great performance. With so much experience building Showdown lineups for the Chiefs this season, expect their roster percentages to be higher across the board. Justin Watson and Rashee Rice earning price hikes will help keep their roster percentages more reasonable than in recent weeks. They will be staples to pair with Patrick Mahomes II at Captain and Travis Kelce in the flex. A strong way to leverage the field will be with Isiah Pacheco at Captain and the Chiefs defense in the flex, in case the field lays into the thought that the Packers will succeed through the air again.
INJURY ROUND-UP
- Jerick McKinnon - Groin - Questionable
- Jayden Reed - Chest - Questionable
- Dontayvion Wicks - Knee - Questionable
- Aaron Jones - Knee - Out
CAPTAIN CONSIDERATION
PACKERS OFFENSE
QUARTERBACK
Jordan Love $9,600 - Flex
Love put together the best performance of his career against the Lions. He has now accounted for multiple touchdowns each of the last three weeks. At $9,600, he will be a flex staple. He doesn't fit great as Captain, as there are so many strong options for the Chiefs.
RUNNING BACK
AJ Dillon $7,800 - Flex
Dillon has led the backfield many times this season, and has yet to pay off. His salary has somehow grown, even with his consistently lackluster performance. He will see roughly 15 touches, but there are much better options in his price range.
RECEIVER
Christian Watson $6,800 - Captain or Flex
Watson's fantastic Thanksgiving performance came on the heels of a similar opportunity he'd seen all season. The only significant difference was a snap share that jumped to a season-high 94%. He managed to finally put it all together as the team's primary receiver, yet he's priced as a secondary option. He's a high-risk/high-reward option for tournaments.
Jayden Reed $7,000 - Flex
Reed has led his receiving corps by default most of the season due to inconsistent play from the sophomores Watson and Romeo Doubs. Even with Watson re-emerging last week, Reed earned eight targets and caught a touchdown. He's still a fair option for Captain consideration, but with such inconsistent play from this passing game, stick to just one of the receivers for multi-entry tournaments.
Romeo Doubs $6,400 - Flex
The Packers' receiving corps is finally hitting its stride. Doubs appears to be the odd man out but is not discounted enough to warrant consideration in small-field tournaments. In a large field, though, he is easy leverage over more popular options.
UNDER THE RADAR
This section features players who do not project well but have at least some path to success at low roster percentages.
Patrick Taylor $2,000 - Flex
Taylor earned four opportunities on a whopping 48% of the snaps last week in Jones' absence. He's going to be in a similarly competitive game this week, so he should maintain a sizeable snap share.
Dontayvion Wicks $800 - Flex
With all of the Chiefs' ancillary receivers priced down, Wicks may slip through the cracks. He was inactive last week but was targeted at least four times per game for the four weeks prior.
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