Photo: USA Today Sports

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 Baltimore Ravens are heading to Jacksonville to take on the Jaguars as 3.5-point favorites with a 42.5-point total. Trevor Lawrence almost came away with a massive win over the Browns last week but was hampered by injury. The Jaguars are extremely projectable as Calvin Ridley, Evan Engram, and Zay Jones profile to handle the bulk of the receptions. Since Lawrence is not in Captain consideration, the receiving options should be utilized as bring-backs for Ravens builds. Lamar Jackson has been productive as a passer and is distributing the ball more than he has in the past. This creates a situation where the Ravens receivers are more viable based on game script but will carry a lower roster percentage due to the volume on the Jaguar side of the ball.

INJURY ROUND-UP

No injuries of note.

CAPTAIN CONSIDERATION

• Lamar Jackson
• Calvin Ridley
• Zay Flowers
• Travis Etienne Jr./strong>
• Evan Engram