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 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 Showdown lean simply because the decision-making process is more interesting, given the salary premium attached to the Captain spot.
The advice in this article pertains 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. However, if two options project closely, give the nod to the player with the lowest rostered value.
DraftKings Showdown Game Scripting & Roster Construction
Many are shocked the Lions are taking points from anyone right now. Patrick Mahomes II playing the underdog at home is always a shocker, but who deserves the honor more than these current Lions? They've averaged 40 points a game over the past month, steamrolling shaky front lines and secondaries at will. They're sitting top-five in conversion rate, explosive play rate, points per drive, and points per play.
The Chiefs, meanwhile, have woken up somewhat on offense, yet still sit at 2-3. Vegas is clearly expecting a kitchen-sink type of game here, and they're confident Mahomes and Andy Reid will find the late-game answers to win outright.
All this adds up to big potential Chiefs value. The Lions will score in any matchup, but everyone in your Showdown knows that, and they're (virtually) all in on the ploy. If Vegas expects the Chiefs to hang tough, then they'll score too, and our goal is to sort through their many skill players.
Of course, the Lions' top guys almost always hit. There's so much touchdown potential here that a Lions-heavy lineup can absolutely cash even if it's popular.
Injury Roundup
Amazingly, the Chiefs enter tonight without a single injury designation on their report!
The Lions pride themselves on a deep, versatile defense, but it's being tested right now. They're missing cornerback Terrion Arnold, with three other secondary starters all game-time calls. The loss of Brian Branch, in particular, could, open up the seams and flats for Patrick Mahomes II.
Captain Consideration
Detroit Lions
Quarterback
Jared Goff (FLEX)
Goff has been fantastic for the real-life Lions. That said, he's been no fantasy dynamo, regardless of game flow:
| Opp | Pass Att | Pass Yd | DK Pt |
|---|---|---|---|
| at GNB | 39 | 225 | 11.9 |
| vs CHI | 28 | 334 | 37.0 |
| at RAV | 28 | 202 | 12.7 |
| vs CLE | 27 | 168 | 13.7 |
| at CIN | 23 | 258 | 21.1 |
The one time Goff was forced to throw with volume, the results were mixed: a typical Goff completion-fest, but no meat to speak of. There won't be a rostership benefit tonight, either, as you can bet many Patrick Mahomes II players will cross-stack with Goff. All told, I'm more interested in Goff's weapons tonight.