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 comes from identifying the best low-rostered plays and finding clever ways to pair them with the juggernauts of the slate.
With both DraftKings and FanDuel now using similar formats — a multiplier slot (Captain/MVP) that costs 1.5× salary and earns 1.5× points — the nuances between sites come down to scoring systems and contest dynamics. DraftKings' full PPR scoring and larger prize pools reward a slightly different decision-making process than FanDuel's half-PPR and softer fields, but the core principles of Showdown roster construction apply across both.
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 median projections, but if two options project closely, give the nod to the lowest-rostered player.
DraftKings Showdown Game Scripting & Roster Construction
Vegas considers this a near-tossup at Chargers (-2.5) at home. We all know Justin Herbert and the Chargers can score, but Vegas is well aware that the Steelers are capable of forcing turnovers, timely ones in bunches. Herbert's interception rate has spiked here in 2025, which likely plays into those worries.
Even so, the lack of firepower on the Steelers' side somewhat forces our hands here. Only one pass-catcher is consistently involved at all, and neither running back offers much upside. Even the tight end production gets split up three ways. As a result, the Steelers' production isn't just mediocre – it's relatively easy (for your competitors) to predict. Jaylen Warren and DK Metcalf will dominate Pittsburgh rostership, damaging both ceiling and uniqueness.
Rather, I'll be loading up on various combinations of Chargers. I don't think Pittsburgh's defensive swarm of the Colts last week was more than a fluke. Even if it was, Jones had racked up 342 yards, with a pair of 100-yard receivers, by the time the rally was through.
Injury Roundup
Both teams are remarkably healthy at the skill positions. The Chargers' offensive tackle injuries are well-known, but they'll also be without slot cornerback and rising star Tarheeb Still.
Captain Consideration
- Justin Herbert
- Ladd McConkey
- DK Metcalf
- Jaylen Warren
- Kimani Vidal
- Quentin Johnston
- Oronde Gadsden II
Pittsburgh Steelers
Quarterback
Aaron Rodgers (FLEX)
The Steelers are 5-3 with Rodgers under center, and more power to them, but the fantasy world has yet to benefit much. Rodgers has only cleared 18.0 DraftKings points twice: an unlikely Opening Day shootout with Justin Fields, and an unlikely Week 7 shootout with Joe Flacco. Rodgers is playing the safest and most sanitized football of his career, and by a mile or two. No quarterback in football throws the ball quicker or shorter; as a result, he rarely lands north of 210 yards or so. That makes him touchdown-dependent… but those don't come often either. Outside of those two shootouts, he's thrown just nine of them, and it's hard to see any hint of upside as the season wears on.
Running Back
Jaylen Warren (CPT or FLEX)
Kenneth Gainwell (FLEX)
There's no playing-time controversy here. Gainwell made many wonder with his Week 4 blowup, but since then, he's settled back into a consistent role of 35-40% of the snaps. The team trusts him in specific situations, but not on the goal line, where Warren has out-carried Gainwell 8-2 with both healthy.
As always with Warren, the question is upside. He's the clear leader for snaps and touches, but they don't always amount to much in this vanilla offense. Warren rode the shootout wave to 158 total yards in Week 7, and he caught a 65-yard checkdown back in Week 2. In his other five games, he's averaged 16 touches and 61.0 yards. Warren is a fairly average back with a fairly average role, and there isn't a specific game type that would necessarily lead him to numbers. He fills out a lineup and little else, a trait that doesn't exactly take down Showdowns.