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
This game doesn't feel high-scoring nor exciting, and Vegas agrees. The Broncos' strong stretch run, coupled with Jayden Daniels' injury and the Commanders' lost season, land Denver (-6.5) on the road.
With the action so weighted toward Denver, of course, that makes sneaky-good plays out of the Washington offense. The Broncos, for all their strengths, don't exactly light up the stat sheet week by week. They often win ugly, and ugly wins don't usually portend Showdown success. A last-second, 16-15 win wouldn't likely produce much on the Broncos' side. And if the Commanders do force a competitive, high-scoring game, we'll be glad we're heavy on them.
Injury Roundup
The Broncos get back shutdown cornerback Patrick Surtain II, who only makes a suffocating defense even better. For what it's worth, Denver all but shut down Rashee Rice (9 targets, 38 yards) and Nico Collins (11 for 75) in his absence.
Washington expects No. 1 wide receiver Terry McLaurin back from a three-game absence. There's no reason to expect he'll be limited, and backup quarterback Marcus Mariota could desperately use him downfield.
Captain Consideration
Denver Broncos
Quarterback
Bo Nix (CPT or FLEX)
Nix's play hasn't been pretty here in 2025. As an NFL sophomore, Nix has mostly stayed static and even regressed in a number of metrics:
| 2024 | Metric | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| 6.66 | Yards/Attempt | 6.26 |
| 76.6 | On-Target % | 75.9 |
| 15.1% | Bad Throw % | 18.4% |
| 53.5 | QBR | 53.5 |
When forced into a shootout, Nix has proven he can turn volume into points. He rolled to 29.7 DraftKings points in a Week Four romp over the Bengals, then 24.8 in doing the same to Dallas in Week Eight. In between, he registered 40.0 in that magical rally over the Giants.
That said, I have little interest in hoping for a Nix blowup. Coach Sean Payton throws at a slightly above-average rate, but Nix doesn't push the ball very much (14th in aDOT) nor very well (22nd in deep-ball passer rating). I don't see his odds of another jackpot as high, given his profile and Vegas' profile of this game itself.
And yet, as circumstances would have it, Nix is the pricier of the QBs tonight. Many will roster him for that fact, and due to the Broncos' (Vegas). But since the Broncos tend to win despite Nix rather than because of him, there's no straight line connecting the two.
