Getty Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott and RB Ezekiel Elliott.
For those fantasy football players who love a good showdown game on DraftKings, the NFL has given us a rivalry on Sunday Night Football in Week 2. The New York Giants are on the road taking on the Dallas Cowboys in what should be a huge game, especially considering the fact that both teams are 0-2.
We’re going to break down the optimal lineup for Sunday’s showdown slate, which features a $10 game with $800k guaranteed and $200k to first place.
Before we dive into the lineup itself, though, here’s a quick look at how showdown games work.
– Six total players (one captain, five flex players)
– Captain selection costs 1.5 times standard salary but scores 1.5 times the standard points
– Can choose from any position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DST)
– $50,000 salary cap
– You can use more than one quarterback
There’s plenty of strategy behind building these lineups, including the type of game you’re playing. The $10 game mentioned above is a 150-max entry game, so trying to be a bit unique is key. But playing single entry or three-max games will allow you to use more of the popular plays and not have to get quite as crazy.
The optimal lineup below will feature a mixture of top plays, as well as lower-owned options.
DraftKings Optimal Lineup for Giants vs. Cowboys
- CAPTAIN: Geoff Swaim ($2,700)
- Odell Beckham Jr. ($13,000)
- Ezekiel Elliott ($12,000)
- Dak Prescott ($10,400)
- Sterling Shephard ($7,800)
- Dallas Cowboys DST ($3,800)
A lot of people are going to roll their eyes at the thought of using Geoff Swaim in the captain spot (mainly because most don’t even know who he is). But doing this allows me to get my personal “big” four in to fill out the rest of the lineup. It’s also worth noting that Swaim was the only Cowboys tight end who saw a target in Week 1.
Swaim finished the day with a modest three catches on four targets for 18 yards in Week 1. In a game where I expect the Giants to try to throw some unique looks on defense, he’ll be a safety blanket in the passing game.
Speaking of the passing game, Dak Prescott is likely to get a bit overlooked after a poor first game. While most players in this matchup haven’t posted incredible numbers, Prescott has been solid overall, throwing for 992 yards with five touchdowns and just two interceptions in four games, per StatMuse. I love targeting the quarterbacks of home teams in primetime games, and think it’s an elite bounce back spot for Prescott.
As crazy as it seems, Odell Beckham Jr. hasn’t destroyed the Cowboys the way you’d probably think. But when a player has a one-handed catch that’s considered one of the most incredible plays in NFL history, it can cause a bit of bias. That’s not to say Beckham won’t have a monster game against the Cowboys this week, but I’m tempering expectations.
Over six games, Beckham has caught 31 passes for 426 yards (71 yards per game) with five touchdowns. The numbers are solid, just not over-the-moon incredible. Regardless, based on upside I want him in the lineup.
Similar comments about Beckham can be made when evaluating Ezekiel Elliott’s play against the Giants. The young running back has ripped through plenty of defenses in his short career, but he’s averaged 87.3 yards per game and scored just one rushing touchdown in three games against the G-Men, according to StatMuse. After a mediocre Week 1 performance, though, I love Elliott to bounce back as well.
Sterling Shephard posted a modest line of five catches for 48 yards in Week 1, but with so much attention falling on Beckham, I’m going to take the upside play in Shephard. I’d happily pivot to Evan Engram here as well if you want, but personally, I’m expecting a touchdown from the third-year wideout.
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