It's time for Monday Night Football in a game that has the potential to light up the scoreboard in Week 5. The Washington Redskins are on the road taking on the New Orleans Saints and both teams are more than capable of finding the end zone. Fortunately, an exciting matchup brings a few solid DraftKings showdown games.
For those who haven't played a DraftKings showdown game, they are a unique spin on daily fantasy sports and there's quite a bit to consider when building lineups. Since it's just one game, the price tags on players for showdown slate are far different than normal games. You'll also pick a captain who costs 1.5-times the salary but also earns 1.5x the points, adding an entirely new aspect when it comes to strategy.
When it comes to Monday Night Football DraftKings slates, there's typically no shortage of game options, and that stands true again in Week 5. The headliner is a $10 game with $1,250,000 guaranteed, and the winner of the 150-max game taking home $250,000.
Along with the huge headliner game, DraftKings is rolling out a big $3 option which features $250,000 in guarantees and $25,000 to first place. This is a 20-max entry game so building lineups here will be a bit different than creating for the $10 option above. There's also a big $33 game, and a few single entries more than worth considering as well.
Before we dive into the Monday Night Football breakdown, here's a quick insight into 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
As we move forward, I'll break down a few different lineups, but start off with my choices for the captain spot. Choosing solid captains (both expensive and inexpensive) is crucial and can be a great way to differentiate your lineups. I'll have a few different captains spread out through my lineups, and I'll lay out my top choices in the lineups. Moving forward, I break down my optimal lineup, a lineup for 150-max games (more risk), and one for single entries/cash games (higher-floor players).
Redskins vs. Saints Showdown: Captain Choices & Strategy
This slate is going to feature some fun choices and the opportunity to use one or two very cheap options while building lineups with multiple big names. I'll get unique when building for 150-max games (such as the big $10), and when it comes to single entries my focus is on playing it a bit safer while scattering a low-owned option.
A few interesting spots stand out right away, including the fact that Saints wideout Ted Ginn Jr. has been ruled out, Mark Ingram is back from suspension and Josh Doctson is unlikely to play. Each of these things has a fantasy impact, so I'll break it down a bit further, but there's value to be had at wide receiver on both teams Monday.
In most showdown games I like to get both quarterbacks into lineups if possible, and that's realistic on this slate. I'll do a mixture of two-quarterback lineups, and if I had to ballpark it, my guess is there'll be at least one signal-caller in about 85 percent of my builds.
I'll start off with the top optimal lineup I'll use, which will essentially cover a mixture of top players who'll be high-owned and one or two low-owned options. The 150-max entry is going to be far more off-the-wall and creative with plenty of risk. It's about as boom-or-bust as you can get, but that's what I'm hoping for. Finally, single entry lines are straightforward and where I'm locking in players who have high floors.
Here's a look at the options I'll be targeting for the captain spot in Week 5 (with captain pricing of 1.5x more):
– Michael Thomas ($17,100)
– Drew Brees ($16,800)
– Alex Smith ($14,700)
– Chris Thompson ($12,600)
– Tre'Quan Smith ($2,100)
– Maurice Harris ($300)
Favorite expensive captains: Michael Thomas, Alex Smith
Top value-saving captain: Tre'Quan Smith, Maurice Harris
Now, I'm going to break down the lines I'll be using, starting with the optimal lineup, then the 150-max lineup and single-entry breakdown.
*Note: If any players currently listed as questionable are ruled out, but are in lineups, I will update this BEFORE lock Monday.
Optimal Lineup
– CAPTAIN: Alex Smith ($14,700)
– Michael Thomas ($11,400)
– Drew Brees ($11,200)
– Jamison Crowder ($6,200)
– Paul Richardson ($4,800)
– Tre'Quan Smith ($1,400)
I'm projecting a high-scoring game here, and if the same script works out that way, then the only risky play here could prove to be Tre'Quan Smith. With that said, someone has to cover Ginn's role and Smith out-snapped Cameron Meredith last week 26-to-22, per Football Outsiders. This has the potential to be a breakout spot for him and even if he doesn't hit it big, it'd only take one big play to be worth the $1,400 price tag.
The Drew Brees and Michael Thomas stack is one I'm going to try to lock in most of my lineups. Thomas is a machine who catches virtually everything that comes his way. He's hauled in 42-of-44 targets this season and at home in a primetime spot, this should be a monster showing for Thomas.
On paper, the Redskins defense has been solid against wideouts, allowing 360 yards and three touchdowns. This isn't an easy matchup, but the Redskins also haven't faced an offense like the Saints, and a hobbled Aaron Rodgers with a banged up receiving corps doesn't count.
I love the idea of going triple-stack on Alex Smith with Jamison Crowder and Paul Richardson. Aside from the fact that the Saints have allowed a league-high 989 yards and 10 touchdowns to opposing wideouts, the Redskins may be playing from behind quite a bit here.
Richardson specifically has a great opportunity to get over the top and score a long touchdown. His ability to stretch the field will open up the rest of the field and in turn allow Crowder room to work.
More than likely Crowder will face P.J. Williams, and he should destroy that matchup. Many fantasy owners expected the former Duke product to thrive with Smith, but it's taken some time for the two to really get rolling.
150-Max Entry Lineup
– CAPTAIN: Tre'Quan Smith ($2,100)
– Michael Thomas ($11,400)
– Drew Brees ($11,200)
– Alex Smith ($9,800)
– Chris Thompson ($8,400)
– Mark Ingram ($7,000)
There are a few similarities here, but I shifted to Tre'Quan Smith in my captain spot and opted to swing for the fences to get other big names in my lineup. Regardless of what Smith's ownership looks like, placing him as a captain will make things very different, and if he finds the end zone then we're sitting pretty.
I debated getting Michael Thomas or Drew Brees in the captain spot here, but it wasn't lining up with my push to get Mark Ingram in. While Ingram very well should garnish incredibly high ownership, I do believe a lot of fantasy players are going to try their best to get up to Alvin Kamara. But while the Redskins have allowed 250 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, they've come on 52 attempts (three games), so this group is beatable on the ground.
Aside from Kamara's Week 4 showing which featured 134 rushing yards and three touchdowns, he actually hasn't been superb as a runner in the three games prior. The 23-year-old posted rushing totals of 66, 46 and 29 yards while averaging no more than 4.1 yards per carry in the three-week stretch.
If Sean Payton lets Ingram hit the ground running, he should literally do just that – and has the potential to roll through the Washington defense on the ground.
I spoke a bit about Paul Richardson, it was nearly enough for me to put the Redskins wideout here. If I had gone with Brees or Thomas a captain, Richardson would have been listed here. But I opted to buy into the fact that Chris Thompson's Week 3 dud was an outlier.
There's a chance that the poor showing will give him lower ownership than expected in 150-max lines. Although the Saints have been excellent against the run, they've allowed a few big plays to pass-catching backs, giving up 144 receiving yards and one touchdown on 18 catches to the position. If Thompson is utilized how it's expected he will be, then he could have a monster night and see a large number of targets.
While we know the Saints struggle against wideouts, it's also worth noting how bad they've been against quarterbacks. This season they've given up 1,292 yards and 11 touchdowns while intercepting just one pass. And for good measure, Alex Smith has looked strong this season, completing 68.8 percent of his passes for four touchdowns. If not for one dud between the Redskins' two games, Smith would be priced above $9,800.
Single Entry/Cash Lineup
– CAPTAIN: Mark Ingram ($10,500)
– Michael Thomas ($11,400)
– Alex Smith ($9,800)
– Chris Thompson ($8,400)
– Jamison Crowder ($6,200)
– Wil Lutz ($3,600)
While I've touched on each of these plays a bit, I'll give some insight into my thought process after laying out my thoughts on one or two aspects of the single entry build.
Kickers very rarely garnish high ownership, and although I believe Wil Lutz could have more than typical, I love him in single entry games. This game should have points, plenty of field goal attempts and a chance for Lutz to build off his back-to-back 15-plus DraftKings points performances.
The upside of having two quarterbacks together is intriguing, but in this spot, I'd prefer to build something well-rounded and safe. Unless Sean Payton just really holds some type of grudge against Mark Ingram over his suspension, then he's a great option for the captain spot at $10,500.
Having Ingram also allows me to get Michael Thomas, who I have virtually no interest in fading in any capacity. A guy with a floor as high as Thomas' and a ceiling that's just scary can break the slate. If there are ways to fit him in (there are plenty) then I'm jumping at the chance to build any lineup around the Saints star.
Then my thought with using Alex Smith, Chris Thompson and Jamison Crowder was pretty straightforward. If/when the Redskins find themselves in a hole and are playing catchup, there are no two players who should see more work than Thompson and Crowder.
Thompson tallied a ridiculous 19 receptions over the first two games, and after a tough showing against the Packers before the bye, I think he'll bounce back nicely. Crowder's numbers haven't been excellent, but the Saints pass defense and the matchup bode incredibly well for him. He's a rare player who hasn't shown a super high floor that I still feel fine about using in single entry games.
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