DraftKings NFL Picks & Top Optimal Lineups for Falcons vs. Saints Showdown

Previous Image: Los Angeles Rams v New Orleans Saints Next Image: Los Angeles Rams v New Orleans Saints

Getty Gallery: 2/5

Favorite Captains for Falcons vs. Saints

We're looking at an absurdly high projected total in this game. As Odds Shark reveals, the current over/under is set at 60.5 points, so oddsmakers believe the teams will put major points on the board, although the Saints are 12.5-point favorites. Realistically, going with a mixture of high-price and salary-saving captains makes sense. I'll typically spread them around a fair amount and go with my top options in the highest number of lineups.

For the specific choices, I'd recommend keeping 4-6 names as options when constructing lineups, as it'll allow you to be more creative. I'll put out my favorites below and while this doesn't mean I'll use each of the names, they're my top players to target. Each player below from the DraftKings Falcons vs. Saints showdown includes captain pricing of 1.5x more than standard.

If I do wind up using a captain not listed below in a lineup, I'll detail the reasoning for it in the lineup section.

– Alvin Kamara ($16,500)
– Michael Thomas ($17,100)
– Drew Brees ($15,000)
– Julio Jones ($15,600)
– Tre'Quan Smith ($9,600)*
– Mohamed Sanu ($7,500)

*Tre'Quan Smith is questionable – if out, Keith Kirkwood ($2,100) is a great and inexpensive option at captain.

Additional names to consider as captain: Mark Ingram ($12,000), Wil Lutz ($5,100), Saints DST ($4,200)

There's no way to really sugarcoat the captain situation in this game. The top names and most expensive players are simply some of the best options. Fortunately, we do have a few interesting options who won't break the bank and will allow you to get multiple high-priced players in as flex options.

I love the Saints' offensive trio of Kamara, Thomas and Brees, as each is primed for huge games. The Falcons defense across the board has struggled and there's virtually no reason to believe they'll slow down one of the top offenses in the NFL. For comparison's sake, the Saints rank No. 1 in the NFL in points per game offensively (37.8) while the Falcons allow the fourth-most points on average (27.6).

There's certainly an argument to be made for dropping down to some of the less-expensive captains to allow yourself the option to have multiple top plays. In doing so, there's certainly the risk that a player like Kamara goes off for 35 fantasy points and picks up that 1.5x bonus, which is essentially like having another player.

Let's start with the optimal lineup and I'll dive deeper into the specific plays.