Week 10 of the 2018 NFL season featured some big surprises, a few eye-opening performances from players and a mixture of both good and bad from a fantasy football perspective. But just because the day action wrapped up doesn't mean the weekend is over. In the first of two single-game fantasy options, we have an NFC East battle between the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday Night Football.
The Cowboys let many down last Monday in a primetime loss to the Tennessee Titans (specifically anyone who used their offensive players in fantasy). Now, they'll look to right the ship with a tough road game against arguably their biggest rival.
For the game which should come with plenty of headlines, we're going to look at the DraftKings offerings for their showdown options. This slate features the always-popular $10 option which has an $800,000 guarantee and $200,000 to first place. There are also a variety of larger buy-in games and plenty of inexpensive options for those looking to build a few lineups for fun.
As we approach the Sunday night game, I'll offer up a few different lineups, picks and insight into the various options on the slate. This will include three unique lineups, one of which is the optimal (well-rounded), a 150-max option (high ceiling, boom-or-bust) and a single-entry/cash lineup (high floor).
It's worth noting that showdown games are quite a bit different than normal daily fantasy options. Since they cover just one game, you'll select six players from any position you want. Before we get too deep into the lineups themselves, I'll first evaluate the top captain options and names to target in your top spot.
Let's first lay out how showdown games actually work along with the rules to make sure you're ready to roll.
– 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
On some showdown slates, constructing lineups that are unique is somewhat of a tall task. With only six players selected, you'll want to find a way to differentiate yourself from the field. The captain spot is a great way to do that, as the 1.5x points you earn there makes it an important choice. In turn, deciding between spending up or saving money on your captain will be a big decision.
I'll kick off the action with favorite captain plays for Cowboys vs. Eagles and a few matchups while then rolling into the lineups.
Favorite Captains for Cowboys vs. Eagles
In almost all cases I'll choose to narrow my captain list down to 5-6 players. While this is more than some do, I try to leave myself flexibility as the construction of rosters can be tough at times. For the DraftKings showdown breakdowns, the player's captain pricing of 1.5x more is included.
It's worth noting that I will consider using others aside from these names as well, but that simply depends on the risk/reward of going cheap in the captain spot. The other options to consider in the bonus spots are also in my typical builds, as I try to lock in on a core of my favorite targets and build around them.
– Zach Ertz ($16,500)
– Ezekiel Elliott ($14,700)
– Dak Prescott ($13,800)
– Amari Cooper ($12,300)
– Josh Adams ($5,100)
– Michael Gallup ($3,300)
*Carson Wentz ($19,200) and Golden Tate ($11,700) also high up in consideration.
Favorite expensive captains: Ezekiel Elliott, Amari Cooper
Top value-saving captains: Josh Adams
Carson Wentz is a name everyone will want to target and I completely understand why. Even against a Cowboys defense that's been good against quarterbacks (except for last week), Wentz is exceptional and has a new target in Golden Tate. I'll have a ton of exposure to Wentz, but using him in the captain spot at over $19,000 makes building around him somewhat tough.
On the Cowboys side, Jason Garrett and Scott Linehan essentially need to just force feed the ball to Ezekiel Elliott or start packing their things. Elliott had 96 total yards in the first half last week in the loss to the Titans and then for whatever reason received just six touches in the second half. For Dallas to win this game, they'll need a monster showing from Zeke.
Golden Tate torched the Cowboys when he was with the Lions to the tune of eight catches for 132 yards and two touchdowns. While it's apparent the Cowboys have trouble with Tate, he's not a player I'll overload as a captain, but it's primarily due to the fact that I'll lean Amari Cooper. Tate is better and has the superior quarterback, but the Cowboys are just going to force it to Cooper and he has a better matchup against a below-average Eagles pass defense.
With all that said, let's break down the top optimal lineup for this showdown slate first and then move to the 150-max and single entry lineups.
Optimal Lineup
– CAPTAIN: Amari Cooper ($13,800)
– Ezekiel Elliott ($13,000)
– Dak Prescott ($9,800)
– Cowboys DST ($5,200)
– Trey Quinn ($4,800)
– Maurice Harris ($3,200)
Amari Cooper is coming off a fairly poor showing against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 11, but there's no cause for concern. His rapport with Dak Prescott remains impressive and the two make one of the more intriguing stacks on this showdown slate.
I like Cooper quite a bit for a few reasons, one of which is the fact that the Redskins have been fine, but not great against opposing wideouts. On the season, they've allowed 137 receptions for 1,885 yards and 11 touchdowns. While Josh Norman is a top-tier cornerback, he's known to stay on one side of the field and Cooper plays all over. I'm expecting the Cowboys' newest wideout to shine in a national game on Thanksgiving.
While Prescott hasn't excelled against the Redskins in his career, I'm a big fan of the fact that the Cowboys are allowing him to do a bit more when it comes to rushing. He only had four attempts last week, but he's scored four touchdowns on the ground in the last five games. Even beyond that, Prescott has completed 67.7 percent of his passes or more in each of the three games since the team's bye week.
Trey Quinn is a name I'll break down further moving forward, but I expect him to work as somewhat of a safety blanket for Colt McCoy in this games. He's coming off a solid showing in Week 11 and with Jamison Crowder listed as questionable (seems unlikely to play), he'll see another heavy workload.
I think many people will opt to jump off the Maurice Harris train, even at a massively discounted price. But with how depleted the Redskins receiving corps is, he's almost a lock for 4-6 targets in this game in a very worst case scenario. He only hauled in 1-of-4 targets last week but is two weeks removed from a game with 10 catches for 124 yards, so the upside is there.
Harris saw a decline in snaps in Week 11 due to the emergence of Quinn, but assuming he plays around 55-60 percent again (played 55 percent last game), he's more than a solid option here. The Cowboys defense is strong, but there's a chance the Redskins get behind early and have to utilize the passing game to try to make up ground.
Let's look at the 150-max lineup which has multiple high-upside options, but also a bit more risk with it.
150-Max Entry Lineup
– CAPTAIN: Trey Quinn ($7,200)
– Ezekiel Elliott ($13,000)
– Dak Prescott ($9,800)
– Colt McCoy ($8,200)
– Jordan Reed ($7,600)
– Michael Gallup ($2,400)
And now for the Trey Quinn lineup. I can't blame anyone for not knowing who Quinn was before last game when he received the start in the slot. The 22-year-old rookie out of SMU hauled in all four of his targets for 49 yards. I love the inexpensive price and the fact that, as previously mentioned, he should be a go-to safety option for his quarterback.
For good measure, Quinn's emergence is no fluke. He came on and took snaps from Harris, finishing Week 11 with 53 offensive snaps, behind only the 64 of Josh Doctson, per Football Outsiders. With Crowder being questionable and trending towards sitting out, I love the high floor Quinn provides, but also think he has upside that may get overlooked.
As far as Colt McCoy goes, I'm a big fan of pairing him up with Jordan Reed in this spot. The Cowboys have struggled against tight ends this season, allowing 59 receptions for 557 yards and four touchdowns. The triple stack of McCoy, Reed and Quinn makes a lot of sense, and we saw the Redskins tight end pots his best game of the season in Week 11, catching 7-of-11 targets for 71 yards and one touchdown.
I fully expect to see Reed and Quinn finish this game with the highest number of targets from McCoy as Doctson should draw the toughest matchup. Unfortunately, I believe McCoy's price will make him somewhat higher-owned here, but he does provide some value and the ability to get high-priced players in.
Arguably the best part of McCoy's game is his ability to take off and run. That's a big deal for quarterbacks in daily fantasy football and last week alone he rushed five times for 35 yards in limited action. The Redskins quarterback ran much more early in his career, but if last game is any indication, he could be back to it this season.
I saved one player who's really worth talking about for last here. Michael Gallup suffered a terrible tragedy and was informed after last week's game that his brother had committed suicide. He returned to the Cowboys for this game and will leave after for the funeral it seems. To be clear, I'm not using him because I think this will be one of those special moments if he has a solid showing or scores a touchdown – but I do think he'll have a good game.
Gallup has seen five or more targets in three of the last four games. The last time he faced the Redskins Gallup hauled in 3-of-5 targets for 81 yards and one touchdown. The Redskins are unquestionably going to pay him attention, but with Cooper now in the mix, his job is only going to get easier. I believe Gallup could be in store for his first 100-yard game as a pro and the matchup just works out perfectly for it.
Yes, that's a big call on Gallup and it's still risky, but his targets are there and we know he has the upside. That big game is coming.
We'll look at the single entry/cash lineup next which features significantly less risk than the 150-max.
Single Entry/Cash Lineup
– CAPTAIN: Golden Tate ($11,700)
– Ezekiel Elliott ($9,800)
– Dak Prescott ($9,200)
– Alshon Jeffery ($8,800)
– Amari Cooper ($8,200)
– Michael Gallup ($2,200)
Last but not least, we have the "safe" lineup. And yes, the safe lineup includes Michael Gallup. I honestly think that paying down in one spot here with a few possible value plays makes sense. If you believe the Cowboys are playing from behind in what's a great matchup for the rookie receiver, then he actually has a pretty safe floor.
I'm betting on the Cowboys falling behind, which was the focus on using Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper along with Gallup. I fully expect Cooper to have high ownership after a debut which featured him seeing eight targets, a number which should jump to 10 or more in this game.
But pairing Cooper with not only Gallup, but Ezekiel Elliott as well is going to differentiate things. Zeke is going to get his touches and workload regardless, so that's not my concern. If we can get work from Elliott early and the game stays close (which it should), then he'll remain involved. But playing from behind as the game rolls on will benefit Gallup and Cooper. Assuming that works out, there's reason to believe both players manage to find the end zone.
My one call to try to differentiate from the field, which I think is vital in all games will be using Golden Tate in the captain spot. Due to the fact he's learning a new offense after being acquired before the bye week, some players may be iffy on using him here. And putting him as a captain is something we shouldn't see much of. He has massive potential and should avoid Byron Jones, which is key for me.
On the flip side, Alshon Jeffery will matchup with Jones a fair amount, which drops him down the board a bit in my eyes. While it's not as though the Cowboys cornerback is an elite "never throw his way" defender, he's very good. I'll still have exposure to Jeffery, especially since he saw just five targets last game and may not garnish incredibly high ownership.
There's some risk with Jeffery, but Wentz is going to give him looks and I think the low targets in Week 8 were an outlier, considering he hadn't seen fewer than eight in any game prior.
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