Following a surprising Sunday Night Football upset in which the Dallas Cowboys sprung back to life, the fantasy football action (and NFL week) wraps up Monday night. After an NFC East battle on Sunday night, the Monday Night Football game will feature two teams struggling mightily in the New York Giants at the San Francisco 49ers.
The Giants (1-7) and 49ers (2-7) are joined by the one-win Oakland Raiders and two-win Arizona Cardinals in the battle for the No. 1 pick currently. Fortunately, when ugly primetime games roll around, that's when single-game fantasy options most come in handy.
For the game which actually may feature some big plays and obviously has a few storylines, we're going to look at the DraftKings offerings for their showdown slate. This slate features the popular $10 option which has an increased guarantee of $1 million and $250,000 to first place. There is also a variety of higher buy-in options and plenty of inexpensive choices for those looking to build a few lineups for fun.
As we approach the Monday night matchup, I'll break down multiple 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).
Showdown games are different than your normal daily fantasy options, making them a unique option and one which features various ways to approach. As they cover just one game, you'll select six players from any position you want as opposed to fielding an entire roster. Before we get too deep into the lineups, I'll first evaluate my favorite captain options, a spot which features a higher price tag but a bonus for the player in that 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 can be the real struggle, but I don't anticipate that being the case in this Monday night game. With only six players selected, you'll want to find a way to differentiate yourself from the field and we have some interesting options here. The captain spot is a great way to differentiate lineups, as the 1.5x points you earn there can make a world of difference. In turn, deciding between spending up or saving money on your captain will be a big call.
I'll start by choosing top captain plays for Giants vs. 49ers and evaluating a few matchups while then rolling into the lineups.
Favorite Captains for Giants vs. 49ers
For the most part, I narrow my captain list down to 5-6 players. This is more than some players choose to go with, but I try to leave myself flexibility as the construction of rosters can lead to you having to stay open to options. For the DraftKings showdown breakdowns, the player's captain pricing of 1.5x more is included.
Along with the names below, I'll also consider using a few others in certain spots, but that depends on the risk/reward of going cheap in the captain spot and the specific slate. 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 across the board and build around them.
– Saquon Barkley ($19,200)
– Odell Beckham Jr. ($17,700)
– Nick Mullens ($14,700)
– Matt Breida ($12,300)
– Sterling Shepard ($10,800)
– Kendrick Bourne ($3,000)
*Marquise Goodwin ($9,600, big-play potential), George Kittle ($14,100) and 49ers DST ($4,800) are also in consideration.
Favorite expensive captains: Saquon Barkley, Odell Beckham Jr.
Top value-saving captains: Kendrick Bourne
This is an elite spot for Saquon Barkley, who apparently has the most impressive fantasy floor of anyone other than Todd Gurley this season. The 49ers give up yards on the ground, but also specifically through to the air to opposing running backs. On the season they've allowed 55 receptions for 452 yards and three scores, which bodes incredibly well for the Giants back, who's caught 58 passes for 497 yards this season.
Odell Beckham Jr. is one of my other top plays and he's been excellent as of late, totaling 130-plus yards in three of the past four games. He should have little trouble against a below-average 49ers secondary, even with the struggles of Eli Manning as of late. Beckham's upside is higher than anyone's on the slate as well.
Two other receivers I'm high on in the captain spot include Sterling Shepard and Kendrick Bourne, but for different reasons. Shepard's ownership should be down after he had a very mediocre showing last game. I love getting low ownership from a player who could post a strong stat line and won't break the bank in the captain spot.
Bourne is squarely in play after the 49ers ruled out Pierre Garcon for this game. It was just two games ago that he caught 7-of-10 targets for 71 yards. In that game, Garcon was also sidelined and Bourne played 82 percent of the team's offensive snaps, per Football Outsiders. He's the clear-cut option to replace Garcon against a Giants secondary who's struggled as of late.
Let's get into the lineups by first breaking down the top optimal lineup for this showdown slate and then move to the 150-max and single entry.
New York Giants WR Sterling Shepard
150-Max Entry Lineup
– CAPTAIN: Kendrick Bourne ($3,000)
– Saquon Barkley ($12,800)
– Odell Beckham Jr. ($11,800)
– Nick Mullens ($9,800)
– George Kittle ($9,400)
– Richie James ($1,600)
This one isn't for the faint of heart, but I'm going for the "all-in" play for 150-max games on Monday night. I previously mentioned the seven-catch performance Kendrick Bourne had in his last game with Garcon sidelined, one in which he played 82 percent of the offensive snaps, per Football Outsiders. He'll replace Garcon, will almost certainly see a heavy workload and has the potential to see double-digit targets.
I love the idea of using Bourne at that massive discount in the captain spot. There's obvious risk involved, but not as much as most will likely think. Even if he catches 4-5 passes it's a solid day for his price, and if he manages to find the end zone then it's a potential slate-breaking spot for players.
Bourne likely isn't the name who most fantasy players will look past, though. That honor goes to Richie James, who played 42 percent of the 49ers' offensive snaps last week with Garcon active. With Trent Taylor a healthy inactive last game, James showed an impressive rapport with Nick Mullens and while he had two catches for 60 yards actually dropped a touchdown as well.
if James had managed to haul in that touchdown, not only would his price likely be higher but he'd probably have some ownership as well. I like James quite a bit in this spot for his price and think he'll fly under the radar as a big-play option who's perfect for 150-max games.
While I spoke about the tremendous (obvious) upside of both Saquon Barkley and Odell Beckham Jr., another route I've gone to differentiate this lineup is by loading up on the 49ers passing game. Although I do think Matt Breida will get quite a bit of work, the 49ers could opt to let Mullens sling it around, and if so, then this lineup has major potential.
I'll have some ownership to Mullens but it'll likely be more in 150-max, 20-max, three-max events. He has a strong upside, but his floor is somewhat unknown considering he has just one start under his belt. But the Giants' recent struggles against receivers makes putting two players with him an intriguing upside play.
But George Kittle is one name to circle. He saw just four targets last game with Mullens, catching each of them for 108 yards and one touchdown. Kittle now had some extra time to spend with Mullens ahead of this game and faces a Giants team who's been solid against tight ends, allowing 35 receptions for 429 yards and one touchdown.
While Kittle's matchup isn't ideal, he's going to see an increase and has been a top red-zone target for the 49ers this season. He's great for large tournaments and there's a chance the $9,400 price tag may push some people off him.
We'll roll right into the single entry lineup now for those who aren't feeling quite this risky, as this option is probably up your alley.
New York Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr.
DraftKings Picks & Optimal Lineups for Giants vs. 49ers Showdown