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The start of Week 15 signals the beginning of either major playoff pushes for many teams, or the potential to start looking towards the offseason for others. But on Thursday Night Football, the NFL schedule makers gave us a matchup with major playoff implications. AFC West rivals in the Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs will square off in a crucial spot for both.
Although this game does mean a bit more for the Chargers, it's still big for Kansas City as well. The Chargers, who sit at 10-3 currently, can move into a first-place tie in the division with the Chiefs (11-2) with a road win here. While both teams are widely-considered as locks to make the postseason, it now comes down to deciding who wins the division crown.
The Chargers hold a three-game lead in the Wild Card race while the Chiefs are two games ahead of the New England Patriots for the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Obviously, that can all get a bit muddied after Thursday night, but regardless, this matchup makes for a must-see primetime matchup.
As we've become accustomed to with primetime games, fantasy football players are fortunate enough to get some great single-game options on various DFS sites. With the season-long leagues beginning to wind down and championships set to be decided, it's left many to focus on daily games.
More specifically, the DraftKings showdown slates are always popular and should be popular for the Chargers vs. Chiefs matchup. I'll break down this entire single-game slate by providing picks and optimal lineups. This will include three different lineups – one of which is the optimal (well-rounded), a 150-max option (high upside, more risk) and then the single entry/cash lineup (safer options).
Last but not least, we have the great debate over the captain spot in DraftKings games, which is a bonus spot that also comes with a higher price tag for whichever player you place there. Selecting the right captain can go a long way toward both having success and also differentiating your lineups to the point where you can push to take down a big tournament. I'll offer top choices for that spot as well, and insight as to why I like specific captains.
Let's lay out the basics of showdown games before anything, for those who haven't played before.
– 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
The captains are up first, so we'll begin with top plays in the bonus spot while evaluating both expensive and inexpensive options in the process. There's certainly some strategy that goes into choosing a captain, especially in a game such as this one.
Once we wrap up the captain selection, I'll dive right into the lineups, starting with the optimal and moving along from there.
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DraftKings NFL Picks & Optimal Lineups for Chargers vs. Chiefs Showdown