As Week 13 of the NFL season rolls into Sunday Night Football, we're given a big AFC matchup between two teams jockeying for playoff position. While the Los Angeles Chargers (8-3) have their work cut out to catch the Kansas City Chiefs atop the division, the Pittsburgh Steelers (7-3-1) are trying to hold the top spot.
The primetime game Sunday is crucial for both teams and the Chargers will also be without top running back Melvin Gordon due to a knee injury suffered in Week 12. Austin Ekeler and rookie Justin Jackson will likely handle the bulk of the heavy lifting and could be intriguing options.
With a good game on tap for the primetime slate, it means the fantasy football showdown games are once again solid. That's what I'll focus on here, and will provide some insight into ways to attack the fantasy landscape with single-game options for the Chargers vs. Steelers matchup.
Specifically, DraftKings is offering the always-popular showdown games, and I'll break down my favorite picks, captain plays and a few lineups. With the game having the potential to be a high-scoring one, there are quite a few ways to approach it from a fantasy standpoint, which is always a bonus in showdowns.
First, I'll break down the general rules of this format of game, top choices for the captain spot and then lineups for each of the specific game types offered. This will feature three different and unique lineups which are created for the style of game that you're playing.
The most popular one may be the optimal lineup, which is created with the thought process of building a fairly balanced lineup which also has a bit of risk mixed in. There will also be a 150-max option which has more risk and high upside, as those games require you to try to be unique in the construction of rosters. Last but not least is the single entry/cash lineup with less risk and a very balanced approach.
If you've never played a showdown before, take a look at the briefing on rules before we get into the fun:
– 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 captain choices get the first look in the Chargers vs. Steelers matchup, and I'll provide my favorite options as well as a few inexpensive choices.
Antonio Brown
Optimal Lineup
– CAPTAIN: Austin Ekeler ($12,300)
– Antonio Brown ($11,000)
– Ben Roethlisberger ($10,800)
– James Conner ($8,800)
– Ryan Switzer ($4,000)
– Justin Jackson ($2,800)
There are quite a few ways to start building in this game, but for an optimal lineup, I like the idea of rolling out Austin Ekeler in the captain spot. Ekeler is legitimately a pass-catching machine and hauled in 10-of-11 targets last game. He also rushed five times for 35 yards and one touchdown, but Melvin Gordon's injury came when the game was out of hand, so expect to see even more on Sunday night.
Speaking of Chargers running backs replacing Gordon, there's some risk with Justin Jackson. With that said, I love the potential and the fact that he's only $2,800. It won't cost a lot for him to hit value, and although I don't expect him to break the slate, using him allows us to fill out the rest of the lineup.
Jackson's number didn't get called until after Gordon's injury in Week 12, but he finished the day by rushing seven times for 57 yards. I'm not completely sold on Ekeler as a full-time runner, and while I love him as a pass-catcher who could see 10-12 carries, that'd leave plenty of work for Jackson. Ekeler and Jackson saw a 26-13 split in offensive snaps last game (per Football Outsiders) but those numbers are tough to gauge considering Gordon also saw 26 snaps.
I'll certainly talk about Ryan Switzer, but to be honest I really like his spot quite a bit in this game. Before diving into the specifics, my hope is that using four Steelers players who all have big upside will differentiate us from the field. Doing this, along with pairing the two Chargers running backs together makes a lot of sense.
The trio of Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and James Conner likely has the highest upside on this entire slate. If those three can put together a solid showing and hit their stride, this is a home-run spot. While Roethlisberger has a tough matchup against a fairly solid Chargers secondary, he's been absolutely incredible both at home and in primetime games. As StatMuse shows, he's averaging 312.2 yards per game with 14 touchdowns and just three interceptions in five home games this year.
There's also no question that Brown is one of, if not the best wide receiver in the NFL. While he and JuJu Smith-Schuster could wind up rotating on a tough matchup with Casey Hayward, I think both remain in play. Part of this has to do with the fact that the Chargers' No. 2 cornerback is a second-year undrafted free agent who's had his fair share of ups and downs.
When evaluating the 150-max lineup, which is next, it features a fair amount of upside with more risk involved.
150-Max Entry Lineup
– CAPTAIN: Ryan Switzer ($6,000)
– JuJu Smith-Schuster ($10,400)
– Keenan Allen ($10,000)
– James Conner ($8,800)
– Austin Ekeler ($8,200)
– Mike Williams ($5,400)
Now is as good a time as any to talk about the Ryan Switzer play. I previously mentioned that he saw a career-high in targets last week, but he also has seemingly taken over as the starting slot receiver. This is a big deal as Switzer will now act as a safety valve for Ben Roethlisberger moving forward.
After the former Dallas Cowboys (then Oakland Raiders) wideout played just 37 percent of the offensive snaps in Week 11, that number jumped to 67 percent last week, per Football Outsiders. Barring Mike Tomlin throwing us a major curveball, this is a great spot for Switzer and he should thrive playing alongside Antonio Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster.
I'm not typically huge on rolling with inexpensive players in the captain spot unless it really looks like a great spot. But if Switzer sees roughly the same number of snaps, he'll be a safe bet for 7-8 targets at least, with the potential to have a huge game if he's able to find the end zone. That's huge for a player who frees up this much money for the rest of the lineup.
And speaking of JuJu Smith-Schuster, I opted to go with him over Antonio Brown in this lineup, partially because I think his ownership will be much lower than Brown. Considering the two are priced semi-close, I love the home run-hitting ability of Smith-Schuster. Tack on the fact that he's now seen 27 targets (21 receptions) in the past two weeks, and he's both safe and explosive.
The pairing of Keenan Allen and Mike Williams provides us with the safe and high upside aspect of the Chargers wideouts, and then the risky but very strong red zone target. The Steelers aren't bad against wideouts but have allowed 1,717 yards and 12 touchdowns to the position this season, so they're beatable.
While Tyrell Williams will play in this game, he may not be 100 percent and if that's the case, it'll mean more work for Mike Williams, who's fresh off a two-touchdown performance. If this game turns into a shootout, the second-year wideout from Clemson should benefit.
The single entry/cash lineup is next up and is built around players who have higher floors and less risk.
Single Entry/Cash Lineup
– CAPTAIN: James Conner ($13,200)
– Antonio Brown ($11,000)
– Keenan Allen ($10,000)
– Austin Ekeler ($8,200)
– Ryan Switzer ($4,000)
– Michael Badgley ($3,200)
I love James Conner in the captain spot. His price is down primarily due to the fact that the last two game scripts didn't benefit him at all. He received just 17 and 15 touches and failed to find the end zone for the first time in the five weeks prior. Conner has a big upside, a great floor and is perfect for single entry and cash lines.
Arguably the most enticing part for me when it comes to Conner is the fact that the Chargers have allowed 68 receptions for 680 yards to opposing running backs. He should see a ton of targets and plenty of work on the ground in a fine matchup, setting him up for a prime spot to succeed
I went fairly straight here across the rest of this lineup, specifically using the two players on the Chargers who I feel have the safest floors, but also a good amount of upside. Both Austin Ekeler and Keenan Allen are going to see plenty of targets and opportunities to make plays. Allen has either caught a touchdown or topped 100 yards in each of the past four games while seeing 38 targets over that span.
My feelings on Ryan Switzer are pretty apparent here. I'll be using a lot of him, but it's worth noting that I won't have him in 100 percent of lineups, as I don't recommend that with any player here. We could get tossed a total curveball, but from what we've seen, this is a great spot for him and his floor should be safe.
Antonio Brown is always a great option, and I really like him a lot. I do think you can pivot to Ben Roethlisberger if you prefer to get the quarterbacks in over a wideout (I typically do). My reasoning for using Brown over Big Ben partially has to do with that exact point, that I think most will flip to Roethlisberger, and we know Brown has tremendous upside.
Much to the dismay of many daily fantasy football players out there, I am using a kicker in this lineup. A lot of players opt to avoid kickers in showdown games, but Michael Badgley provides a nice floor and I'm projecting a high scoring game. In turn, he should receive plenty of opportunities to put the ball through the uprights. Best of all, he's 9-of-9 on the season in attempts with three of his five games featuring multiple attempts.
I mentioned the potential Brown pivot above, but you can also pivot to a quarterback of Allen if you'd prefer. I like both Roethlisberger and Philip Rivers, and switching both receivers out for quarterbacks is a fine play.
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