DraftKings NFL Picks & Optimal Lineups: Vikings vs. Seahawks Showdown

Favorite Captains for Vikings vs. Seahawks

We've had some interesting showdown slates over the past few primetime games, to put it gently. The Washington Redskins matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles led to another season-ending injury for a Redskins quarterback in Colt McCoy. In turn, both Alex Smith and McCoy were finished for the year after that one.

Then, the Week 14 action started off with Tennessee Titans rolling past the Jacksonville Jaguars 30-9. The win wasn't surprising, but the fact Derrick Henry, who hadn't topped 60 yards in any game this season, ripped off 238 yards and four touchdowns. It was certainly head-scratching, and Henry wasn't the most popular showdown target either.

And now, we're onto a game which should have a lot of interest on Monday night. As Odds Shark shows, the current projected total on this game is set at 46, which is a bit lower than I expected it to be. But with both teams in need of a win, we may see defenses step up early and create some problems. The Seahawks also sit as three-point favorites, which makes sense in this spot.

I do opt to use the projected total on a game as a way to construct lineups (when I agree with it), especially for showdown slates. This one is interesting, but I wouldn't be surprised to see it top the 46-point projected total. Both the Vikings and Seahawks have offensive weapons, and there are areas of the opposing defenses that can be attacked.

When it comes to the captain spot, I'll typically choose 4-6 options to keep in consideration, and I'm expecting to stay around that number on Monday night. Each player below from the DraftKings showdown listed in the group of favorites includes captain pricing of 1.5-times more than their regular cost, so let's start there.

– Russell Wilson ($16,800)
– Stefon Diggs ($16,200)
– Kirk Cousins ($15,300)
– Davin Cook ($13,200)
– Tyler Lockett ($12,300)
– Chris Carson ($11,400)

*If Doug Baldwin is ruled out, David Moore ($7,800) and Jaron Brown ($2,100) are in play, although they're iffy as captains.

Favorite expensive/mid-range captains: Russell Wilson, Kirk Cousins

Top value-saving captains: Dalvin Cook (semi-expensive still), Tyler Lockett

There are very few "very inexpensive" captain options on this slate, and if you dive down much below Chris Carson, you're going into some risky territory. With that said, if Doug Baldwin does get ruled out, then you could at least make a case for David Moore and/or Jaron Brown.

The main issue is that Moore didn't receive a single target last game despite playing 28 snaps. On the flip side, Brown scored two touchdowns but did so on just 15 snaps, as Football Outsiders shows. Neither player is a safe option with Baldwin in the lineup, but Brown could make sense as a deep threat and option for 150-max games.

Paying up at captain here makes sense, and one name who I didn't mention is Adam Thielen. The talented Vikings receiver is always in play but comes with a $17,700 price tag as a captain. With opposing teams locking down on their efforts to keep him in check, it's led to a few mediocre showings. I'd prefer to use Thielen as a flex player in this game.

Let's start things off with the optimal lineup and I'll break down the specific plays along the way.

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