DraftKings NFL Showdown Picks & DFS Lineups for Broncos vs. Raiders

With Week 16 nearly in the books and a few teams gearing up for a frantic playoff pushes, there's one game left on tap. This would be Monday Night Football and a matchup between two underwhelming teams who both fell short of expectations. The Denver Broncos and Oakland Raiders have both been eliminated from playoff contention, but there are storylines beyond that in this game.

There's a very real chance this could be the last game the Raiders play in Oakland, even with their move the Las Vegas not coming for over one more year. The current standoff between and the city points to them potentially playing elsewhere in 2019. In turn, there's a reason to believe the players could look to send their fans off with a strong showing and potentially a win over a Broncos team with questions on their future.

On the Denver side, it's the future outlook of Vance Joseph that's a looming question right now. Although the Broncos still have their head coach under contract, rumors are swirling that he may be on his way out the door sooner than later. Whether or not that happens is a question we likely won't have an answer to until after Week 17, but it's a big storyline.

Although this Monday Night Football matchup isn't the most appealing in terms of playoff implications or anything along those lines, there's still a lot to talk about. And of course, we have the fantasy football angle for it as well. If you are/were playing in a fantasy championship for a season-long league, whether you won or lost, having one more game to wrap up the week is the best way to roll into the final regular-season finale.

So, with an interesting game on Monday night, we're going to take a deep dive into the DraftKings showdown slate. Interestingly, the final primetime matchup of the week includes some big contests and bigger paydays set to be awarded. So the plan is to cover the game by offering a few different ways of breaking it down.

For those who haven't played a showdown before, these are single-game options which feature a different set of rules (to some extent) than regular DFS games. In turn, you'll want to take a different approach to building lineups for these games.

To cover this slate and the matchup, I'll lay out a mixture of top picks, three different lineups and players to consider. As always, there is a range of different game options for this matchup, including single-entry tournaments, multi-entry events (150-max specifically) and additional choices beyond that. In order to cover each base, the lineups offered will be an optimal, 150-max and single entry.

Prior to diving headfirst into the picks and lineups, here's a quick look at how DraftKings showdowns work. It's worth noting that these games feature a captain spot which is one player who costs 1.5-times the regular amount. You choose one player to go in this spot per lineup and it comes with a bonus of 1.5x as well.

– 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

Although the Broncos (6-8) and Raiders (3-11) don't have a chance at making the playoffs, I do have a sneaky suspicion that we may wind up getting some excitement from this game. Even if it's for a bit of a different reason than we're all accustomed to. A rivalry game in primetime is always fun, but when it's a situation like the one Oakland faces, it only adds to the intrigue.

'll begin by breaking down the captain spot in this game and also the thought process for which players to build around.

Captain Choices for Broncos vs. Raiders

When it comes to selecting captains in DraftKings showdown games, one key focus (aside from picking a high-scoring player) is to differentiate yourself from the field. There's a lot that goes into deciding who to put into that top spot, for a variety of reasons. Sometimes, putting the highest-projected player isn't the best approach to take.

You'll be able to use this spot to get somewhat creative and take a unique approach to building lineups. But depending on the amount of value plays that are available in a game, you could be better paying down at captain and finding a mid-range option. This could allow you to fit another stud into the flex spots and build a stronger core.

In short, it comes down to how you believe the game will play out as to which captain you choose, but I'll break that down as I roll through the lineups. But to start, I'll evaluate the names who will be options at the captain spot for me in the Broncos vs. Raiders game and then break down top options.

Typically, I'll lock in on 4-6 main players to target for the spot. Much of that decision comes down to the actual game itself, though, and will vary on a case-by-case basis. But opting to go that route allows me to be somewhat flexible on roster construction. After first narrowing it down, I'll then lock in on 2-3 who are my favorite options and typically build primarily around them.

One thing to note with the idea behind captain selections is to consider the projected total on a game. While you can use any player at any position on either team, if a game has a high over/under (which you agree with), it can impact your thought process on creating lineups. On the other side, a lower total could also impact the way you build lineups.

As Odds Shark shows, the total for this game is pretty low, currently set at 42 and seems to be hanging around that number. With that said, both defenses have had some troubles at various points this year, and there are some intriguing value plays to target as a captain spot who could benefit from this projected total.

These are the top targets for Monday's game between the Broncos and Raiders, each of which features the 1.5x price tag on DraftKings.

– Phillip Lindsay ($18,300)
– Derek Carr ($15,000)
– Jared Cook ($14,700)
– DaeSean Hamilton ($12,000)
– Jordy Nelson ($11,400)
– Tim Patrick ($10,200)
– Jalen Richard ($6,600)

*Due to the expanded list of top captains, I'm not going to toss in any extra names here like usual.

Favorite expensive/mid-range captains: Derek Carr, Jared Cook

Top value-saving captains: Jordy Nelson, DaeSean Hamilton

There's a lot to consider here, and the matchups bode well in a few specific spots for some of these players. Specifically, after Jared Cook's Pro Bowl snub, I fully expect him to take advantage of a Broncos defense that's allowed 1,007 yards and six touchdowns to the position.

Although Derek Carr has been incredibly hit-or-miss this season, I love playing into the narrative of this being the team's last game in Oakland potentially. Carr plays with his emotion on his sleeve and he loves this fanbase. It wouldn't surprise me at all if we see him have one of the best games of his season here.

I didn't mention Doug Martin, and probably won't use him as a captain, but I do think he's worth talking about. Martin was born and raised in Oakland and not only due to the move but also the fact that this may be his last home game with the Silver and Black, he's in play for me. He hasn't produced all that well, but he has touchdown upside in this matchup.

We'll jump right into the optimal lineup and I'll evaluate top picks throughout the process.

Optimal Lineup

– Captain: Jalen Richard ($6,600)
– Phillip Lindsay ($12,200)
– Derek Carr ($10,000)
– Jared Cook ($9,800)
– DaeSean Hamilton ($8,000)
– Seth Roberts ($2,800)

There are so many ways to build lineups on this slate, surprisingly. DraftKings has offered pricing that also allows you to get a bit creative, especially if willing to take a bit of a risk and pay down at captain. I'll do that here with Jalen Richard in that spot and I believe he has the right balance of safety and upside to outweigh the risk.

While the Raiders will likely split the workload here, as Richard played 51 percent of the offensive snaps last game, which was more than the 46 percent of Martin, per Football Outsiders. Although Richard has received 18 carries in the past three games, his real value comes as a pass-catcher.

Dating back to the opener, Richard has received four or more targets in all but two games and is coming off a five catch, 67-yard showing against the Cincinnati Bengals. I'm big on his value here and think pairing him with Derek Carr and Jared Cook makes a lot of sense.

I'll almost certainly use Cook a lot on this slate. As previously mentioned, the Broncos have shown little ability to hold tight ends in check by giving up 68 receptions for over 1,000 yards. Cook is going to be angry about that Pro Bowl snub and will make his presence felt early and often here.

One final name I want to mention on the Raiders side (I'll cover more as we roll on) is Seth Roberts. The Raiders are dealing with a massive amount of injuries at wide receiver, and Roberts is someone Carr has shown a lot of confidence in. A price tag of $2,800 is just far too low for a player who's received 27 targets in the last five games.

It's often overlooked, but Roberts has the ability to find the end zone and has proven that in recent years. With an injury-plagued Broncos secondary, I think Roberts destroys value here, putting him in play across the board.

Phillip Lindsay

I'll talk about the Broncos more as the lineups roll on, but Phillip Lindsay is a name I need to highlight. At a price of $12,200 and coming off a rare poor showing for him, there's a chance his ownership drops down a bit. This is a steep price for any player, but there are a lot of intriguing players around his same price.

With that said, the Raiders have been bad against opposing backs on the year as a whole. They've given up 1,734 rushing yards, 503 receiving yards and 15 total touchdowns. This is an excellent spot for Lindsay to thrive, and I do like him quite a bit, but the price makes it interesting.

I'll get into the 150-max lineup next, which offers a mixture of high upside plays and some risk as well.

150-Max Entry Lineup

– Captain: Tim Patrick ($10,200)
– Derek Carr ($10,000)
– Jared Cook ($9,800)
– DaeSean Hamilton ($8,000)
– Jordy Nelson ($7,600)
– Jalen Richard ($4,400)

It's worth noting before anything that I would at least consider Courtland Sutton in 150-max lineups. Although he's struggled quite a bit as of late, that will drive his ownership down and set him up to potentially be a player who can make a huge difference in big games. There's risk involved, but I still like his outlook and matchup.

But pivoting away from the Sutton talk, we'll instead focus on the two other Broncos pass-catchers who I'm very high on when it comes to this slate. Both Tim Patrick and DaeSean Hamilton find themselves in good spots. Two cornerbacks for the Raiders in Gareon Conley and Daryl Worley are listed as questionable, but even if they play it won't push me off Patrick and Hamilton.

Since Emmanuel Sanders was ruled out for the year with an injury, Hamilton has caught 14-of-21 targets and one touchdown. Patrick has stepped up massively as well, hauling in 12-of-18 targets in the two-game stretch. Case Keenum seems to have built a rapport with these two and I'm happy to take advantage of it at these prices.

If that's not enough to persuade, consider that the Raiders have given up 1,930 yards and a whopping 20 touchdowns to opposing wide receivers this season. It wouldn't be surprising (if this game winds up high scoring) to see both players actually find the end zone in this matchup.

I also think there's a strong argument here that we can use the duo of Patrick and Hamilton to cover the Case Keenum spot since we don't have exposure to him here. I'm not incredibly high on Keenum's fantasy value, but I do like having both wideouts as a way to cover in case something wild happens and he just posts a huge stat line.

The Raiders Stack

I'm going heavy on Derek Carr and Jared Cook in this game. I believe the duo will have a big game and I love adding in one or two additional pieces of the Raiders along with them. Cook has racked up 848 yards and six touchdowns this season, good for a career-best single season with two games left.

One key piece I really like putting with these two is Jordy Nelson, largely due to the depleted wide receiver secondary. But even beyond that, he's had some major success as of late and the connection he showed early on with Carr has been on full display. In the last three games, Nelson has hauled in 22-of-26 targets and totaled 88 yards or more in two of them.

One other key selling point here is that the Broncos are set to be without two cornerbacks in Chris Harris and also Isaac Yiadom. That opens up a lot for the Raiders passing game and makes life a whole lot easier as well.

With the idea of the Raiders playing in a final home game, paired with the secondary concerns and the Broncos having nothing to play for currently, stacking the passing attack makes sense. Obviously, it would be wise to spread your exposure around some and not lock in purely on the passing game, but there's upside in taking this angle.

Next up is the single entry/cash lineup which is far more balanced. It's better for players who are playing events which don't have a massive number of entries as well, so you'll be able to avoid the heavy risks.

Oakland Raiders TE Jared Cook