With the NFL playoff picture beginning to take shape, the NFL has given us an intriguing Sunday Night Football matchup in Week 15. Most importantly, it's one with major playoff implications, specifically for one side. The Philadelphia Eagles, who sit at 6-7 currently, desperately need to get a win here, but traveling across the country to face the 11-win Los Angeles Rams will be a tall task.
To make things even tougher, the Eagles are without starting quarterback Carson Wentz, who's out with a fractured back. This means last season's postseason hero in Nick Foles will take over under center for Philadelphia, and they'll desperately need him to pull off a repeat performance from last year.
With the Eagles set to roll out Foles as their starter, it makes things especially interesting from a fantasy football perspective. Specifically for all those who play daily fantasy single-game tournaments, Sunday night likely has your attention. With the season-long fantasy action wrapped up for many players, options such as showdown games can be a great place to turn to keep your season going.
Before we dive too far into the action, here's a look at how showdown games work:
– 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
I'll specifically be looking at the DraftKings showdown slate on Sunday, and will lay out my top picks and targets, as well as multiple different lineups. This includes the optimal lineup, two options for 150-max games (higher upside, more risk) and one single entry/cash option (safer).
Captain Choices for Eagles vs. Rams
With all DraftKings showdown games, choosing a captain can be a key decision. This player comes with an increased price of 1.5-times their normal cost, but also offers a bonus of that same amount. I'll offer top choices for captains and also a breakdown of the top plays to consider in the bonus spot.
When it comes to captain selection, I typically lock in on 4-5 main players to target as captains, which allows me additional flexibility while building lineups. From there, I'll typically zero in on 2-3 who are my favorite choices.
These are the top targets for Saturday's matchup between the Eagles and Rams, all of which feature the 1.5x price tag on DraftKings.
– Todd Gurley ($18,600)
– Jared Goff ($17,400)
– Robert Woods ($14,700)
– Zach Ertz ($13,200)
– Nick Foles ($12,900)
– Darren Sproles ($5,700)
*Brandin Cooks ($14,400), Alshon Jeffery ($10,500), Gerald Everett ($3,300, deep sleeper target) are options as well.
Favorite expensive/mid-range captains: Todd Gurley, Jared Goff
Top value-saving captains: Darren Sproles
As we dive deeper into the lineups, I'll break down each of the captains, but it's worth noting that both Todd Gurley and Jared Goff are two primary targets. Fortunately, I do believe there's enough value on this slate to be able to target one of the two in some cases. Gurley is the top captain on the slate for a variety of reasons.
First up is the optimal lineup and I'll break down the specific plays along the way.
Optimal Lineup
– CAPTAIN: Zach Ertz ($13,200)
– Todd Gurley ($12,400)
– Robert Woods ($9,800)
– Josh Reynolds ($5,800)
– Rams DST ($4,600)
– Darren Sproles ($3,800)
While creating an optimal lineup, the game script unquestionably comes into play, but there's a lot to factor in here, specifically when looking at the Rams side of things. After Los Angeles lost a primetime game against the Chicago Bears on the road last week, seeing an angry group take out their frustration wouldn't be surprising.
With that said, I'll certainly target that, as I do agree with it, but I think we see the Eagles manage to keep this game closer than most are anticipating. After all, Philly's entire season could be on the line here. A key factor is going to be getting a nice mixture of both sides in the optimal lineup, and I think we've hit a few solid spots.
Although I love Jared Goff in this game, I do believe the Rams manage to grab a lead and attempt to lean fairly heavily on Todd Gurley. While that's unlikely to happen until some point in the second half, we'll have plenty of fantasy points to spread around. But the Eagles have been terrorized by running backs in recent games and their season stats may not look horrible, but this spot is great for Gurley.
The Eagles have allowed 89 receptions for 700 yards to opposing running backs this season. In turn, there's a reason to believe we could see Gurley have his best game as a pass-catcher this year.
Based on my personal belief in a game script that points to Philadelphia playing from behind at least a bit and with Nick Foles at the helm, I have a few Eagles targets I'm high on. The first has to be Zach Ertz, who saw 23 targets over the two games he played with Foles this season, including catching 11 passes in one game. He has big upside against a Rams defense that's allowed 874 yards to opposing tight ends.
My second target is Darren Sproles, who I'll lock in on more as we move forward, but his role increases even more as the pass-catching back due to Corey Clement's injury. If the Eagles are playing catch up at any point, it benefits Sproles.
Targeting Eagles' Passing Attack in Specific Areas
There are a variety of ways to attack the Eagles depleted and struggling secondary here, but in this specific lineup, I opted to go with Robert Woods and Josh Reynolds. Brandin Cooks has the highest ceiling, but Woods provides us with a nice mixture of high floor/high ceiling. The Rams wideouts draw a secondary that's allowed 2,572 yards and 15 touchdowns to the position this season, and they're in a huge spot at home.
Attempting to gauge Reynolds' production is a tall task, but due to the fact that Goff is absolutely on fire when he plays at home, it bodes well for him. More importantly, Reynolds has received 20 targets in the past three games, and while only one of those was an overly-productive showing, I like the spot here.
I'll get into the 150-max lineup next, which offers a mixture of high upside plays and some risk as well.
Los Angeles Rams QB Jared Goff
150-Max Entry Lineup No. 2
– CAPTAIN: Darren Sproles ($5,700)
– Todd Gurley ($12,400)
– Robert Woods ($9,800)
– Zach Ertz ($8,800)
– Nick Foles ($8,600)
– Rams DST ($4,600)
The popular choice on this showdown slate will likely be to pay up at the captain spot, so I think going down a bit could be an option in multi-entry tournaments. There are going to be a ton of lineups which specifically have names like Brandin Cooks, Zach Ertz and a few of the other top players as a captain.
If we opt to pay down here, it allows for a grouping that includes multiple high-upside plays. Specifically in Todd Gurley and Robert Woods on the Rams side. Woods is as safe as they come and draws a massive plus matchup against the Eagles secondary.
It's worth noting that while I did split up Woods and Brandin Cooks in the two 150-max lineups, I'm open to using either player. Cooks' upside is tremendous, but it's not as if Woods is lacking upside in his own right. Regardless of the approach and which receiver you use, I think getting one of the two in with Gurley is a wise move.
We cover any type of game flow by using the Rams star back with one of the wideouts. The offense for Los Angeles shouldn't be a concern, especially on their home field. But an area I'm looking to have some exposure in is the Rams defense.
While I don't think Nick Foles is a bad quarterback, and I like the idea of stacking him with Ertz in virtually any format, I do think we see him run into a fair share of sacks. We also can't take interceptions or a pick-six or two off the table. This still has far less to do with the Eagles quarterback than the Rams defense, though.
Even in the loss last week, the Rams totaled 11 DraftKings points, and in the two weeks prior had nine and 21. For good measure, the week in which they had 21 fantasy points was the game against the Kansas City Chiefs in which they gave up 51 points. Even if the Rams give up points, they can still create big plays on defense.
Nick Foles With Zach Ertz and Darren Sproles
If we're banking on Darren Sproles seeing more work as a pass-catcher and believe the Eagles are playing from behind, then this is a sneaky choice for the bonus spot. Although Sproles' workload hasn't been off the charts since his return from injury, he's managed to find the end zone twice, with the first one on the ground.
The electrifying back caught all three of his targets last game for 34 yards and one score, and it's worth noting that when he played with Foles in Week 1, Sproles saw seven targets. I expect Foles to rely on both Sproles as well as Ertz in this game, regardless of how the actual game flow goes.
For those who aren't interested in taking too much risk, the single entry/cash lineup is far more balanced and I'll evaluate that option next.
Single Entry/Cash Lineup
– CAPTAIN: Josh Reynolds ($8,700)
– Todd Gurley ($12,400)
– Robert Woods ($9,800)
– Nick Foles ($8,600)
– Alshon Jeffery ($7,000)
– Greg Zuerlein ($3,400)
When building single entry and cash lineups, a focus should certainly be put on finding players who have high floors and seem to be a bit "safer." Obviously, anything can happen in the world of fantasy football, but the overall outlook of this slate does allow us to get a well-rounded lineup into this spot.
I'm actually going to start with the focus on a few players who I think are in great spots for game options such as this one. Playing Todd Gurley is great in any format and every game but in this situation specifically, I think he's a lock for the single game and cash game format. The floor is as safe as you'll find with any player here, and if the game gets out of hand, he has ane lite matchup on the ground.
Previously I mentioned the Eagles' struggles against pass-catching backs, but they've also allowed 1,101 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground this year. It's also worth noting that Philadelphia has allowed 100-plus yard games on the ground in each of the last five matchups, making this an even better spot for Gurley.
Based on the idea that Gurley's spot is elite and should help fuel the Rams offense to a strong day, it also puts Greg Zuerlein in play. There are many fantasy players who don't have much interest in using kickers on showdown slates, but I think this is a spot where targeting one makes sense.
Since returning from injury, the Rams kicker hasn't fallen below eight DraftKings points in any game, while scoring 11 or more in five of seven games. I fully expect the Rams to put major points on the board and live up to their hype as the No. 3 highest-scoring offense in the NFL. In turn, that equals opportunity and upside for Zuerlein.
Attacking the Eagles Secondary
Placing Josh Reynolds in the captain spot may not be something that has you jumping with joy. But it's not as if Reynolds isn't getting the workload and opportunity. With him in the top spot, it opens up the rest of the lineup a decent amount and lets you get a well-rounded core of players in. For what it's worth, the Rams wideout played 100 percent of the team's offensive snaps in Week 14 (per Football Outsiders).
Along with Reynolds, I was interested in getting another pass-catcher on the Los Angeles side in here. The big winner for a cash lineup was Robert Woods, largely due to what I mentioned previously about his safe floor/high ceiling. Basically, he provides you consistency and upside (although not as much upside as Cooks), making him a great cash game play.
I'm open to any of the three Rams receivers and honestly, there's a chance that making the correct call on them will make the difference in showdowns Sunday night. Reynolds is a name to scatter around, without question, but I think the primary focus should remain on getting Woods or Cooks into various lineups.
One last name to mention is Alshon Jeffery. I'm up in the air a bit on what to expect from a ceiling standpoint. With that said, if the Eagles are playing from behind, he'll have no problem hitting double-digit targets here. The Rams pass defense isn't horrible, but they've given up touchdowns this season. In total, they've allowed 2,085 yards and 18 scores to opposing wideouts, putting Jeffery squarely in play.
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DraftKings NFL Showdown Picks & Optimal Lineups for Eagles vs. Rams