Getty Gallery: 1/5
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.