DraftKings NFL Showdown Picks & DFS Lineups for Seahawks vs. Cowboys

Optimal Lineup

– Captain: Michael Gallup ($7,800)
– Ezekiel Elliott ($12,400)
– Amari Cooper ($10,400)
– Chris Carson ($9,400)
– Tyler Lockett ($7,400)
– Mike Davis ($2,600)

There's a good chance most people overlook Michael Gallup this week and that's a big reason why I'm interested in taking a unique approach to the optimal lineup. While the popular consensus will be to load in a big name in the captain spot, the upside of some of the bigger names on this slate is hit-or-miss.

The focus behind the build for the optimal lineup is around trying to be somewhat unique while also looking to find a decent mixture of upside/safety. Although using Gallup as the captain may seem risky, I wouldn't be shocked to see the Seahawks (likely unsuccessfully) try to lock in on Amari Cooper.

Considering the fact that Gallup has 10 targets over the past two weeks which led to six catches, over 50 yards in both games and one touchdown, he's a solid play. Even looking further back than that, the Cowboys rookie had one dud three weeks ago, but in the six games prior saw five or more targets in each. It's apparent Dak Prescott is looking his way and has faith in him.

Speaking of Cowboys receivers and Cooper, if there's one thing we should know by now it's that the former Oakland Raiders pass-catcher thrives in the spotlight. With Dallas playing on Saturday night in the marquee matchup of wild-card weekend, there's a safe reason to bet on him.

Cooper is expensive but there's a good reason for it. When looking back at a three-game stretch from Thanksgiving through the upset of the New Orleans Saints, he went off in primetime. The in-season acquisition by the Cowboy caught eight passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns against the Redskins and eight balls for 75 yards against the Saints. He saved his best for last, though, as Cooper hauled in an absurd 10 passes for 217 yards and three touchdowns against the Philadelphia Eagles.

I could take the deep dive into Ezekiel Elliott and his value, but I'll take a different route. Elliott has the highest floor, ceiling and monster upside of any player likely on this entire wild-card weekend slate (even if we included other games). I previously mentioned the Seahawks numbers against opposing running backs, but the one thing that jumps out is his potential as a pass-catcher.

The Seahawks have given up 102 receptions for 908 yards and seven touchdowns through the air to the position. Over the past six games, Elliott has seen at least six targets and caught five or more passes in each game. Even going back further, he's only had two games all season in which he had less than three receptions in a game.

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Seahawks Running Back Targets

I think there are actually a few intriguing targets on the Seahawks side worth considering. One other way I opted to get somewhat unique with the optimal lineup was by using both Chris Carson and Mike Davis together. In most cases, I'll leave money left over to try to avoid creating the same lineup as a lot of other people, but I'm not concerned here.

Between Gallup as the captain and using Carson/Davis in the same lineup, I think we're in the clear. Carson's workload has simply been great, as he's totaled at least 19 carries in each of the past four games, scored one or more touchdowns in all matchups and topped 100 yards three times. His upside is there and the floor looks good, even in a matchup against a solid Cowboys run defense.

What's interesting here is that while Seattle's starting running back has dominated hte workload, Davis has still managed to produce at a solid rate. The team focused on getting him more involved over the past three games and it led to just one poor showing in which he had seven carries for 31 yards. Even in that game, Davis received three attempts in the red zone but just couldn't navigate his way into the end zone.

From here, we'll hit on the 150-max lineup which comes with a bit more risk but a whole lot of upside. This lineup isn't exactly for everyone, but it makes sense in a spot where you'll need to take a chance to hit big.