Getty While there have been a few mediocre Thursday Night Football games during the 2018 NFL season, it's safe to say Week 13 should bring some excitement. At the very least, it'll provide plenty of entertainment and a plethora of big names. To start off the week, the New Orleans Saints (10-1) look to continue their red-hot start against the NFC East-leading Dallas Cowboys (6-5). Although the Saints have a big edge in the win column, the Cowboys seem to have started turning a corner as of late. After a 28-14 loss to the Tennessee Titans dropped the team to 3-5 on the year and in a bit of a hole in the NFC East, they've now reeled off three-straight wins. Their success has largely come on the back of Ezekiel Elliott's impressive string of performances, and the acquisition of former Oakland Raiders wide receiver Amari Cooper has helped as well. On the opposite side, the Saints have reeled off 10 straight victories following a Week 1 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The impressive run has been a strong all-around effort on both sides of the ball, but Drew Brees is putting up MVP-caliber numbers. Through 11 games, he's completed an astounding 76.4 percent of his passes for 3,135 yards and 27 touchdowns. Brees has also thrown just one interception and is on pace for one of the best seasons of his career. This game is big for both teams, as the Cowboys attempt to push further ahead in the division while the Saints are battling for the No. 1 seed with the Los Angeles Rams. Not surprisingly, with this being a high-profile game, there are quite a few fantasy football games offered in one-game slates on various sites. Specifically, DraftKings is offering their showdown option, and I'll approach the slate by giving some insight, picks and optimal lineups. While the Thursday night game features plenty of offensive weapons on both sides of the ball, it should make for interesting roster construction. In turn, the showdown slate has the potential to be a fun one. Before we get into the actual lineups, I'll break down general rules of showdowns, top choices for the captain spot and then lineups for each of the specific game types offered. This will feature three different lineups which are created for the style of game that you're playing. First up will be the optimal lineup, which is built around a mixture of my favorite plays, one or two values and a bit of risk mixed in. There will also be a 150-max option which has more risk and attempts to target a few lower-owned options but also brings a high upside. Last but not least is the single entry/cash lineup with less risk and somewhat safer plays. Let's start with showdown rules and the general idea behind how the DraftKings 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 begin with my captain choices for the Saints vs. Cowboys matchup, including both expensive and inexpensive options.
The contract holdout of running back Ezekiel Elliott and looming contract extensions for quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver Amari Cooper have Dallas Cowboys fans riled up entering the preseason.
YouTube star Cameron Magruder, aka “Scooter Magruder,” goes in on the way Dallas Cowboys fans try to justify the biggest stories heading into the preseason. Zeke, Cooper, and Prescott are mentioned in his satirical rant:
Cowboys Fans During Zeke’s Holdout 😂😂😂
Magruder is known for his videos on other sports-related topics. He usually plays the role of different characters associated with each fanbase or league. He incorporates sports knowledge into his videos and has pegged many fans for their antics. Unfortunately, the Cowboys were one of his most recent targets.
Elliott’s Contract Holdout & Replacements
Elliott has missed 15 days of training camp and will be training in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico for the Cowboys’ preseason opener against the San Francisco 49ers. Teammates like rookie Tony Pollard and veteran Alfred Morris will be given the reins to the backfield in Elliott’s absence.
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It is clear the Cowboys will have a tough year if Elliott doesn’t play take the field. The replacements are nowhere near the caliber of the rushing champion. Once a move is made on Elliott’s contract, his holdout status will become clear. It has been slow on the news front lately, but as the season looms a decision will have to be made. Either the Cowboys pay up for the star or they will have to face the same full-season strike that Le’Veon Bell executed last year with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Bell now plays for the New York Jets.
If the two sides can agree to terms, Elliott should be able to get back into the offensive fold fairly quickly. It will be a welcomed sight to see him in pads, running through gaps provided by a healthy offensive line. If Zeke is really training in Cabo, he should be in pretty good shape and will need only a few practices to get the game speed back.
He will join Prescott and Cooper as contract extension candidates this season. Elliott is the only one holding out. Prescott is set to make $2 million this season on his rookie deal and has been patient with negotiations. Cooper’s process has been a bit slower and there does not seem to be much of a concern on either side to get a deal done.
Elliott’s Phenomenal Career
As the league’s leading rusher with 1,434 yards last season, Elliott scored nine total touchdowns with over 500 receiving yards.
In 2016, Zeke started as a rookie and scored 15 rushing touchdowns. His first three seasons have been stellar as he has rushed for over 4,000 yards.
As the focal point of the Cowboys offense, he could be running behind an offensive line that is back to full health by the season opener.
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