Getty Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints
DraftKings NFL $1.1M Monday Night Football Showdown is open for entry now. The contest features a battle between the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints.
The first place prize winner of the Showdown will receive a hefty $250K payout. Let’s see how to optimize our lineups below.
Rules & Scoring:
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- Six total players (one captain, five flex players)
- Captain selection costs 1.5x standard salary
- Captain scores 1.5x fantasy point values
- Can choose from any position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DST)
- You can use as many players at the same position as you’d like
- $50,000 salary cap
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Roster Construction
- Captain: Michael Thomas $18,900
- FLEX: Drew Brees $12,000
- FLEX: Jacoby Brissett $9,000
- FLEX: Nyheim Hines $3,800
- FLEX: Chase McLaughin $3,600
- FLEX: Taysom Hill $2,000
Why This Lineup?
Michael Thomas is the third leading scorer in fantasy, regardless of position. He’s also seen double-digit targets in eight of his last nine games. That’s the type of production and volume you dream of from your captain position.
Since returning from injury, Drew Brees has averaged 22.2 fantasy points per game, good enough to tie him for the fourth-best average by a QB over that span. The Colts defense has allowed an average of 22.57 fantasy points to opposing QBs over their last four games.
Jacoby Brissett may not be the sexiest name in the player pool, but a quick look at his production tells you how he found his way into our lineup. He’s scored 16.12+ fantasy points in three of his last four games, while averaging 20.15 points over the last two weeks. The Saints allow the 10th-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this season, and an average of 22.4 points to the position over their last four games.
New Orleans has allowed two running backs to both eclipse 40+ yards receiving, while also finding the end zone as pass-catchers over their last three games. In fact, since their Week 9 bye, the Saints have surrendered four receiving touchdowns to opposing running backs. Sign me up for Nyheim Hines on Monday night.
Chase McLaughlin scores points, no matter what jersey he may be wearing. The journeyman rookie, who has played for five teams this season, has scored double-digit fantasy points in four of his last six games while averaging 11 fantasy points since Week 9.
Michael Thomas and Drew Brees ate up our salary, so we’ll take the chance on Taysom Hill. We even shifted our lineup around, plugging Jacoby Brissett into our captain slot, however, the only notable player to become available from that move was Tedd Ginn. Hill has outscored Ginn by 13 fantasy points over the last two weeks.
Final Thoughts & Obvious Omissions
The most obvious omission for Monday night’s Showdown is undoubtedly Alvin Kamara. However, if you’ve owned Kamara in year-long fantasy leagues, you’re likely not shocked. While he still carries the salary of a locked-in RB1, his production is far from it.
Kamara has averaged just 9.85 fantasy points over his last two games and has scored one lone rushing touchdown all season long. Indianapolis allows the fifth-fewest fantasy points to running backs this year, including the fourth-fewest rushing touchdowns surrendered.
Reminder, tonight’s game kicks off at 8:15 pm ET. Be sure to set your lineups and good luck!
- *Check out our other Week 15 Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Ems to further optimize your lineups
- Start-Sit [ QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | DEF | Ks]
READ NEXT: Post Week 15 NFL Power Rankings