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DraftKings showdown Monday Night Football: Pittsburgh Steelers vs Cincinnati Bengals

By Jon DeBuchananne

CINCINNATI, OH - OCTOBER 14: Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd (83) catches a touchdown pass during the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals on October 14th 2018, at Paul Brown in Cincinnati, OH. (Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OH - OCTOBER 14: Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd (83) catches a touchdown pass during the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals on October 14th 2018, at Paul Brown in Cincinnati, OH. (Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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PITTSBURGH, PA – SEPTEMBER 15: Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (19) makes a catch while being guarded by Seattle Seahawks defensive back Lano Hill (42) during the NFL football game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Pittsburgh Steelers on September 15, 2019 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, PA. (Photo by Mark Alberti/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) DraftKings Showdown
PITTSBURGH, PA – SEPTEMBER 15: Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (19) makes a catch while being guarded by Seattle Seahawks defensive back Lano Hill (42) during the NFL football game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Pittsburgh Steelers on September 15, 2019 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, PA. (Photo by Mark Alberti/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) DraftKings Showdown /

Each week I will be breaking down the DraftKings Showdown Slates on Monday, Thursday and Sunday night football. The DraftKings showdown slate is one of the more unique game styles that you can pick from on DraftKings.

When playing a DraftKings Showdown lineup you will notice that it is far different from a standard DraftKings contest. Instead of selecting a full roster of position players you have a Captain slot paired with five flex positions. The player you select as your Captain will score 1.5x the standard fantasy point value for each statistic but drafting a player as the Captain will cost you more salary than using them in your flex position. The DraftKings Showdown slate will consist of the same scoring as all other contests not counting the Captain bonus.

Some numbers to keep in mind when building lineups for your showdown slates. Last season the winning lineup had a running back or wide receiver in the Captain slot 71% of the time on the largest prize pool showdown contests.

All Captain selections are major flex considerations

DraftKings Showdown Slate GPP Builds: Steelers vs Bengals
Captain-

James Conner – $15,900

The Bengals have allowed the third-most rushing yards in the league. The rest of the league has played four games while the Bengals have only played three, hello James Conner. This is a get right spot for Conner and this Pittsburgh offense that has been struggling without Big Ben. I would look for Conner to get more than his season-high of 13 carries Monday night while adding some catches in the passing game. While he is going to be heavily owned, it would be wise to have some shares of Conner as your Captain.

Tyler Boyd – $13,800

We are going all in here. One of the best matchups is Tyler Boyd against this Steeler defense in the slot. Teams have completed 26 of 29 targets for over 300 yards and three touchdowns against Steeler slot defenders. With Boyd running more than half of his routes out of the slot, he is going to be one of my highest Captain allocations.

Joe Mixon – $13,200

The Steelers defense has allowed the 6th most yards to opposing rushers this season, the Steelers like the Bengals have done so in just three games while the rest of the league has played four. I would look for Mixon to build off last week’s success against a stingy Bills defense. I prefer him in my flex builds, but I will have some shares of Mixon at Captain.

Other Captain options to differentiate your lineups and give you a chance at the 250k top prize. 

John Ross – $12,600

The best way to win a showdown slate is to have the one player that catches a couple of deep passes. That is exactly what John Ross gives you every time he steps on the field as one of the most dangerous deep threats out there. While Boyd will get to see the best coverage matchup in the slot, Ross can get behind any defense with his 4.2 speed making him viable Monday night.