DraftKings showdown Thursday Night Football: New England Patriots vs New York Giants
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 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
** A few factors that must be taken into account when building your lineups for this game. First, we must look into the weather that is approaching Foxboro as a major storm is likely Thursday afternoon. If we do get the 35-45 MPH winds and over an inch of rain that they’re reporting, the defenses will be upgraded on this slate as will both running games. It is simply too difficult to throw the football with any success in heavy winds and rain.
The second aspect that must be monitored will be the injury situation as Evan Engram, Saquon Barkley, Sterling Sheppard, Wayne Gallman, Phillip Dorsett, Rex Burkhead are all unlikely to play. If these key players are out, the backups receive a major boost.
DraftKings Showdown Slate GPP Builds: Patriots vs Giants
Captain-
Julian Edelman – $15,600
This is a tough showdown slate with so much unknown about the weather. The one thing that we do know, is that this Giants defense is horrendous at covering pass catchers. The Giants allow the second-most fantasy points to wide receivers with 31 a game. I will want as many shares of this Patriots passing attack as I can get starting with Edelman as one of my Captains.
Josh Gordon – $13,500
One player that is ripe for a breakout performance is Josh Gordon. This Giants secondary is the perfect get right matchup as they allow the second-most fantasy points to perimeter receivers, which is where Gordon lines up 90% of snaps. I am looking for a big game from Gordon should the wind and rain hold-off Thursday night.
James White – $10,200
With Phillip Dorsett likely out, James White will see an expanded workload at receiver. Which is good news for his price tag as he is currently second on the team in receptions but lower priced than Josh Gordon. If the rain is a major factor, White becomes one of my favorite plays on the slate, as he will be a focal point of this Patriots passing attack if the winds are howling.
Other Captain options to differentiate your lineups and give you a chance at the 250k top prize.
Sony Michel – $11,400
The Patriots are currently a 17 point favorite with severe weather approaching. If the weather goes to hell, Michel and White are my two favorite Captain plays this week. The Patriots should be operating with a large lead and melt the game away on the ground with Michel who should see 20+ touches.