Week 11 of the NFL is concluding, and it wraps up with a likely high-scoring DraftKings Showdown slate. The total is at 49.5 points with the Cowboys as slight favorites. Dallas is currently a 3.5-point favorite. That feels appropriate, given their defensive miscues throughout the season.
However, the Raiders’ offense has been inconsistent throughout the year as well. So it will be a fascinating duel. We won’t have to worry about the weather in this one either. Both teams play in a dome, but we will be in Las Vegas for this one. Expect this to be a potential offensive shootout, given the defensive deficiencies on both sides. For our captain pick on DraftKings, we will lean towards the safer side, focusing on the expected offense with Dallas.
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Monday Night Football DraftKings Showdown Plays
Captain Pick: George Pickens, Dallas Cowboys (13.5K)
Hear me out with this one: George Pickens has seen only four fewer targets than CeeDee Lamb in their last two games. And one of these two is going to draw a favorable matchup in Kyu Blu Kelly, who is giving up the eighth-most yards at cornerback this season. CeeDee Lamb will command primary coverage from this Raiders’ secondary, while George Pickens will be able to build on his strong season against zone coverage. Pickens has scored five of his six touchdowns against zone coverage, and has a higher yards per route run against zone than CeeDee Lamb. It is close, though, with a difference of 0.30 yards, from 2.82 yards to 2.52 yards. Pickens also has a league-high 148.2 passer rating when targeted against zone coverage with a minimum of ten targets. I project Pickens to continue his significant role against a weak Raiders secondary tonight. And I will happily take the DraftKings salary savings compared to Lamb, whose salary is $2,000 higher.
Flex Play: Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys (10.4K)
Stacking a quarterback with a captain wide receiver is always a strong correlation play. Prescott has been fantasy gold for most of the season, and it helps when your team leads the league in passing attempts per game. Yes, Prescott has struggled over the past two weeks leading up to the bye. However, the Dallas Cowboys are still third in the league in points per game. And a Raiders defense that is allowing the 12th most points per game. I will trust the early-season film of Dak Prescott here and bank on a pass-heavy game plan against a Raiders team that has been sneakily strong against the run this season, ranking ninth in estimated points added against the run.
Flex Play: Ashton Jeanty, Las Vegas Raiders (10K)
The Dallas Cowboys have also struggled against the run this season. There is just no way around it. Dallas is giving up the third-most estimated points added against the run. And make no mistake, Ashton Jeanty is having a good rookie year; the situation is just less than ideal for a rookie running back to succeed. Now, this matchup is one in which Jeanty could thrive. Jeanty had his best DraftKings fantasy game of the season against the Chicago Bears, which is one where he got involved as a receiver and caught two touchdowns. The Dallas Cowboys are allowing the second-most receiving yards to the running back position. In either game script, Jeanty will have a significant role. I like him to score a touchdown tonight against a weak Cowboys defense.
Flex Play: Tre Tucker, Las Vegas Raiders (6.6K)
This matchup is a perfect one for Tre Tucker. He has the second-highest average depth of target on the Raiders at 8.67 yards, only behind Dont’e Thornton, who has just six receptions on the season. The Cowboys allow the fourth-highest average depth of target to opposing receivers. And they allow the second-most fantasy points to receivers. Tre Tucker is the clear second option in the passing game and could break the slate on DraftKings with a long touchdown.
Flex Play: Tyler Lockett, Las Vegas Raiders (3.4K)
The more things change, the more they stay the same. Tyler Lockett is leading a Pete Carroll-coached team in targets. That was the case at least against the Denver Broncos in his second game with the team. A familiar face for Geno Smith against a poor passing defense could be the low DraftKings salary player that your lineup needs to conclude Week 11. I do not expect the trend to continue from last week, but he is still worth mentioning due to his performance last Thursday.
Kickers and Defenses:
When playing a game that is projected to be high-scoring, kickers could get heavily involved. That is especially true when they are in a controlled environment, such as a dome in Las Vegas. Brandon Aubrey has the potential to break a slate if you believe the Raiders’ defense offers any resistance. He has already scored 22 and 17 DraftKings points in games this season. Daniel Carlson is also viable given the poor performance of the Cowboys’ defense. I would lean heavily towards Aubrey, whose salary is $600 higher on DraftKings, but the upside is with Aubrey and his long field goals.
For the defenses, I mentioned Dallas last time, and they came through with a punt blocked for a touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals. With Geno Smith second in the league with 13 interceptions, DaRon Bland is always live for a pick-six. As for the Raiders’ defense, I have little to no interest in it, given the high-scoring nature of the Cowboys’ offense every week. However, they could be a great pivot play to think about in tournaments, as everyone is likely thinking the same thing. I don’t like their outlook, but sometimes you have to play the probability game on DraftKings Showdown slates.
Final Thoughts
Additionally, everyone I haven’t mentioned, such as Javonte Williams, CeeDee Lamb, and Brock Bowers, should also be considered. Points will be plentiful tomorrow with two of the worst defenses going at it in primetime. With that narrative being widespread, it presents an excellent opportunity to be contrarian in these big tournaments. Lineups pairing the running backs with the defenses will be largely absent on this DraftKings Showdown slate. So, I stress this a lot, but for a one-game slate, everything is in play. Now I would not advise leaving too much DraftKings salary on the table, but still, there are many ways to build, and you never know, it could just be your lucky night. I wish everyone the best of luck on this DraftKings Showdown slate.
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