DraftKings Showdown MNF DFS Plays: Wild Card Round

One last DraftKings Monday night slate for the next few months. This slate actually overlaps with the main slate, as the Houston Texans take on the Pittsburgh Steelers for the final Wild Card weekend game. And after a weekend of some great games, we will have a defensive showdown tonight. The projected total for tonight’s game is 38.5 points. That would be the lowest of any of the six games. Tonight’s weather at Acrisure Stadium is not a problem. Low winds, and of course, it will be cold. It should not be a problem for Houston. And my preferred captain play will be someone I have already talked about this weekend.

Wild Card Weekend DraftKings Monday Night Football Showdown Plays

Captain Play: Nico Collins, Houston Texans (15.9K)

It is weird when my favorite play on the main slate is also my favorite captain pick on the Monday slate. However, I guess that puts the wild in Wild Card weekend. Nico Collins has the highest upside out of anyone on this DraftKings slate. And I highlighted that for the main slate, he is an excellent matchup against man coverage, which Pittsburgh runs a heavy dose of. Tenth in PFF grade, and fifth in yards per route run against man coverage. Nico Collins is well rested after getting Week 18 off. Fire up Collins against a weak secondary on the road.

Flex Play: C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans (10.2K)

I will not take up too much time here, as I also listed Stroud in the main slate article. Stacking Collins with his quarterback against the defense that allows the fourth-most passing yards is something I want in my lineups. If Pittsburgh comes out as they did against Baltimore, it could be a long night courtesy of Stroud and Collins.

Flex Play: Kenneth Gainwell, Pittsburgh Steelers (8.8K)

Gainwell has emerged as a star on the west side of the state, where he started his pro career. And he has established himself as quite the target out of the backfield for Aaron Rodgers. Gainwell tied De’Von Achane for the fifth-most targets at the position. And the Texans give up the 14th most receiving yards to the running back position. With four of his last five games seeing him register over 15 DraftKings points, he must be on fantasy radars tonight. Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter rushing the passer may create more opportunities for Gainwell in the passing game, on top of what was already a desirable role. Gainwell has 34 targets in his last five games with the team, and has the best odds on the team to score a touchdown at +215.

Flex Play: Dalton Schultz, Houston Texans (6.4K)

Schultz has an appropriate salary on DraftKings for someone who ended the season as hot as he did. The Steelers are also an excellent matchup for Schultz. The team gives up the fourth-most fantasy points to the position. And the red zone is where they struggle, particularly against tight ends, giving up 11 touchdowns, the fourth most, tied with the Arizona Cardinals. We saw that in action against the Miami Dolphins with Darren Waller scoring twice, and Harold Fanin Jr. scoring before he left the game with an injury. Schultz has been Mr. reliable for the Texans, catching the most passes on the team this year. And someone Stroud will look for in the inevitable tough spots they will get into against the Steelers on the road.

Defenses & Kickers

For a game that will not see many points, both defenses and kickers are on the table. The Houston Texans’ defense would be my preferred pick. That defense could end up carrying them all the way to a Super Bowl. Their defense was also tied for the most defensive touchdowns on the season with the Cleveland Browns. That alone firmly puts them on my radar. They were also seventh in sacks on the season. And one of the teams they were behind was the Pittsburgh Steelers, who were right in front of them at sixth. Their DraftKings salary, which is $1,200 less than the Texans’ at $3,600, makes them an option as well.

In a game where points can be scarce, kickers are an option. Especially someone like Ka’imi Fairbairn, who has not scored under eight points since Week 3 in his 12 games played in that time frame, which is unbelievable consistency. On the other side, Chris Boswell has the higher DraftKings salary at $5,200, and he will be the contrarian option of the two. He has not been consistently getting opportunities to kick field goals like he was earlier in the season. And do not forget that Pittsburgh is a grueling place to kick, and we saw that last weekend with Tyler Loop. Neither is a must-play, but both are worth rostering to save DraftKings salary.

Final Thoughts

This slate is a tricky one to find low-salary options on DraftKings. Jayden Higgins is +400 to score a touchdown, and his salary is $7,200. Fantastic contrarian option, might I add. Jonnu Smith, at a salary of $4,000 could be an option, especially if he continues to see those pitch plays. I would lean on the defenses and kickers to make lineups work this week. It will be chalky, but that is how this slate will likely play out. Connor Heyward has tush push potential, but I do not see many scoring opportunities for the Steelers in this one. However, with the defenses and kickers, it is still easy to make lineups work. Leave salary on the table in these scenarios to reduce the risk of your lineup getting copied on this slate. Other than that, I appreciate everyone reading throughout the season, and I hope everyone enjoys the game.