NFL Showdown is not about who you play as much as how you play them.
Median projections are a tool in the toolbox, but they are to be trusted far less than they would be on the main slate. This is because of the large ramifications associated with a single player underproducing or overproducing relative to their projection.
The most likely outcome is only one of infinite outcomes.
When ownership dictates that the field has the game figured out, lean into builds around a different scenario.
The term “any given Sunday” should be the mantra for successfully building Showdown lineups.
Slate Breakdown
The Los Angeles Rams are heading to Cincinnati to take on the Bengals as 1.5-point underdogs. The total is set at 43.5.
Joe Burrow is considered questionable with his ankle injury, but his status oddly doesn’t change much about the slate.
The Bengals offense has been one of the worst in the league through their first two games.
The Rams offense has functioned surprisingly well given they placed Cooper Kupp on IR and traded Cam Akers to the Vikings.
Injury Notes
- Joe Burrow – Calf – Questionable
- Puka Nacua – Abdomen – Probable
- Irv Smith Jr. – Hamstring – Doubtful
Los Angeles Rams Offense
Tier 1 DFS Showdown Plays:
Puka Nacua – $10,000
Nacua is fresh off an NFL record of 35 targets and 25 receptions through his first two games. He’s filling Cooper Kupp’s role better than anyone in the league as a fifth-round rookie. The fairytale story may be coming up on a plot twist as Nacua has been dealing with an injured oblique. So long as Nacua is expected to handle a full workload, $10,000 is about $2,000 too cheap.
Matthew Stafford – $10,200
Stafford is the less exciting quarterback of these two, but he’s been far more productive. He’s attempted a whopping 93 passes through two games paired with back-to-back 300-yard passing performances. He also has the benefit of being $1,200 cheaper and pairing with better stacking options.
