Sunday Night Football brings us a Week 4 matchup between the Detroit Lions and Carolina Panthers, giving DFS players another chance to attack the DraftKings Showdown slate.
Single-game contests are about more than simply squeezing the best projected plays under the salary cap. Building a tournament-winning lineup requires finding the right Captain, identifying value, understanding the likely game script, and finding ways to differentiate from the field. Let’s build!
Top NFL DFS Showdown Captain Picks for SNF
These are the best NFL DFS plays in terms of projection, floor, ceiling, and expected ownership. They should be relatively popular or full-blown chalk.
- Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Lions – No sales pitch needed.
- Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, Lions – Panthers are decent vs WRs on the year but he feasts regularly.
- Bryce Young, QB, Panthers – Young has looked good and Lions rank dead last vs fantasy passers.
- Chuba Hubbard, RB, Panthers – Lions are better against the run but are still middle of the road at best.
- Tet McMillan, WR, Panthers – Detroit is bottom-5 vs WRs and Jalen Coker possibly out, his volume and ceiling go up.
Preferred Captains: Tet
Coker is likely out with the Panthers elevating Ja’Seem Reed, so a big night for Tet is incoming. Right now Gibbs and The Sun God are pulling all of the Captain ownership – and rightfully so – but that makes Tet a very appealing GPP Captain pick at potentially low ownership.
Best GPP Captain Plays for Week 4 SNF
Looking for some off the wall Captain picks that not everyone will be on? Here are a few that I like that shouldn’t sniff the ownership of the guys above.
- Darren Waller, TE, Panthers – Lions rank dead last vs. TEs and he’s been very active (3 TDs) to start the year.
- Jameson Williams, WR, Lions – He’s been quiet all year and the matchup stinks but he can break a slate.
- Sam LaPorta, TE, Lions – Matchup is OK but he is pretty touchdown reliant.
Favorite GPP Captain: Waller
Waller is my favorite Captain of the slate. First, the matchup is fantastic. Detroit cannot track tight ends at all, as they rank 32nd in the NFL, allowing 28.5 fantasy points per game to the position. That’s almost 10 more than the next defense. Secondly, the Panthers should be shorthanded, with WR2 Jalen Coker unlikely to suit up.
If that wasn’t enough, Waller has actually been productive when called upon. Even better? None of this should have him as a popular CPT play. The fact that the stars are aligning and he’ll still be a contrarian Captain pick make him a standout option.
Best SNF DFS Value Picks
Finding inexpensive players with legitimate paths to touches and targets is one of the easiest ways to fit multiple stars into a Showdown lineup. Here are my favorite NFL DFS Showdown values for Thursday Night Football.
- John Metchie, WR, Panthers – Probably the best Panthers WR value with Coke and Legette sidelined.
- Ja’Seem Reed, WR, Panthers – Recently elevated and impressed in camp. Could have a role with Panthers banged up.
- David Moore, WR, Panthers – Low floor, low ceiling play, but he could be busy with Carolina undermanned.
- Sione Vaki, RB, Lions – He’s had a tiny role and the matchup is good in a likely shootout.
- AJ Dillon, RB, Panthers – Jonathon Brooks is still out and he had 5 touches last week. He’s an injury away from crushing.
Showdowns don’t need cores, but you should still have a set of 3-4 plays you have in most of your lineups. For this slate, it’s the following:
- Gibbs
- Tet
- Waller
Gibbs is a staple. He’s the top Captain play and should be your focus in cash or SE. In large field, I’m pretty excited to target Tet and Waller aggressively. They will simply not be owned by comparison.
I’m also looking to roster Bryce Young. I’d also try to split St. Brown and Jameson/LaPorta. Goff is a good play, but not a lock for me. You also can consider splitting up Gibbs and Sun God. So far this year, when one went full nuke mode, the other was on the quieter side. I’d pick a side whenever possible, especially if you’re playing one in the Captain.
Need more help? Try out our DFS lineup optimizer and see what lineups look good for Sunday Night Football this week.
Playing DFS since the days of DraftStreet, Kevin knows the ins and outs of DFS, specifically for NFL and NBA. He’s also been helping people win in fantasy football leagues for 15+ years and is one of many experts featured at FantasyPros.
Want more winning DFS plays like this? Get our daily core plays, leverage spots, and strategy sent straight to your inbox.
Leave a Reply