NFL DFS Showdown Lineup Optimizer Values: DraftKings Picks for Vikings-Eagles
NFL Showdown season continues with the Vikings vs. Eagles on Thursday Night Football. Our expert analysts are breaking down Draftkings Showdown picks with our in-house NFL DFS lineup optimizer. Sign up for RotoGrinders Premium for full access to our NFL lineup optimizer and fantasy football projections all season long.
The Eagles narrowly escaped with a five-point win over the Patriots Sunday and will be looking to put up a much more dominant performance at home against the Vikings. Minnesota is coming off a brutal three point home loss to the Bucs, and now are in a tough spot having to go on the road on a short week against a juggernaut offense and pretty strong defense. With Kenneth Gainwell ruled out, DAndre Swift will likely step into a starting role, while Penny should be active after being inactive last week and help at RB along with Scott.
NFL DFS Showdown Picks: Vikings vs. Eagles Week 2
Currently this game is sitting at a 48.5 total with the Eagles favored by 6.5 points. The Eagles’ 28 team total is the second highest of the week, trailing only the Bills (28.25), while the Chiefs are the only other team projected over 27. Jalen Hurts is looking like the clear must-play from this game, while Jefferson is always the obvious target from Minnesota, but we’re going to need some big time salary relief to fit both in our lineup, especially if you go with one in the captain spot.
Quarterback
Jalen Hurts ($17,100/$11,400) is in an absolute eruption spot facing a Vikings defense that had just 1 sack on Mayfield while allowing 2 TDs and forced no turnovers. Last week was a tough matchup on the road against New England in rainy conditions, but Thursday will be clear skies at home, and he should be your highest-owned player if you’re doing MME and is a cash game lock.
Kirk Cousins ($13,800/$9,200) always seems to find a way to put up 300+ yards and a couple of TDs even when his team loses, or he has a few turnovers which was exactly the case last week. With one of the best group of weapons in the league around him, I think he’ll keep pace with Hurts on the scoreboard, as this Eagles defense just allowed 300+ pass yards and 3 TDs to Mac Jones, and the Vikings offense is much better on paper than the Pats. Hurts’ rushing ability gives him the clear edge over Cousins if you only use one QB in cash games, but most lineups you build should have both QBs, and I would definitely sprinkle in some Cousins captain spot teams.
Running Back
Alexander Mattison ($11,400/$7,600) had 14 touches last game that he turned in to 44 total yards and 1 TD. His only competition in the backfield was Chandler and Ham, who combined saw just 6 total touches. The Eagles D was much more susceptible through the air last game to RBs, allowing 78 yards on 11 receptions to the Stevenson/Zeke combo, while allowing 54 rush yards to them. Game script is likely to put Mattison in more passing situations so this could benefit his upside, but as the sixth priciest player, I’d consider him more of a GPP play than a cash game must.
DAndre Swift ($6,000/$4,000) should step in to a lead role with Gainwell ruled out, although we could see a a committee between Swift, Scott, and Penny so is there some risk going too heavy on Swift. I think Swift is cheap enough as a flex play to be cash game viable, and if you’re doing MME I’d even sprinkle him in the captain spot on a few teams.
Wide Receiver
Justin Jefferson ($18,600/$12,400) is the most expensive player, but it would be silly not to have him as captain in a bunch of GPP lineups as we all know his ability to break any game he’s in. He’s also a clear top cash game play with a likely 10 target floor against an Eagles D that just gave up two TDs to Bourne. Jordan Addison ($9,600/$6,400) comes at a massive discount to Jefferson and is one of my favorite value plays, as he’s the clear highest upside skill player for under $6.5k in a flex spot, and he should be a priority play on any non-Jefferson lineups for max leverage. KJ Osborn ($7,500/$5,000) is merely a GPP play that should be sprinkled in on non-Jefferson lineups and even on some Vikings stacks with Cousins & Addison.
AJ Brown ($15,900/$10,600) and DeVonta Smith ($13,500/$9,000) each had 7 receptions on 10 targets in the opener, with Smith finding the endzone once. It’s almost a guarantee one of them will put up a great line Thursday, but the problem is knowing which on any given week, making both risky cash game plays, but excellent GPP plays using each alone with Hurts. If you’re set on using one in cash games, I’d give Smith the edge at the cheaper salary. Quez Watkins ($4,500/$3,000) is completely off my radar outside of maybe one or two lineups if you’re doing MME.
Tight End
TJ Hockenson ($10,200/$6,800) is coming off an 8 catch game on 9 targets which was second to Jefferson for the Vikings, so he is an excellent value flex play in cash games and someone who could be a GPP winning captain play. The Eagles allowed a solid 5-56-1 line to Hunter Henry so they are susceptible to TEs, and I love stacking Hockenson and Addison with Cousins on most if not all lineups that don’t include Jefferson.
Dallas Goedert ($8,700/$5,800) is coming off the worst game of his career with zero catches on just one target. This will almost certainly lower his ownership, making him a great GPP play as a hedge to lineups without Brown or Smith, but I won’t be considering him for cash games.
Defense/Special Teams
Jake Elliott ($6,300/$4,200) is the only K/DST that I’d consider cash game viable as a home favorite in good weather, while the Eagles DST is worth using on a few lineups if you’re doing MME. The Vikings DST and Joseph are way off the cash game radar, and I’d only consider Joseph on a small portion of GPP lineups if any.
Thursday Night Football NFL DFS Strategy
Going with Hurts in the captain spot and Cousins in a flex spot leaves you with just under $6k per flex spot remaining, so unless you go with a dirt cheap flex option, fitting Jefferson in with both QBs is going to be tough, but definitely worth doing on multiple GPP teams. Using Jake Elliott makes it much easier to fill your remaining three flex spots with high usage/upside plays like Hockenson and Addison which is currently the route I’ll likely go with for cash games. If Gainwell gets ruled out, then Swift becomes a great pivot for $4k in a flex spot, and a strong leverage play to stack with Hurts and one of his receivers in GPPs. A lot of builds are looking like 4-2 Vikings stacks just based on the pricing and likely game script of Minnesota having to throw a lot, and Hurts’ rushing ability makes using him naked or with just one of his receivers still a super high upside play.
DraftKings DFS Showdown Rankings
1. Jalen Hurts – Clear must-play of the game in my opinion as a dual-threat QB on the projected second-highest scoring team of the week, and my favorite captain play in all formats.
2. TJ Hockenson – Outside of Jefferson, he’s the safest Vikings player for targets and TD opportunity, and I think he’s priced about $1k too low.
3. Kirk Cousins – Always smart to use both QBs in the current second-highest projected game total of the week, especially one with as many weapons that Cousins has.
4. DAndre Swift – With news of Gainwell being out, Swift is in line to handle most of the RB touches and is very strong flex play for $4,000.
5. Jordan Addison / Jake Elliott – Both are cheap enough to be considered top cash game value targets, and Addison is a fantastic GPP leverage play on lineups without Jefferson.
NFL DFS Lineup Optimizer for Thursday Night Football
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