Ben and I [Bales] are working on adding Showdown success to our resumes throughout the 2021 NFL season. We’ll be posting Showdown Core Plays for every Thursday, Sunday, and Monday night game of the season. These Core Plays will go along with our usual mains late Core Plays that we offer.
In this article, Ben will focus on a few of his favorite plays for the showdown slate, while I focus more on the strategy I’m deploying in tournaments, specifically single-entry leagues. If you want more access to us, join our free Discord chat.
Ben’s Top Plays
Favorite CPT: Robby Anderson
Anderson is coming off a dud of a game (6.8 DK points) but that has resulted in a decreased price tag vs the hapless Texans defense. Much has been made over the last week about Anderson’s volatile role, but he leads the NFL in aDOT (21.8) and is first on the Panthers with a 37% share of the teams Air Yards. He’s being used more as a deep threat this season, and that’s going to result in some big games when he does pop. There’s no better time for him to get going than tonight, Houston is dead last in QB Pressures through two weeks. Sam Darnold should have clean pockets tonight, and I’m hoping for the Anderson eruption we have been waiting for.
Favorite Value: Anthony Miller
This is a true punt play on DK, as Miller comes into tonight priced at just $1,000. We have yet to see him on the field in 2021, as he was a healthy scratch for the teams first two games. Miller will be active for Thursday’s game, with both Danny Amendola and Nico Collins out. He only needs a few catches to pay off this price, and I do think the Texans will be able to put up points.
Favorite Overall Play: Christian McCaffrey
This is obvious, and needs to explanation as to why he is the top projection on this slate. This is as soft as a matchup as CMC will get all season, and he has a legit shot at the 100 yard rushing and receiving bonus tonight. He will be the highest-owned FLEX player, and the highest owned CPT as well.
Bales’ GPP Process
This isn’t exactly the most straightforward slate in the world, but there is one player that should be locked into all of your lineups – Christian McCaffrey. As obvious as he is, some will avoid him for the off chance he doesn’t perform well. I won’t be one of those fantasy players. With that being said, I also won’t be using McCaffrey as captain on DraftKings, as I’ll need to save some salary. I’m also looking to use both quarterbacks – Sam Darnold and Davis Mills – on this slate. The thought process behind that is simple. First, I expect the Carolina Panthers to be winning by quite a bit, leaving Mills to throw for the majority of the game. Second, I’ll likely end up with one of Carolina’s receivers as captain to try to gain leverage over CMC. For a ceiling lineup, I’ll need Darnold to find success with that particular receiver [among any other Panthers offensive weapons I use].
Outside of McCaffrey, there are three options I’m considering for the Carolina passing attack. DJ Moore is seemingly everyone’s favorite on this slate, and he’ll likely garner the most ownership – at flex or captain. I believe he’s an outstanding option, although I’m also comfortable avoiding him if I like the lineup. Robby Anderson and Terrace Marshall are projecting for lesser ownership, and they both make intriguing options for their price tags. Anderson specifically comes with the pure upside I’m looking at for captain because of his elite speed and success down the field.
On the Houston side, I’m likely to take a stand against any of their running backs. It’s important to note that Mark Ingram gets plenty of work in the red zone, but I’m not expecting the Texans to be in a spot to give Ingram the workload he needs to hit his ceiling. Brandin Cooks is their clear-cut WR1, and he’ll see plenty of volume in this game. He’s a great option, although he’s a bit pricey. If you need to save a bit of salary, Chris Conley and Anthony Miller are the top options with Danny Amendola and Nico Collins injured. Either can be used as a salary relief option on this slate.
As always, more goes into Showdown slates than solely what’s written in this article. You can get access to us in our Premium Discord along with our Thursday, Sunday, and Monday showdown Core Plays and our normal main slate Core Plays through our premium package.
