Justin Elick 
Monday Night Football brings us another matchup with a large spread. The 49ers are currently favored by 10 in Arizona against the Cardinals. The home team has major injury concerns for this one. Zach Ertz is OUT for the season, and both Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins are limping into this one at less than 100%. Keep an eye on the status of those key players for this one as the day progresses. Let’s cash in tonight!
DraftKings and FanDuel each have a slightly different setup for Showdown slates, with DraftKings using a “Captain” spot. Captain earns you 1.5X points, BUT also costs you 1.5X in salary. FanDuel uses an “MVP”, which is ALSO 1.5X points, but salaries are the same, regardless of position. DraftKings uses 5 FLEX spots, and FanDuel uses 4 “AnyFLEX” spots to fill out your roster.
Captain/MVP Plays
Christian McCaffrey, 49ers ($17,100 DraftKings, $16,500 FanDuel)
I’m hoping that ownership comes off McCaffrey a bit in this one after Elijah Mitchell stormed back into a major role in the offense. I am a big fan of both here (more on Mitchell in a bit), but McCaffrey still possesses one of the highest ceilings of any player in the NFL.
He totaled 18 touches last week against the Chargers, totaling 77 yards and a score. Not exactly mind-blowing numbers, but the volume will remain elite. This isn’t quite the matchup that we saw last week, but Arizona still ranks 20th in the NFL, allowing more than 23 fantasy points per game to opposing RB.
My main hesitation with CMC would be a potential blowout. If Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins both sit this one out, it could get ugly. That said, CMC is an elite talent with a great role in this offense. You’ll want exposure to him in this one.
Rondale Moore, Cardinals ($9,900 DraftKings, $10,500 FanDuel)
Regardless of the status of Hopkins or Murray, I’m all aboard the Moore train. He is coming off one of his best games of the season, and the Cardinals will need all the help they can get in this one. Even if Colt McCoy suits up in place of Murray again, Moore is in a good spot.
The 49ers are 2nd in the NFL in fantasy points allowed to opposing RB, but middle of the pack against WR. Moore is a solid option across the board, and should be low owned in the bonus spot.
George Kittle, 49ers ($10,500 DraftKings, $10,000 FanDuel)
Kittle was a non-factor last week against the Chargers, but draws a dream matchup here against the Cardinals. You know from the Tight End article each week that we continue to pick on Arizona with TEs, and this is a smash spot for Kittle.
The Cardinals remain the worst in the NFL against opposing TE, allowing nearly 21 fantasy points per game. Fire him up! His DraftKings salary is far too low also…
Other Options
I work in management for a major retailer, so I’m cutting it a bit close on time with the holiday week. Here’s a quick breakdown of some more options I’m going after for MNF.
It’s DEFENSE MONDAY! The 49ers defense has elite upside each week, and being listed as a big favorite only helps matters. Regardless of who is under center, the 49er defense is in play here for me.
Elijah Mitchell is another option you need to be invested in for the showdown slate. His salary isn’t the stone minimum it was last week, but his role was ELITE. If the 49ers roll through this matchup as Vegas expects, then Mitchell could once again see 15+ touches. This isn’t the cake matchup it was last week, but you need to have some shares of Mitchell here.
James Conner isn’t in a particularly good spot, but with Eno Benjamin out of town now, he should continue to see a few extra looks in the passing game. He had 24 touches last week. This game script likely won’t dictate him seeing 20+ carries, he will be heavily involved once again.
Colt McCoy/Kyler Murray are both in play here depending on who suits up. I’m not dying to play McCoy, but I see the validity in playing either with Arizona likely to be behind for much of the contest.
Jauan Jennings had himself another solid game last week, and is a viable dart throw here. AJ Green found the end zone last week, and could see a few extra looks if Hopkins doesn’t suit up. His floor is very low, but he is cheap!
Both kickers are solid options here. Kickers have continued to post good numbers on showdown slates, so I’d advise some exposure here!
Make sure to join our Discord to jump into our conversations with the team and share your successes (I am “Myrtle Beach Mermen”, if you understand the reference, we will get along right away! We have a TON of great tools for you to check out, make sure you’re taking advantage! You can find projections here and try out the optimizer here.
Good luck on Monday Night! Make sure to follow me on Twitter if you aren’t already, and let’s meet at the top of the leaderboards!
