FanDuel Super Bowl Showdown: Bengals vs. Rams

The NFL DFS season concludes with the showdown slates for the Super Bowl, and we’ve got the breakdown to help you win big in the big game!

NOTE: For a refresher on showdown general rules and strategy, see my first showdown article of 2021. This article will focus on the FanDuel contests, rules and pricing.

Let’s get to the game!

Super Bowl NFL DFS MVP candidates (1.5x points)

Some notes on the differences on the MVP slot on FanDuel: FD doesn’t assess a salary penalty but still bumps the points scored to 1.5x – a crucial factor in who we choose since the chalkiest player is that much more chalky on FD.

Super Bowl Showdown NFL DFS Chalk: Cooper Kupp (FD $16,000)

Pivot #1: Joe Burrow (FD $15,000)

Pivot #2: Matthew Stafford (FD $15,500)

Pivot #3: Ja’Maar Chase (FD $12,000)

Contrarian #1: Odell Beckham, Jr. (FD $10,500)

Contrarian #2: Tee Higgins (FD $10,500)

Contrarian #3: Joe Mixon (FD $12,500)

FanDuel Value Play: Kendall Blanton (FD $8,000)

So, in writing a FanDuel-specific column, I certainly want many of the same guys, but we have to take some chances at the top slot, because there’s no penalty. As I said on the DK article, Cooper Kupp is once again the chalk. The NFL’s top scoring fantasy WR is drawing heavy ownership on FD as well, thought Matt Stafford is on his heels a lot more with these rules. I like Stafford, but Joe Burrow and the Bengals are who I’ll lean to more. I REALLY like going with Ja’Marr Chase as the top guy on FD in at least half of my large-field GPP entries.

As I said, one of the main reasons Burrow has had so much success is the play of rookie WR Chase — Burrow’s teammate at LSU and a certified surprise given his depleted draft stick last April and the struggles he faced during training camp and the preseason. Chase doesn’t need much of a window to find the sunlight of the end zone, and if there’s one QB-WR stack we should focus on building around, it’s this one.

Bengals notes: After Burrow and Chase, the options are still plentiful, with the sure-handed and statuesque Tee Higgins offering immense upside in both the red zone and between the 20s, veteran WR Tyler Boyd operating skillfully in the slot as a target-rich value play, and Joe Mixon — who’s useful on just about any down and distance as well and effective in the red zone as a bruising but nimble runner and pass-catcher. As was the case on DK, I’ll be crafting some lineups that include kicker Evan McPherson and C.J. Uzomah (questionable with a knee injury) if the TE can suit up and play on Sunday.

Rams notes: RB Cam Akers is a much better value play on DK, so I’m not as interested on FD. Tyler Higbee and Kendall Blanton are the same price on FD, so there’s a direct swap out if Higbee doesn’t suit up or is limited. I’d much rather play Higgins over Odell Beckham Jr. in single-entry GPPs and cash games, but OBJ needs to be considered for large-field GPPs as a leverage play. He’s not as risky as Boyd (my favorite leverage play on DK), and more expensive, but I could see him winning somebody a lot of money as the MVP. We know just how good he can be, and if coverage is overly focused on Kupp, he can hurt this Bengals defense with volume, red zone dominance and the TDs it takes to win on FD.

FD Strategy Notes: The strategy on FD is pretty simple. If you’re looking for leverage on the field, go with Chase or OBJ at MVP and play Burrow with Kupp and some Rams value. For cash games I want to squeeze a QB in the top slot and make sure I have Kupp and one of either Chase or Higgins in there as well.

Super Bowl Showdown: NFL DFS Final thoughts (and some DOs and DON’Ts)

Remember to build your team based on a narrative that makes sense.

DO: Build a trio (or quartet) of offensive weapons for a team that makes sense together.

DON’T: Be afraid to take some risks.

DO: Use the projected team totals to shade one way or the other with your selections.

DON’T: Worry about spending every dollar.

Now that we’ve established some NFL DFS narratives and MVP candidates for the big game, the best way (as always) to round out this piece is with a list of my favorite options in descending order, based on overall value (a combo of salary and projected points):

1. Joe Burrow
2. Matthew Stafford
3. Cooper Kupp
4. Ja’Marr Chase
5. Odell Beckham, Jr.
6. Joe Mixon
7. Tee Higgins
8. Tyler Boyd
9. Tyler Higbee (questionable)
10. Kendall Blanton (direct swap for Higbee if he sits)
11. Evan McPherson
12. Cam Akers (questionable)
13. Matt Gay
14. C.J. Uzomah (questionable)
15. Darrell Henderson (questionable)
16. Sony Michel (higher if Akers or Henderson sits)
17. Van Jefferson (questionable)
18. Samaje Perine
19. Drew Sample
20. Ben Skowronek
21. Trent Taylor
22. Chris Evans
23. Mike Thomas

Don’t forget to read the rest of WinDaily’s excellent football articles this week as you prep for the Super Bowl action!