Jared Contestabile 
Coming into 2022, the AFC West was pegged as the deepest division in the NFL where all four teams had a chance at a Super Bowl run. Well, through four weeks, only Kansas City looks up to the task. However, Las Vegas has shown some potential in the early going, and we could have a good battle on our hands on Monday Night Football. The Chiefs are favored by 7 in this one with a juicy total around 52 points. After a few defensive battles in prime time recently, this one looks primed to be a shootout. Let’s find an edge.
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.
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Captain/MVP Plays
Davante Adams, Raiders ($17,100 DraftKings, $14,500 FanDuel)
Adams has at least 100 yards and/or a touchdown in all four games this season. Derek Carr will need his old college teammate to step up big in this one if the Raiders are going to have a shot. Adams has 17, 7, 10, and 13 targets since joining the Silver and Black.
The Chiefs have been very vulnerable against the pass in 2022, ranking 26th in fantasy points allowed to opposing WR. The Raiders have the 6th-highest pass rate this season, and will likely be playing catch up in this one. While Aaron Rodgers may be crying himself to sleep without Adams, you can (and should) have him on your squad while Rodgers smokes his ayahuasca to deal with separation anxiety.
If this one is high scoring, there is a very good chance Adams is one of, if not the top scorer overall. The best chance to be top dog outside of Adams? This one will be a shocker…
Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs ($18,000 DraftKings, $17,500 FanDuel)
I know, I know. You’ve heard this old song and dance before. Mahomes is very expensive, but the opportunity cost to not have any exposure may just be even more expensive. His last two games against the Raiders?
20/24, 258 yards, 2 TD
35/50, 406 yards, 5 TD
For his career? 22/3 TD/INT, 2,546 yards in eight games. It’s safe to say that Mahomes dominates the Raiders. While this Raiders team is significantly improved from recent years, Mahomes is still…Mahomes. His ceiling is enormous. I don’t necessarily see him as a must-play in this one, but if you’re are doing MME, a fade would be ludicrous.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Chiefs ($11,100 DraftKings, $12,500 FanDuel)
Listen, I’m not the biggest fan of CEH. That doesn’t matter here, as the matchup and implied game script SCREAMS value for the former LSU Tiger. He saw a season-high 56 snaps in Week 4, and also a season-high with 21 opportunities.
The Raiders have been beatable on the ground, allowing nearly 27 fantasy points per game to opposing RB. I think the running games in this one could have sneaky value, and CEH has played himself into an elite role in this offense. He has scored 14+ DraftKings points in every game this season, and there is no reason to believe he can’t do it again in this one.
He is a safe play regardless of game script, but has a higher ceiling than you may realize.
FLEX/AnyFLEX Plays
Josh Jacobs, Raiders ($13,200 DraftKings, $12,000 FanDuel)
You see how I pointed out the vulnerability of the Raiders defense against the run? Well, guess what? Kansas City has allowed more catches to opposing RB (40) than any other team in the NFL in 2022. Much of that is game-script dependent, as they have carried large leads in all but one contest thus far.
This bodes very well for Jacobs, who has become the workhorse once again. Better yet? He has 10 catches on 11 targets over the last two weeks. He played on 89% of the snaps in Week 4, bested only by Saquon Barkley. The Raiders know they need his production, and his value has gone through the roof.
Jacobs had 33 touches last week. You read that correctly. THIRTY. THREE. While that type of volume is very unlikely in any given game, the Raiders know they can rely on him, and he responded in a monster way with 37.5 DraftKings points. He is absolutely viable in the bonus spot as well. His work in the passing game of late has solidified his value and upside regardless of game script.
Hunter Renfrow, Raiders ($5,800 DraftKings, $8,500 FanDuel)
Before you ask, yes, Renfrow returning from a two-game absence will take a few opportunities away from Jacobs. That said, Renfrow was one of the most consistent performers in the NFL in 2021. The signing of Adams put a damper on his upside, but he remains one of the more consistent WR in the NFL.
He had 10 catches on 16 targets for 80 yards over the first two weeks. Those numbers don’t stand out at all, but the volume does. In a game with massive point potential, I’m a believer in Renfrow. If you’re Kansas City, who are you focusing on stopping at the goal line? Adams, Jacobs, and Darren Waller, right?
Adams obviously was in Green Bay in 2021, but Renfrow posted a 13/117/1 line against Kansas City in their last matchup. Don’t be shocked if he steals a touchdown or two in this one, and to quote the great Borat, his price is “VERY NICE”.
Marques Valdes-Scantling, Chiefs ($5,200 DraftKings, $8,000 FanDuel)
The most frustrating thing in all of fantasy sports, ESPECIALLY on showdown slates, is a nagging injury. Well, JuJu Smith-Schuster is dealing with a hamstring/quad injury. If you or someone you know has ever experienced a hamstring injury, you may be entitled to financial compensation. If you choose to roster JuJu tonight and his injury flares up (or he plays TWO snaps as a precaution like Tee Higgins last night), YOU may be entitled to financial compensation. But you won’t get it. You’ll just lose.
For those reasons, I’m out on JuJu, and inserting MVS into my lineups. He has had a healthy, but not extreme role in this offense, and if JuJu is limited in any way, he could eat. The Raiders are 21st in the league against opposing WR, and he could be the default #1 out wide if JuJu is less than 100%.
Other Options
I’m not on Darren Waller here…there are too many mouths to feed in this offense, and Kansas City has allowed less than 50 yards per game to opposing TE. That’s my key fade. The other TE, you’ve probably heard of him, Travis Kelce? He is always in play. You don’t need an explanation there.
Some values to consider are Isaac Pacheco, who has been extremely game-script dependent this season. In games where the Chiefs have won by more than one score he has 12 and 11 carries respectively. In close games? He has 2.5 per game. If you think KC wins this one handily, you’ll need some shares.
Skyy Moore not only has one of the coolest names in the NFL, but he also has elite tools. He finally saw some volume last week (2/31 on four targets), and is dirt cheap. Jody Fortson is almost FREE on DraftKings. He has two games with zero catches…and two games with exactly one catch for one touchdown. True zero floor, but won’t kill you if you’re jamming studs into your lineup.
Finally, Dylan Carlson is just a machine. 12/12 on the season and his consistency is second to none. He makes for a fine filler on this slate.
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!
