Jared Contestabile 
Monday night is the latest edition of the “Battle of Ohio”. While the regular season results have skewed toward the Browns lately, lots has changed. The Browns are in the midst of yet another lost season. Only one team in NFL history has made the playoffs after starting 2-6…and it was nearly 100 years ago. The Browns may have owned the series recently, but these teams are trending in opposite directions. The spookiest thing about this Halloween matchup is the Bengals being only a 3.5-point favorite. Let’s win all the money 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.
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Captain/MVP Plays
Joe Mixon, Bengals ($14,100 DraftKings, $13,000 FanDuel)
If you’ve had the misfortune of watching the Browns play football all season, one thing is evident. They are pathetic against the run. They are allowing nearly 5 YPC and have served up 12 total touchdowns to opposing backs in 2022. That equates to an average of nearly 28 fantasy points per game.
With JaMarr Chase sidelined for the foreseeable future, the Bengals will undoubtedly focus on the run. What better time to do it than against one of the worst run defenses in the NFL?
Mixon has been a workhorse this season, totaling 34, 22, 28, 17, 12, and 20 touches. I know that many are expecting a different “Joe” to lead the way for Cincinnati in this one. They may both have big games (more on that soon), but I’m locking Mixon into all of my lineups tonight. He needs to be a priority play on MNF.
Nick Chubb, Browns ($15,600 DraftKings, $15,000 FanDuel)
Speaking of running backs, Mixon’s counterpart is in a great spot as well. Chubb has been one of the few bright spots for the Browns this season. With DJ Reader still out of commission, the Bengals have been more vulnerable against the run.
I’m fully expecting Kareem Hunt to be moved by tomorrow’s deadline, which makes Chubb even more appealing here. If Hunt sits out in preparation for a trade, Chubb will dominate the touches. He could see 20+ opportunities in this one. The Browns go as Chubb goes, and they will lean heavily on him in this one.
Joe Burrow, Bengals ($17,100 DraftKings, $17,000 FanDuel)
I mentioned how the Browns go as Chubb goes, and the same can be said for Burrow. He only played against the Browns once in 2021…and it did NOT go well. He had his worst game of the season, and sat out the Week 18 matchup. Why, you ask? Because the Bengals had already clinched the AFC North (something the Browns have never done), and the Browns were eliminated. Enough trash talk about the Browns.
Burrow DOMINATED the Browns in his rookie season, totaling 722 yards and SIX touchdowns to one INT. The Bengals had zero pass rush, and Baker Mayfield picked them apart. Twice. Those days are long gone, and the Bengals are now among the elite in the NFL, and the Browns…are the Browns.
Burrow has 781 passing yards and six touchdowns…plus two rushing touchdowns in his last two games. The Bengals are 0-2 in the AFC North. This is an absolute must-win for the orange and black. What could be a better setup than the team that features Halloween colors will dominate on 10/31? Burrow knows the importance of this one.
FLEX/AnyFLEX Plays
Amari Cooper, Browns ($11,000 DraftKings, $7,600 FanDuel)
Listen, I was dead wrong about the Bengals rolling over the Ravens a few weeks back. I’ll always hold my own “L”. That said, this game is more about the Bengals than the Browns. I expect Burrow and company to build an early lead. Cooper has been solid for the Browns, and has scored a touchdown in four of his last five games. With David Njoku OUT, the Browns will need even more from their top WR. Expect Cooper to have a good game, despite the tough matchup.
Hayden Hurst, Bengals ($5,200 DraftKings, $8,000 FanDuel)
Hurst has stepped up in a big way for the Bengals when they have needed it. The Browns have been one of the better teams in the NFL against opposing TE, but there is enough to go around here. Burrow has targeted Hurst 18 times over the last three weeks, and he has found the end zone on two of his last four. He isn’t a high upside play, but at his price, he is a solid filler.
Donovan Peoples-Jones ($5,000 DraftKings, $8,000 FanDuel)
Another guy who doesn’t have a ton of upside is DPJ. Regardless, he has been a key part of this offense of late, and has scored 9+ DraftKings points in four straight games. He has yet to find the end zone, and Bengals fans will never forget the last time he did against them. (I don’t want to talk about it). He is a solid mid-range play here.
Other Options
I had to explain to my son that Justin Tucker is the greatest kicker in the NFL a few weeks back…but Evan McPherson is already a Cincinnati legend. He has only attempted two FG in the last three weeks, but is absolutely money. He needs to be in a LOT of your DraftKings builds if you believe the Browns keep this close and make some stops.
I’m fading Kareem Hunt here. If the Browns are serious about potentially moving him in the next 48 hours, he won’t be put in harm’s way. Imagine a scenario where he plays MNF and gets hurt…I just don’t see him playing much if at all. I’ll take the L if I’m wrong here.
A sneaky play is Samaje Perine…I mentioned how bad the Browns are against the run, and if the Bengals go run-heavy he will see some looks. Low-floor play for sure, but he could pay off.
Harrison Bryant is the default #1 TE for Cleveland now, which is unfortunate because David Njoku was having a massive season. He is cheap and should see some work in this one. Jacoby Brissett could put up some solid numbers here, but he is one of the last players I’ll be looking toward around his price range.
My boy Tee Higgins is a fantastic play here as well…I will be prioritizing Mixon and Burrow a bit more, but will have quite a bit of Tee. Tyler Boyd could be the forgotten man, but he shouldn’t be. He is coming off one of the best games of his career last week, but it will be tougher sledding here. Keep him in your player pool!
If you’re with me on Hunt, you need to look toward D’Ernest Johnson. He is only $200 on DraftKings, and could be an automatic LOCK if Hunt is out or gets traded before the game. I think he’s worth a look on DK regardless at just $200 if you’re doing MME.
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!
