Jared Contestabile 
I couldn’t have been more wrong about last week’s Monday Night game. I’ll take my “L” right on the chin. Zac Taylor refused to run the ball in a prime spot and the team looked disinterested. Nevertheless, we move on to Week 9, and have a good one on tap. The Ravens are currently listed as a 1.5-point favorite with a total hovering around 46.5 points. The Ravens have had five straight games decided by five points or less, going 3-2 in that span. The Saints have also played five of six games within one score, save for their dominant 24-0 beating of the Raiders last week. 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.
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Captain/MVP Plays
Lamar Jackson, Ravens ($18,600 DraftKings, $17,000 FanDuel)
The Ravens may be 5-3 and sitting pretty coming into this one, but Lamar hasn’t been his best this season. Since his two monster performances in Weeks 2-3, Lamar has averaged 16.3 DraftKings points per game. It sounds absurd to say, but I don’t think he is the must-play here that many believe. His upside is second to none, and if he has a ceiling game, you simply aren’t catching up on a showdown slate without him. However, his price is very prohibitive in a matchup that is less than ideal.
The Saints are much more beatable through the air than on the ground, as they rank top 10 in fantasy points allowed to RB. They aren’t too far behind the Ravens at 26th in the NFL against opposing WR. That said, Lamar has an enormous ceiling, and if you are one of those degenerates who plays cash on a showdown slate, he’s a must-play.
Lamar hasn’t rushed for a score since Week 3, and has only five scores to five turnovers in the last five weeks. Call me insane here if you want, as the Saints defense has been susceptible through the air, but a Lamar fade in large-field tournaments could pay off in a massive way. I’m not telling you to fade him, but if you’re doing MME, there are quite a few options that can be had. Hear me out.
Alvin Kamara, Saints ($17,100 DraftKings, $15,500 FanDuel)
You ready for this? Kamara is going to outscore Lamar on MNF. Not in the idiotic way that Domonique Foxworth said PJ Walker would outplay Joe Burrow on Sunday (absolute clown show). But think about this. With Mark Andrews, Gus Edwards and Rashod Bateman all OUT (Edwards is DOUBTFUL), Lamar is going to be the only player the Saints truly have to stop.
Kamara is coming off his best game of the season, and the Ravens have been stout against the run. However, they have been susceptible against pass-catching backs. They have allowed 63 catches (8th-highest) and 365 receiving yards (7th-highest) to opposing RB this season.
Kamara played 72% of the snaps last week, and saw 10 targets in the passing game. He has now seen 9+ targets in three straight weeks. He has a high floor and high ceiling in this one, and could see a high volume in this one especially as the Saints will look to control the clock.
Chris Olave, Saints ($12,900 DraftKings, $13,000 FanDuel)
You all saw what elite receivers have done to this Ravens defense at times this season, and Olave will get his shot here. Baltimore is allowing nearly 40 fantasy points per game to opposing WR, good for 29th in the NFL.
Olave has become the #1 option out wide for Andy Dalton this season, and now it looks like Michael Thomas may have played his last game in a Saints uniform. He has been a target hog, and has reached 100 yards or a touchdown in four of his last five games. He makes for a solid play across the board, and could put up big numbers if the Saints go the aggressive route.
FLEX/AnyFLEX Plays
Isaiah Likely, Ravens ($5,800 DraftKings, $7,500 FanDuel)
I’ve seen some rumblings about fading Likely in this one and not taking the chance in season-long, and I couldn’t disagree more. The Saints do rank #1 in the NFL in fantasy points allowed to opposing TE, but check out this murderer’s row of TE they have faced:
Kyle Pitts
Cameron Brate
Ian Thomas
Irv Smith Jr.
Noah Fant/Will Dissly
Hayden Hurst
Zach Ertz
Foster Moreau
They have yet to allow a TD to the TE position, but that ends tonight. We have seen time and time again how much Lamar and the Ravens rely on their TE, and Likely showed that last week. He posted a 6-77-1 line after Mark Andrews went down with injury. Granted, Tampa Bay has been a sieve on defense against TE, but the point remains. It’s “likely” a good move to lock Likely into your lineups tonight. I’ll be doing the same.
Andy Dalton, Saints ($10,200 DraftKings, $15,000 FanDuel)
Love him or hate him, Dalton has cemented himself as the starter for the Saints (at least for now). He is coming off a two-game stretch where he averaged 295 yards, 3 TD and 1.5 INT per game. He may not be the one you want leading a game-winning drive, and he certainly isn’t the guy you want to rely on in the playoffs. That said, he has been solid under center for New Orleans, and this isn’t a bad spot at all.
The Saints may be getting Jarvis Landry back for this one (keep an eye on his status), but Dalton has built a great rapport with Kamara and Olave. The Saints have only allowed 15 sacks the entire season, which is among the best in the league. Baltimore has gotten after the QB pretty well this season, averaging nearly three sacks per game. Something has to give, and the Saints have turned to a conservative game plan in situations like these. I don’t expect many deep drop backs to put Dalton in harm’s way.
Quick reference here…in Andy Dalton’s last six games against Baltimore, he has 2, 2, 0, 2, 4, and 3 TD passes. Dalton played on some bad teams in that stretch. He has played this team a good deal, and the main threat to him on this showdown slate is Taysom Hill (more on him soon).
Devin Duvernay, Ravens ($6,800 DraftKings, $11,000 FanDuel)
Duvernay’s price is a little much for me on FanDuel, where his tag is a lot closer to the top options I much prefer. However, SOMEONE has to catch the ball on this offense, right? I’m banking heavily on Likely, but Duvernay will undoubtedly be heavily involved here also.
His usage has been sporadic (much like the Baltimore offense), but he has seen work in some creative run plays of late. He has five carries, including a touchdown over his last four games. All of the carries came against Cincinnati and Tampa Bay, and I see this game as being a similar one to those. Duvernay has the added benefit of returning kicks as well. I’m not forcing him in anywhere, but he should be on your radar.
Other Options
Tayson Hill most weeks will be your most genius play or the biggest waste of your time. His price is actually super reasonable here. Taysom’s last four games look like this (DraftKings scoring): 37.08, 4.54, 10.12, 8.28. His floor continues to outweigh his ceiling by a good bit. There may not be another player around this price point with anywhere near his upside. Jameis Winston is healthy now, but he is clearly the backup. Taysom will be involved here.
You ready for this one? Kansas City let us down last night, but the Titans ran a great gameplan to avoid disaster. It’s DEFENSE MONDAY! The Saints defense is honestly not that great. They are still missing Marshon Lattimore, but there are no Ravens WR that worry me. What the Saints HAVE done well is get after the QB. They have at least three sacks in five of their last six games. I’m looking for an edge here, and I see value in the Saints defense.
On the other side of the ball, the Ravens defense is absolutely in play as well. Andy Dalton has a propensity to force throws, and we could easily see a few passes headed the other way. I see more leverage on the field with a Saints play, but I’ll have a few lineups with both as well.
Justin Tucker is still the best. He has a very punchable face, and I can imagine he would be an absolute bore to hang out with, but the dude just makes kicks. He will be popular, and for good reason.
Don’t forget about Kenyan Drake, he will be a popular play here. His pass-catching ability makes him one of the better overall options in this one. Gus Edwards’ status is key here, but he seems very unlikely to play. Cue up the Ravens fans telling you that only their team ever has injuries and losses don’t count if anyone is out…
If DeSean Jackson is activated for this one, he is only $200 on DraftKings. Stick him in a few lineups. You know Lamar will be taking a few shots down the field to one of the best to ever do it (although I think Jackson is my age now?).
Rashid Shaheed has come through for us on a couple showdown slates already…but his price has risen quite a bit. He should still see a look or two down the field, so he will be in my player pool.
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!
