Jared Contestabile 
It’s the first Monday Night Football Showdown slate of the year, and I’m pumped to get back into it! We have a matchup between the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks. Russell Wilson will face his former team for the first time ever. I have some thoughts, stats, and ideas for you to construct the best Showdown lineup and CASH in big! Let’s get to it.
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 or MVP Plays
For me, showdown slates are all about taking a stand. Fade the guys who you don’t see paying off their salaries, and go big, if not 100% on your favorites. We have to find an edge, and I’ll show you all where my head is at for MNF.
Javonte Williams ($15,300 DK, $13,500 FD)
Listen, this one seems pretty simple to me as the top play. While many will go after Russell Wilson and his “revenge” game, I’m taking a stand with a full fade.
Williams profiles as an ideal play for this slate at 1.5X for a few reasons. Game flow should dictate a Broncos win, and potentially an easy one at that. They are favored by 7 right now, and their workhorse is ready to roll.
Last season, no NFL team allowed more fantasy PPG to opposing RB than Seattle, and I don’t see that changing much in 2022. Javonte and Melvin Gordon (more on him in a few) each saw 21 carries inside the 10 yard line last season. They each saw 9 carries inside the 5.
Here’s the thing. Williams is 7 years younger than Gordon, and is clearly the superior back to me. He will be the focal point of the offense, even with Wilson in town. I see this as more of a 70/30 split this season.
The risk here is decent, as Gordon could certainly steal some goal line work, and coach Nathaniel Hackett said the team would “ride the hot hand” this season. While I believe this to be true, Williams is the far superior player and in a smash spot tonight.
DK Metcalf ($12,600 DK, $13,000 FD)
Nobody is arguing that Geno Smith isn’t a significant downgrade from Russell Wilson. That said, you wouldn’t know that by looking at DK’s numbers with Smith under center. Here are his stats in 4 games with Geno in 2021:
5/98/2
6/58/0
2/96/1
6/43/2
I’m a believer that the Broncos will win this one, and likely win it handily. This is a perfect storm for Metcalf. He is big, fast, and may be the best overall athlete in the NFL at the WR position. He is an absolute freak of nature. Tyler Lockett had one big game with Smith under center in ’21, but DK is younger, stronger, and much more of a home-run threat.
If you’re looking for a low-owned option up top, consider Melvin Gordon ($11,100 DK, $10,000 FD). If Hackett is being genuine about riding the hot hand (I mostly believe it), then Gordon could have big upside in a great matchup at low ownership. Geno Smith is another option here, but I’ll likely save him for FLEX, I don’t see him having massive upside at his price tag.
FLEX/AnyFLEX Options
These are the guys I’m considering at the FLEX spots to fill out your roster tonight. All of the above can be considered here as well, and will likely be locking DK and either Williams or Gordon into each of my lineups.
Jerry Jeudy ($8,200 DK, $11,000 FD) and Courtland Sutton ($9,400 DK, $12,000 FD)
With Wilson running the offense in Denver, the expectation is that this offense will take off. I’m a little more hesitant about the passing game than most, but chances are that one of these two will take off this season. Neither was particularly impressive last season, but nothing about the Denver passing attack was.
If I’m choosing between the two, I prefer Sutton because he is a larger target that I’m hoping will see more Red Zone looks from Wilson. Jeudy missed significant time in 2021, so his numbers were mediocre at best. I will be lighter than the field on both of these two, I’d prefer to prioritize my salary by targeting Williams and Metcalf.
Albert Okwuegbunam ($5,000 DK, $8,000 FD)
Russell Wilson is well known for his affinity toward his TEs, and although Noah Fant is a higher-priced option in this one, I am all aboard the A.O. train. He is 6’5″, 258 and can run with the best of them. I think he establishes himself as Wilson’s favorite target in the RedZone this season, and that starts tonight. If this game stays close, his upside is even more significant.
Geno Smith ($8,600 DK, $14,000 FD)
If you are of the same thinking as me here, you’re expecting Seattle to play from behind. Geno was efficient in his four games last season, totaling 701 passing yards and a 5/1 TD/INT. Pairing him with Metcalf gives you solid upside in GPPs.
Other Options to Consider
DraftKings makes it far easier to slot in cheap options with upside, and I absolutely love it. Keep an eye on the injury status for Kenneth Walker, as his potential absence could open up some value. If he is out, DeeJay Dallas ($400 DK, $8,000 FD) is a lock for me on DK, and he may make it into my lineup anyway since he is basically free. If Walker plays, he is an option right away, even if he is on a snap count.
I prefer Jason Myers ($4,000 DK, $8,500 FD) to Brandon McManus ($4,200 DK, $9,500 FD) due to his price savings. Also because Pete Carroll is no stranger to playing it safe and taking points, especially in an underdog role.
Both defenses are in the play tonight. I much prefer the Broncos, and think they are a strong FLEX play and have a significantly higher ceiling.
Marquise Goodwin and Dee Eskridge are deep, deep options that you can take a shot on and hope they break a big one or find the end zone. Just don’t expect any volume unless there is a key injury in this one.
I’m taking my chances with a Rashaad Penny fade. He is hardly a factor at all in the passing game, and draws a very tough matchup. I’m more than comfortable having zero shares tonight, but I’m taking a stand.
Good luck to everyone, I’ll be on Twitter @BigItaly42 watching along tonight. Let’s meet at the top of the leaderboard!
