Devising the perfect Daily Fantasy Sports strategy for the NFL can be a challenge, which is why I’m back for the biggest game of the season to assist.
On DraftKings, it’s important to you’re playing full-point PPR with bonuses if a player sures 300 ing yards, 100 rushing yards or 100 receiving yards. Also, the player you select as your captain will score 1.5x the standard fantasy point value for each statistic.
Here is my optimal lineup for the $6 million Super Bowl LVIII Millioniare Showdown contest featuring the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs, but it can be utilized as a foundation in other games and platforms.
All prices listed are courtesy of DraftKings with a $50,000 budget, and you need at least one player from each team in the showdown format.
Captain: WR Deebo Samuel, 49ers ($13,800)
Some thought Samuel would be a decoy in the NFC Championship after he suffered a shoulder injury against the Packers in the divisional round. He ended up with eight receptions for 89 yards and also ran the ball three times. Samuel has had two additional weeks to rest and faces a defense that has limited perimeter receivers all year, but has been vulnerable vs. the slot. A half-dozen carries wouldn’t shock me either.
Flex: RB Christian McCaffrey, 49ers ($12,000)
McCaffrey has produced at least 106 total yards in four of five playoff games with San Francisco. The NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year also has scored in each of those contests. I’m pretty sure Kyle Shanahan, Bobby Turner (running back coach) and Chris Foerster (run game coordinator) have studied what the Raiders and Zamir White (145 yards on 22 carries) were able to do in a victory against the Chiefs on Christmas Day. In fact, since Week 15, Kansas City has allowed the ninth-highest explosive run rate to go with the fifth-lowest stuff rate.
Flex: QB Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs ($10,600)
Mahomes hasn’t topped 20 points in DraftKings since Week 15 against the Patriots. He’s only sured that mark twice since Week 7, but I expect the Niners to go with a steady dose of McCaffrey and Samuel to secure a lead and the Chiefs to the ball in an attempt to come back.
Flex: WR Rashee Rice, Chiefs ($7,600)
The Super Bowl continues the trend of DraftKings mispricing Rice. The rookie has been Mahomes’ only viable receiver for most of the season, especially before Travis Kelce’s resurgence in the playoffs. Using him here builds leverage against lineups featuring Kelce, while adhering to my preferred game script — K.C. having to throw the ball to keep pace with San Francisco.
Flex: D/ST San Francisco 49ers ($4,400)
The Super Bowl LIV version of this defense neutralized and frustrated Mahomes for 53 minutes, before finally succumbing to his greatness — three TD drives in the final seven minutes. That version was more consistent, but this season’s group is more talented and at times, has been just as good. Lost in their struggles against the run in the playoffs and slow start in the NFC title game, is the fact only the Ravens and Chiefs allowed fewer points this season. They were criticized heavily for a lack of effort early against the Lions, and rightfully so, but I can’t imagine Fred Warner hasn’t made that a point of emphasis these last two weeks. This is an opportunity for a statement to be made.
Flex: RB Kyle Juszczyk, 49ers ($800)
I had to utilize a punt option to squeeze Deebo and CMC into this lineup. Shanahan usually dials up at least one big play for Juszczyk in a big game and the hope is he catches a few es and finds his way into the end zone, which he did in Super Bowl LIV.
