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It’s here! It’s finally here. The first regular-season game of the 2019 NFL season kicks off Thursday night as the Chicago Bears host the Green Bay Packers. DraftKings is celebrating the opening game in style with a Kickoff Thursday Millionaire Showdown contest (Entry fee: $10). Let’s look at some players to target in the six-man Showdown slate, and who to use in the critical Captain slot:
CAPTAIN OBVIOUS
Davante Adams ($18,900): Adams is arguably the best player on the field (the guy throwing to him is pretty good, too). But as is often the case in fantasy, the big-volume wide receiver is going to outscore his QB, based on touchdown scoring (6 to 4) and PPR bonus (1 point). For every 25 receiving yards Adams collects, he scores 1.5 more points than Aaron Rodgers gets in passing yards (2.5 to 1). Then add in the 50-percent Captain bonus, and Adams figures to be the highest-scoring player of the night. There is more than enough value to take the salary hit here.
CAPTAIN COURAGEOUS
Bears defense ($7,500): If we want to build our lineups based on game-flow projection, the Bears defense at its relatively-cheap price tag is a good bet. We are not expecting many big plays and this could turn into a field-goal battle. If the Bears can rack up some sacks, maybe a turnover or two, and keep the Packers out of the end zone, they will pay off their pricetag handsomely and allow your flex positions to fill with higher-priced players. In this scenario, a full-on Bears stack (four offensive players, including kicker, in the remaining five Flex spots) is perhaps a way to go.
FLEX MEN
Adam Shaheen ($400): If Trey Burton (questionable) is unable to play, adding Shaheen into the mix opens up the entire slate for all sorts of intriguing lineup combinations. Finding the super-low salary that actually accrues points is often the key to unlocking a winning Showdown slate and Shaheen is that guy here, especially with Burton perhaps being a game-time decision. Keep an eye on Twitter for Burton news and be prepared to adjust your lineup(s) accordingly.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling ($6,800): There are certain “rules” in DFS. One of them is “play the wide receiver being covered by Buster Skrine.” Skrine is a human torch and he sticks out like a sore thumb in this otherwise suffocating defense. If, as expected, MVS does most of his work against Skrine, he should have himself a nice ballgame, and using MVS while fading Adams could be a bold strategy that pays off nicely.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is jeffgo33) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.