The DC Defenders (2-2) are sliding fast, as they’ve lost two straight games and will face the piping hot St. Louis BattleHawks (3-1) — who sit atop the XFL East standings — on Sunday. Cardale Jones has looked atrocious over the course of the last few weeks while Jordan Ta’amu has been cementing himself as one of the best signal callers in the league. We broke down ideal DraftKings Showdown lineups for the game below.
Captain Obvious
Jordan Ta’amu, QB, BattleHawks ($15,300)
Ta’amu rebounded from a poor performance in Week 3 by tallying 264 passings yards in Week 4. He leads the XFL in completion percentage (75.2%) and is second to only Josh Johnson in passer rating (105.9). The dual-threat quarterback is up against a Defenders team that’s given up 64 points in the last two weeks. St. Louis has a strong ground game, but both of its top running backs are listed as questionable this weekend. That could mean more productivity for Ta’amu.
Captain Courageous
De’Mornay Pierson-El, WR, BattleHawks ($9,600)
Pierson-El has emerged as St. Louis’ most consistent threat at wideout and could be more of a focal point if the team’s backfield depth is weak. He’s caught almost everything Ta’amu has thrown his way and should be a safety outlet for the 22-year-old quarterback against DC. The Defenders’ lackluster defense should give him an opportunity to reach at least 18 DKFP for a third time this season.
Flex Men
Donnell Pumphrey , RB, Defenders ($7,000)
Pumphrey has remained solid during DC’s decline and has tallied 17 DKFP over the course of the team’s last two games. Although he hasn’t reached the end zone this year, he’s been contributing the the ground game and passing game while Cardale Jones has struggled to get the ball rolling. If all else fails for the Defenders, Pumphrey will be there.
Matt Jones, RB, BattleHawks ($7,800)
Jones was a full participant in practice and is second in the XFL in rushing yards (244), despite a slow Week 3. The Defenders are dead last when it comes to defending running backs in DFS, so Jones could explode for a big game if healthy.