Sleeper captain picks for Sunday Wild Card showdowns

There are obvious, big-money choices for your Showdown captain spot in each of Sunday’s three Wild Card games. But if you are inclined to fill that spot with a cap-friendly player, here are three sleepers to target.

Baltimore Ravens at Tennessee Titans

Marquise Brown, WR, Baltimore Ravens ($13,200)

It took about 12 weeks, but fantasy managers finally got a dose down the season’s stretch of the Marquise Brown that they were so high on this summer. In his final six games, Brown caught 26 passes for 338 yards and six touchdowns. He’s always a big play waiting to happen, and Brown will have opportunities to hit those big plays against a defense that has allowed 55 receptions of at least 20 yards, which is the fifth-most in the NFL. Marvin Jones Jr., Davante Adams and Brandin Cooks each exceeded 100 yards and combined for six touchdowns against Tennessee through the final three weeks of the regular season.

Chicago Bears at New Orleans Saints

Jared Cook, TE, New Orleans Saints ($10,200)

Alvin Kamara ($16,800) is going to be a very popular captain on the Sunday slate, assuming he is activated off of the reserve/COVID list. But the best one-to-one matchup of any Saint may belong to Cook as he’ll do battle against a Bears defense that has permitted the second-most DraftKings points and the third-most touchdowns to tight ends. If Bears linebacker Roquan Smith can’t play due to his elbow injury, that would improve Cook’s outlook even more. Smith is officially questionable but didn’t practice this week. Cook has compiled 11.2 and 14.3 DraftKings points over the past two weeks.

Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers

Chase Claypool, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers ($12,900)

Any of the Steelers’ three star wide receivers could go off on Sunday against the Browns, who are 26th in Opponent Rank versus that position. But Claypool is the cheapest of the three — $300 less than JuJu Smith-Schuster and $1,800 less than Diontae Johnson. Claypool put up a 5-101-1 line in Cleveland last week with backup quarterback Mason Rudolph. Claypool should remain a heavily targeted man as Ben Roethlisberger has returned from his one-week respite. Cleveland, which wasn’t cleared to hold a team practice this week until Friday due to COVID-19 protocols, will be without starting safety Ronnie Harrison Jr. and may be without starting cornerback Denzel Ward. Both men were among eight Browns who are on the reserve/COVID-19 list as of Friday night.