NFL DFS Showdown picks, lineup strategy for Lions vs. Cowboys on Saturday in Week 17

The Dallas Cowboys host the Detroit Lions in a special edition of Monday Night Football on Saturday night at 8:15 p.m. ET from Jerry World. The Cowboys enter at 10-5 but still have small hopes of winning the NFC East division. The Lions are 11-4 and just clinched the NFC North for the first time since 1993. Detroit has a shot at the No. 1 overall seed in the conference in the final two weeks. Here we’ll go over the DraftKings Showdown contest for Lions vs. Cowboys and take you through the best way to approach things.

Injuries to look out for

Rico Dowdle (ankle) — OUT

NFL DFS Showdown strategy: Lions vs. Cowboys

Captain’s Picks

Dak Prescott, QB, DAL ($15,900)

The Lions have a stout run defense but have been gashed by the passing game. Prescott and the Cowboys have had a tough schedule recently but this matchup is soft. The over/under is 52.5 on DraftKings Sportsbook (which, to be honest, seems too high). Still, the Lions will likely try and shut down RB Tony Pollard and try to bottle up WR CeeDee Lamb. That is easier said than done. The one concern here is the Cowboys building a lead and forcing the run, something Mike McCarthy loves doing. But there’s a lot to like about Prescott and the Cowboys’ passing game against Detroit. That seems like the obvious choice.

CeeDee Lamb, WR, DAL ($17,100)

When constructing your lineup, it feels like the two primary builds will be Prescott or Lamb in the Captain’s slot. If Prescott thrives, then you’d think it’s Lamb torching the Detroit secondary. So either way you’re going to play both players, one at Captain and the other at FLEX. There’s really no reason to go into too much detail on what Lamb is capable of. He’s had double-digit targets in four straight weeks, including one week with 17. He has perhaps the highest ceiling of any player in this contest.

FLEX Options

David Montgomery, RB, DET ($8,600)

A lot of lineups will be on rookie RB Jahmyr Gibbs ($9,200), who has been on a tear lately. But Montgomery is still getting a heavy volume of touches with 17 carries in back-to-back games. Monty is very steady with double-digit fantasy points in seven straight games. The Cowboys’ run defense is tough but you’d think the Lions lean on the veteran in a big spot. Dallas has been more vulnerable to the run game, so you’d think that’ll be a heavy part of the game plan. If Montgomery gets the goal-line work and Gibbs doesn’t get those big plays, Monty could come out on top. You should also get Montgomery at lower ownership.

Jake Ferguson, TE, DAL ($6,200)

Sam LaPorta ($7,200) is pretty cheap in this contest but the Cowboys are a tough matchup for tight ends. Ferguson would make for a nice 3-headed stack with Prescott and Lamb. Those three should combine for most of the passing-game production for the Cowboys in this spot. Ferguson is second among Cowboys’ receivers in snaps with 770 on the season. He’s also second in most receiving categories behind Lamb. This stack just makes a lot of sense against a shaky Lions’ secondary.

Value plays

Brandon Aubrey, K, DAL ($4,800)

This game is supposed to be high scoring with the total at 52.5. We could also see a fair amount of defense from both sides. If nothing else, the Lions have a great run defense. If the Cowboys get into the red zone and Detroit clamps down, that could mean Aubrey is getting plenty of field-goal opportunities. McCarthy loves to be stubborn in the red zone and line up in the most obvious run formations ever. Aubrey has been one of the more consistent kickers in the NFL this season for fantasy.

Jameson Williams, WR, DET ($3,400)

Williams has been working his way back from suspension and has finally taken over as the WR2 for Detroit. He’s seeing about the same, if not more, amount of snaps than WR Josh Reynolds. Williams has nine catches of 13 targets for 90 yards over the past two games. At some point, Williams is going to break out this season. While the Cowboys have a tough defense, the Lions should be forced to throw the ball with the spread DAL -5.5. If that’s the case, expect Williams to be involved plenty. Williams is underpriced for his role in the offense.