Football season is officially in full swing following an opening game that lived up to the hype between the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens. There is not much wait for the sequel, as the Philadelphia Eagles are set to face off with the Green Bay Packers in the first NFL Game to take place in South America.
This also creates another opportunity for a DraftKings Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) Showdown slate. While there is plenty of attention paid to the best Captains’ choices and other notable names, it is important to maximize every dollar. Here is a look at some DFS value plays that could greatly outproduce their salaries in DraftKings Showdown contests.
Set your DraftKings fantasy football lineups here: NFL $2.25M Friday Night Millionaire [$1M to 1st] (PHI vs GB)
Friday Night Football Value Plays
Christian Watson ($5,600)
The Green Bay Packers have done a nice job building up one of the most talented groups of wide receivers in the entire NFL. Romeo Doubs ($6,800), Jayden Reed ($6,400), and Dontayvion Wicks ($5,400) each have a case for why they should be in your DFS showdown lineup.
However, Christian Watson has flown a bit under the radar for what his impact could be. The former 34th-overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft has yet to find his footing at the NFL level. The primary reason for this has been hamstring injuries, reportedly due to asymmetry in his legs; one is, apparently, notably stronger than the other.
He addressed the issue this offseason, and Watson has shown flashes when he has been on the field. Last season, Watson played in nine games yet still managed to find the end zone five times and eclipse 70 yards in three games. From a talent perspective, Watson is right up there with Doubs and Reed, so getting him at a discount could be worth a swing.
Jake Elliott ($5,000)
While they lack the top-end potential of position players, kickers remain underrated in DFS lineups. The worst-case scenario is for a player on your roster to put up zero points and, unless there is a shutout, kickers have a fairly high floor to ensure this is not the case. While he is $600 more expensive than the Packers kicker, Brayden Narveson, Elliott is worth paying the additional price. The Eagles kicker has been with the organization for seven years, made a Pro Bowl, and won a Super Bowl. Just last season, Elliott ranked sixth in fantasy points among kickers by tallying 156 total points or an average of 9.2 per game.
The Eagles have a high-flying attack that ranked seventh in the NFL in scoring last season and is expected to take a stride forward this year. Elliott will be the beneficiary of this, and you could do worse than adding him to your lineup for a $5,000 price point.
Jahan Dotson ($3,200)
The Eagles made a late offseason splash by trading for Jahan Dotson from their NFC East foes, the Washington Commanders. The Penn State product has tallied 1041 yards and 11 touchdowns in his two seasons in the NFL. In Philadelphia, Dotson will be looked at as the WR3 behind A.J. Brown ($11,000) and DeVonta Smtih ($9,000).
With so much attention set to be paid to the star duo of wide receivers, there is room for production from the WR3 spot. Dotson is much more talented than some of the past WR3 options the Eagles have attempted to utilize. With players like Quez Watkins and Olamide Zaccheaus being unable to carve out a role, Dotson will look to fill the shoes better than they were capable.
Expect the Eagles to take at least one downfield shot with Dotson as the target and for him to be on the field often. If he can make just one big play and find his way into the end zone, Dotson could exceed his price point by a major margin.
Britain Covey ($400)
If there had not been the training camp trade for Jahan Dotson, Britain Covey would be talked about as the WR3 with intriguing upside. The Utah product is entering his third season in the NFL after operating nearly exclusively as a return specialist. Last season he led the NFL in punt return yards and he has been given increased opportunity in training camp as a wide receiver.
The Eagles will be looking to spread the ball around and Covey is an intriguing big-play threat. Considering he has just four receptions in his NFL career, this would be a risk. However, Covey had over 2000 yards receiving in his college career and is expected to be used more often in the offense this year.
Using Covey would be a high-risk decision, but if you are in a pinch the $400 price tag could be worth it if necessary.
Set your DraftKings fantasy football lineups here: NFL $2.25M Friday Night Millionaire [$1M to 1st] (PHI vs GB)
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is seanbarnard) 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 do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. 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.
