The San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks will kick off Week 6 of the NFL season on Thursday Night Football. Each of these NFC West opponents holds postseason aspirations and this will be a matchup that has divisional implications.
Seattle started the season off 3-0 but has dropped its last two games at the hands of the Lions and Giants. It will now face off with the 2-3 San Francisco 49ers who most recently lost to the Arizona Cardinals as 7-point favorites last week.
There are plenty of breakdowns for the game’s outlook, player props and more, but this article will take a look at some of the top DFS options to help you build your best showdown team.
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Captains Plays:
Hitting on your captain (CPT) is essential to having showdown DFS success on DraftKings. Players drafted as the captain earn 1.5x fantasy points, so they can make or break your slate. Let’s take a look at my favorite captain plays for this week’s TNF slate.
Jordan Mason: $15,300
The most expensive captain’s play on Thursday night is Jordan Mason at $15,300. The 25-year-old has stepped in as the starting running back for the 49ers due to the injury to Christian McCaffrey and has delivered in a major way. He leads the NFL in rush attempts with 105 and has averaged 18.6 fantasy points based on DraftKings scoring. This makes him the 19th-best fantasy scorer among all players and fifth among running backs.
Mason has eclipsed 100 rushing yards in three of the five games this year and is facing a Seahawks defense that ranks 20th in rushing yards allowed. They have not held an opponent to under 125 yards rushing collectively so far this season and Mason will be looking to keep this streak going. He has recorded at least 15 touches every week and 21 or more in the last four games played. He will have the greatest guaranteed workload of any player in this matchup and should be strongly considered for paying the premium price here.
Kenneth Walker III: $14,700
There is a bit more uncertainty surrounding Kenneth Walker III. The 23-year-old has battled injuries to start the year, missing two weeks and being limited to just five carries last week due to the lingering oblique issue. When Walker has been on the field, he has been effective. He tallied 20 carries for 103 yards and a touchdown in Week 1 and added 80 rushing yards and three touchdowns in Week 4.
While San Francisco has not had its usual bite as a defense, it is still a respectable unit. So far this season, the 49ers rank 12th in points allowed and 10th in yards given up. Looking specifically at the rushing game, they rank ninth in rushing yards allowed and 10th in rushing touchdowns. With a respectable opponent and some injury concerns, Walker feels a bit too big of a risk to represent as your captain’s choice. Expect him to make an impact on the game, but there is not enough certainty that he will be the top scorer.
Brock Purdy: $14,100
With injuries to the roster occurring across the board, Brock Purdy has been asked to keep the offense afloat in a way that has not occurred in past years. While he has been a better game manager than the fantasy scoring indicates, Purdy ranks 12th across all quarterbacks based on DraftKings scoring. He has thrown for 1,374 yards, six touchdowns and four interceptions through the first five weeks.
Purdy is shaping up to be the type of quarterback who is far more important to his team than his fantasy football impact indicates. He has only thrown for more than one touchdown in one game this season and is limited in making an impact with his legs. Expect Purdy’s impact to be felt in this matchup, but he has only eclipsed 15 fantasy points once this season. Allocate your budget toward players with more potential for a massive scoring performance.
Geno Smith: $13,800
My favorite pick for a captain’s play is Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith. The veteran is currently the fifth-best quarterback this season based on DraftKings scoring and has produced an average of 20.2 points per game. He is leading the NFL in completions, pass attempts and passing yards through the first five weeks. Overall he has completed 71.9% of his passes for 1,466 yards, five touchdowns and four interceptions.
The Seahawks lead the NFL in pass attempts and have not been shy about giving Smith plenty of opportunities. San Francisco has struggled more against the pass than the run this year, ranking 12th in passing yards allowed and 18th in touchdowns allowed through the air. Seattle has found its identity as a pass-first team with its trio of wide receivers giving Smith plenty of options. Expect the Seahawks to build off this and, especially given the flexibility of the rest of your lineup with the cheaper price, he may be the best route to building the most effective lineup.
Value Picks:
Jauan Jennings ($6,000)
The player who has stepped up the most during the early start to the season for the 49ers is Jauan Jennings. Through the opening five weeks, he has tallied 22 receptions for 377 yards and three touchdowns, making him the most productive wide receiver on the team. While Jennings is coming off his least productive week where he was held to just one reception for 13 yards, he has grown into a bigger part of the offense than expected.
Even despite the down week, Jennings was targeted four times. He has been thrown the ball at least this many times in each game but was unable to capitalize on these opportunities last week. Expect a bit of a bounce back and for Jennings to make his impact felt in this matchup. He is a big-play threat who can change your outlook entirely with one play. There is some risk with Jennings but I am buying the first four weeks of production more than last week’s down performance.
Zach Charbonnet ($5,100)
Zach Charbonnet could be a sneaky play here, especially given the oblique injury to Kenneth Walker III. So far this season, the second-year back has carried the ball 44 times for 167 yards and three touchdowns. He has also added 18 receptions for 134 yards and a touchdown through the air. He has logged 34% or more of the offensive snaps in each game, including the games in which Walker has played. Charbonnet has logged 15 combined touches in the pair of breakout games that Walker produced as well.
He is slightly touchdown-dependent for his fantasy impact to be strong, but Charbonnet and Walker are tied for total touchdowns this year. Even if Walker is fully healthy and used as the primary back, Charbonnet will play a role in this matchup. He likely will not win you the week but feel confident in a solid level of production coming from the UCLA product.
Noah Fant ($4,500)
While the wide receiver trio of DK Metcalf, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Tyler Lockett dominates the headlines, Noah Fant has quietly been effective. The 26-year-old has tallied 14 receptions for 135 yards so far this season. He has been targeted at least twice in every game and recorded six receptions for 60 yards in Week 3.
Fant also will not be a player that can win you the week, but he could quietly produce at the bottom of your DFS lineup. He also feels due to find the end zone. Fant tallied 14 touchdowns across his first four seasons in the NFL but has not registered a touchdown since Week 15 in 2022. This track record isn’t great, but he will be involved in the passing game and should do enough to have a satisfactory impact as a low-cost player.
This is a week in which there are not too many value targets as the top-end guys will be carrying each offense. Don’t rule out utilizing the kickers in your lineup who hold respective DFS costs of $5,000 and $4,600. You may also find a better route to taking a chance on one of the star wide receivers as a captain to get as many significant names as possible in your lineup. If you choose to go this route, Brandon Aiyuk is a name to consider with a cost of $12,600 as a captain’s play.
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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.
