The 49ers and the Cowboys will complete a jam-packed Sunday of football with an old-school NFC slugfest on the West Coast. The 49ers are 5.5-point favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook with the over/under for the game set at 48 points.
The matchup is also the focus of several big single-game Showdown contests, headlined by the NFL Showdown $1.2M Sunday Night Showdown [$300K to 1st] (DAL @ SF). While there are several ways you can build your lineup that make sense, I’m building around two skill options from the 49ers.
If you want to go with a safer option as your Captain’s Pick, George Kittle ($13,200 as Captain’s Pick) should be very busy and put up a monster day. If you want to spice it up and swing for the fences, I also love building around Ricky Pearsall ($8,700 as Captain’s Pick), since he saves so much salary and gives your lineup so much upside.
Here’s how I’d attack Sunday night’s showdown slate:
Why George Kittle is a must-play
The 49ers are without several skill players, which should open up opportunities for both Kittle and Pearsall. Brandon Aiyuk (knee) is out for the season and Jauan Jennings (hip) has already been ruled out. Deebo Samuel Sr. ($10,000 as FLEX) is expected to play but is still dealing with an illness and was limited to just a few snaps when he was active last week. Samuel does have a high ceiling since he can go off for huge plays, but he may not be ready for a heavy workload this week.
With all those targets available, Kittle should have plenty of opportunity to smash on National Tight End Day. He has had at least four catches in every game this season and is averaging 5.7 catches for 62.5 yards per game and has scored five touchdowns in six games. He has 50+ yards in three straight weeks and is coming off a season-high 92 yards against the Chiefs last week.
Kittle’s targets and volume make him very low-risk and also give him a very high ceiling. He has already posted three games with over 20 fantasy points, and if he hits that number in this matchup, he’ll be a great option.
Why Ricky Pearsall brings huge upside
Pearsall is such a bargain play in this contest with a salary that’s lower than the backup QBs and just barely more than the kickers. Pearsall made his triumphant NFL debut after surviving a gunshot wound last week. He caught 3-of-5 targets for 21 yards.
My colleague, Stan Son wrote about Pearsall’s upside earlier this week. He highlighted that Pearsall’s 76% snap share was the highest among all wide receivers last week for the 49ers. He also pointed out that the Cowboys’ pass defense has posted the sixth-worst Pass EPA. Their run defense has been even worse, but the Cowboys have allowed opposing WRs to average 9.7 catches for 135.4 yards per game. Opposing receivers have scored six touchdowns in seven games vs. Dallas.
This week, he’s expected to operate behind Samuel, but he has plenty of upside as one of the options that should be heavily targeted this week. The fact that he drew so many targets in his debut shows how much upside he has as he grows into Kyle Shanahan’s offense.
Lineup Construction Blueprint
If you don’t mind the risk, Pearsall could go off and be an awesome value play. He leaves enough space to stack Brock Purdy ($9,400) and Kittle as flex plays and still average $7,700 for your other three spots. You can either lean into the 49ers stack at that point or toss in Dak Prescott ($9,600), Jake Ferguson ($6,800) and Jalen Tolbert ($6,400). Rico Dowdle ($8,800) is also a solid option to consider if you want to mix in a value play to balance him out.
If you’re looking for a safer build, Kittle at Captain leaves you enough for one other star. If you move Pearsall to a flex spot, the remaining four spots average $7,750 for the other four slots. While Purdy leaves you $7,200 for the other three, it’s still possible to make it work.
The other big name that’s worth seeing if you can squeeze in is Jordan Mason ($11,000), since the Cowboys’ run defense has been so bad. If you spend up for him, you might have to go with a kicker like Anders Carlson ($5,000) or roll with a DST or deeper sleeper like Chris Conley ($2,800), Jalen Brooks ($1,200) or even Kyle Juszczyk ($2,000).
Without Aiyuk and Jennings and with Deebo possibly limited, Pearsall and Kittle are both in excellent spots to produce in this matchup.
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All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is z.thompson) 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.
