DraftKings Fantasy Football features a battle between rookie quarterbacks fighting for a playoff position. The DFS main slate may be in the books, but there is plenty of DFS action available for Sunday Night Football. Check out the NFL Showdown Slate DFS picks for the Week 17 Sunday Night Football matchup between the Atlanta Falcons and Washington Commanders.
Set your DraftKings fantasy football lineups here: NFL Showdown $1M Sunday Night Showdown [$250K to 1st] (ATL @ WAS)
Captain’s Picks
Jayden Daniels ($17,700 CP): Find the money. Offensive Coordinator Kliff Kingsbury designed the Commanders’ offense for Jayden Daniels. This is the first year in Washington for both but it’s Week 17. They’re not new nor novices. They know what they’re doing. The Commanders scored 36 points on the vaunted Eagles defense in Week 16. The stats say it all. The rookie QB has 3,303 passing yards, 22 passing TDs, 737 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns. Plenty of mobile quarterbacks have made a splash in their first season, but Daniels could be the best ever. The Falcons have allowed the fourth-highest QB Rating (98.5) and the second-most passing TDs (28).
UTIL Plays
Terry McLaurin ($10,200): The Commanders’ secondary receivers aren’t world beaters. Olamide Zaccheaus ($6,400) is a revenge play more so than an NFL DFS pick based on talent. The former Duke Blue Devil Jamison Crowder has been plagued by injuries. There’s no guarantee he can complete a game let alone the season. Scary Terry is everything to the Commanders. His volume might not be the best but that doesn’t mean he is a bust. McLaurin can bust off big plays. He always has, even with terrible quarterbacks. A scrambling quarterback plays into McLaurin’s ability to streak down the field and catch home run passes.
Jamison Crowder ($3,000): The veteran slot receiver returned to action in Week 15. His snaps increased in Week 16. WR Dyami Brown could not finish the Week 16 contest and was ruled out for Week 17 on Friday. Crowder will get plenty of snaps in a matchup with Falcons nickleback Dee Alford (PFF Coverage Grade: 122nd of 217 CBs). Alford’s 2024 performances have been mercurial. He’s not a defender that needs to be avoided on a main slate let alone a showdown slate. Crowder scored two touchdowns in Week 16. It’s not a fluke. The Commanders will run 10 personnel at the goalline and stretch the defense across the field. Linebackers and safeties are forced to guard the slot and stay home to honor Daniels’ legs. It’s impossible.
Charlie Woerner ($200): It’s a Showdown Slate. It’s a tight-end pick. Value picks are scarce. Studs are in abundance. Woerner is a straight punt. It’s salary savings and a prayer for points. Could two do? Four fantasy points would be a miracle. A goose egg might work. Woerner gets a target or two every week. He plays half of the snaps, but most of the time he’s blocking. It’s beyond risky, but the value has vanished. Might as well save at max.
Fades
Drake London ($9,400): There are better pay-up options. It’s not any more complicated than that. The fade has nothing to do with London’s talent. It’s not dismissive of the Falcons’ quarterback making the second start of his career. Stack everything up. Compare the top-tier options. It’s not close. The YouTube DFS industry will seize on this situation. The all-seeing, all-knowing simulator will suggest picking London because his ownership percentage is low. It’s low because we know. The Falcons offense is not a mystery. It’s not great. The Commanders can be explosive. Trust your eyes and ignore the zeroes and ones.
THE OUTCOME
The Falcons beat the Giants. They are competitive when Kirk Cousins isn’t slinging picks like Spongebob flipping Krabby Patties. Jayden Daniels doesn’t turn over Krabby Patties or the ball, but he does cook. And the Falcons are cooked. How do you like your poultry? Fried, roasted, baked, grilled or smoked?
Final Score: Commanders 34, Falcons 16
Set your DraftKings fantasy football lineups here: NFL Showdown $1M Sunday Night Showdown [$250K to 1st] (ATL @ WAS)
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