Week 2 of the NFL regular season concludes with a fun Monday Night Football doubleheader that wraps up in Vegas, where the Raiders host the Chargers. Both teams won in Week 1, and one will be at least tied for the lead in the AFC West when the week is over. The matchup is the focus of some big DFS showdown contests, including the NFL Showdown $750K Monday Night Showdown [$750K to 1st] (LAC @ LV). As you build your lineups for Monday Night Football, my favorite Captain’s Pick plays are Jakobi Meyers ($10,500 as Captain’s Pick) and Omarion Hampton ($9,900 as Captain’s Pick).
Here’s a deeper look at why I like these Captain’s Picks and how I’m going about building a lineup from top to bottom:
Jakobi Meyers as a Captain’s Pick
Whether Brock Bowers ($10,400; knee, questionable) plays through his injury or is sidelined, Meyers will get plenty of work for the Raiders in this matchup against the Chargers, and he should be able to rack up plenty of PPR production as a key captain’s pick.
Meyers posted a team-high eight catches on his team-high 10 targets for 97 yards in Week 1. He didn’t get a trip to the end zone, but Geno Smith looked competent as the Raiders quarterback, and Meyers was definitely his top wide receiver option with unproven options behind him on the depth chart.
The Chargers gave up 10 catches for 99 yards to Hollywood Brown in Week 1, and Meyers would be in a similar spot this week, with a high volume of passes coming his way, especially if Bowers is out.
Meyers had nine catches for 123 yards and a touchdown against the Chargers in the final game of the regular season last year, and he’ll look to post another monster stat line in their first meeting this season.
Omarion Hampton as Captain’s Pick in a balanced build
The Chargers are three-point road favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook, and if you think the Chargers will play from ahead, Hampton should be a good pick since he is lined up to be the feature back for the Chargers this season.
Hampton played a massive 80% of the team’s snaps in Week 1. He took 15 carries for 48 rushing yards and added two catches for 13 yards. He didn’t get into the end zone, though, so he finished with a modest 8.1 fantasy points that should help him stay under the radar coming into this matchup.
Even though veteran Najee Harris ($4,800) did play in Week 1 after his offseason eye injury, he only had one carry and one catch for a total of 10 yards. He played only 18% of snaps, while Hassan Haskins ($200) played a snap as well.
Hampton has a high ceiling in coach Jim Harbaugh’s run-heavy scheme, and especially if the Chargers build a lead, both he and Harris could end up strong value plays.
The Chargers couldn’t gain much traction against the Chiefs in the run game, but the Raiders should be a more favorable matchup for the Bolts’ offensive line on Monday night.
Lineup Advice
Both Captain’s Picks plays in this post leave plenty of space for FLEX plays. With Meyers as Captain, you can stack him with and still include some of the key Chargers passing game options as well, like Justin Herbert ($10,000), Keenan Allen ($6,400) and Ladd McConkey ($10,800). If Bowers plays, he’ll be a boom-or-bust pay-up play to consider pairing with Meyers as well, although I’d still lean towards Meyers’ since he has both a solid floor and high ceiling.
If you go with Hampton, the rest of the Chargers are strong options on the board as well. You can include Ashton Jeanty ($11,000) as well, or go with room for both quarterbacks or some solid receivers if you find a value play or two you like.
Value plays
Under $6,000, both kickers stand out as solid plays since both offenses rely on rushing and set up plenty of field goal opportunities. Daniel Carlson ($5,000) had 11 fantasy points in Week 1, and Cameron Dicker ($5,400) had nine fantasy points in the opener for the Chargers.
The Raiders’ pass-catchers behind Meyers are the key place to look for value. Tre Tucker ($4,400) had 13.4 fantasy points and a touchdown in Week 1, while rookie Dont’e Thornton Jr. ($4,000) also showed a high ceiling with some key grabs on his way to 6.5 fantasy points.
Michael Mayer ($3,400) will step up if Bowers is out and had a solid role even when Bowers was in the mix. If Bowers plays, Mayer could still be a leverage option if everyone moves off him and builds around Bowers.
The Chargers also had useful production from tight end with Tyler Conklin ($3,000) and Will Dissly ($2,800) splitting time. Conklin had 50 yards on his two catches even though he played 43% of snaps, while Dissly played 57% of snaps.
If you’re looking for punt plays, Zamir White ($2,400) had three carries for eight yards in Week 1, while Raheem Mostert ($400) was a healthy inactive. Second-round pick Tre’ Harris ($2,000) caught his only target for 11 yards against the Chargers.
