Sunday night brings a high-powered NFC matchup as Tampa Bay and Los Angeles square off under the lights, giving us a DFS slate loaded with star power and volatile value plays. DraftKings’ Showdown format forces tough choices, and this game offers plenty of paths — from concentrated passing attacks to red-zone specialists who can flip the leaderboard with one play. With injuries, usage trends, and matchup quirks in play, every roster spot matters as we hunt for leverage in the $1M contest.
Set your DraftKings fantasy football lineups here: NFL Showdown $1M Sunday Night Showdown [$250K to 1st] (TB @ LAR)
Captain’s Picks
Tez Johnson ($6,000 CP): This is a boom-or-bust pick, and the name of the game is touchdowns. Showdown slates are won or lost by TDs. If a value play finds the end zone and you don’t have him, turn the game off — you lost. If you do have him, giddy up. Johnson is cheap because he lacks volume, but this pick is all about the Tez TD. The 2025 seventh-rounder has scored four touchdowns in his last six games.
UTIL Plays
Kyren Williams ($10,000): Pick your poison. The Bucs have a tough choice: slow down the Rams’ elite receivers or their elite running back. It’s likely they try to do both — and never let perfect be the enemy of good. By trying to do everything, they may end up doing nothing. There’s a reason the Rams are 8-2 and riding a five-game win streak.
Matthew Stafford ($10,800): This wouldn’t be a top priority on the main slate, but Showdown is a different game with a small player pool. The winning lineup needs monster performances and players tied to touchdowns. The Rams will score, and not all of the touchdowns will come on the ground. Tampa Bay blitzes at the third-highest rate in the NFL but ranks in the bottom 10 in pressure rate — not a good combination. Stafford will have opportunities to rip off chunk plays.
Puka Nacua ($11,800): Before getting injured, Nacua was on his way to an all-time season. The record books won’t be rewritten, but Nacua is back to breaking defenses. He’ll break the Bucs, too. The only concern is the Rams’ fascination with 13 personnel. There’s an argument for fading Nacua in favor of a Kyren-plus-tight-end build, but while Williams is appealing, pairing a Rams tight end with a Tampa Bay runback isn’t exciting.
Fades
Baker Mayfield ($10,600): Gutsy is great. It wins games in the NFL. Baker could pull off the win, but that doesn’t mean he breaks the slate. DFS isn’t real football — it’s fantasy football. Stats matter; leadership doesn’t. Mayfield might string together enough clutch drives to win, but wins are worthless here. Throws matter. With all the offensive weapons available, he needs to go off to pay off his third-highest salary. There are better options for less.
The Outcome
The rebuilt Rams are rolling. The Bucs are buckling. Can Baker cook in L.A.? He’s more likely to get baked. The Rams are serving an early Thanksgiving dinner.
