The Rams start their quest to return to the mountaintop when they face the sensational Vikings in the final game of Wild Card weekend.
DraftKings is offering a Monday Night Millionaire contest for the chance to win $1 million. I’ve gone through the matchup and highlighted my ideal lineup to help give you a crucial edge.
Set your DraftKings fantasy football lineups here: NFL Showdown $2.25M Monday Night Millionaire [$1M to 1st] (MIN @ LAR)
Captain
Justin Jefferson ($16,500)
Is there even another option? Despite former LSU teammate Ja’Marr Chase winning the receiving triple crown, Justin Jefferson had another sensational campaign. The first-team All-Pro tallied over 1,500 yards, chipping in 10 touchdowns.
Jefferson suffered from shaky quarterback play last week, only bringing in three of his nine targets in a lopsided affair in Detroit. Even with everything going wrong, the superstar still managed eight fantasy points. The Rams’ secondary allows the most fantasy points to opposing wideouts and is a far easier matchup for Jefferson to exploit.
In the prior meeting, Jefferson netted eight receptions and crossed the century mark. He’s a dominant force who won’t be quiet in consecutive outings.
Studs
Kyren Williams ($10,400)
A DFS darling, Kyren Williams, always stuffs the stat sheet. Despite mustering just 4.1 yards an attempt, his immense volume dramatically raises his floor. Williams surpassed 20 touches in 10 of his 16 games, even going north of 30 twice.
He’s a force in the red zone, crossing the goal line 16 times. He’s a physical bruiser who helps wear out front sevens and unlocks the play-action pass attack. His workload is impossible to ignore, and carving out a role as a safety valve underneath helps his bottom line.
Sam Darnold ($9,600)
Sam Darnold would be the unanimous NFL Most Improved Player of the Year. From a punchline to a Pro Bowler, Darnold changed the perception of himself in one season.
He is coming off a disastrous performance, completing 44 percent of his throws with a chance to win the division and clinch home-field advantage. Whether it was nerves or the tantalizing stakes, the moment clearly got to him. Postseason pressure is a different animal, but Darnold has overcome too much adversity to wilt in every meaningful outing. It’s wise to bank on a bounceback from Darnold against a club 25th in defensive EPA per play.
Values
T.J. Hockenson ($5,600)
After recovering from an ACL and MCL tear, T.J. Hockenson has struggled to carve out a consistent role on this team. His numbers don’t stand out, but the opportunity is there.
In all but two of his appearances, he’s drawn over five targets. At 6’5″, he has the frame to make a more prominent impact near the end zone, where Minnesota was abysmal a week ago. Rookie Kamren Kinchens and Kamren Curl have struggled with coverage and will struggle to match up physically with Hockenson.
Demarcus Robinson ($4,200)
Demarcus Robinson, a serviceable rotational piece at points, has tumbled down the depth chart. With Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua back in the fold, Robinson has reverted to being a rotational option in 11 personnel or coming in to block. The veteran is still a smooth route runner with a reliable pair of hands who can step up when needed.
Kupp and Nacua have been far too injury-prone to be trusted. Even if they can stay upright, Minnesota defensive coordinator Brian Flores routinely takes out an offense’s top option. Robinson could garner some extra looks, which creates a tantalizing outlook.
Tyler Higbee ($3,000)
He missed the bulk of the campaign, but Tyler Higbee is still a viable tight end. He is a force after the catch and is always willing to fight for extra yardage. Higbee also has impressive lateral quickness and a refined route tree. At this minuscule price tag, just snagging a few grabs would be phenomenal value.
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is xaiver-aguiar) 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 skills 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.
