Week 1’s Sunday Night Football contest is an NFC matchup between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Dallas Cowboys.
Let’s look at this game from a DraftKings NFL Showdown perspective.
Set your DraftKings fantasy football lineups here: NFL $1.25M Sunday Night Showdown [$250K to 1st] (TB vs DAL)
SHOWDOWN STRATEGY
Captain’s Picks
Tom Brady (CP $15,000)
O, Captain! My Captain! Did the poet laureate think his work would be in a Showdown article circa 2022? Probably. As Whitman once wrote about Abraham Lincoln, my duty is to discuss the GOAT, the Captain, and whatever other superlative you want to include in this passage. The “Brady-is-going-to-struggle-with-rushes-up-the-middle” preseason diatribe has been exhausting this offseason, but Brady won’t have to worry about it this week in Jerry’s World. According to PFF.com, “The DT position remains the weak point of the line after combining for a 33.1 PFF run-defense grade last season (30th out of 32 teams). Captain TB12 with confidence.
FLEX Plays
Mike Evans ($10,600)
In the nine games without Chris Godwin ($7,400), Evans has averaged eight targets, 77 yards and 19.4 FPPG. Godwin is a game-time decision, and Brady’s target tree might funnel through Evans as the 1A Sunday evening. The big-body wideout was first on the team in red zone targets inside the 5-yard line last season. Evans put up a dud in this matchup last season, which was a result of Trevon Diggs playing shadow coverage. The Buccaneers could move Evans into the slot, giving him more field and less Diggs coverage, a position he defended less than 10% of snaps last year.
Russell Gage ($6,200)
With the uncertainty in Godwin’s status, newly-acquired Russell Gage could be the play in this spot. The fourth-year wideout has 4.55 speed and was recruited by Tom Brady in the offseason. Last year with the Atlanta Falcons, Gage caught 66 of his 94 targets for 770 yards and four touchdowns in 14 games. Gage is also dealing with some injuries, and if he’s out, then it’s Scotty Miller ($1,400) that could be the value play. If you’re looking for touchdown upside at a low cost, also consider Cameron Brate ($5,200), who was second on the team in red zone targets (20) last season.
Fades
Ezekiel Elliott (CP $11,700, $7,800)
The reports all point to this being a tandem backfield with Tony Pollard (CP $9,600, $6,400), and Elliott struggles against the Buccaneers’ defense, rushing for a meager 33 yards last season. The Bucs acquired Akiem Hicks in the offseason, making this unit even more formidable than it has been in previous seasons.
THE OUTCOME
The Cowboys’ interior defensive line isn’t good enough to get this Bucs offense off schedule, and Tom Brady will prove to us yet again that age is only a number and why we should never doubt him. Tampa wins and starts 1-0.
Final Score: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27, Dallas Cowboys 24
Set your DraftKings fantasy football lineups here: NFL $1.25M Sunday Night Showdown [$250K to 1st] (TB vs DAL)
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All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests. The contents contained in this article do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups.
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