Fantasy Football Picks: Eagles vs. Chiefs DraftKings NFL DFS MNF Showdown Strategy

Look, I know there’s still reasons to be excited about this game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs. After all, it’s a rematch of the Super Bowl. However, with the devastating news that Taylor Swift will be unable to attend due to an Eras Tour scheduling snafu in Brazil, I’m just not sure if I have the same level of passion I had 24 hours ago.

THEIR PARENTS WE’RE SUPPOSED TO MEET, YOU GUYS.

Anyway, I guess there’s actual football to discuss. Blah.

Set your DraftKings fantasy football lineups here: NFL $2.22M Fantasy Football Millionaire [DraftKings’ Version] [$1M to 1st] (PHI vs KC)

SHOWDOWN STRATEGY

Captain’s Picks

Jalen Hurts ($16,500 CP) - Far be it from me to disparage the great Patrick Mahomes ($11,200), but when it comes to choosing a Captain for this slate, Hurts clearly stands above the former MVP. That’s how good the Alabama product has been so far this season. Hurts entered Week 11 leading all NFC quarterbacks in DKFP (228.5). In fact, since the beginning of Week 2, Hurts has scored at least 21.0 DKFP in every single start, even registering over 25.0 DKFP in six of the Eagles’ eight games within that span. Hurts also sits first in the NFL in DKFP earned per drop back (0.65), whereas Mahomes ranks 12th (0.51). The biggest reason for Hurts’ impressive viability? His dual-threat ability. Specifically in the red zone, where the 25-year-old has accounted for the seventh-most rushing attempts of any player (28). That’s obviously translated into Hurts finding the end zone, as evidenced by his position-leading seven touchdowns. Tush push. Brotherly shove. Whatever you call it, it’s unstoppable at the goal line.

Travis Kelce ($15,000 CP) - Kelce’s had back-to-back underwhelming performances and I simply can not see a scenario where that streak stretches to three on Monday evening. Kelce is too heavily involved in Kansas City’s aerial attack. The tight end doesn’t just lead the team in every major receiving category — catches, targets, yards and touchdowns — he’s nearly doubling up his teammates in most of them. This also happens to be a sneaky good matchup for Kelce. While Eagles D/ST ($4,000) is undoubtedly one of the league’s best units, it has struggled to contain opposing passing games in recent weeks. To wit, Philadelphia is conceding a league-high 306.7 opponent passing yards per contest since the beginning of Week 7, and a lot of that damage has come at the hands of TEs. Logan Thomas racked up six receptions and a touchdown in Week 8, while Jake Ferguson turned 10 targets into 91 yards and a touchdown in Week 9. Kelce can definitely exploit this defense.

Value FLEX Plays

Justin Watson ($2,400) - Trying to make sense of the Chiefs’ receiving corps has been an annoying endeavor for the whole season, as few people outside of the aforementioned Kelce and Rashee Rice ($7,400) have been able to have a consistent impact. That said, I like the direction Watson’s usage has taken in recent games. The former fifth-round pick matched his season-high with five targets in Kansas City’s 21-14 victory over Miami in Week 9, with Watson running a route on 71% of Mahomes’ drop backs. Watson even had a receiving touchdown in that contest for a split second, though the play was eventually overturned by replay. Still, the point remains. Watson is seeing his role increase, yet he’s the Chiefs’ fifth-most expensive WR on this slate. With the Eagles surrendering the most DKFP per contest to opposing wideouts, you need some exposure to the 27-year-old.

Albert Okwuegbunam ($400) - Okwuegbunam has only played six snaps this season for the Eagles, but all six were in the team’s most recent contest against the Cowboys. Now, with Dallas Goedert (forearm) out for the foreseeable future, it might be time for the former fourth-round pick to make an impact. Let’s remember, it wasn’t that long ago that Okwuegbunam was a starting tight end with the Broncos, one that managed to put up 330 yards with a couple of touchdowns back in 2021. Considering he, Jack Stoll ($3,200) and Grant Calcaterra ($200) have combined for a grand total of two receptions so far this season, I’ll take my chances with the cheaper Philadelphia TEs — especially given that Okwuegbunam’s easily had the most success of the three at the NFL level.

Fades

Isiah Pacheco ($7,200) - While Pacheco is clearly the No. 1 back in the Chiefs’ offense, his results haven’t been great the past couple of weeks. In fact, dating back to the start of Week 5, Pacheco’s averaging just 51.0 rushing yards and 11.7 DKFP per game. Week 5 also happens to be the last time Pacheco rushed for a touchdown. That doesn’t necessarily mean only doom and gloom is on the horizon for the sophomore, yet a matchup with the Eagles isn’t usually a remedy for a slumping RB. Philadelphia is allowing an NFL-low 66.3 opponent rushing yards per contest and the fewest DKFP per game to opposing backfields. The most rushing yards they’ve given up to a single opponent this season? 59 to Brian Robinson back in Week 8. You simply do not want to test the Eagles’ defensive front.

THE OUTCOME

While I’ll admit that the Eagles haven’t looked as dominant as their 8-1 record — they’re only the 10th-best team in the NFL by DVOA — the Chiefs have also looked pretty mortal for a majority of the season. In a tilt between two great squads, I’m inclined to just take the points, especially considering how rare it is to get an opportunity to bet Philadelphia as an underdog.

Final Score: Philadelphia 28, Kansas City 24

Set your DraftKings fantasy football lineups here: NFL $2.22M Fantasy Football Millionaire [DraftKings’ Version] [$1M to 1st] (PHI vs KC)

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