Best lineup strategy for 49ers-Seahawks in MNF Showdown

UPDATE: The 49ers have activated tight end Garrett Celek off injured reserve for Week 10 Monday Night Football. This indicates George Kittle will be inactive for the game. Ross Dwelley is likely to get the start in place of Kittle.

It is nice to get a Monday Night Football game with actual significance. Most of the game lately have been lackluster and featured teams near the bottom of the standings. Tonight, we get a game between two of the best teams in the NFL. The 49ers are 8-0, the last remaining undefeated team in the league. They take on the 7-2 Seahawks who are trying to catch up to San Francisco in the AFC West standings. This figures to be one of the better games of the regular season. We break down some key strategy as you prepare your DraftKings Monday Night Showdown lineup.

CAPTAIN OBVIOUS

Russell Wilson ($17,100)

How can we not consider going to Russell Wilson in a big game? The matchup against the 49ers’ defense is far from ideal although we have seen Wilson come through in these kind of spots time and time again. He’s in the middle of arguably the best season of his career and he’s the current front runner to win the MVP. Of all the players in this game, Russ easily leads everybody with an average of 26.2 DKFP.

CAPTAIN COURAGEOUS

Seahawks Defense ($4,800)

Even though Garoppolo is coming off his best game of the season, he’s proven to be turnover prone throughout the rest of the season. He’s turned the ball over nine times in his seven starts and the Seattle D has forced a turnover in eight of its nine games. Last week was the first time Garoppolo topped 300 yards all season and I can see a scenario where the 49ers struggle to move the ball against the Seahawks. If Wilson has a big game, San Fran is going to be reliant on a mistake prone Garoppolo throwing the ball to try to keep it. It’s a situation the 49ers haven’t found themselves in this season. To add to the appeal of the Seahawks’ defense, George Kittle is expected to miss tonight’s game due to a knee injury.

FLEX MEN

Chris Carson ($8,600)

Don’t fumble! Carson has been a great fantasy asset this season. His only issue is ball security. At times, his inability to protect the football has made Seattle wary of giving Carson the ball down the stretch of games. Other than mishandling the ball, Carson has proven to be a relatively safe DFS target as of late. He’s scored at least 15 DKFP in five of his last six games.

Ross Dwelley ($2,000)

Who? It’s a fair question. Above, I mentioned that Kittle is expected to sit out tonight’s game with a leg injury. He’s listed as doubtful to play, which puts Dwelley in line to start at tight end for the 49ers. Obviously, he won’t be able to fill Kittle’s role, but he’s extremely cheap and Garoppolo figures to look his way for short completions. He only needs a few catches to pay off such a cheap salary.

I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is gehrenberg) 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 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.