The Vikings will head into the Superdome to take on a 13-win Saints team that just barely missed a bye in the opening round of the playoffs. This game has the largest spread of the round, but there are certainly reasons to believe the Vikings can compete. Let’s check out some of the best plays for DraftKings Showdown.
Captain Obvious
Michael Thomas, WR, Saints ($19,200)
Thomas will cost you a pretty penny, but he easily has the highest median projection of any player in this game. He set an NFL record with 149 receptions, and finished the 2019 season with 100 (!) more PPR points than the next-closest receiver (Chris Godwin). Thomas has over 30 DKFP in three of his past four games, and has a 32% target share for the Saints. No other Saint sees even 20% of team targets.
Captain Courageous
Stefon Diggs, WR, Vikings ($12,600)
This game has a rising total, now up to 49.5 on DKSB, and that means the sharp money is expecting this contest to feature plenty of scoring. If that happens, look for Diggs to be involved early and often. He leads the team with a 21% targets share and, perhaps more importantly, has captured 41% of team air yards this year. Even with a healthy Adam Thielen in tow, Diggs should be seeing the money targets down the field.
Flex Men
Alvin Kamara, RB, Saints ($9,600)
After Thomas, Kamara is absolutely the best remaining playmaker on the Saints. On top of his rushing load, he has accumulated 19% of team targets this year. Kamara only saw 29 total interactions (carries + targets) in the final two weeks of the year, but still managed to score four times. We have every reason to expect New Orleans to ramp up his usage now that each game could be their last. For less than $10,000, you can’t go wrong here.
Irv Smith, TE, Vikings ($1,400)
With the expensive players up top being especially difficult to avoid in this game, we will need some cheap plays in order to fit everyone in. Look no further than Smith, who only sees a handful of targets a game, but can still deliver on low volume. He has exceeded eight DKFP five times this year, which is plenty at this salary. He has also seen 11% of team targets this year, the same amount as Kyle Rudolph, who costs $3,200 more.
I am an avid fan and user (my username is amicsta) 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.