Best lineup strategy for Tampa Bay-New York in DraftKings Showdown

We break down ideal Showdown contest lineup strategies for Sunday’s Vipers-Guardians game.

By Ameer Tyree@its_ameericle Feb 9, 2020, 5:15am PST

Tampa Bay Vipers quarterback Aaron Murray running with ball during scrimmage.

The Tampa Bay Vipers and New York Guardians play in the first of two Sunday XFL games at 2:00 p.m. ET. We saw two games on Saturday, and now we have a better idea about what we can expect from the XFL in DFS contests. We came up with these lineup suggestions for Sunday’s DraftKings Showdown contests.

Captain Obvious

Matt McGloin, QB, Guardians ($16,200)

One thing we know about the XFL is that it’s a passing league. McGloin is expected to be one of the league’s better signal callers and appears to have one of the league’s best receivers in Mekale McKay at his disposal. New York has an offensive coach that’s won two Super Bowls as an offensive coordinator, and McGloin has made six NFL starts. The moment shouldn’t be too big for McGloin, so I think he should have plenty of success given the defense we’ve seen thus far.

Captain Courageous

Andy Murray, QB, Vipers ($15,300)

Murray has never made an NFL start, but did spend two seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs before bouncing around to a few practice squads. His head coach — Marc Trestman — has been an NFL head coach and has a great offensive mind though. Murray top receiver, Antonio Callaway, was lost for the season due to injury, but there is other talent at Murray’s disposal. There’s a good chance Tampa Bay’s starting tight end will play a prominent role in the passing game.

Flex Men

Mekale McKay, WR, Guardians ($11,400)

McKay is the most expensive player in this contest, but it’s too early to risk betting on a wide receiver. We know that quarterbacks are the most productive position is quarterback. No wideout has emerged as a star yet, but three of the four signal callers that have played have thrown for multiple touchdown passes. McKay’s 6’5” frame does make him a serious threat to dominate against subpar defensive backs though.

Nick Truesdell, WR/TE, Vipers ($8,800)

Truesdell was Tampa Bay’s first pick in the XFL’s inaugural draft and is a candidate to become Murray’s most valuable pass catcher. He’ll compete with wide receiver Seantavius Jones ($9,400) for targets while Callaway is out with a lower leg injury, but Trestman has a reputation for pulling the most out of his tight ends.