Disclaimer
These contests are intended to be fun as you’re watching the game. It’s incredibly difficult to get a real edge as there are so few options and in MME contests there are often many duplicate lineups. One play or one penalty can change the entire outcome of the game.
This article is going to have a heavy DraftKings lean simply because the decision making process is more interesting with the Captain having a salary premium to correspond with the scoring premium. On FanDuel, the pricing is the same for both MVP and flex, so just play either a quarterback or running back in that spot. There are scenarios where a wide receiver can pay off, but it’s difficult with it being the 0.5 per reception.
Game Strategy
This is going to be a fun slate, albeit a very difficult one as there is seemingly very little value on this slate. For the first time in seemingly weeks (maybe all season), there is almost no player that you even want to consider that is priced below $5,000. This will likely leave some tough decisions to be made which could lead to some uniqueness when it comes to lineup construction
There are some cheap players on this slate that some people will look to such as Darius Slayton (0 catches last two games), Ronald Jones II (0 carries last game), Kyle Rudolph (averaging 12 yards per game last four games). None of these players will make you feel great, so this could be a week where you find savings through kickers, defenses, etc in order to try to build out your lineup.
Note: This article assumes that Rob Gronkowski will be playing. O.J. Howard becomes a viable punt captain and great flex if Gronkowski is out.
Captain Consideration:
- Devontae Booker (If Saquon Barkley is out)
- Leonard Fournette
- Chris Godwin
- Rob Gronkowski
- O.J. Howard (If Rob Gronkowski is out)
- Daniel Jones
- Kenny Golladay
- Mike Evans
- Tom Brady
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
QUARTERBACK
Tom Brady- Great Flex, Hard to Fit as Captain
Last week, Brady and the Buccaneers offense struggled as they threw for just 220 yards which was the second-lowest total on the season for the Buccaneers. While Brady is always in play due to his ability to throw for 300 yards and multiple touchdowns any week, the problem is that the price is fairly prohibitive at the captain spot at $16,800 which leaves you just $6,640 for all of the remaining positions. This will make it extremely difficult to have Mike Evans or Chris Godwin in your lineup, and you will almost certainly not be able to fit Leonard Fournette in the lineup which is one of the top plays on this slate.
RUNNING BACK-
Leonard Fournette- Great Flex and Captain
Leonard Fournette is a running back who is fairly easy to predict so far this season. When he is in an above average matchup or better, you start him and when he is in a below average matchup, the team goes with a pass heavy approach such as the last two weeks against Washington and New Orleans. This week, Fournette gets his best matchup of the season as the Giants have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to the running back position on the season. The Giants have allowed over 150 total yards to opposing running backs in each of their last two games and are allowing 169 per game which is the second-most in the NFL this season. With the Buccaneers expected to win this game easily, you can rely on Fournette in this game. With no Antonio Brown expect him to once again play a role in the passing game as Fournette has caught 11 passes over the last two games.
WIDE RECEIVER-
Chris Godwin- Good Flex/Captain
Godwin who is playing at far less than 100% health just keeps producing especially without Antonio Brown. Over Godwin’s last three games, he has caught 7 passes in each of the games, topped 100 yards twice, and scored two touchdowns. He has established himself as the clear number one wide receiving option for Tom Brady. This profiles to be a fantastic matchup for Godwin this week as he is taking on a Giants team that have been completely inept at stopping wide receivers out of the slot. Hunter Renfrow, Cooper Kupp, Tyreek Hill, CeeDee Lamb, Deonte Harris, Terry McLaurin all spend at least 25% of the snaps in the slot and dominated this Giants team while the bigger outside receivers have struggled at times as Darnay Holmes has struggled out of the slot this season.
Mike Evans- Contrarian Captain Only
Mike Evans is priced all the way up at $10,200 this week which is a bit of a mystery as he has been struggling as of late. Over his last four games, Evans has failed to have more than four targets in three of those contests. What you get with Evans is upside, as he scores touchdowns in bunches as seven of his nine touchdowns have come in just three games. If he has another multi-touchdown game, you’re going to want him as your captain, but Evans draws a tough matchup in James Bradberry this week. Bradberry has dominated the matchup as their last four meetings, Evans has topped 50 yards just once and has not scored a touchdown.
OTHER TARGETS-
Rob Gronkowski- Good Flex/Captain
If you’re looking for a cheap player with upside, Gronkowski may be your guy this week. While Gronkowski has played just six snaps since Week 3, when he is active and doesn’t reinjure himself early in the game, he has shown significant upside. In Gronk’s three full games, he has two multi-touchdown games, had 21 targets in those games as well. This is a player who immediately starts seeing red zone looks and if he is active tonight, expect at least one if not multiple red zone looks this week.
Tampa Bay Defense- Flex-
In a week we need salary savings, taking a defense that is a double-digit favorite is never the worst decision.
New York Giants
QUARTERBACK
Daniel Jones- Good Captain/Flex
A lot of focus is going to be on Daniel Jones tonight, as the way to beat the Buccaneers is through the air as they boast one of the best run-stopping units in football. Jones has struggled as of late as he has not thrown for over 250 yards since Week 4’s outbreak where he threw for 402 yards against the Saints. The value with Jones is the potential running ability as Jones has upside to completely break a Showdown slate once or twice a season with his big play rushing upside as he has sneaky speed. Jones had 60 yards or more in three games last season and while we have only seen it once this year, Tampa Bay has allowed 38 yards or more rushing in three of their last four games.
RUNNING BACK
Saquon Barkley- Flex Play
If we knew how much Saquon Barkley was going to play this week, Barkley would likely be a more confident play, but the reality is that this will be Barkley’s first game back since injury his ankle in Week 5, and he is facing a very difficult Tampa Bay defense. Even still, Barkley is a somewhat affordable price at just $7,800, that if you wanted to build a Giants stack, he could be a piece that is intriguing as he has home-run potential every time he touches the ball.
WIDE RECEIVER/TIGHT END
Kenny Golladay- Good Captain/Flex
Kenny Golladay should perform better after a disappointing return back from injury last week. The reality is that the entire offense sputtered as Daniel Jones threw for just 110 yards in a game in which the Giants only needed to throw the ball 20 times and still came away with the win. The Giants will be forced to throw the ball much more this week against the elite Tampa Bay run defense as well as having to keep up with Tom Brady and the offense. Getting Golladay at a discounted price of just $7,000 makes him both a captain and a flex play as he is cheap enough on a slate, we desperately need value. There is a lot of risk here, but it could pay off as he will be under-rostered.
Darius Slayton- Flex
This one is a bit tricky, because Slayton has not had a role the last two games since the return of Kenny Golladay. However, Slayton still is on the field as he has been on the field for 87% and 55% over the last two weeks. At just $3,200, expect him to be popular as he realistically is the only player who has been on the field consistently that is under $5,000. If the Giants get behind early and are forced to throw a significant amount, Slayton should be able to get enough volume to justify the price. Could be a good play if you have a Tampa Bay heavy stack and just want volume out of a Giants receiver with cost savings.
OTHER TARGETS-
Graham Gano- Flex
Tampa Bay has one of the best run defenses in football. It’s conceivable that the Giants can move the ball and stall out several times in this game. At just $4,000, this could be a week where kickers could be a nice cost savings due to the lack of low-end options.
Gio Bernard- Flex
Another punt play. Bernard is servicable as a recieving back who has scored three touhdowns on the season. If he scores a touchdown this week, you're likely going to want him in your lineup.