Monday Showdown Week 8

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.

Game Strategy

• Over/Under: 45.5
• Spread: Lions -8.5
• Implied Team Total: Lions 27
• Implied Team Total: Raiders 18.5

Don't overreact to the Lions' loss last week to the Ravens. Detroit is still one of the best teams in the league and rightfully favored at home in this spot. Start your lineups with Lions players.

Injury Roundup

• David Montgomery OUT - Upgrade Jahmyr Gibbs

Captain Consideration:

• Jahmyr Gibbs
• Amon-Ra St. Brown
• Davante Adams
• Jared Goff
• Josh Jacobs

Detroit Lions

Quarterback

Jared Goff - Captain/Flex

Jared Goff has been awesome this season. He ranks sixth in passing yards per game (271.7) and ninth in pass touchdowns per game (1.6) and leads a Lions offense that ranks 11th in Expected Points Added per Play (EPA/Play) and seventh in Dropback EPA. Goff is at home in awesome spot here against a bad Raiders defense that ranks 30th in EPA/Play Allowed and 21st in Dropback EPA Allowed. Goff can get there at the captain spot if he throws for multiple touchdowns and spreads them around to different pass catchers.

Running Back/Wide Receiver/Tight End/Defense/Kicker

Jahmyr Gibbs - Captain/Flex

David Montgomery is out once again due to injury. Jahmyr Gibbs has started two games this season in place of Montgomery and averaged 20 opportunities and 104 total yards per contest. He saw 10 targets last week. He's an awesome play at home against a bad Raiders defense that ranks 30th in EPA/Play Allowed and 31st in Rush EPA Allowed.

Amon-Ra St. Brown - Captain/Flex

Amon-Ra St. Brown dominates this Lions' passing offense. St. Brown ranks third in targets per game (11.5), second in receptions per game (8.5), and eighth in receiving yards per game (92.8). He should dominate against a bad Raiders defense that ranks 30th in EPA/Play Allowed and 21st in Dropback EPA Allowed.

Sam LaPorta - Flex

Sam LaPorta has been big-time for the Lions as a rookie. Out of all tight ends, he ranks tied for third in targets (49), tied for fourth in receptions (35), fourth in receiving yards (377), and tied for third in receiving touchdowns (3). He's a solid play in a favorable matchup.

Josh Reynolds - Flex

Josh Reynolds ran a route on 42 of 58 total dropbacks last week. He's still very much involved despite the return of Jameson Williams. Reynolds is a sneaky and affordable stack with Jared Goff in a favorable matchup.

Jameson Williams - Flex

Jameson Williams only ran a route on 26 of 58 dropbacks last week, and Josh Reynolds remains very much involved. Still, Williams' playing time should continue to increase as he works his way back after his early season suspension. Williams was selected 12th overall by the Lions just one year ago after setting the SEC ablaze in 2021 with 79 receptions for 1,572 yards and 15 touchdowns. He can break this one-game slate on one long touchdown.

Las Vegas Raiders

Quarterback

Jimmy Garoppolo - Flex

Jimmy Garoppolo returns to the lineup this week against a solid Lions defense. The Lions rank fourth best in EPA/Play Allowed and sixth best in Dropback EPA Allowed. This is not a favorable matchup. Garoppolo is a fade.

Running Back/Wide Receiver/Tight End/Defense/Kicker

Davante Adams - Captain/Flex

The Raiders are 8.5-point road underdogs, making Davante Adams an incredible play. Adams projects to have a favorable passing game script for most of the game. Adams already ranks ninth in targets per game (10.1). He'll see massive volume in this one.

Josh Jacobs - Captain/Flex

The projected passing game script for the Raiders isn't necessarily a death blow to Josh Jacobs because he's a dual-threat workhorse. Jacobs ranks third in the entire league in opportunities per game (22.4) and is a fun contrarian captain play should the game not go according to projection.

Jakobi Meyers - Flex

Jakobi Meyers has been fantastic this season, and he's been super solid lately. Over the past three games, Meyers has seen 30 total targets and caught a touchdown in every game. Meyers is very much in play.

Michael Mayer - Flex

Michael Mayer's offensive snap percentages over the past three weeks: 66%, 81%, and 71%. His playing time has drastically increased, and that's super exciting because he was an elite prospect. Here is what I said about Mayer as a prospect prior to the season:

He was incredibly productive all three years at Notre Dame, posting lines of 42-450-2 as a freshman, 71-840-7 as a sophomore, and 67-809-9 as a junior and ending his career as Notre Dame's all-time receptions leader by a tight end. And Mayer offers versatility in how his production can help the Raiders. At 6-foot-4.5 and 249 pounds, he can play in-line as he holds up well as a run blocker and tons of his receiving stats were accumulated while lined up in the slot. He's a complete tight end who should never have to leave the field and offers versatility for the offense's scheme and play calling, which is exactly what NFL teams are looking for.