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: 42.5
• Spread: Packers -13.5
• Packers Implied Team Total: 28
• Saints Implied Team Total: 14.5

Green Bay is at home playing outside in December against a bad dome team. The Packers are rightfully heavy favorites and lineups should be built that way.

Injury Roundup

• Alvin Kamara OUT
• Chris Olave OUT
• Derek Carr OUT
• Taysom Hill OUT
• Bub Means OUT
• Marquez Valdes-Scantling Questionable
• Luke Musgrave Questionable and could be activated off Injured reserve prior to the game

Captain Consideration

• Josh Jacobs
• Kendre Miller
• Jordan Love
• Jayden Reed
• Romeo Doubs

Green Bay Packers Showdown Players

Quarterback

Jordan Love - Captain/Flex

Jordan Love ranks 11th in passing yards per game (246.1) and sixth in pass touchdowns per game (1.9) and leads a great Packers offense that ranks third in EPA/Play. He's at home against a Saints defense that ranks 24th in EPA/Play Allowed. New Orleans is a 5-9 team struggling and banged up. Love might not have to do a whole lot in this one but quarterbacks can get home in fantasy on efficiency way more than any other position. If the Packers cruise and win easily, it might be Love who puts those points on the board by passing touchdowns.

Running Back

Josh Jacobs - Captain/Flex

Josh Jacobs is the best play in this game by far. He's having an incredible season playing for Matt LaFleur and within a Packers offense that ranks third in EPA/Play. Jacobs ranks fifth in opportunities per game (21.6), sixth in total yards per game (103.5), and seventh in total touchdowns (13). The Packers are 13.5-point home favorites and Jacobs gets a Saints defense that only ranks 24th in EPA/Play Allowed and 31st in Rush EPA Allowed. Jacobs has been outstanding when it comes to scoring as he has nine touchdowns over his last five games. It would be a surprise if he didn't score at least one this week. 

Wide Receiver

Jayden Reed - Captain/Flex, Romeo Doubs - Captain/Flex, Christian Watson - Flex, and Dontayvion Wicks - Flex

Targets per game: Romeo Doubs 5.3, Jayden Reed 4.6, Dontayvion Wicks 4.1, and Christian Watson 3.9. Green Bay's receiver corps is tough to parse through the entire season, let alone one game. All four of these guys are talented and offer weekly upside.

Reed offers the highest touchdown upside and is the best play of the bunch. He offers dual-threat usage as he's carried 16 times for 155 yards and 1 touchdown on the year. Reed also leads the team in receiving yards (727) and has 107 more than any teammate.

Romeo Doubs leads these four in targets per game (5.3) and is a reliable option for Jordan Love. Doubs just caught two touchdowns last week. While the upside is there, there's certainly risk to take Doubs who has scored touchdowns in just two games all season.

Christian Watson leads these four in yards per reception (21.4), is the best athlete, and offers the best potential of coming down with a game and slate-breaking long touchdown catch. Watson has 50 yards or more in three straight games and should have the big play potential in this one. The only issue for Watson is he has just two touchdowns on the season and just eight red zone targets on the year. You're really hoping for a 100-yard game here, as the upside is somewhat limited compared to Reed and Doubs who have those multi-touchdown performances this season. 

Dontayvion Wicks' main attraction is he's priced way lower than the other three on DraftKings at only $4,000. Wicks has struggled with drops at times this year but he's a talented athlete who routinely creates separation and gets open. Wicks' role as the WR4 on the team has been locked in all season but that doesn't mean he can't be rostered. Wicks routinely plays 35-50 percent of the offensive snaps as LaFleur loves to rotate his receivers and he continues to maintain they don't have a "number one" guy.

Tight End

Tucker Kraft - Flex

Tucker Kraft has been a solid playmaker for the Packers all season long. He ranks second on the team in targets (receptions), third in receiving yards (555), and first in receiving touchdowns (7). Kraft's highest upside in this one projects from finding the end zone. If he doesn't, there is risk he gets squeezed a bit with all four wide receivers healthy, especially if Luke Musgrave is activated off of Injured Reserve for this game as well.

Kicker

Brandon McManus - Flex

Brandon McManus has been a reliable kicker for years and that has continued this season in Green Bay. McManus is 14 for 15 on field goal attempts and hasn't missed an extra point on 23 tries. The opportunities project to be there as Green Bay has a high 28-point Implied Team Total. McManus is a better play on FanDuel where kickers matter more but certainly remains in play on DraftKings as well

D/ST

Packers - Flex

The Packers are 13.5-point home favorites. Spencer Rattler has thrown just two touchdowns compared to two interceptions and been sacked 14 times in four appearances this year.

New Orleans Saints Showdown Players

Quarterback

Spencer Rattler - Flex

Spencer Rattler has thrown just two touchdowns compared to two interceptions in four appearances this season. He makes sense as a starting quarterback priced decently affordable at $8,600 on DraftKings but ideally, we're rostering only one or two Saints and he's not the best play on his team. That title goes to Kendre Miller.

Running Back

Kendre Miller - Captain/Flex

Kendre Miller has seen 21 total opportunities over the past two weeks and now projects to see that kind of workload in just this one game alone with Alvin Kamara out due to injury. DraftKings is on top of it as they have Miller priced at $9,400 but don't get sticker shock. 20+ opportunities in full PPR is a fantastic projection, especially since there are so many question marks surrounding basically every one of Miller's offensive teammates. Green Bay's defense ranks middle of the pack in Rush EPA Allowed (16th).

Wide Receiver

Marquez Valdes-Scantling - Flex (If active: Questionable), Kevin Austin Jr - Flex, and Dante Pettis - Flex

Offensive snap percentages last week: Marquez Valdes-Scantling 78%, Kevin Austin Jr 75%, and Dante Pettis 47%.

Targets last week: Valdes-Scantling 7, Pettis 5, and Austin 3.

DraftKings salaries for Monday Night: Valdes-Scantling: $6,600, Austin $3,200, and Pettis $1,000.

Valdes-Scantling has been the clear WR1 but he's questionable after not practicing on Friday and his game is inherently volatile as a downfield receiver. Pettis looks like the clear-cut best value play priced at just $1,000 after seeing five targets last week.

Tight End

Juwan Johnson - Flex

Since New Orleans' bye in Week 12, Juwan Johnson has played on 70% or more of the offensive snaps in three straight games. That increase in playing time also coincided with Taysom Hill being lost for the season due to injury. Johnson is in play thanks to being priced at just $4,400 on DraftKings.

Kicker

Blake Grupe - Flex on FanDuel; Avoid on DraftKings

Blake Grupe has been reliable this season. He has made 22 of 26 field goals and 29 of 31 extra points. He is in play on on FanDuel but Brandon McManus is the preferred kicker on this slate. The issue is that you're just going to have to deal with Spencer Rattler and the Saints offense 

D/ST

Avoid