Monday Night Football DFS Showdown: Week 2 Vikings vs Eagles

NFL Showdown is not about who you play as much as how you play them. Median projections are a tool in the toolbox, but they are to be trusted far less than they would be on the main slate. This is because of the ramifications associated with a single player underproducing or overproducing relative to their projection. 

If a wide receiver who was projected for nine points instead earns 22 points, then there is a strong likelihood that his performance came at the detriment of a teammate, or even a member of the opposing team. His running back likely received less opportunity, while the opposing team’s running back may have seen a boost. In this scenario, his quarterback may have also produced well.

The game theory is much more intricate than this one example, but it gets you down the path of thinking of showdown as an if/then rather than a raw projection. 

There may be times when Cooper Kupp finishes as the best play of the slate without Matthew Stafford, and other times Jonathan Taylor may rush for 200 yards while Matt Ryan and Michael Pittman still make the optimal lineup. Showdown is non-binary, but over time sound lineup construction will reign supreme.

Most important of all:

The likeliest outcome is only one of infinite outcomes. When rostership dictates that the field has the game figured out, lean into builds around a different scenario. The term “any given Sunday” should be the mantra for successfully building Showdown lineups.

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Slate Breakdown

The Minnesota Vikings are heading to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles as 2-point underdogs. The total is set at a respectable 50.5. The game sets up well for both teams with DraftKings finally getting a Showdown slate priced correctly. Roster percentages are going to be tame with not a lot of chalk. Jalen Hurts is the preferred quarterback, but the Eagles are tougher to stack. Kirk Cousins is preferred for game stacks, but Justin Jefferson is priced about as expensive as it gets. As is the case with every Showdown slate, roster percentages are going to heavily dictate which team we stack.  

Injury Notes

We’ve got no relevant injuries. 

Minnesota Vikings Offense

Quarterback

Kirk Cousins: $9,800

Kirk Cousin projects for roughly three points less than Jalen Hurts but is nearly $2,000 less expensive. In Week 1 Cousins connected with Justin Jefferson nine times for 184 yards and two touchdowns. Nothing about the Eagles’ secondary scares us into believing a similar outcome is not in the cards this game. The problem is that Justin Jefferson’s price rivals that of Cooper Kupp’s at his peak last season. The decision to play Cousins has little to do with him. Whoever invests in Jefferson probably wants to invest in Cousins, and probably won’t have the salary to play Hurts at that point. In tournaments, we can combat this by playing Vikings game stacks without Jefferson, or rostering Jefferson in Eagles game stacks without Cousins. 

Running back

Dalvin Cook: $11,000

After some concern that Cook would split touches with Alexander Mattison this season, he proved to be a legitimate workhorse by rushing 20 times to go along with three receptions. He projects less than a point away from Jefferson at $2,000 less. Cook is a strong play as leverage over Jefferson in Vikings game stacks. 

Alexander Mattison: $4,200 

In recent years Alexander Mattison has been the clear backup to Cook while factoring in situationally each game. In Week 1 it seemed as though Mattison was going to take a step back this season. He played on 23% of the snaps and handled eight carries. Without any receiving work, it will be difficult to trust Mattison in the same range as both kickers, defenses, and K.J. Osborn.  

Wide Receiver 

Justin Jefferson: $13,000

Justin Jefferson is going to be the decision point of the slate. Most lineups are going to revolve around either playing him uniquely or fading him. The fact that he was given a price tag typically reserved for the likes of Cooper Kupp is ironic in that Jefferson is playing Kupp’s position from last year. Kevin O’Connell came over to Minnesota from Los Angeles and seamlessly implemented the same offense that made Kupp thrive.

DraftKings is typically slow to pricing this type of thing, but the writing was on the wall for Jefferson after his Week 1 performance. He’s worth the price given his unmatched ceiling but will take some extra leg work to fit in a unique lineup. 

Adam Thielen: $7,200

Adam Thielen was disappointing last week, as was every Vikings receiver aside from Jefferson, but he still led all wide receivers in snaps at 95%. His roster percentage should be low and fits great in Vikings stacks without Jefferson. He is one of the stronger point-per-dollar plays on the slate. 

K.J. Osborn: $4,600

K.J Osborn matched Thielen in targets and receptions on roughly 30% fewer snaps. Osborn projects well enough to play over the kickers in the same price range given the higher ceiling at receiver. Thielen is the preferred option for Vikings stacks omitting Jefferson, but Osborn serves the same purpose if you need the additional salary he provides. 

Irv Smith: $4,400

Irv Smith is a complete avoid at his price. There are numerous options in his range with better projections and similar roster percentages. Smith played on only 31% of the snaps in Week 1 and may still be working back from injury. 

Punt plays

Johnny Mundt: $2,000

Johnny Mundt led the tight ends in snaps with 65%. He was targeted 3 times for 3 catches. At his price, he is a great option for salary relief in full Vikings stacks. He also fits in Eagles onslaughts if you want to bet against the Vikings entirely and only play Mundt. 

Favorite Stack

Thielen/Cook/Cousins/Hurts

Theilen offers just enough upside to play at Captain while leaving a ton of salary to work with. Adding Cook as the second most expensive Viking with Cousins adds leverage off Jefferson. Even in Vikings stacks, Hurts should be a primary target. Hurts can be paired with a cheap Eagles receiver like Quez Watkins. 

Philadelphia Eagles Offense

Quarterback

Jalen Hurts: $11,600

Jalen Hurts has the highest median projection of the slate due to his dual-threat ability. He is priced modestly in relation to his ceiling. He should have been priced closer to $12,400. At $11,600 there is still plenty of room to jam in Eagles receivers. The problem with stacking Hurts is how little he may pass. He completed only 18 passes in Week 1 and 10 of them went to A.J. Brown. Uniquely stacking Hurts will be a tall task but he is a strong play at Captain or in the flex.

Running back

Miles Sanders: $8,000

Three running backs scored touchdowns for the Eagles in Week 1. The backfield feels like a mess at first glance, but it was relatively solidified. All three backs are fair value at their respective prices. Sanders rushed 13 times for 96 yards and a touchdown. He also caught two passes. He is the primary ball carrier with over just over 52% of the snaps. He is a strong option, especially in lineups omitting Hurts. 

Kenneth Gainwell: $5,000

Kenneth Gainwell is the primary receiving back. He played on 30% of the snaps and was targeted four times to go along with five carries. $5,000 is a fair price for Gainwell who can function as a unique pass-catching stack with Hurts.  

Wide Receiver

A.J. Brown: $10,400

A.J. Brown saw 13 targets in Week 1. He is as close to matching Jefferson’s upside as we have on this slate. Brown is an obvious stack with Hurts so the pair will be rostered together often. It may be necessary to stack the two, but the rest of the lineup will need some added attention to get the cumulative roster percentage down. 

DeVonta Smith: $5,200

DeVonta Smith saw an astonishing zero targets on a team-high 96% snap share. His lack of usage is confusing, but it shouldn’t be expected again. His price is plenty palatable for a player who functioned as the top receiving option for Hurts last year during a promising rookie campaign. Smith is a far better option than Gainwell in the same range, though Smith may come with a higher roster percentage. 

Dallas Goedert: $5,800

Dallas Goedert is another quality stacking option in the $5,000 range for Jalen Hurts. DraftKings took all the passing options for the Eagles, priced them the same, and said “you figure it out”. Goedert is the preferred option, followed by Smith, then Gainwell. Expect roster percentage to reflect that order, so if you need uniqueness drop down to one of the lower-priced options.  

Punt plays 

Quez Watkins: $3,200

Quez Watkins was the third receiving option for the Eagles in Week 1 with 53% of the snaps. He received no targets but has produced well with Hurts in the past and is a quality deep threat at low cost. His roster percentage will be minimal and he always has an outside shot to catch a long touchdown. 

Boston Scott: $2,800

Boston Scott is the change of pace back with only 18% of the snaps played in Week 1. He handled four carries resulting in a touchdown. The Eagles have shown enthusiasm for giving Scott goal line carries, despite his slight frame. He is an interesting touchdown option who provides leverage off basically every member of the Eagles’ offense

Favorite Stack

Hurts/Brown/Goedert/Thielen

Barring injury, it is unlikely Hurts succeeds without some success from A.J. Brown. If you play Hurts at Captain with A.J. Brown, then you likely aren’t getting to Justin Jefferson. For Jefferson to fail there will likely need to be a big game from one of the other Vikings receiving options like Thielen. This stack banks on Thielen eating into Jefferson’s upside and stacks Hurts with his highest volume options. 

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