Starting Sunday’s Divisional weekend games for the 2022 season- the DraftKings showdown, Dallas @San Francisco. This one should be another decent game. The Cowboys were able to get the win through the air against a tough Tampa Bay defense, which they are going to need to do here with the strength of the 49ers defensive line. Then we have all of the offensive pieces (and storyline with Purdy) for the 49ers.
The O/U here is 46.5, with the 49ers a 4-point favorite.
DraftKings Divisional Showdown 2022 – Dallas @San Francisco Captain Picks
Christian McCaffrey ($16,800 Capt/ $11,200 Flex)
McCaffrey is getting heavy usage, both on the ground and through the air- perfect for DK’s PPR scoring. Has also been getting schemed open enough near the redzone that he has scored 11 TDs in his 12 games for the 49ers. The Cowboys defensive front is a tough unit, but McCaffrey should be able to overcome them. Not priced as highly as I thought he would be with the floor and ceiling either. Solid CPT play.
CeeDee Lamb ($15,600 Capt/ $10,400 Flex)
The way the Cowboys get a result in this one is going to be through the air- it’s the ‘weakness’ of the 49ers defense. Lamb has been commanding targets all season, and matching that with production. In this one, he is most likely going to need to get double-digit targets and score a TD to hit value as a CPT. But, that is definitely possible given Lamb’s talent.
Brandon Aiyuk ($10,800 Capt/ $7,200 Flex)
My cheaper CPT play on the slate is Aiyuk. Has been performing consistently all season, and has a nice matchup against this Cowboys secondary. Should be able to get 5 or 6 targets in the offense, which could lead to 70-ish yards, not game-breaking, but solid. But, he has upside with his talent if the 49ers need to air it out. With the pricing, you can have plenty of elite pieces in your lineup here with Aiyuk as your CPT.
DraftKings Divisional Showdown 2022 – Dallas @San Francisco Flex Picks
Dak Prescott ($11,000 Flex)
Prescott had a great game last week against a solid Tampa Bay defense. But this defense is really a step up that unit. As I said above, the Cowboys are going to need to throw it to be successful which should help Prescott with volume. But, Prescott has suffered with poor fantasy performances this season- that game against Tampa was just the second time this season he has thrown for over 300 yards.
Brock Purdy ($9,400 Flex)
Purdy has been fantastic since coming in as the starter for the 49ers, but hasn’t been having great fantasy performances to follow (except his outing last week against the Seahawks). I’ll have him in some lineups, but I’m not going crazy with it here.
Tony Pollard/ Ezekiel Elliott ($8,400/ $6,200 Flex)
The ground attack duo of the Cowboys are hard for me to feel confident in here. The 49ers defensive line is a strong unit, the best in the league. So the Cowboys are going to need to lean to throwing the ball more than they normally would. Pollard has been making big plays and has involvement in the passing game, so is the safer of the two, but with Zeke vulturing TDs he doesn’t have huge upside.
Playing Elliott on this slate feels like a reach. He will get touches in the offense, but production is going to be hard to rely on. Now, he could end up with multiple scores with how the team have used him in the redzone, but out side of a GPP shot I’m not considering him.
Deebo Samuel ($8,200 Flex)
Samuel has been struggling to be the same fantasy force he was last season and at the start of this one. The addition of McCaffrey has just killed his upside. I know you are going to point to last week against Seattle, but that is only the second time all season he has had over 100 yards and just his third TD since McCaffrey joined the team. At the price, I’ll have some shares but I’m not going to build lineups around him.
George Kittle ($7,600 Flex)
Kittle put an end to his scoring streak last week (against the worst TE defense!?). But, Purdy looks his way consistently enough to give him one of the most solid floors on the slate. But I’m not convinced he has a big floor here. Having to deal with this tough Dallas pass rush though, he could be tasked with more blocking assignments. When he is going to be running routes, it’ll be against a tough defense that gave up and an average of just 8.5 DKPts to the position this season.
Dalton Schultz ($5,600 Flex)
Schultz has been a release option for Prescott consistently, giving him a great floor with DK’s PPR scoring. With the pressure that the 49ers are going to bring, Prescott could be looking his way plenty of times in this one. Has decent upside too, with the way he is used in the redzone.
Michael Gallup ($5,000 Flex)
Gallup popped last week, so I hope you followed that advice. This matchup is another one that is one that Gallup should be able to do well in. The 49ers secondary is the weakness, and the combination of Lamb and Schultz can’t have all of the targets in the offense. With his deep-threat and big-play ability, doesn’t need many opportunities to perform for fantasy.
Jauan Jennings ($4,600 Flex)
Jennings has re-established his role in the offense as a chain mover. Feels a little expensive on the slate, given his limited role in the offense, but if he falls into the endzone with a target he is a nice (unique) play on the slate.
Elijah Mitchell/ Kyle Juszczyk ($3,000/ $1,600 Flex)
These two backfielders are just primed to ruin your lineups. I’ll consider both in GPPs with the way they both find themselves getting into the endzone. Mitchell is the clear backup to McCaffrey in the offense, but has been able to score multiple times with limited touches. Not really getting the volume (or production) to warrant playing outside of GPPs though.
Juszczyk is an absolute punt play, because he really only gets one or two opportunities in a game to do anything. But, they can at times be from one yard out. If he did get a score he would an almost instant slate-breaker at the cost. Let me be clear though- the floor here is an absolute zero.
T.Y. Hilton/ Noah Brown ($2,800/ $2,400 Flex)
I’ve said it a few times already, but the Cowboys are going to need to throw the ball to have success in this one. That means that one of these two are likely to perform and hit value. They are both rotating on the field in the WR3 role, with Hilton having a slight edge in snap count. Both are really fighting for scraps in the offense. I’ll probably lean towards Brown, but that’s because I think the ownership on Hilton is going to be higher. If I’m making a punt play, I want it to be unique.
DraftKings Divisional Showdown 2022 – Dallas @San Francisco Kickers and DSTs
The kickers are in play here with two defenses that can bring pressure and force stops. Robbie Gould ($3,800) has been getting a decent number of FG attempts this season, and has only really been missing them from deep. Brett Maher ($3,600) could see a dip in ownership after missing FOUR PATs last week. But he has been solid all season and can hit them from deep if needed. At the price he is my preference between the two.
The defense are both solid real-life units, with playmakers at each level. The 49ers DST ($4,200) has a strong pass rush and Prescott has struggled with pressure this season. If their secondary are able to step up we could see a turnover or two. With the speed they have, they are a threat to take one for a TD. Equally the Cowboys DST ($4,000) don’t let the QB really settle with the pressure they bring on the pocket. But, the reason Purdy has been able to perform at QB is the offensive line have (generally) kept him clean. But, with Micah Parsons on defense, there is always a chance for a big play up front. Of the two, I’d opt for the 49ers.
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Image Credit: Robert Hanashiro – USA TODAY Sports
