To round off the opening weekend of 2021, we get an interesting matchup on MNF, where we head to Las Vegas to watch Baltimore @Las Vegas, giving us another DraftKings showdown. Baltimore is a 4-point favourite in this one, with the O/U sitting at 50.5. Hopefully, this should be a close, high-scoring affair.
The Ravens have arguably been dealt with one of the more disruptive NFL pre-seasons coming into this one, losing their top 3 RBs to injury prior to Week 1. On top of this, rookie WR Bateman is out for the first few weeks, and Marcus Peters looks to be out for the year with an ACL injury. Despite this, I still believe the Ravens come out strongly in their season-opener and should manage to squeeze out a victory under the lights on Monday.
DraftKings Showdown 2021 Baltimore @Las Vegas Captain Picks
Lamar Jackson ($18,600/$12,400)
Given their injury woes at RB, I expect Jackson to put up some big yards on the ground on this one. We all know that Jackson is an elite runner, and his rushing upside is something I always look for when playing a QB in the captain spot on showdown slates. After back-to-back 1000-yard rushing seasons, and 14 TDs on the ground across the past two years, I love him to get another one on Monday night to start the year.
Darren Waller ($16,200/$10,800)
Waller is unquestionably the No.1 receiver on this Raiders offence and expects them to be very pass-heavy on Monday. Josh Jacobs was downgraded to questionable late on Sunday, and Las Vegas could end up playing this game from behind, leading them to rely heavily on the passing attack. Waller is never a bad option to have, especially coming off a 107-1196-9 season.
Bryan Edwards ($8,400/$5,600)
Edwards’ name was floating around fantasy circles this offseason and for good reason. Ruggs wasn’t as explosive as the Raiders were hoping in his rookie year, and it could be time for Edwards to step up to the WR1 mantle on this offence, even more so following the release of John Brown last week. His low price means you can pay up elsewhere, and whilst he might not see a huge tonne of volume, he has a high ceiling in this one.
DraftKings Showdown 2021 Baltimore @Las Vegas Flex Picks
Mark Andrews ($9,000)
Andrews certainly dropped off last year but still remains a solid option on this Ravens offence. He has solid TD upside, and whilst this Baltimore side remains a run-first offence, Andrews remains Jackson’s favourite target. Fresh off the back of a 4-year, $56 million contract extension, I expect Andrews to feature prominently again in this one.
Derek Carr ($9,800)
Carr has always been a solid, but perhaps not great, NFL QB. Whilst he doesn’t necessarily awe you with his ability, he is one of the more reliable starting QBs in the league. As already mentioned, I expect the Raiders to go pass-first in this potentially high scoring affair, and I’ll have a fair amount of exposure to Carr in this one.
Kenyan Drake ($7,200)
If Jacobs does end up suiting up for this one, Drake will probably be off my radar on Monday night. However, Jacobs was downgraded to questionable with an illness on Sunday night, putting his status into doubt. Keep an eye on this one, because if Jacobs does end up sitting this one, it opens up a nice opportunity for Drake in this season opener under the lights. The Raiders paid a fair amount for Drake in free agency, so obviously have a plan in mind in terms of his usage in this offence.
Ty’Son Williams ($6,800)
I will probably end up staying away from Baltimore RBs on this one in cash games. Whilst Williams looks set to lead the backfield, Jackson’s ability on the ground tends to overshadow his running backs. Baltimore have signed a handful of veterans in the build-up to this one, but Baltimore beat writers see Williams as the lead rusher for this one behind his QB. I’m not 100% sold on this one, so again keep an eye on reports prior to kick-off.
Sammy Watkins ($5,200)
Watkins could have a solid role on this offence to open the season following the injury to rookie Bateman in pre-season. Baltimore pass-catchers are always iffy with Jackson under centre, but I think Watkins could have a nice couple of weeks.
Kickers/Defence
Despite Baltimore’s solid reputation on the defensive side of the ball, I’m probably staying off both defences in this one. It’s projected to be fairly high scoring, and I just don’t feel confident in rostering either of them. In terms of kickers, the ageless Justin Tucker ($4,000) is always an option on Baltimore showdown slates. Daniel Carlson ($3,600) is nicely priced too, meaning I’m not against playing him either. As always, it’s rare that either or both kickers end up optimal, but in a potentially high-scoring game, I’ll be happy to roster either kickers in this one.
So, there are our DraftKings selections for the 2021 Showdown of Baltimore @Las Vegas! Remember any DFS questions, you can check out our articles here. Or you can find us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or jump into our Discord server
Image Credit: Tommy Gilligan – USA TODAY Sports
