We are here to cover the DraftKings Showdown slates for the 2021 season, continuing with Los Angeles @San Francisco. If the Rams end this season without a ring, I think it can be considered a failure, given the sheer amount of talent they now have on their roster. Their entire offense and defense are stacked, and a first-ring for Stafford isn’t too much of an unrealistic goal. We get an NFC West divisional matchup tonight, with the aforementioned Rams heading to Santa Clara to take on the 49ers. LA are 3.5-point favourites, with the O/U sitting at 51 points.
DraftKings Showdown 2021- Los Angeles @ San Francisco Captain Picks
Cooper Kupp ($18,000)
I don’t think it needs to be said how phenomenal of a season Kupp is having. He leads the league with 1,019 receiving yards and has failed to hit at least 90 yards in just one game this season. He’s pricey, but his ceiling is unmatched on this slate. With Woods out for the year, Jackson released, and OBJ having less than a week of preparation, you must imagine Kupp should see even more action tonight. Woods has seen 69 targets on the year (15th in the league), and those targets have to go somewhere.
Matthew Stafford ($16,200)
If there’s one guy just as safe as Kupp tonight, it’s potential future HOFer Matthew Stafford. He’s only failed to hit 20 DKPTS twice this year and still managed 18.2 and 15.1 in those two. With an implied team total of almost 30 points, it’s almost certain he should throw a couple of TD passes in this one. Whilst the 49ers’ pass defense has been solid at 206.5 YPG surrendered per game (6th-best), they’ve struggled to put pressure on the QB. They rank 24th in sacks, 30th in QB hits, and 31st in interceptions. Whilst they have played one game less than most teams, these numbers are still poor, and are unlikely to improve facing PFFs best graded O-line. Stafford should have plenty of time to throw, and I love his floor and potential ceiling in this one.
Van Jefferson Jr. ($8,100)
I don’t normally side with 3 captain picks from the same team on showdowns, but I just can’t get off any of these guys tonight. Van Jefferson is my favorite play on the slate, and I really hope plenty of people pay up for OBJ based on name recognition alone. Van Jefferson should effectively play as the Rams’ WR2 tonight, with Woods and Atwell out, Jackson released, and OBJ having had less than a week to learn the playbook. OBJ is $2,000 more expensive than a guy already seeing almost 20% of the team’s WR targets. His aDOT is also the highest on the team, at 13.04 yards, so the big play potential is certainly there.
DraftKings Showdown 2021- Los Angeles @San Francisco Flex Picks
Jimmy Garoppolo ($10,000)
Playing both QBs tends to be a perfectly viable approach in showdowns. Whilst Jimmy G’s floor and ceiling are both substantially lower than Stafford’s, he still projects for a solid game. Whilst Lance is certainly the QB of the future in Santa Clara, Garoppolo is by no means a terrible QB. I’d prefer dropping down to one of his pass-catchers in this price range, but I’m not anti-Jimmy tonight.
Deebo Samuel ($9,000)
Samuel has really solidified his role as the alpha WR in this offense so far. I think he’s too cheap considering the amount of targets he could realistically see tonight, in what should be a fast-paced game. San Francisco should be playing this one from behind, leading to a nice opportunity for targets. He’s averaging just over 10 targets a game, and already has 4 games with 100+ receiving yards. This Rams D can force turnovers, but they’re still allowing 250 yards through the air per game.
George Kittle ($7,800)
Kittle exploded back onto the scene last week after a stint on IR, hauling in 8 targets for 6 catches, 101 yards and a TD versus Arizona. He should see similar, if not more, action tonight. Since 2018, Kittle has put up the following lines versus LA – 5/98/1, 9/149/1, 8/103/0, 5/79/1 and 7/109/1. Do what you want with that information, but I love Kittle tonight, and will have a fair amount of exposure to him.
Eli Mitchell ($6,400)
This Rams run defense is by no means a push over, but Mitchell is priced down for the workload he should see tonight. We saw last week his usage in the pass game shoot up, with 5 targets, and that could be the case again tonight if they’re playing from behind. This SF backfield has been a minefield all year, but Mitchell has seen the highest percentage of red zone looks on the team, with 10 carries inside the 20.
Jeff Wilson ($1,200)
As above, with Hasty being ruled out of this one, Wilson should see some usage as the RB2 tonight. He was activated from the PUP list prior to last week but didn’t record a single snap on offense. With Hasty missing this one, Wilson should play at least some part in this one. At this price, he only needs a couple of touches to pay off his salary.
Ben Skowronek ($200)
Speaking of value plays, Skowronek looks to be the chalky value on this slate. With an incredibly thin WR room, the rookie should see some action tonight. He saw 3 targets in Week 8, catching all 3 for 30 yards. That kind of production tonight would see him hitting 30x value.
DraftKings Showdown 2021- Los Angeles @San Francisco Kickers and Defence
Either kicker works fine here, with both teams having fairly similar team totals. With a fairly high O/U it’s unlikely either will be optimal, but they’re both solid for cash games as should have a nice floor. Looking at the defenses on offer, Los Angeles is really the only viable option, although their price of $4,600 is difficult to justify. They can certainly turn the ball over a ton, but I still see the 49ers being able to put a decent amount of points up tonight.
So, there are our DraftKings selections for the 2021 Showdown of Los Angeles @San Francisco! Remember any DFS questions, you can check out our articles here. Or you can find us on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
Image Credit: Kirby Lee – USA TODAY Sports
