Kicking off another week of NFL action, we get a tasty matchup on TNF, another DraftKings Showdown slate for 2021- Tampa Bay @Philadelphia. Tom Brady and his 4-1 Bucs travelling to Pennsylvania to take on the Eagles. Tampa comes into this one as 7-point favourites on the road, with an O/U sitting at 53. This is shaping up to be a great matchup, with both sides likely to put up some big numbers in this one.
DraftKings Showdown 2021- Tampa Bay @Philadelphia Captain Picks
Jalen Hurts ($17,700)
Hurts is having a weird season so far. He’s clearly shown his dual-threat ability, picking up 256 yards and 3 TDs on the ground, to go with 1,365 yards and 7 TDs in the air. His rushing ability gives him a crazy amount of upside, and he’s a great captain choice. This Tampa pass defence has been horrific to start the year and have been carved apart by opposing QBs. Even Jacoby Brissett went for 275 yards and a pair of TDs last week. Running against this front seven is just not an option, so Hurts should have plenty of opportunities through the air.
Antonio Brown ($12,300)
Trying to predict which of the Buc’s receivers has the biggest game is like trying to predict the lottery numbers. It’s a given that at least one of them is going to have a solid game with Brady at the helm, and this choice is honestly just because of the pricing discount available by rolling with Brown. Acting as the WR3 in this offence often pairs him with one of the weaker opposing CBs, and he’s taken full advantage of this in recent weeks, most notably last week versus Miami, in which he had a massive 7-124-2 game. Brown’s snap count may only be 54.3%, but his target share is still 17.6%, compared to Godwin and Evans’ 18.7% and 20.6%, so he’s still getting a nice amount of looks when he’s on the field.
Zach Ertz ($4,800)
Ertz has been putting up solid numbers whilst splitting TE duty with Dallas Goedert, so with Goedert on the COVID-19 list, it just puts Ertz into a brilliant position. Of Hurts’ 25 passes in the red zone, 10 have gone to his TEs. Without Goedert in the picture, Ertz has an elite ceiling tonight. He should be really chalky tonight, but he’s in a position too good to pass up on.
DraftKings Showdown 2021- Tampa Bay @Philadelphia Flex Picks
Tom Brady ($12,400)
The GOAT is back on primetime, and as ever, is expected to have another big game. This Eagles secondary has actually been decent so far, sitting 3rd in opponent pass yards per game, with 194.8 through 5 games. However, TB12 should still be able to put up solid numbers. He’s coming into this one slightly banged up (supposedly), but I wouldn’t read too much into that. Don’t overthink this one.
Chris Godwin ($9,400)
This could be either Evans or Godwin, but the latter just has a slightly higher floor. Evans is certainly the biggest deep threat on this team, but Godwin leads the receivers in red-zone targets, with 9 so far, compared to Brown’s 2 and Evans’ 6. Godwin also comes at a nice discount, and on a slate with little value, it’s going to be difficult to fit in too many high-priced studs.
DeVonta Smith ($8,800)
Smith is already undoubtedly the alpha in this offence, boasting a 22.7% target share and 62.8 yards per game. He’s pricey, but against this Bucs secondary, he gets a great matchup. The rookie has looked brilliant so far and I expect that to continue tonight under the lights. Hurts looks his way on a regular basis, giving him a great floor, but a slate-breaking ceiling too.
Leonard Fournette ($7,800)
Philly have given up the third-most yards on the ground this year, and Lenny has clearly become the lead back in Tampa. Whilst there’s always the threat that Jones or Bernard vulture a TD, Fournette boasts a 28% red zone usage, the highest on the team. He’s also got the shortest odds of any player tonight to hit pay dirt, and he should have a good game in what should be a positive game script. He’s seen 5 targets in back-to-back games, so certainly offers PPR upside too.
Jalen Reagor ($5,000)
Reagor is probably the only other Eagles receiver I’m targeting tonight, especially in cash games. He’s certainly not been overly productive this year, but as a WR2 facing this Buccaneers defence, anything is possible, and he could be a nice value option on this slate.
Kenneth Gainwell ($2,400)
This Tampa defence have given up the 4th-most receiving yards to opponent RBs so far, as well as the most receptions (60.2 yards and 8.4 receptions) through 5 weeks. We just saw Myles Gaskin catch 10 passes for 74 yards and a pair of TDs, so these Philly RBs certainly have a viable path to success. Sanders is definitely in play in GPPs, but I really like Gainwell at this price. Whilst Sanders is getting the bulk of the ground-work, Gainwell has actually seen more targets this year, hauling in 14 of his 21 for 122 yards. Against a vulnerable defence like this, and on a slate with so many high-priced choices, Gainwell offers some nice salary relief.
DraftKings Showdown 2021- Tampa Bay @Philadelphia Kickers and Defence
Don’t play either defence unless you’re MME. Just don’t. It’s not worth it. This Tampa offence has been almost unstoppable to start the year, and this Eagles offence should be able to cause some damage and put up some points. Either kicker is certainly in play with such a high O/U, as both should have a nice solid floor – although neither may have the opportunity to be optimal if as many TDs are scored as predicted.
So, there are our DraftKings selections for the 2021 Showdown of Tampa Bay @Philadelphia! 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: Kim Klement – USA TODAY Sports
