Finishing off another Sunday of the 2022 season- Kansas City @Los Angeles and the DraftKings showdown slate. The Chargers are set to welcome back both of their star receivers in this one which will bring a much-needed boost for Justin Herbert. The Chiefs are without two receivers, Juju Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman- but Patrick Mahomes should be able to make the ball move. The O/U is a nice 50 points, and the Chiefs are favored by around a TD.
DraftKings SNF Showdown 2022 – Kansas City @Los Angeles Captain Picks
Patrick Mahomes ($17,100 Capt/ $11,400 Flex)
Mahomes feels like an automatic choice at the CPT spot. The air game is too important to the Chiefs, and regardless of the game script, Mahomes is going to be throwing the ball in this one. For cash games, he has a safe floor, and for GPPs he always has the opportunity of breaking the slate.
Austin Ekeler ($16,500 Capt/ $11,000 Flex)
On the other side of the field, Ekeler has just been getting VOLUME. Over the last 4 games, he has been getting an average of 12 targets. Yep, 12 targets on AVERAGE. Now, the expectation is for that to decrease, with the likely return of Mike Williams and Keenan Allen, but if either of them struggles on their return the team is going to go straight back to Ekeler for production.
Travis Kelce ($15,900 Capt/ $10,600 Flex)
The last CPT play that I’m happy with realistically is Kelce. Kelce is the number one target for this offense, and with Juju Smith-Schuster out too, it’s hard to see a world in which that changes. His average of just under 10 targets per game is too high to overlook- especially with DK’s scoring. The only thing that gives me a moment of pause is that the only game where he has really struggled this season was against the Chargers in Week 2.
DraftKings SNF Showdown 2022 – Kansas City @Los Angeles Flex Picks
Justin Herbert ($10,400 Flex)
After weeks of throwing the ball to backups, it looks like Herbert is going to have both of his starting receivers, with the return of Allen and Williams. The Chargers have only thrown the ball fewer than 40 times three times (and one of those they threw it 39 times). That volume really helps give him a bit of a floor. The ceiling for me in this one is the fact that he has his receivers back, which should help him get somewhere close to his season-best performance against the Chiefs in Week 2. He also hasn’t scored a rushing TD yet this season, which is something he has managed to do in previous seasons- if this is the game that changes, he has an opportunity to hit more than value here.
Mike Williams ($9,000 Flex)
Williams returning here feels quick, with him missing only two games (but also getting his bye week) with a high ankle sprain. If the team are saying he is good to go, I’ve got no issue with putting him into lineups. Williams is a big-play machine, making him a constant threat for that 100-yard mark, which he has met 3 times this season. Williams could truly smash the slate.
Keenan Allen ($8,600 Flex)
Of the returning duo, I’m more worried about Allen’s return than Williams. His hamstring issue has cleared up enough to let him practice in full this week, but it could easily flare up again. Allen has only played in 2 games this season, but has caught all of the targets that came his way. I’ll have a few lineups with him, just because I think ownership is going to be low, but I’m not going crazy.
Kadarius Toney ($8,000 Flex)
With Smith-Schuster out, the Chiefs are going to need one of their receivers to step up- it can’t all land on Kelce to do. Toney looked good last week, used as a gadget player as the Chiefs often do with players like Toney. He is too dangerous in space to be overlooked, and doesn’t need many looks to perform. Could be a CPT play, but is very boom/ bust.
Joshua Palmer ($7,200 Flex)
The return of Allen and Williams relegates Palmer to WR3 in an offense that uses it’s RB heavily in the passing game. The pricing doesn’t really reflect that situation. Thing is, the chemistry that Palmer and Herbert developed was pretty strong, and I’m not sure if I’m fully convinced Allen is a full return. As a result, I’ll have a few lineups with Palmer in.
Isiah Pacheco ($6,800 Flex)
Pacheco is the type of play that can truly go two ways. He looks like he might be the starting RB for the Chiefs, but he isn’t used in the passing game which hurts him on DK’s scoring. The Chargers defense can’t stop anyone on the ground, but if Edwards-Helaire or McKinnon perform well at the start of the game we could see a split on carries. Of if for some reason the team just abandon the run, Pacheco is going to struggle for production.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling ($5,400 Flex)
MVS every slate I write up saying, could be this one. He has that boom game ability to destroy a slate, but hasn’t really done it yet this season. With Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman both out, this is one of the best opportunities he has had this season. As normal, I’m ready to be hurt again and will have a few lineups with him. (I’ll even have one with him as CPT)
Gerald Everett/ Tre McKitty/ Richard Rodgers ($4,800/ $2,200/ $200 Flex)
Right. We need to unpack the Chargers TE situation. Everett practiced all week, removed from the injury report then on Saturday he sprung back up. That Saturday re-appearance really isn’t a good sign that he is 100%. Even if he suits up I wouldn’t think he would get the normal work he would. EDIT: I’ve seen the Chargers activated a TE ahead of the game- I’m leaning to Everett being out.
As a result of that situation, we have an opportunity for McKitty to step up in the offense. Last week he had a season-high six targets. We could see McKitty forced to block instead of running routes with the return of Williams and Allen, but the price tag makes him interesting. Lastly, Richard Rodgers comes into play at the minimum price. He was involved last week, and should be on the field plenty in this one. With his ability in the redzone, he could score a TD which smashes value at the price.
Jerick McKinnon/ Clyde Edwards-Helaire ($4,600/ $4,400 Flex)
The ‘backups’ for the Chiefs. McKinnon is very much involved in the passing game for the Chiefs, which helps him with DK’s PPR scoring. Has a pretty straightforward way to get double-digit points, with upside if things go his way. Edwards-Helaire is a strange one, as he has the ability to score and seems like he could see the field alot, but last week he was barely used. It would be typical of Andy Reid to give him the ball a tonne in this one, but I would be cautious of having too many lineups with him.
Justin Watson ($1,400 Flex)
Watson becomes an interesting option on the slate, with Juju Smith-Schuster and Hardman out of the game. Was on the field alot last week, but didn’t really do too much with the snaps. Seems like he has been trending in season-long leagues, which is likely to increase his ownership on the slate. Feels like a chalky play that you can avoid mainly.
DraftKings SNF Showdown 2022 – Kansas City @Los Angeles Kickers and DSTs
I’m out on both defenses here, the offenses are too effective to strongly consider. But, strange things can happen. The Chiefs ($3,800) are going to have their hands full dealing with the return of the Chargers receivers, but they have managed to get after the QB with some regularity, with 27 sacks recorded this season, as well as 10 turnovers. The Chargers ($3,600) defense have to deal with a Chiefs offense that is going to be firing. The thing is though, they have the ability to take the ball away with 14 turnovers recorded on the season, but have struggled to get after the QB regularly. Need a TD to really hit value
I like both kickers in this one. Their floor at the price makes them a great play, especially with the game being played in a dome. With how this slate has been priced up, I’m even going to have a few lineups with a kicker CPT to spend up elsewhere. Of the two, I prefer Harrison Butker ($4,200), who is more established in the league but I’m also fine with Cameron Dicker ($4,000). Dicker has a wider range of outcomes on this slate, I could see him being used regularly if the Chargers offense stalls, but I could also see the Chargers going for it on 4th if the Chiefs get out to a lead.
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Image Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig – USA TODAY Sports
