The curtain raiser of the 2023 DraftKings showdown slates- Miami @New England. The O/U here is 47, with Miami favored by around a FG. This one seems to come to the question of the Patriots deal with Hill. If they manage to do so, the other Miami receivers will need to step up. The Patriots will hope that they don’t need to air it out quite as much. But I would go with the Dolphins winning in a comfortable game.
DraftKings SNF Showdown 2023 – Miami @New England Captain Picks
Tyreek Hill ($18,900 Capt/ $12,600 Flex)
Hill is the most expensive player on the slate, and it’s pretty clear why. There really isn’t much you can to do to stop him. He can go deep and get you for speed, or take it short and break ankles before going downfield. The only slight hesitation I have is that Bill Belichek will have been trying to work out a way to take him out of the game….but I’m not sure you can.
Jaylen Waddle ($15,300 Capt/ $10,200 Flex)
Let’s assume that the Patriots do manage to work out how to stop Hill- well then Waddle will be inline for a big game. Last week he didn’t have a great week, with Hill taking all of the headlines (and production). As a result, going to be underowned as a CPT here.
Rhamondre Stevenson ($14,100 Capt/ $9,400 Flex)
I always try and offer a CPT play from the other team. For the Patriots, it has to be Stevenson. Had a tough time last week, but that Eagles DL is a strong unit. The Dolphins have a decent unit too though, so I’m not running to add him to my lineups.
DraftKings SNF Showdown 2023 – Miami @New England Flex Picks
Tua Tagovailoa ($11,200 Flex)
Tagovailoa doesn’t quite make it to the point where I would consider him as a CPT- but he is a great flex. The pricing of his receivers means that you are going to need to find savings elsewhere though.
Tua Tagovailoa ($11,200 Flex)
Tagovailoa doesn’t quite make it to the point where I would consider him as a CPT- but he is a great flex. The pricing of his receivers means that you are going to need to find savings elsewhere though.
Mac Jones ($9,000 Flex)
Jones had a decent outing against the Eagles, but it’s really going to need him to get similar volume through the air- which is likely given the way the Dolphins are likely to score points. His price tag allows you a bit of room to fit some strong plays in too.
Raheem Mostert ($8,000 Flex)
Until Jeff Wilson comes back, Mostert is a decent play (potentially CPT consideration), with the volume he should get. The Patriots defense used to be one to worry about with their run defense, but after watching Kenny Gainwell smash this defense, and the receiving talent, it’s a nice play. Although, with the price-tag it’s going to be a popular play.
Kendrick Bourne ($7,200 Flex)
Bourne was the lead receiver for the Patriots last week, with 11 targets. Managed to catch six for 64 yards and 2 scores. Don’t think he will manage that again this week, but should still have flex appeal on the slate.
Juju Smith-Schuster ($6,200 Flex)
After the Patriots making a quick move to bring him in, I thought they would look to involve him in their offense alot. But, with seven targets he has fewer receptions than Ezekiel Elliott, or Stevenson, or Hunter Henry! And even Mike Gesicki on his 3 targets (and 3 receptions) has more yards than him. At the price, this is really an avoid for me on the slate.
Ezekiel Elliott ($5,800 Flex)
I’ll say it- it’s weird seeing Elliott in a non-Cowboys uniform. But, he really has embraced the role he has been given as backup. Not sure if was due to the hyper volume or not, but he had alot of work in the passing game. A decent pivot in GPPs as the field looks to Stevenson.
Hunter Henry/ Mike Gesicki ($5,600/ $2,400 Flex)
Miami can be beaten in the middle of the field, which means that there is the potential for one (or both) of the TEs to do something. The question for both will be how much volume is available, with the team involving both of their RBs in the passing game. Gesicki has a revenge game narrative, which as he is now in a Patriots uniform could really mean something. Gesicki is the type of dice-throw you need to involve if you went for a Tua and receiver stack.
DeVante Parker ($5,000 Flex)
Parker should be the WR2 in this offense after managing to get limited practices in. The concern is going to be if he re-injures himself and he is forced to the sidelines- but a decent GPP play with many overlooking him.
De’Von Achane/ Salvon Ahmed ($4,600/ $1,000 Flex)
Achane may not even be active for this game, and with the price and probable workload it’s hard to strongly consider him. Ahmed is priced low for his role- as he is likely to be the RB2 (or RB2 1A- if that’s a thing). At the price he is a nice play, with his involvement in the passing game working well with DK’s PPR scoring.
Durham Smythe ($3,800 Flex)
Smythe smashed last week, and he doesn’t have much competition to be on the field. With his size, has good redzone upside. The question I have for him on the slate is the coverage he will get from the Patriots secondary this week. I’ll still be rolling him out in GPP lineups plenty.
Braxton Berrios/ River Cracraft ($2,000/ $800 Flex)
The WR3 position for the Dolphins could have sneaky upside on this slate. That man really has to be Berrios, who is one the field far more often- giving him a safer ‘floor’ (but that term is relative). If he manages to get into the endzone, he will smash value.
Cracraft isn’t really much of a consideration outside of multi-GPP lineups. Seems to get usage in the redzone, and won’t take much to hit value here. Still hard to feel confident on him. Even in strong Dolphins receiver lineups, it’s hard to involve him as salary relief.
Demario Douglas/ Ty Montgomery/ Kayshon Boutte ($1,800/ $1,400/ $600 Flex)
This role in the Patriots offense could hit a strange TD, with Miami looking at the threats elsewhere. If Parker or Juju were to get banged up, this group are inwith a good shout of having a performance. I’d go with Boutte of the three. Cheapest, and was on the field for 70% of the snaps. With the salary relief, you can feel good with some Dolphins stacks.
DraftKings SNF Showdown 2023 – Miami @New England Kickers and DSTs
The kickers are ok in this one, but I don’t feel as strongly as I have in other slates. Jason Sanders ($4,200) would be my favored selection, despite being the ‘road’ kicker. Just because I see the Dolphins giving him more opportunities to kick the ball. Chad Ryland ($4,000) wasn’t given the opportunity to kick a FG last week, as the team played catchup- which I think they will need to do this week.
The Dolphins DST ($4,400) are a strong unit, and caused the Chargers some issues last week. With the statue of Mac Jones in the pocket, they are likely to put pressure on the pocket again here. If Jones turns the ball over, as he has in his career, then he will be in for a long day. With the strength that this Dolphins offense has, it’s hard to think too much of Patriots DST ($3,600) on the slate. They were able to cause Jalen Hurts some issues, but don’t make plays that convert to fantasy scoring.
So, there are our DraftKings selections for the 2023 Showdown of Miami @New England! Remember any DFS questions, you can check out our articles here. Or you can find us on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
Image Credit: Jim Rassol – USA TODAY Sports
