NFL DFS: DraftKings Showdown Picks for Rams at Seahawks

Fans of the NFL will be treated to what should be an exhilarating matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday Night Football in Week 5. Most of the attention will be on Matthew Stafford and Russell Wilson, and rightfully so. Both of them play the most important position in football, and both of them are off to hot starts for their respective teams. While the quarterback position is the most vital in real-life football, that has not been the case for Thursday showdown slates on DraftKings this season.

In the first four Thursday night games, only one quarterback has led the game in scoring on DraftKings (Sam Darnold in Week 3 vs. the Houston Texans). What is the reasoning behind this? Simply put, running backs and wide receivers have a likelier chance to explode on DraftKings due to full-point PPR scoring, one point per 10+ yards gained, and 100+ yard bonuses. Taking that into consideration, I’ll likely refrain from listing quarterbacks as a potential captain on DraftKings unless I am ABSOLUTELY confident in a quarterback leading all players in scoring. With that knowledge now bouncing around in your noggin, let’s take a look at who I’m intrigued by on DraftKings’ Showdown slate for Thursday night’s clash between the Rams and the Seahawks.

Captain Spot Considerations:

Darrell Henderson Jr. ($12,600)

The defense of the Seahawks has been allergic to slowing down just about everything this season. When it comes to stopping the run, Seattle’s defense has given up 113+ rushing yards in each game, including three straight games of 140+ rushing yards allowed. Darrell Henderson Jr. is the lead back for the Rams, and he’s in a prime spot to gash a defense that is permitting the second-most points per game to running backs on DraftKings. In the two games that Henderson has started and finished this season, he’s out-touched Sony Michel 36-4. Los Angeles should have plenty of success on offense, whether it be through the air or on the ground. With everyone flocking toward the aerial attack of the Rams, Henderson could have a stellar performance, especially if he can reach the 100+ rushing yard bonus.

Robert Woods ($11,400)

A Robert Woods game is on the brink of existence this season, I can just feel it in my bones. We got bailed out in Week 4 when Woods scored a garbage-time touchdown versus the Arizona Cardinals. Even with the touchdown, Woods still didn’t have an outing we’re accustomed to seeing from the do-it-all wideout. While I do like Cooper Kupp in this game, Woods comes at a way more affordable price on the green site. Also, even though coach speak can be misleading at times, Sean McVay has acknowledged that he needs to get Woods more involved in the offense moving forward. Of course, you’ll likely want to have Stafford as a flex play to correlate with Woods if you use him as your captain. If Kupp and Woods both have big games against the Seahawks, you can get the upper hand on the field by having Woods for a cheaper price.

Tyler Lockett ($14,400)

Can we just get a week where both D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett are top scorers at wide receiver in fantasy football? In the first two weeks of the season, it was Lockett who was leading the Seahawks in receiving. However, in the past two games, it has been Metcalf garnering more attention from Wilson in the aerial attack. Jalen Ramsey isn’t shadowing opposing wide receivers as much these days, but after seeing DeAndre Hopkins have success when Ramsey wasn’t on him last week, I expect the Rams to have Ramsey on Metcalf as much as possible. If Chris Carson is ruled out for Seattle, the Seahawks could lean on their passing game a bit more than usual on Thursday night. Seeing that Aaron Donald has historically terrorized the Seahawks, I expect Seattle to get the ball out quick to Lockett and Metcalf, letting them make plays after the catch. Similar to Woods, if you have Lockett as a captain, just insert Wilson into your lineups as a flex play to correlate them.

Flex Spot Considerations:

Van Jefferson Jr. ($4,800)

It was exciting to see DeSean Jackson finally connect on a deep ball from Stafford in Week 3 versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Despite Jackson’s big-play ability, Van Jefferson Jr. has been the clear No. 3 wide receiver on the Rams. Jefferson has a 73.3% route participation and has recorded 12.6 yards per target through the first four weeks. It can be tough to trust a wide receiver not named Kupp or Woods on the Rams, but Jefferson has earned himself a role in Los Angeles’ high-octane offense. The second-year wideout has received 6+ targets in the past two weeks and he led all wide receivers on the Rams with 21 DraftKings points in Week 4. Tyler Higbee ($5,600) is a nice pivot from Jefferson if you’re not confident in Jefferson having another productive showing in Week 5.

Gerald Everett ($4,000)/Will Dissly ($3,800)

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a revenge game on our hands. I’m not into revenge-game narratives, I’m merely just informing everyone that a player is squaring off against his former team. As long as Gerald Everett gets activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list before Thursday’s contest, he should be in line to return after missing last week’s game against the San Francisco 49ers. Everett is a former member of the Rams who left Los Angeles in hopes to find an offense that utilizes him more. While Everett has been fairly quiet in his first three games with the Seahawks, this is a perfect time for him to showcase his talent. Tight ends have had decent success against the Rams in 2021, averaging 16.05 DraftKings points per game (10th most in the NFL). If Everett isn’t cleared, then Will Dissly becomes a viable option for $200 cheaper.

Matt Gay ($3,600)

Using a kicker can sometimes feel disgusting in daily fantasy, but they are viable sources of scoring on any given slate. For instance, in the Thursday night battle between the Washington Football Team and the New York Giants in Week 2, Graham Gano and Dustin Hopkins combined for 36 DraftKings points. Given the low salaries kickers receive, they are nice salary-relief options. If you forced me to pick between Matt Gay or Jason Myers on Thursday night, I’d side with Gay. Even though Myers has a fitting last name for the month that Halloween falls in, Gay has yet to score fewer than nine points on DraftKings in the first four weeks.

Alex Collins ($3,200)

Besides Everett, we are awaiting news regarding Carson. The bruising running back for the Seahawks is reportedly dealing with a neck injury and he has yet to practice in any fashion this week. Seattle has listed Carson as questionable, but with it being a short week, I don’t expect Carson to suit up versus the Rams. In the event that Carson is inactive, Alex Collins is in line to be the starter. Collins saw an expanded role in Week 4, where he turned 12 total touches into 78 yards and a touchdown. There aren’t many times you can get a potential starting running back at $3,200 on DraftKings on a Showdown slate, so I expect him to be popular if Carson is ruled out. Even if Carson does happen to play for the Seahawks on Thursday, you could get Collins with even lower ownership, making him a nice flex option.