Thursday Night Football should be a great invention for the football fan and fantasy football owners. If the games didn't too frequently look sluggish and boring, it probably would be. Thankfully, DraftKings Showdown contests can make it more fun for NFL DFS players each week. In Week 2, the Buccaneers travel to play the Panthers, and we're here to help you find single-game lineup picks that will you gave you a shot to land in the money in tournaments.
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Before we get into it, a quick look back at last week's Packers-Bears' Showdown lineup. Allen Robinson was the star, scoring the most points on the slate, so that was a good start to our lineup. David Montgomery in our captain's slot was disappointing, mostly because he looked good every time he touched the ball and simply didn't get enough touches. In one tournament I entered the lineup in, it finished a point and a half below the money line (and would've cashed if not for an Adam Shaheen fourth-quarter drop). In general, I think playing both QBs showed its potential as a strategy because even with a poor Mitchell Trubisky game, the lineup nearly cashed. Any sort of competency from that second QB would've paid off.
WEEK 2 DFS: Values | Stacks | Lineup builder
This week, I'm going away from the two-QB strategy because I find it tough to believe in Jameis Winston. He threw three touchdowns last week, but two were to the other team. Instead, we'll try committing mostly to the Panthers, including trying to use their defense to take advantage of Winston.
Week 2 DFS Lineups: FD Cash | FD GPP | DK Cash | Y! Cash | Y! GPP
DraftKings Showdown Picks: Buccaneers vs. Panthers
CAPTAIN (1.5x points, 1.5x price): RB Christian McCaffrey, Panthers ($18,600)
My classic move is to pivot away from the highest-priced players. McCaffrey is just so far and above anyone else in this game, though, and for that reason paying his boosted price in the captain slot is still worth it. Tampa Bay's run defense is adequate, but if McCaffrey gets 25 touches and no one else in the game gets even 15, he has to be your captain.
FLEX - QB Cam Newton, Panthers ($11,000)
I'd have a tough time ever playing one of these Showdown contests without one quarterback, and Cam is a little easier to believe in than Winston. Carolina's offense scored more points in Week 1, and the added threat of a little bit of rushing makes Newton even that much more appealing on the one-game slate.
WEEK 2 NON-PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
FLEX - WR Curtis Samuel, Panthers ($7,000)
D.J. Moore deserves to be higher priced than Samuel after out-targeting him 10-4 in Week 1, but this lineup construction better fits Carolina's No. 2 WR. Besides, I don't think the target difference will be that big in most weeks. Samuel provides a solid floor as a decent possession receiver who also has the ability to break off a big play.
FLEX - TE O.J. Howard, Buccaneers ($6,600)
Once I decided to pick Carolina's defense, it meant I'd avoid Winston, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Ronald Jone,s and Peyton Barber. But Howard's price makes him the one featured TB offensive player worth owning. He probably will have a better game than Samuel and comes in $400 cheaper, and the Panthers allowed a TE touchdown in Week 1 despite the Rams' tight ends being much worse than Howard.
WEEK 2 PPR RANKINGS: Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end
FLEX - Panthers D/ST ($4,200)
The odds that Winston throws two pick-sixes again are low, but he's so prone to bad decisions that the Panthers defense is a safe bet for at least one takeaway. They also should have no problems stifling a Buccaneers' rushing attack that lacks proven talent. Thursday night games also frequently lead to unsynchronized offenses that struggle to put up points - most weeks, playing a defense in your Thursday Showdown contests could pay off nicely (and would've been the difference in my lineup last week).
FLEX - RB Dare Ogunbowale, Buccaneers ($2,400)
Ogunbowale led Bucs' RBs in Week 1 snaps, not Jones or Barber. He's a passing-down option, but we know how much Tampa Bay loves to pass. He tied for the team lead with four Week 1 catches and had five targets. A similar game in Week 2 would provide value at his price for sure.