Michael Thomas (knee) will miss out on Monday Night Football between the Saints and Raiders, but we won't miss out on a DraftKings Showdown lineup for the game. Thomas' absence could point to more Emmanuel Sanders, but we're fading him and captaining Josh Jacobs in the Las Vegas home opener. It might be weird, but all of Week 2 has been weird, so MNF DFS could follow suit.
Of course, this lineup backfires if Sanders does well, but we didn't see enough from him in Week 1 to expect Thomas' absence to directly benefit him. We didn't play Jared Cook either, although he's our preferred Thomas replacement if you're buying into that narrative with a high-priced New Orleans skill guy.
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DraftKings Showdown Picks: Saints vs. Raiders
Captain (1.5x price, 1.5x points): RB Josh Jacobs, Raiders ($14,400)
Jacobs is a safe bet to see the most touches in this game, including all of Las Vegas' goal-line work, so we'll lock assured production like that into our captain spot. Jacobs is also pretty gameflow-proof since he's a capable pass-catcher, as well. Las Vegas should look to establish the run in its first game in its new home, so Jacobs should follow up his 25 Week 1 carries with 20-plus more.
FLEX: RB Alvin Kamara, Saints ($11,400)
Kamara came through for us as captain last week against the Buccaneers, but he didn't have an efficient game on the ground. He's priced higher than Jacobs, but he'll see less touches as Latavius Murray gets his usual workload, too. The Saints could lead and get lots of running for Kamara, but we prefer him in a flex spot with Jacobs as our captain.
MORE MNF: FanDuel single-game lineup
FLEX: QB Drew Brees, Saints ($10,600)
Even without Michael Thomas (knee), Brees is one of the safest players on this slate to contribute a solid point total. Using three other Saints who can get involved in the passing game means using Brees gives us the best stacking possible here, too.
FLEX: TE Darren Waller, Raiders ($7,400)
Waller is Derek Carr's top target, which covers our fade of Carr somewhat. We saw O.J. Howard play well against New Orleans in Week 1, and Waller fits the athletic-TET mold that could again cause the Saints some problems.
FLEX: WR Deonte Harris, Saints ($2,400)
New Orleans designed multiple plays for the speedy Harris in Week 1, and with Thomas out, he should see the ball on even a few more gadget looks. When you're playing the cheap options in Showdown contests, it's best to make them as explosive as possible, and Harris is certainly that.
FLEX: QB Taysom Hill, Saints ($2,200)
Yup, two Saints gadget players. The structure of this lineup is such that we likely only need one of them to pay off to have a good night, so by covering both bases, we should hit on at least one. Hill, too, saw decent Week 1 usage and should see even a bit more with Thomas out.