Cowboys vs. Steelers DFS Picks: Best DraftKings, FanDuel lineups and props for SNF primetime showdown

In what should be one of the most entertaining games of the NFL's Week 5 slate, T.J. Watt and the hard-hitting Steelers host Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC). 

Interested in constructing a Showdown or single-game tournament lineup for this primetime conference clash? The Sporting News has you covered, with optimal lineups, sleepers and studs, and timely advice to help you close out the weekend with some daily fantasy cash.

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The Cowboys will need to win in enemy territory without top defenders Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, and DaRon Bland. Dallas will also be without No. 2 receiver Brandin Cooks, so Lamb and tight end Jake Ferguson could be peppered with Prescott targets throughout the night. 

On the Pittsburgh front, Justin Fields has done well enough under center to make Mike Tomlin consider promoting him to full-time starter even after Russell Wilson is a full go. Fields has established solid rapports with George Pickens and Pat Freiermuth, and the Steelers are 3-1 out of the gates.

This should be a great primetime tilt, so let's get to our optimal lineups for the Cowboys vs. Steelers in DFS showdowns and single-game contests on DraftKings, FanDuel, and SuperDraft. Good luck and enjoy the game!

Cowboys vs. Steelers NFL DFS picks: Optimal DraftKings lineup

Before we get into our lineup and strategy, here are the key scoring settings for DraftKings Showdown contests: They're full-point PPR, and they feature three-point bonuses for 300 passing yards, 100 rushing yards, and 100 receiving yards. The Captain pick costs 1.5 times a player's original price, but he also gets his point total multiplied by 1.5.

Captain: Justin Fields, QB, Steelers ($14,700)

Everyone and their mom will go Dak or CeeDee here, so we're gladly playing the contrarians and picking the more affordable Fields. He's playing for long-term job security while Russ Wilson is sidelined, and so far he has looked like he deserves to stay put.

The Cowboys are also missing multiple elements of their defensive front, so don't expect the young signal-caller to fall victim to many sacks or picks. Fields' 19.7 DK points per game is better than Dak and CD's averages anyway, and Dallas has been the 12th-most generous defense to QBs in fantasy.

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FLEX: CeeDee Lamb, WR, Cowboys ($11,800)

Lamb is about as close to matchup-proof as a wide receiver gets, and he could see 20 targets with Cowboys WR2 Brandin Cooks sidelined. The stud wideout averages 16.5 DK PPG this season, and Dallas has struggled to get much going in the run game so Dak will be throwing early and often. This is an easy choice. 

FLEX 2: Najee Harris, RB, Steelers ($8,800)

As we have already illustrated, the Cowboys' D has been a shell of its formerly dominant self and Dallas will be without multiple key cogs this Sunday. Dallas has surrendered the third-most DK points to the running back position this season, and Steelers RB2 Jaylen Warren is questionable to play with a knee injury. Make Najee part of your unit this weekend (Najee-unit!).

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FLEX 3: Jake Ferguson, TE, Cowboys ($7,600)

Ferguson remains one of the more dependable pass-catching tight ends in a season in which TEs have struggled mightily on offense. He averages 10.6 DK PPG, he's cleared 11.9 two weeks in a row, and the Steelers rank in the middle of the pack in terms of DK points allowed to TEs. Fire up the Ferg.

FLEX 4: Steelers D/ST ($4,000)

It's quite possible Pittsburgh punches Prescott in the mouth Sunday and the Steelers flat-out obliterate the 'boys. Dak has a .700 winning percentage in primetime, sure, but he has been abysmal against winning teams throughout his career and Mike Tomlin's Steelers always seem to have a good game plan. In case this one goes off the rails for Dallas, we at least have a high-upside play in our back pocket that will likely give us some lineup variance.

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FLEX 5: KaVontae Turpin, WR, Cowboys ($3,000)

Sleeper time! With Cooks out and Lamb likely to see a bunch of double-coverage and two-high safety schemes, Turpin may see an uptick in snaps and usage. He caught 3-of-3 targets for 51 yards and a TD just two weeks ago versus Baltimore, good for a total of 14.2 DK points. If he gets anywhere near that level of production at $3,000, we might be Riverdancing by the end of this game. 

Cowboys vs. Steelers NFL DFS picks: Optimal FanDuel lineup

Here are the key scoring settings for FanDuel single-game tournaments: They're half-point PPR with three-point bonuses for 300 passing yards, 100 rushing yards, or 100 receiving yards. The MVP pick multiplies that player's total by 1.5 but does not cost 1.5 times their listed salary.

Our FD single-game lineup construction was similar to our DK lineup, except we took Prescott over Lamb as our second pick because FD values QB stats a little more.

We love that we're getting both QBs for only a little over $30K, especially with Fields in the MVP multiplier and Prescott potentially in comeback mode and deserting the run. We also love the high-upside plays with Harris and Ferguson, and the sleeper value attached to Turpin at $7,000.

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Cowboys vs. Steelers NFL DFS picks: Optimal SuperDraft lineup

For those unfamiliar, SuperDraft's DFS scoring involves point multipliers as opposed to traditional salary-capped or tiered contests. A winning lineup will likely feature a strong mix of stud fantasy contributors with 1x-1.6x boosts, as well as matchup-based sleepers with larger multipliers. Each player is assigned a scoring multiplier based on their value as determined by SuperDraft. Users can roster any player in their lineup with no restrictions.

Here are the most notable scoring rules for SuperDraft NFL contests: Half-point PPR, four-point passing TDs, and two-point bonuses for 100 rushing yards, 100 receiving yards, and 300 passing yards. SuperDraft lineups feature no D/ST position. The "Champ" position adds a 50-percent boost to the selected player, while the SuperFlex positions are limited to the boost listed for each player. 

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Our SuperDraft lineup will be swinging for the fences with Ferguson and his 2.2-times boost in the Champ's chair, and if the tight end stuns us with 100 yards and two TDs we will almost assuredly be in the money. 

The rest of our flex plays provide high floors and high ceilings, so this is a bit of a boom-or-bust strategy that hopefully pays off if Fergie has a monster night.