Saints vs. Buccaneers is the NFL's Week 1 showcase game in the late-afternoon window Sunday. It pits legendary quarterbacks Tom Brady and Drew Brees against each other. If you're going to watch one game to start the 2020 season, it should be this one. And if you're watching, why not play a DraftKings Showdown lineup? You can play both the future Hall-of-Fame QBs at the same time while trying to win a DFS tournament.
Our captain pick comes from the ground, though, in Alvin Kamara. It's the best way to fit the rest of the lineup together how we want. Starting any fantasy lineup with Kamara, Brady, Brees and Michael Thomas sounds good to me. The only way it backfires is if Chris Godwin has a monster day, or if Mike Evans plays and surprises with fully healthy production.
WEEK 1 DFS TOURNAMENT LINEUPS:
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DraftKings Showdown Picks: Saints vs. Buccaneers
CAPTAIN (1.5x points, 1.5x price): RB Alvin Kamara, Saints ($13,800)
Kamara gets involved in the Saints' offense in so many ways that he's game-flow proof. If they trail, he'll catch passes. If they lead, he'll help run out the clock. The Buccaneers' front seven was solid last year, and Kamara had question marks beside him throughout August, so maybe that depresses his ownership. Still, he's the best player we can fit in the captain spot to fill out the rest of our lineup with three studs and two values.
WEEK 1 DFS CASH LINEUPS:
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FLEX: WR Michael Thomas, Saints ($11,000)
Thomas is as automatic as they come in DK's PPR scoring. In a game that might see the new-look Bucs get heavy ownership, we're locking down the two most important skill players the Saints have as they open at home, albeit a bit quieter than normal.
WEEK 1 PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
FLEX: QB Drew Brees, Saints ($10,600)
Brees threw three TDs in his lone game played against Tampa Bay a year ago. He may very well do so again in a game that shapes up as a shootout between two of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.
FLEX: QB Tom Brady, Buccaneers ($10,400)
There's a lot we don't know about Brady in regards to how he'll fit into Bruce Arians' offense, but we do know that he's still an accurate, efficient passer, and he has a lot of weapons around him, whether Mike Evans (hamstring) plays or not. He may not win his Bucs debut against a strong New Orleans team, but Brady will almost certainly put up numbers.
WEEK 1 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
FLEX: QB Taysom Hill, Saints ($2,200)
Hill reached double-digit DK points in four of the Saints' final six games in 2019 (including playoffs). You're not finding that kind of point upside at a price this far down from anyone else. Hill's occasional involvement in every phase of New Orleans' offense gives him plenty of ways to quickly pay off his cheap price.
MORE WEEK 1 DFS: Best stacks | Best values | Lineup Builder
FLEX: WR Justin Watson, Buccaneers ($2,000)
If Mike Evans (hamstring) plays, he might be limited and Watson could still be worth this spot. Right now, Watson fits in our lineup as the obvious replacement for Evans on the outside. Watson caught two TDs in the season's final four weeks last year when he filled in for Evans, and the big-bodied wideout could find the end zone again if Evans is out.