The Raiders and Bengals have some of the longest active playoff win droughts in the NFL at 18 and 30 years, respectively, so the motivation should be strong in the wild-card round. With DraftKings setting the point total at 49.5, we have perfect conditions to build a DraftKings Showdown lineup. Both offenses have pricey QBs and pass-catchers, so we'll have to be creative with our DFS selections. It's easy to wander into chalk plays, too, so at least a couple sleepers and value plays will be key for Saturday's first game.
Here are the important settings for DraftKings single-game contests: It's full-point PPR, and there are 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.
MORE DK SHOWDOWN: How to win a Showdown contest
DraftKings Showdown Picks: Raiders vs. Bengals
$50,000 budget, need at least one player from each team.
Captain: (1.5x salary, 1.5x points): WR Tee Higgins, Bengals ($11,400)
You could also go Ja'Marr Chase or Joe Burrow here, but Higgins features the cheapest price among those three and has ample upside in his own right. Las Vegas was among the best defenses in limiting fantasy wideouts during the regular season, but we're expecting bracket coverage on Chase, opening things up for Higgins.
FANDUEL SINGLE-GAME LINEUPS:
LV-CIN | NE-BUF | PHI-TB | SF-DAL | PIT-KC | ARI-LAR
FLEX: QB Joe Burrow, Bengals ($11,000)
Several Bengals' pass-catchers and running backs can feast in the same game, but Burrow is the constant. He's going to be chalky, but we don't think you can build a winning lineup without him. He's produced 22-plus DK points in four of his past five games, including at least 37.9 DK points in his past two.
DRAFTKINGS SINGLE-GAME LINEUPS:
NE-BUF | PHI-TB | SF-DAL | PIT-KC | ARI-LAR
FLEX: QB Derek Carr, Raiders ($9,600)
We expect the Bengals' offense to be explosive and efficient, so Carr will have to keep up in a shootout if he wants to keep the Raiders in it. Cincinnati allowed the fifth-fewest rushing yards during the regular season, so when the Las Vegas run game stalls, Carr's passing attempts should once again approach to 35-45 range.
FLEX: WR Hunter Renfrow, Raiders ($8,400)
We chose Carr, so we're stacking him with his No. 1 WR. Again, shootout conditions are in play here, and a high-volume passing attack means double-digit targets for Renfrow. He's shown the ability to get it done with volume or efficiency, and his price is generous considering he's averaged over 16 DK points in his past three contests.
FULL-SLATE DFS LINEUPS: FanDuel | DraftKings
FLEX: TE C.J. Uzomah, Bengals ($5,200)
We've been waiting on another Uzomah explosion since the early part of the regular season, and what better time than in the first round of the playoffs in a matchup with Las Vegas, who gave up the seventh-most DK points to TEs during the regular season? Uzomah has at least six targets in four of his past five games, so the opportunity is there, and the stack makes sense here. Again, this lineup is built on the idea Chase will be taken away (and heavily owned), so Uzomah makes sense alongside Higgins given the strong matchup.
SUNDAY-ONLY DFS LINEUPS: FanDuel | DraftKings
FLEX: K Daniel Carlson, Raiders ($3,8000)
Selecting a kicker is never flashy, but Las Vegas attempted the most field goals of any team during the regular season (43), and Carlson made the second-most field goals (40). He put up double-digit DK points in 10 of 17 games this year, including scoring at least 13 points in five contests. Since the Raiders are the sixth-worst team in red-zone TD percentage (51.67), they'll inevitably settle for field goals early and often.