Playoff DraftKings Picks: NFL DFS lineup advice for Rams-Buccaneers Divisional Round Showdown tournaments

We are loading up on the Rams passing game in our DraftKings Showdown lineup, and while there are obvious risks involved with that, it’s even riskier to trust someone in the Rams or Buccaneers’ RB committees. Our other option would be trying to guess which of Tom Brady’s pass-catchers is going to go off, which doesn’t seem wise either. Whichever strategy you employ, there’s no shortage of potential options for your playoff DFS single-game tournaments.

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: Rams vs. Buccaneers

$50,000 budget, need at least one player from each team.

Captain: (1.5x salary, 1.5x points): WR Van Jefferson, Rams ($7,200)

Because we’re going all-in on the Rams’ passing game, Jefferson makes the most sense as our “Captain” pick because of his price. Obviously, Cooper Kupp or Matthew Stafford has more upside, but their respective prices make it tough to fill out a lineup. Jefferson has plenty of upside himself, shown by his 41-yard catch last week, as he could hit the 100-yard bonus on just a couple big plays.  

FLEX: WR Cooper Kupp, Rams ($11,400)

No fantasy owner, whether daily or season long, needs to be convinced of Kupp’s value. He had a “down game” last week, but that still resulted in five catches, 61 yards, and a TD. Against Tampa’s 21st-ranked pass defense, Kupp is almost a sure thing, which means he’ll need to be in your lineup if you want to finish high. 

FLEX: QB Tom Brady, Buccaneers ($10,800)

The Rams have plenty of good pass-rushers to bother Brady, but it’s tough to bet against the G.O.A.T. in the playoffs. Regardless of the weapons, Brady seems to come through, which he did last week with 271 yards and two scores. He needed garbage time to really pay off against the Rams earlier in the season, but we expect a tighter game this time around. If the Rams passing attack goes off like we think it will, Brady will have to throw plenty of times to keep up. 

FLEX: QB Matthew Stafford, Rams ($10,000)

Stafford absolutely torched Tampa back in Week 3, throwing for 343 yards and four scores. Tampa’s defense has improved since then — and Stafford has had plenty of struggles down the stretch — so we’re not expecting quite that big of a performance, but he’s a good bet to put up points and pay off his price.

FLEX: WR Odell Beckham Jr., Rams ($8,400)

Beckham has scored in six of his past eight games, so he’ll be a popular pick (likely as “Captain”), but given our strategy, he makes sense in our lineup. We could swap him out for the much cheaper Tyler Higbee, but the same reason OBJ is a chalky pick is the same reason we don’t want to do that. He’s a good bet for catches and yards even if he doesn’t score, so fading him is a risk.

FLEX: WR Tyler Johnson, Buccaneers ($2,200)

As much as we’d like to stack Brady with Mike Evans or Rob Gronkowski, we can’t afford it. Johnson isn’t a bad alternative, especially when you factor in his price. He played 77 percent of snaps last week, functioning as Tampa’s No. 2 wide receiver, and even though that resulted in just two catches and 30 yards, clearly the upside is there for more. Jalen Ramsey will be matched up against Mike Evans more often than not, so Johnson should see more targets this week.