Our Lineup Optimizer is an incredibly powerful tool inside our Player Models, particularly when creating a large number of lineups. However, it’s just that — a tool. We still have to make decisions. Otherwise, everyone would have the same 150 DFS lineups in each contest.
This is intended more as a teaching piece than a step-by-step guide. These rules are suggestions that can show you how to translate your read on this game into lineups.
Additionally, this piece focuses on DraftKings Showdown contests, but similar strategies are useful on FanDuel.
For my general Showdown strategy, you can read my Showdown primer.
My Favorite NFL DFS Angle in Giants vs. 49ers Showdown
I LOVE Elijah Mitchell this week. I’m worried about his ownership getting steamed heading into game time, but I love the spot and I’m hopeful that poor boxscores will make it difficult for sites to project him well. That being said, there are a number of factors that have his arrow pointing up.
First, following last week’s game, 49ers’ head coach Kyle Shanahan admitted that he has regrets about the team’s RB usage to start the season and said that he has to do a better job of getting Mitchell more involved. This just so happens to be the perfect opportunity to accomplish that objective, with the 49ers playing on a short week at home as 10.5-point favorites.
The Giants have been abysmal to start the season and just gave up 106 yards and a touchdown to James Conner, marking just the second time Conner has topped the century mark since the start of the 2021 season.
CMC has played nearly every offensive snap for San Fran to start the year, which just isn’t compatible with staying healthy deep into the season, and it seems like Shanahan realizes that.
I’m betting on 50+ yards and a touchdown for Mitchell on Thursday.
Lineup Optimizer Rules to Consider
General
- Max 3 players vs. opposing Defense
- Minimum salary cap 90%
Player Correlations
- Pair Captain Daniel Jones with at least one Giants pass-catcher.
- Pair Captain Brock Purddy with at least two 49ers pass-catchers.
- Pair Captain pass-catchers with at most one other pass-catcher from the same team.
Player Groups
- Max two kickers and defenses
- Max 1 Giants RB
- I’m totally fine with playing Mitchell and McCaffrey together without restriction, given Mitchell’s cheap salary.
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Captain Pool (from highest to lowest priority)
Primary Targets
- Christian McCaffrey
- Deebo Samuel
- Brandon Aiyuk (if active)
Secondary Targets (big gap)
- Daniel Jones
- Brock Purdy
- Darren Waller
- George Kittle
Large-Field GPP Fliers
- Elijah Mitchell
- 49ers Defense
- Darius Slayton
- Matt Breida
Finally, make sure to check out all the projections available for purchase (Chris Raybon’s come included with a FantasyLabs subscription) within the FantasyLabs Models. Subscribers now have the option to purchase Derek Carty’s THE BLITZ from our Marketplace. Projections from One Week Season and Establish the Run are available if you’re a subscriber to those specific sites (our optimizer is a separate add-on feature).
You can also combine them to create your own aggregate projections:
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