The NFC and AFC’s top seeds face off in the final game of the 2022-23 NFL season when the Eagles meet the Chiefs in Super Bowl 57. Sadly, this marks the last time NFL DFS players will have an opportunity to construct a DraftKings Showdown lineup until next preseason, so we’re trying to finish out the year strong by ending in the money.
We’re going for a high finish, so we’ve selected a more contrarian Captain who profiles as an underrated sleeper with upside. The rest of our lineup features high-usage players from both the Eagles and Chiefs who can put forth respectable fantasy showings.
Before we get into our picks and strategy, here are the key scoring settings for DraftKings Showdown contests: They’re 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
Super Bowl 57 DraftKings Showdown Picks: Eagles vs. Chiefs
$50,000 budget, need at least one player from each team.
Captain (1.5x points, 1.5x salary): RB Isiah Pacheco, Chiefs ($10,800)
With the majority of Showdown lineups likely opting to roster either Jalen Hurts or Patrick Mahomes as their Captain, we’re hoping for some differentiation in order to really make a splash in GPP contests. Considering Jerick McKinnon has been a bit more reliable in pass protection, it was surprising to see Pacheco outsnap him 39-to-27 with Mahomes’ mobility limited. Seeing Pacheco log a 57-percent snap share allows him to post a solid fantasy showing in the Super Bowl. Pacheco put up 13.5 DK points in the AFC championship game, and that was without scoring a TD. Before even taking his 1.5x multiplier into account, a 20-plus DK point effort is attainable for the rookie RB.
FLEX QB Jalen Hurts, Eagles ($11,200)
Since we’ve cleared up some salary by rostering Pacheco as our Captain, we’re locking Hurts in as our top flex play. Hurts enters the Super Bowl averaging 25.8 DK points per game, and despite a 14.7-point showing in the NFC championship game, we’re expecting him to post a similar showing to his season averages. Philadelphia’s offense didn’t have to do much with the 49ers’ offense amassing just 164 yards, as the game flow didn’t really force Hurts to have to put the offense on his back. While the Chiefs’ defense can hold its own, it isn’t nearly as stout as the 49ers’ defense, giving DFS players yet another reason to buy into a better fantasy showing from Hurts in the Super Bowl. Kansas City’s defense also ranks 28th against QBs, so expect Hurts to do his thing in a projected high-scoring contest. Hurts also threw for a career-high 387 yards and two TDs against the Chiefs last season, and another all-time performance could be in store.
FLEX QB Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs ($11,000)
We also have the flexibility to roster Mahomes, and any time you get a chance to roster the MVP front-runner, you take advantage of it. Bum ankle and all, Mahomes still threw for 326 yards and two TDs, racking up 23.8 DK points in the AFC championship game. Despite a matchup against an Eagles defense sporting the league’s lowest drop-back EPA (-0.110), we’re still expecting Mahomes to have success through the air. Yes, a lot has happened since the Chiefs faced off against the Eagles in Week 4 last season, but Mahomes was uber-efficient in that game. He completed 24-of-30 pass attempts for 278 yards with a 5:1 TD-to-INT ratio in a 42-30 win, and with more time to heal his ankle, expect another vintage effort from the soon-to-be two-time MVP.
FLEX WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Chiefs ($6,200)
We have enough salary to roster Eagles TE Dallas Goedert here, but with Kansas City’s WR corps banged up, we’ll ride the hot hand and use MVS. With little competition for targets outside of Travis Kelce, MVS put forth his best game of the season, posting a season-high 26.6 DK points (116 receiving yards, six receptions, and one TD). We’re not expecting the same type of performance against an elite Eagles pass defense, but a four-to-five reception game where MVS reaches paydirt would make him a valuable addition at just $6,200. Valdes-Scantling played on 72 percent of the Chiefs’ offensive snaps in the AFC championship game, and a similar snap share should lend itself to a solid fantasy showing for the first-year Chief.
FLEX WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, Chiefs ($5,800)
Smith-Schuster (knee) exited the AFC championship in the third quarter and failed to return to game action, but with 13 days before kickoff, we’re expecting him to heal up in time. Similar to MVS, with fellow WRs Mecole Hardman (pelvis) and Kadarius Toney (ankle) nursing injuries, Smith-Schuster could be in line for a high-usage day. He’s been one of the most efficient WRs this season in terms of his EPA added (+64.8), and his ability to gain separation (52.1-percent route win rate) could result in a big-time performance from JuJu on the game’s biggest stage.
FLEX RB Kenneth Gainwell, Eagles ($5,000)
Gainwell rounds out our Showdown lineup, as the Eagles’ RB is coming off consecutive games logging double-digit touches. While much of his increased usage in the Eagles’ two playoff games was game-flow dependent, he still has a shot to see a handful of targets given his recent efficiency. Gainwell’s averaging 6.2 yards per carry the past two weeks, and he could have success against a Chiefs defense sporting the 20th-highest rush EPA since Week 9 (-0.040). Gainwell also saw 48 red-zone touches in the regular season, but that resulted in just four TDs. If Gainwell’s able to break through for his fifth TD of the season, our lineup will be in great shape to finish in the money.
