The Saints will try to snap their four-game road losing streak when they play the Buccaneers on Monday Night Football. The Buccaneers, who suffered an overtime loss to the Browns last week, are favored by 3.5 points over the Saints. The total is also set at O/U at 40.5 points, according to BetMGM. Neither the Bucs’ nor Saints’ offense has been great this season, but there’s still a ton of talent in this primetime matchup.
The Buccaneers have Tom Brady, Rachaad White, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Julio Jones, who will be rostered in multiple DraftKings Showdown lineups. Meanwhile, the Saints only have Alvin Kamara, Taysom Hill, and Chris Olave. Even though the Saints have looked like a shell of themselves, Kamara and Olave still warrant some consideration in showdown contests.
Before we get into our lineup 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
DraftKings Showdown Picks: Saints vs. Buccaneers Week 13 Monday Night Football
$50,000 budget, need at least one player from each team.
Captain (1.5x points, 1.5x salary): RB Rachaad White ($10,500)
The rookie running back had another tremendous performance last week against Cleveland, further solidifying himself as the Bucs’ top option in the backfield. White scored a season-high 19.9 DraftKings points, thanks to 109 total yards offense on 23 touches. The young running back has produced back-to-back double-digit DraftKings point performances and will face the Saints’ defense on Monday. New Orleans’ defense allows the ninth-fewest DraftKings points per game to RBs (21.6) this season. This is not a favorable matchup for the young running back. However, with Leonard Fournette (hip) listed as “questionable” for MNF, White could see the lion’s share of carries on Monday.
FLEX WR Chris Godwin, Buccaneers ($10,600)
The veteran wide receiver has been one of the most consistent options in NFL DFS this season. Godwin has scored 10 or more DraftKings points in eight-straight games. Last week against the Browns, the former Penn State standout had a season-high 12 receptions (13 targets) for 110 yards and a touchdown. He also scored 32 DraftKings points, making it the first time Godwin went over the 20-point threshold. The vet should continue to have success against a Saints’ defense that has allowed the 11th-most DraftKings points per game to WRs (35.3) this season. The veteran wide receiver missed the first meeting against the Saints earlier this season. However, DFS players should not worry, as Godwin is averaging 13.7 DraftKings per game at home this year.
FLEX QB Tom Brady, Buccaneers ($10,400)
The future Hall of Fame quarterback does not have gaudy passing numbers this season but has played better since Week 7, where he scored 11.7 DraftKings points against Carolina. Brady is averaging 17.5 DraftKings points per game in his past four games. Last week against the Browns, the 45-year-old signal-caller had 18 DraftKings points and threw for two touchdowns. It was the third time Brady has thrown at least two or more TD passes in a game. The star quarterback will look to have a better outing against the Saints on MNF after only scoring a season-low 10.4 DraftKings points in their first meeting.
FLEX WR Chris Olave, Saints ($8,400)
Even though the Saints have star running back Alvin Kamara, Olave has been their best offensive player this season. The rookie wide receiver has 56 receptions for 822 yards and three touchdowns this season. Olave is also averaging 15.1 DraftKings points per game as a rookie. The former Ohio State standout has scored 10 or more DraftKings points in five of his past six games. In Week 12 against San Francisco, Olave produced 11.2 DraftKings points on five receptions (nine targets) for 62 yards. The rookie should see a ton of targets coming his way on Monday, despite a not-so-favorable matchup against the Bucs. This season, Tampa Bay’s defense allows the 14th-fewest DraftKings points per game to WRs (33.8). If the Saints can get something started on the ground with Kamara, it should open the passing game for Olave and quarterback Andy Dalton.
FLEX WR Jarvis Landry, Saints ($5,200)
We could see a lot of Landry on Monday night as starting tight end Juwan Johnson has been dealing with an ankle injury. The veteran wideout has been a solid receiving threat for Dalton, producing eight receptions on 14 targets in the past three games. Landry is also averaging 7.6 DraftKings points per game over that span. If you are placing the 30-year-old wide receiver in your lineup, do not expect a ton of volume. However, if he can find his way into the end zone, it could be the difference maker between a win or loss.
FLEX DEF Buccaneers ($4,800)
Our final MNF showdown contest play will be the Buccaneers’ defense, which has played well over the past few weeks and should make life tough for Dalton. Last week against the Browns, Tampa Bay’s defense gave up 23 points; but recorded an interception and four sacks for six DraftKings points. The Buccaneers have been racking up the sacks lately, producing 14 in the past four games. The Bucs should be able to add to that total against Dalton, who has been sacked 10 times in the past four contests and will turn the ball over once or twice.
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