We are finally only one day away from the big game. Last season’s Super Bowl turned out wonderfully, as I churned out a DFS profit behind Rob Gronkowski‘s two-touchdown game. As great as it was, I didn’t win a tournament. Let’s see if we can conquer one this time around when the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Rams square off for Super Bowl LVI.
Glossing over ownership projections, it seems the majority of the field is plugging in some variation of Cooper Kupp, Joe Mixon, Ja’Marr Chase, and the two quarterbacks for the captain spot. It might be a wise move to get different at the captain spot, especially if it’s a cheaper option so that we can load up with higher-priced options in the flex.
Now, if you’re only making a lineup or two, I don’t blame you for not wanting to fade the best options on the slate at the captain spot. My favorite higher-priced captain options are players like Cooper Kupp, Ja’Marr Chase, Matthew Stafford, and Joe Burrow. With that said, I’m looking to pivot away from them in a few lineups, and that’s how I plan to bring home the bacon if the chalk busts. Who’s riding with me? Let’s dominate this Super Bowl Showdown slate.
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Captain
Tyler Boyd (8,100 CPT, $5,400 Flex)
Boyd could play a sneaky significant role in this game. He seems like the forgotten man in this offense due to its firepower. Jalen Ramsey likely will be tasked with covering Ja’Marr Chase. Plus, Tee Higgins should draw plenty of defensive focus as well. With so much overlap in this showdown type of contest, I’m not looking to play the most prominent players in the most obvious spots. The best options are the best for a reason, but they will carry the most ownership. It’s not that I’m trying to outsmart the field because this is the opposite of smart. I’m just trying to differentiate myself and leveraging the rest of the fields’ smarts against them.
Boyd in the captain spot does precisely that. I will also have some lineups with Boyd in the flex. With questions surrounding the effectiveness of C.J. Ozomah, who is dealing with an injury he suffered in the AFC Championship Game, Boyd could be set to dominate the middle of the field targets.
Flex: Priority Targets
Let’s start by saying that any of the priority flex options can and should be considered for the Captain spot. Boyd is my favorite option, but that’s because of projected ownership and pricing. I’ll also have some lineups where he isn’t in the Captain spot.
Cooper Kupp ($11,600 Flex, $17,400 CPT)
Predictably, Kupp is the most popular choice at the Captain spot for this game. Honestly, it’s impossible to fade him altogether. At this point, if you’re fading Kupp in the Super Bowl, you have the largest stones known to man. Through 20 regular reason and postseason games combined, Kupp has 20 touchdowns. He has eclipsed the 100-yard receiving mark 13 times. Of the times which he didn’t reach 100 yards receiving, Kupp only failed to get 90 yards receiving TWICE!
With that said, he could be underwhelming compared to everyone available. It’s not likely, but it’s possible. We have to acknowledge at least that it’s within the realm of possibility. Still, I can’t fade him entirely, and using him in the flex spot instead of the captain (in most lineups) provides us more salary relief.
Joe Burrow ($10,600 Flex, $15,900 CPT)
Joe Brrr, Joe Shiesty, whatever you want to call him, he’s on an absolute tear right now and has a promising future ahead of him. One thing is for sure. Burrow is going to drop back to pass often. The Bengals come into this game as four-point underdogs. Over the last five games, Burrow averages 38.8 pass attempts per game. It’s just math. More pass attempts equal more fantasy points, especially when you have the explosive pass-catchers he does. The Rams’ pass-rushers could cause major issues for this Bengals offensive line. However, I’m willing to bank on Burrow. Despite his line’s awful play all season, he’s given us no reason to believe otherwise.
Other Flex Priority Options: Matthew Stafford, Tee Higgins, Joe Mixon
Flex: Value Targets
Kendall Blanton ($4,600)
Rams’ tight end Tyler Higbee did all he could to play in this Super Bowl. Ultimately, he was deemed incapable and ruled out for this game with a knee injury. In the first quarter, Higbee left the NFC Championship game against the San Francisco 49ers. Blanton stepped in and played 79 percent of the team’s offensive snaps and caught all five of his targets for 57 yards. Blanton could get a decent amount of volume in line to be the Rams’ top tight end again.
Travis Kelce caught 10 passes for 95 yards and a touchdown in the AFC Championship game against the Bengals. No one would dare say Blanton is as good as Kelce, but the Bengals struggled against tight ends all year. They allowed the fourth-most catches and fifth-most DK points to tight ends in the regular season. It might be bland, but I’ll have some exposure to Blanton.
Samaje Perine ($2,400)
Admittedly, this isn’t the most incredible option in the world. Perine isn’t guaranteed to do much of anything. However, he was able to score on a 41-yard catch and run in the AFC Championship game. Furthermore, Perine played a lot of third down and hurry-up situations. Although he only played 17 offensive snaps, he ran routes on 14 and was targeted four times. Conversely, fellow running back Joe Mixon played 52 offensive snaps but ran 24 routes with three targets.
More often than not, Keeping Mixon home might’ve gone a long way towards keeping Joe Burrow clean in the pocket. After allowing nine sacks to the Tennessee Titans, Burrow was sacked only once by the Kansas City Chiefs. Maybe we see the same type of approach here against the Rams, with Perine used more as the preferred receiving back.
Dart Throw
Darrell Henderson ($1,600)
There was a time when Henderson was the primary running back. Playing in 12 games and making 10 starts during the regular season, Henderson averaged 4.5 yards per carry and scored eight total touchdowns. We have no idea what kind of role Henderson will play upon his return to action. Remember, the Rams have Cam Akers and Sony Michel in the fold, and Henderson hasn’t played since Week 16. Head coach Sean McVay said, “The situations that arise will dictate which one you’re seeing. Like anything else, if we’re able to get into a rhythm running it, we’re going to go with the hot hand.”
Since we have no clue what to expect, that should keep Henderson’s ownership reduced. Why not take a flier on him and hope for a huge payout? I wouldn’t jam him into every lineup, but it makes a ton of sense to toss him into a few.
Other Options: Rams DST, Bengals DST
Best of luck. Enjoy the Super Bowl, and let’s make some cash.
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