Thursday Night Football kicks off with a heated NFC West battle as the San Francisco 49ers head north to take on the Seattle Seahawks and the DFS Showdown slate is primed with some spectacular plays. These teams routinely play each other tough and it’s always a fierce coaching match-up for both Pete Carroll and Kyle Shanahan. The 3.5-point spread indicates a close game and the 43.5 over/under gives us hope for a reasonably high-scoring contest. Your captain/MVP pick will be important as always, but it’s going to be those DFS bargain picks that will keep you cashing. Building winning DFS showdown lineups can be difficult, but we’ve got you covered.
**Please note that players not listed below are not necessarily a complete fade and any player listed can certainly be used as the MVP/Captain. These are merely suggestions for players to use when setting Showdown lineups.
Be sure to check out our full San Francisco 49ers vs Seattle Seahawks predictions
MVP/Captain
Christian McCaffrey, RB San Francisco 49ers
Just because it’s the obvious play doesn’t make it wrong. McCaffrey will be super-chalky tonight against Seattle’s porous run defense that allows the second-most rushing yards per game (160.5) and has allowed 18 rushing touchdowns on the season. On top of that, Seattle ranks 31st in DVOA against running back pass-plays so we are expecting a very active night for the Niners running back.
George Kittle, TE San Francisco 49ers
If you’re looking to get a little different with your lineups and are looking for the next greatest weakness in the Seahawks defense, it’s against the tight end. They rank 27th in DVOA against the position and they’re allowing the 11th-most fantasy points per game to tight ends. With no Deebo Samuel, we expect Kittle’s target share to climb a bit in this one.
Geno Smith, QB Seattle Seahawks
It’s a tough defense to go up against, but not one that hasn’t had its moments of struggle at times. The problem is, which way do you attack it – through the air or on the ground? Chances are, Seattle is going to have to take it to the air, so instead of guessing which way they go between Metcalf and Lockett, why not just get a slice of each with Smith? You’ll save a few bucks which maybe affords you an extra mid-tier guy in your lineups.
Mid-Tier & DFS Value Plays
Brock Purdy, QB San Francisco 49ers
You’re either afraid of the oblique issue or you’re not. If Purdy starts this game, which he is fully expected to do, then you have to go all-in with him and not worry that his injury could push him to the sidelines. He had a stellar debut in relief of the injured Jimmy Garoppolo and this defensive match-up isn’t all that tough. We expect the lean on McCaffrey, but Purdy is going to need to throw as well, so don’t be afraid to get him into your lineup.
Brandon Aiyuk, WR San Francisco 49ers
With Deebo on the shelf, Aiyuk steps up as the top receiver against a Seahawks defense that ranks 18th in DVOA against the opposing No. 1 receiver and, while they aren’t allowing a ton of yards through the air this season, they’ve given up 19 passing touchdowns on the season. With his increase in targets, Aiyuk should post strong totals by night’s end.
Jauan Jennings, WR San Francisco 49ers
He’ll step in as the 49ers No. 2 receiver and should see a decent uptick in targets. If you believe the Seahawks will focus the majority of their defensive attention on McCaffrey and Aiyuk, Jennings becomes a nice under-the-radar option at a very good price for showdown lineups.
Ray-Ray McCloud, WR San Francisco 49ers
McCloud will step into the third-receiver role for this game and should see a couple of targets come his way. He is capable of stretching the field with his speed and he doesn’t mind going across the middle for some contended catches either. He could be an interesting way to get a little weird with your lineups.
San Francisco 49ers D/ST
Even though the Seahawks are sitting at full-strength, we expect the 49ers defense to be a fairly chalky play tonight. They rank fourth in the league in takeaways (21) and seventh overall in sacks (36). Expect a significant amount of blitzing and look for them to be aggressive in coverage as well. If they can turn out a pick-six or a fumble-recovery for a touchdown, then we are, most definitely, in business.
Kennth Walker, RB Seattle Seahawks
The ankle injury is behind him and he’s got fresh legs so expect Pete Carroll to do some early leaning on Walker to try and soften up that defensive line. He’ll also be useful in neutralizing the pass-rush by running tight up the gut. If nose-tackle Al Woods plays, he’s not going to be at 100-percent, so look for Seattle to focus on running right at him. The 49ers give up the fewest rushing yards per game, so Walker might actually be a contrarian pick for many which is good, especially if he can get into the end zone.
DK Metcalf, WR Seattle Seahawks
He’s on a nice, little tear right now with touchdowns in each of his last two games and four in his last six. Metcalf is averaging close to 10 targets per game over that span and should continue to see a heavy workload, especially if the 49ers jump out to an early lead. With the injuries the 49ers have in the secondary, Metcalf should see a lot of Deommodore Lenoir in coverage which is definitely a favorable match-up.
Tyler Lockett, WR Seattle Seahawks
Lockett may not be seeing the target share Metcalf gets, but he’s got touchdowns in six-straight games, so why wouldn’t you want to lock him into your lineups? The 49ers actually rank 32nd in DVOA against the opposition’s No. 2 receiver and while Lockett may be more of a 1A than a 2, the match-up numbers still work.
Marquise Goodwin, WR Seattle Seahawks
Goodwin has actually found a nice home as the Seahawks’ No. 3 receiver. He was only seeing a handful of targets while both Metcalf and Lockett were on the field, but he saw a nice uptick last week and rewarded the team with five catches for 95 yards and a touchdown. It’s a little but tougher of a match-up this week, but if you’re one of those narrative folks, this does qualify as a revenge-game.
Noah Fant, TE Seattle Seahawks
The 49ers do rank 6th in DVOA against the tight end position, but Fant is seeing red-zone targets, so if you’re looking to save some salary and maybe get a little weird, we can certainly think of worse plays than this.
**Both kickers are very much in-play for tonight’s action. The lean is probably Robbie Gould of the 49ers since his kicking-points prop is a tick higher than that of Jason Myers, but either one works for salary-saving purposes.
Dart-Throw DFS Bargains
Kyle Juszczyk, FB San Francisco 49ers
How many times are we going to see Juszczyk run that wheel-route up the sideline before we try to take advantage of it? He’s seen seven targets over the last three games and wobbled his way into the end zone back in Week 13 against the Dolphins. Can lightning strike twice in the same season? We’ve seen it before so why not now?
Will Dissly, TE Seattle Seahawks
If the Seahawks are struggling inside the red zone, we all know Carroll likes for his quarterback to take the safe route and hit big ol’ Dissly in the end zone. Using him means you’re willing to concede multiple catches and more yards for a chance at the end zone, but it’s a chance like any other.
For additional NFL DFS Week 15 insights, check out our full coverage on Fantasy Alarm
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