There's likely going to be a lot of similar DraftKings Showdown lineups for 49ers-Rams single-game DFS tournaments, which means if you really want to win, you'll need to take some chances. Perhaps that means fading Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp or loading up on value sleepers, but regardless of your strategy, there are plenty of viable picks for the NFC Championship.
Here are the important settings for DraftKings single-game contests: It's 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: 49ers vs. Rams NFC Championship
$50,000 budget, need at least one player from each team.
Captain: (1.5x salary, 1.5x points): RB Elijah Mitchell, 49ers ($12,300)
Deebo Samuel gets more hype, but Mitchell has racked up 44 carries in the playoffs. Prior to last week's 17-carry game, he posted at least 20 rushes in each of his past six games. The 49ers will lean on him again this week with Samuel (knee) banged up, and chances are Mitchell can compile solid numbers against a Rams run defense that isn't as good as the team's pass defense. Mitchell even caught three-of-four targets last week, so he isn't a total dud in that department either.
FLEX: WR Cooper Kupp, Rams ($12,200)
Kupp has been the most reliable and automatic player in fantasy football this year. It's really that simple. Case in point: In two games against the 49ers, he posted 18 catches, 240 yards, and a touchdown. You can fade him at your own risk, but the real question is whether to pay up for him as "Captain" or simply flex him as we're doing.
FANDUEL SINGLE-GAME LINEUPS: KC-CIN | SF-LA
FLEX: QB Matthew Stafford, Rams ($10,800)
Stafford has been sharp in the playoffs, posting at least three TDs in each contest. The 49ers have had his number (481 yards, four INTs) this year, but even with his struggles, he's managed four TDs against them. The Rams offense features a plethora of legitimate weapons, so instead of trying to guess which non-Kupp pass-catchers are going to score, we're just taking the trigger man and hoping for a third straight game with a rushing TD.
FULL-SLATE DFS LINEUPS: FanDuel | DraftKings
FLEX: RB Sony Michel, Rams ($4,800)
After receiving just one carry to Cam Akers' 24 last week, Michel is a majorly risky pick. However, Akers' fumbling issues might open the door for a bigger workload for Michel, at least around the goal line. That's what we're hoping for by picking him here at a reduced salary. With a relatively low ceiling, he's sure to be a contrarian pick, but if he gets even eight carries and finds the end zone, he'll pay off in this tough matchup.
DRAFTKINGS SHOWDOWN LINEUPS: KC-CIN
FLEX: Rams D/ST ($4,600)
Jimmy Garoppolo has thrown six INTs and been sacked nine times the past four games, and it always seems as if he's in danger of turning it over more. L.A. has a high-pressure, big-play defense that can cause him problems, and even though he's played well against the Rams this year, we're banking on them dialing up the pressure and scoring some points this time around.
FLEX: K Robbie Gould, 49ers ($3,800)
Gould has averaged 2.5 field-goal attempts the past four weeks, and he hasn't missed a kick since Week 14. He doesn't have the biggest leg at this point in his career, but in L.A.'s covered-but-open-air stadium, weather shouldn't be an issue. Because we're banking on L.A.'s defense mostly locking up the 49ers, we're hoping Gould sees three-plus FG attempts again. At this price, he'll more than pay off his salary if that happens.