Once again, we have made it through a full season of NFL DFS contests. Now, it’s time for the pinnacle of football in Super Bowl 58. If you have never played Single-Game Showdowns before, check out the intro of my Super Bowl 57 column, where I talked through contest selection and strategy.
Editor’s Note: You can check out the video for SB58 DFS below. You’ll also find it conveniently linked in the article!
REMINDER: You can play against Austin and Kelly Singh this year! Join our contests by clicking the links:
DraftKings Contest
Now, let’s dig into our NFL DFS Super Bowl 58 picks.
Cash is in session.
Super Bowl NFL DFS
Teacher’s Pet
George Kittle (DraftKings: $6,400 / FanDuel: $10,000)
Playing George Kittle is my favorite way to get different at the Captain spot this week. Christian McCaffrey will certainly be the highest-rostered Captain, followed by Travis Kelce, Deebo Samuel, and Patrick Mahomes. Kittle could easily go overlooked, both in DFS and on the field. One of the strengths of the Kansas City defense is their defensive backs, who are likely to focus on stopping Deebo Samuel and preventing McCaffrey from bouncing outside. That leaves Kittle in a prime position to leak out of run looks and get open for chunk gains down the field. And if he gets in the endzone, you will have gained plenty of leverage on the field.
Honor Roll
Patrick Mahomes (DraftKings: $10,600 / FanDuel: $15,000)
How could you not play Patrick Mahomes this week? While he has not hit his ceiling in quite some time, Mahomes provides a safe floor for DFS lineups. Additionally, he is known to take off running at the opportune moment for an explosive play. In the biggest game of the year, he will be looking for those opportunities, so could easily have a solid fantasy outing on the ground. And while Kansas City likely tries to slow this game down, Mahomes is always a threat for three or more touchdowns.
Isiah Pacheco (DraftKings: $8,000 / FanDuel: $12,500)
Isiah Pacheco provides another way to get different at the Captain’s spot this week. Because it’s the Super Bowl, most people will want to pull for the big shootout to happen, similar to last year. But neither team is inclined to get into that scenario. San Francisco has been one of the most explosive teams in NFL History, and Kansas City has Patrick Mahomes. What if instead, Pacheco ran the ball 20 to 25 times and scored two touchdowns? In that scenario, the final score could easily be 17 to 10, and you would have soaked up all the touchdowns with your Captain. The 49ers defense is not the 49ers defense of old, so there is a real pathway to this being the outcome. In that case, Pacheco is an intriguing contrarian play.
Deebo Samuel (DraftKings: $9,200 / FanDuel: $11,500)
Deebo Samuel is essentially the Goldilocks pick. Christian McCaffrey might be too chalky. George Kittle may be too contrarian. Deebo is just right. We have seen throughout the playoffs that Kyle Shanahan has designed game plans to run through Samuel, having to adjust when he left the lineup due to injury. Now, Samuel has had two weeks to rest up and get healthy. Meanwhile, Kittle has been working through a toe injury. While Kansas City may be focused on stopping McCaffrey, Samuel will be there to soak up additional targets. He is always a threat for both a rushing and a receiving touchdown, which would easily jump him to one of the top players this week.
Check the Chalkboard
Christian McCaffrey (DraftKings: $12,000 / FanDuel: $17,500)
No one needs to tell you to play Christian McCaffrey. But how do you create a unique lineup with McCaffrey at the Captain spot? My primary strategy for playing McCaffrey is to pair him with a bunch of Kansas City players. The argument here is that Kansas City wins, but McCaffrey is still the highest-scoring player in the game. Kyle Shanahan continues to prioritize the run when they are down. Plus, McCaffrey can turn into a receiver in an instant. That combo sets up McCaffrey to be the highest-scoring player, regardless of the outcome.
Participation Grade
Justin Watson (DraftKings: $2,400 / FanDuel: $6,500)
Unfortunately, we cannot play a full lineup of the top players, so we have to get creative with some cheaper options. My favorite punt play this week is none other than Justin Watson. He has been fairly quiet in recent weeks, but this 49ers secondary can be had. We just saw Jared Goff and the Lions put up 270 pass yards on the 49ers, including through their auxiliary pass catchers. Watson is the perfect candidate to play that Jameson Williams role, getting open while San Francisco focuses their attention elsewhere.
Back of the Classroom Studs
Kansas City Chiefs (DraftKings: $3,400 / FanDuel: $9,000)
Everyone knows that Brock Purdy’s worst game came against the Baltimore Ravens when he threw three interceptions. What do the Ravens and Kansas City defenses have in common? They love to disguise their looks. Purdy has already gotten away with some turnover-worthy plays this postseason. Now he will face a Kansas City defense that blitzes often and sprinkles in simulated pressure to throw off the offense. In that confusion, I expect Purdy to throw at least one interception, which could set up a defensive touchdown for an opportunistic Kansas City defense.
Mecole Hardman (DraftKings: $1,600 / FanDuel: $5,500)
The lesson here is honestly to get creative with your Kansas City pass catchers. They have had two weeks to prepare; cooking plays for specific players. As you build out lineups, consider Mecole Hardman as one of your options. While he got looked over in the Baltimore Ravens game, he nearly scored a touchdown against the Buffalo Bills. They were already trying to get him involved in the offense, and now they have had two weeks to do so. Plus, because of that fumble in the endzone, people will not want to play him, assuming he does not get utilized in this game. When people are overconfident in a take, that’s where we, as DFS players, can take advantage. Lock in Hardman in at least 10% of your DFS lineups.
Report Card
DraftKings
Scoring System
- A: Scored over three times their price
- B: Scored over two times their price
- C: Matched their price
- F: Scored lower than their price
| Player | Price | Points | Grade |
| Brandon Aiyuk | $6,900 | 15.8 | B |
| Patrick Mahomes | $6,900 | 15.14 | B |
| Isiah Pacheco | $6,500 | 18.2 | B |
| Sam LaPorta | $5,400 | 18.7 | A |
| Christian McCaffrey | $9,000 | 29.2 | A |
| Jameson Williams | $3,700 | 20.7 | A |
| Justice Hill | $4,800 | 7.7 | C |
| Jauan Jennings | $4,600 | 1.8 | F |
| Rashod Bateman | $3,600 | 1.2 | F |
| Detroit Lions | $2,600 | 3 | C |
| Overall | $54,000 | 131.44 | B |
| Season Long | $1,567,300 | 4118.48 | B |
FanDuel
Scoring System
- A: Scored over two times their price
- B: Scored over one and a half times their price
- C: Matched their price
- F: Scored lower than their price
| Player | Price | Points | Grade |
| Brandon Aiyuk | $7,800 | 14.3 | B |
| Patrick Mahomes | $7,400 | 15.14 | A |
| Isiah Pacheco | $7,800 | 16.2 | A |
| Sam LaPorta | $6,500 | 14.2 | A |
| Christian McCaffrey | $11,000 | 27.2 | A |
| Jameson Williams | $5,000 | 19.7 | A |
| Justice Hill | $5,500 | 5.7 | C |
| Jauan Jennings | $5,300 | 1.3 | F |
| Rashod Bateman | $4,900 | 0.7 | F |
| Detroit Lions | $3,300 | 3 | F |
| Overall | $64,500 | 117.44 | B |
| Season Long | $1,888,700 | 3566.98 | B |
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