NFL DFS Showdown: Thursday, Sunday and Monday Night
Thursday, Sunday and Monday night NFL DFS Showdown slates are single-game contests: every player comes from one game, and one roster slot costs 1.5 times the salary and scores 1.5 times the points. With one game there is no hiding a bad read, so the work is deciding how the game plays out and building lineups that fit that version of it.
What changes with one game
- Everything is linked. A big night for one offense is a bad night for the other defense. Lineups should tell one consistent story.
- Ownership concentrates. There are only a few dozen players to choose from, so popular players are in a large share of entries.
- Kickers and defenses count on DraftKings. They are eligible for any slot there, and in a low-scoring game they can outscore skill players.
- Late news matters more. One inactive player changes a large share of the pool.
The three slates in a week
| Slate | What is different |
|---|---|
| Thursday night | The first lock of the week, on a short week for both teams. Injury reports arrive early in the week, so check statuses the day before. |
| Sunday night | Locks after the afternoon games. You know how your main-slate entries finished before you build. |
| Monday night | The last game of the week and the last chance to act on the week's results. Inactives are the final news to check. |
A routine for any prime-time slate
- Set the site and the Showdown slate for the game.
- Check the inactive list and any change in role.
- Decide two or three ways the game could go, and which players gain in each.
- Choose the top slot for each version, then the players that fit it.
- Run the simulations and compare how the lineups finish, not only what they project.
DraftKings and FanDuel: same shape, different numbers
DraftKings Showdown uses one Captain and five Flex players under a $50,000 cap. FanDuel's single-game format uses one MVP and five AnyFlex players under a $60,000 cap. On both, the top slot costs 1.5 times the salary and scores 1.5 times the points. Scoring and salaries differ, so build each site's lineups from that site's numbers. See Captain Mode and FanDuel single-game lineups.
This week's games
Each prime-time game gets its own slate page under slate pages once its simulations have run. Open the NFL tool for the current slate. Simulation results are part of Squirt Squad VIP and Apex; compare memberships. Model results do not promise a finish or a payout.
Questions
What is an NFL DFS Showdown slate?
It is a single-game contest. You roster six players from the two teams in one game, and one slot, the Captain on DraftKings or the MVP on FanDuel, costs 1.5 times the salary and scores 1.5 times the points.
Is Thursday night Showdown different from Sunday or Monday night?
The rules are the same. The timing differs: Thursday is a short week with early injury news, Sunday night locks after the afternoon games, and Monday night is the last game of the week.
Should I play kickers and defenses in Showdown?
On DraftKings they are eligible for any slot and often cheap. In a game you expect to be low-scoring they can match or beat skill players at a fraction of the salary.
How many lineups should I enter?
That depends on the contest and your budget. With more entries, spread them across different versions of the game instead of small variations on one.
Where is this week's Showdown page?
Slate pages for each prime-time game are listed under Splash Play's slate pages once that game's simulations have run.
More by site and sport
Projections by site
- DraftKings NFL projections
- DraftKings NBA projections
- DraftKings MLB projections
- FanDuel NFL projections
- FanDuel NBA projections
- FanDuel MLB projections
Ownership
Simulators
Lineup building
Showdown
Contest types