Picking DraftKings DFS bargains from the 49ers has been impossible all season, while the Lions have a much more varied offense. So, there are quite a few possibilities there. The 49ers overcame a very sloppy field in Santa Clara last week with a lot of help from Christian McCaffrey’s superpowers. While the Lions eventually broke the Buccaneers’s resistance in Detroit. If Darnell Savage had held on to the greasy ball at Levi Stadium he would have run in a second pick-six in two games. And that, along with Anders Carlson’s boot could have changed the complexion of the game. For the Lions, their offensive line looked great against the tough Tampa Bay defense, but now two of them are injured.
DraftKings DFS bargains for the Lions At 49ers
The In Form DraftKings DFS Pick – Josh Reynolds
Reynolds is the Lions’ tallest receiver and Jared Goff’s third favorite red zone target after Amon-Ra St. Brown (who costs $11,000) and Sam LaPorta (who is recovering from a significant knee injury). He’ll cost $4,400 on this DraftKings DFS slate this week, that’s down from $5,400 last week and cheap for someone who averages 11 DraftKings DFS points in his last three games.
Christian Watson is the Packers’ only tall receiver and he’s still suffering the aftereffects of his hamstring injury. So, Watson only played 37 snaps last week, Reynolds was on the field for 57 against the Buccaneers. Watson’s only catch against the 49ers went for 11 yards though.
This week Reynolds should line up opposite Charvarius Ward (although Ben Johnson would do well to line up near to Ambry Thomas who is four inches shorter than Reynolds). Ward was absolutely lights out during the regular season, only allowing 54.1% of passes to be completed. But the ones that have been completed have gone for 12.1 yards per catch. He has conceded three touchdowns, but 109 passes have been thrown his way!
The “Surprise” Pick – Kyle Juszczyk
There’s absolutely no good reason to pick Juszczyk in this game beyond the fact that he only costs $800. And Christian McCaffrey dragged his team, kicking and screaming, to a victory over the Packers. He ended the game with 31% of the 49ers’ total yards and half of their total points! He is a generational player, but even superhuman athletes will suffer from fatigue.
So, the usual 49er plan of setting up with Brock Purdy under center and handing it off to Christian McCaffrey might not be the homerun it usually is. Shanahan will need to mix it up, even if that only involves spelling his starting running back. But it will probably involve lining up McCaffrey in the backfield and giving someone else the ball for a change.
The Wiley Old Veteran Pick – Chris Conley
The only two reasons to pick Conley is, firstly Deebo Samuel seemed to be suffering from a significant shoulder injury last week. And that Conley is excellent when it comes to finding space in defenses. He only caught one pass last week, but it went for 17 yards as the Packers focused on all the other 49er threats.
This week he could line up opposite Kindle Vildor. Vildor only played five games in the regular season. But he only allowed 52.6% of passes thrown his way to be completed. When they were completed, they went for 15.4 yards per completion though. And two of the 19 passes he’s defended resulted in touchdowns.
The Secret Weapon DraftKings DFS Pick – Brayden Willis
The Lions have the worst of the four defenses left in the postseason when it comes to defending against tight ends. And George Kittle costs $6,800 so he’s not a bargain (but great value). The Lions allowed 11.2 yards per reception to the tight end position during the regular season. Willis only played in seven games during the regular season and only got on the field for a single snap with the offense last week. But he’s a very big man who can block or drag tacklers down the field with him. plus he only costs $200 on this DraftKings DFS Captains Showdown slate. And if the 49ers are going to win this game, they’ll need to do something the Lions haven’t seen before.
The New Arrival DraftKings DFS Pick – Zach Ertz
He’s only $1,400 on this DraftKings DFS Captains Showdown because he only officially signed with Detroit on Monday. And nobody knows what role, if any, he’ll play in this game. But he’s a three-time pro bowler and Super Bowl winner who is backing up a rookie tight end with a hyperextended knee (in the olden days we used to call that “strained knee ligaments”).
The Lions recently signed Anthony Firkser too, but he can play fullback too so he may just be a blocking tight end. The 49ers conceded 11.2 DraftKings DFS points to the tight end position during the regular season and Ertz averaged just under four catches per game in the seven games he started for the Cardinals this season. Last week the Packers threw passes to Musgrave, Kraft, and even Ben Sims. Multiple tight end sets caused the 49ers problems so don’t be surprised if Ben Johnson lens heavily on those formations. It’s easier to run the ball with extra mobile blockers on the field too.
Main Image: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
