One of the NFL’s most recognizable rivalries will be showcased on Sunday Night Football in Week 17. The Packers host the Vikings and will be trying to move closer to locking up the NFC's top seed The Vikings, meanwhile, will be without starting quarterback Kirk Cousins as they fight to keep their faint playoff pulse alive. DraftKings Sportsbook isn’t painting much optimism for the Vikings, currently listing them as 13.5-point underdogs. Nonetheless, we've found a couple key Vikings for our DraftKings Showdown lineup, including a big DFS risk as our "Captain."
Before we get into our picks, here are the key DraftKings Showdown rules: It's full-point PPR, and there are three-point bonuses for 300 passing yards, 100 rushing yards, and 100 receiving yards. The Captain picks 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: Vikings vs. Packers
$50,000 budget, need at least one player from each team.
Captain (1.5x points, 1.5x salary) QB Sean Mannion, Vikings ($9,000)
Kirk Cousins (COVID) is out Sunday, leaving Mannion to make a spot start. The risk is every bit as high as the reward, but we’re going to roll the dice and take advantage of the lineup savings. He has a strong complement of weapons at his disposal, and he doesn't have to do a ton to return value here.
FLEX WR Davante Adams, Packers ($11,000)
Adams has eclipsed 30 DraftKings points in three of his past five games, including one against these Vikings in Week 11. Betting on Adams to receive a hefty target share is one of the easiest wagers a fantasy baller can make. The Packers still have work to do if they’re going to claim the NFC’s lone first-round bye, so we expect them to remain locked in offensively.
MORE SNF: FanDuel lineup
FLEX RB Dalvin Cook, Vikings ($10,400)
Cook is only one game removed from a 38.2-DraftKing-point eruption against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and he’ll need to do some more heavy lifting with Mannion under center. Cook has handled 58 touches over the past two weeks, and is likely headed for another full plate if the Vikings are going to pull off an upset and keep their slim playoff hopes intact.
FLEX WR K.J. Osborn, Vikings ($7,800)
With Adam Thielen (ankle) ruled out for the season, Osborn will continue to operate as the No. 2 option in the passing game. He’s handled the extra responsibility well, scoring double-digit DK points in three of his past four games. He saw at least seven targets each game and scored once in that trio of contests, as well.
FLEX WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Packers ($6,400)
Valdes-Scantling brings a boom-bust dynamic to the lineup, but we’re fine with that. He missed Week 16 while on the reserve/COVID list, but he turned seven targets into a 5-98-1 line and 20.8 DK points in Week 15. He’s played a larger role in the offense in recent weeks, earning 31 targets over his past four contests.
FLEX RB AJ Dillon, Packers ($5,200)
The Packers have been deploying Aaron Jones conservatively in recent weeks, affording him a modest 40 touches over the past three games. If that type of usage continues, Dillon should have another solid share of opportunities and perhaps some shots at finding the end zone in this favorable matchup.