Photo: Kelley L Cox, USA Today Sports

Los Angeles Chargers vs Kansas City Chiefs SINGLE-GAME SHOWDOWN SLATE

This article is a new feature which will break down the single-game slates on DraftKings and FanDuel guiding you which players to play and where to play them.

STRATEGY- CAPTAIN AND MVP POSITIONS

FanDuel-

On FanDuel the pricing of the MVP is the same as if they are not in the MVP position. This limits the strategy as you really want to take the player that you believe is going to score the most points which is often your most expensive player or a player who has the most upside on your roster.

DraftKings-

On DraftKings, the strategy is a little bit more complex as the players are priced at 1.5x their flex position if you play them in the captain position. This creates an intriguing strategy as while the top priced player may score the most points, it often limits you on the rest of your build. Often times, putting in a player who can have a big day but not in the captain spot will allow you to build the rest of your roster with a higher point potential.

PLAYER OVERVIEW-

Phillip Rivers- $16,800 DraftKings Captain, $11,200 DraftKings Flex, $15,500 FanDuel

Phillip Rivers is in a great spot this week against a Chiefs defense allowing over 300 passing yards and nearly two passing touchdowns per game. He comes at a discounted price from Patrick Mahomes and would make for a great pivot off Mahomes to differentiate your lineups. Quarterbacks facing the Chiefs naturally find themselves in a pass-heavy situation as they must find a way to keep up with the highest-scoring offense in football. Rivers is having a fantastic season, on pace for career highs in passing touchdowns and yards per pass attempt along with a career-low interception rate if he can keep it up. His best fantasy outing of the season came in Week 1 facing these Chiefs, and given the shaky situation behind him at running back, Rivers should be expected to be just as busy in this meeting and comes at a heavily discounted price from the mega-expensive Patrick Mahomes.

Usable in: DraftKings Flex, FanDuel Flex, FanDuel MVP

Keenan Allen- $16,200 DraftKings Captain, $10,800 DraftKings Flex, $14,500 FanDuel

With the injury uncertainty swirling around top players like Melvin Gordon and Tyreek Hill, Keenan Allen should emerge as one of the most popular plays from this game. He is in a great spot squaring off against a Chiefs secondary that is particularly weak in the middle of the field. They do get Eric Berry back, which could hamper Allen’s ability for deeper looks, but Allen is a target hog who should enjoy the benefit of a pass-heavy approach with the Chargers needing to keep up with the Chiefs offense. Allen started slowly this season, but he has been the third-ranked fantasy wide receiver over the last six weeks, averaging just under eight receptions and 95 yards per game with five touchdowns. Phillip Rivers is targeting Allen with laser focus both on short and downfield routes while Allen also has at least one red zone look in six straight games. With plenty of value available on the slate, Allen will be a cornerstone of many lineups on both sites.

Usable in: DraftKings Flex, DraftKings Captain, FanDuel Flex

Justin Jackson- $10,200 DraftKings Captain, $6,800 DraftKings Flex, $8,000 FanDuel

Justin Jackson is in play depending on the status of Melvin Gordon leading into this game. If Gordon is ruled out, Jackson immediately becomes a free square on both sites due to his soft pricing and premium matchup. The Chiefs have allowed the second-most fantasy points per game to running backs with at least one back rushing for 90 yards and a touchdown against them in five of the last six games. The Chargers offensive line has played very well this season and should be able to hold their own against a Chiefs defensive front that specializes in pass-rushing more so than stopping the run. Jackson struggled in last week’s game, but he was spectacular in Weeks 12 and 13, averaging around eight yards per carry on his limited rushing attempts. With Jackson’s chance of high volume and solid matchup, he would be a great candidate for your Captain or MVP spot.

Usable in: DraftKings Flex, DraftKings Captain, FanDuel Flex, FanDuel MVP

Damien Williams- $6,000 DraftKings Captain, $4,000 DraftKings Flex, $10,500 FanDuel

Damien Williams is a tremendous play on DraftKings at his depressed salary given the news that Spencer Ware is doubtful to suit up in this game. Williams may not be the most talented of running backs with very minimal production to show for his four seasons spent with the Dolphins, but the opportunity this third string option finds himself in certainly makes him worth rostering. There is little depth on this roster behind Williams, and he has shown versatility to be effective both on the ground and through the air. He had two touchdowns in last week’s game with Ware on the field in a tough matchup with the Ravens, and this matchup with the Chargers is much improved as their defense has not been the same since losing both Corey Liuget and top linebacker Denzel Perryman. Williams’ price on DraftKings makes him a close to a plug and play option, while FanDuel saw this coming and pre-emptively priced him up to make it tougher to fit Williams in with confidence.

Usable in: DraftKings Flex, DraftKings Captain

Demarcus Robinson - $6,900 DraftKings Captain, $4,600 DraftKings Flex, $7,000 FanDuel

Demarcus Robinson represents a solid option to differentiate your lineups in tournament formats for this slate. He is certainly more of a speculative play with Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce the obvious focal points. In addition. Chris Conley saw nearly every snap last week while Kelvin Benjamin is also expected to suit up this week. However, Robinson had the attention of Patrick Mahomes to the tune of seven targets in last week’s game. Robinson should have the best matchup amongst Chiefs pass-catchers this week with Hill seeing coverage from Casey Hayward, Conley likely to be smothered by one of the league’s top slot cornerbacks Desmond King, and Kelce dealing with tough coverage from rookie of the year candidate Derwin James at safety that limited him to just one reception for six yards in Week 1. With Sammy Watkins out and Kelvin Benjamin still learning the playbook, it is reasonable to expect Robinson on the field for over half the snaps with only a few big catches easily paying off his salary.

Usable in: DraftKings Flex, FanDuel Flex

OTHER PLAYERS TO CONSIDER

Patrick Mahomes- $18,600 DraftKings Captain, $12,400 DraftKings Flex, $17,500 FanDuel

Travis Kelce- $15,300 DraftKings Captain, $10,200 DraftKings Flex, $13,500 FanDuel

Mike Williams- $8,400 DraftKings Captain $5,200 DraftKings Flex, $9,000 FanDuel

Tyrell Williams- $8,700 DraftKings Captain, $5,800 DraftKings Flex, $7,500 FanDuel

Chris Conley- $8,100 DraftKings Captain, $5,400 DraftKings Flex, $6,500 FanDuel