NFL DFS picks today: 49ers-Eagles DraftKings Showdown strategy, lineup advice

The NFC Championship Game will be a battle of the conference's top two seeds as the Philadelphia Eagles host the San Francisco 49ers. In what is arguably a matchup between two evenly constructed rosters, elite defenses will look to hold their own versus a number of talented playmakers for both teams.

Let's take a look at some of the best DFS options for Sunday's matchup, including captain's picks and value plays.

Injuries

Elijah Mitchell (groin) is all questionable to suit up for the 49ers in Sunday's matchup. For Philadelphia, A.J. Brown (hip) is listed as probable, while Lane Johnson (groin) remains questionable to play in the title game.

Captain's Chair

Philadelphia had the best passing defense (179.8 YPG allowed) through the regular season, but their ability to stop the run was a different story. They ranked 16th in the league as they gave up 121.4 YPG on the ground to their opponents, which is why McCaffrey will prove to be the x-factor for San Francisco. It's games like this, with the stakes as high as ever, as the reason why the 49ers made such a seismic trade in the regular season.

He's averaging 6.2 rushing yards per attempt and 4.9 yards per reception through the playoffs and should be one of the few safety nets for Brock Purdy in this road test.

San Francisco had the second-best rushing defense (79.0 YPG allowed) in the regular season, which provides cause for concern for any opponent's rushing game. With that said, it will come down to Hurts playing a stellar game in order for the Eagles to advance to a potential Super Bowl. That means the MVP finalist will not only need to beat San Francisco's zone-based scheme with his arm, but he'll likely need to keep their pass rush honest by making plays with his legs.

Hurts averaged 247.6 passing yards per game and 50.7 rushing yards per game in the regular season, so expect an all-around performance on deck in order for Philadelphia to win this one.

Value Plays

While the 49ers' run defense was largely impenetrable all season, their passing defense has been susceptible to big plays through the air. San Francisco allowed 223.3 passing yards per game in the regular season, which ranked 19th in the league, and in the Wild Card round, DK Metcalf managed to record 136 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Smith may not put up mirror-like numbers, but he could benefit from lining up against San Francisco's number two corner in Deommodore Lenoir. There is a chance that there is more open space coming his way with attention being paid to A.J. Brown.

When quarterbacks face their toughest obstacle yet it's simple enough to go to your safety net, and last week Kittle was Brock Purdy's go-to target. The 49ers' tight end caught all five targets for 95 yards, and now faces a Philadelphia defense that allowed 47.1 yards per game and 7.1 targets per game to opposing tight ends. The Eagle's defense should have enough to handle by accounting for Deebo Samuel, McCaffrey, and Brandon Aiyuk, which should leave Kittle to reap the benefits of space to work with downfield.

  
Read Full Article