Ravens-Bengals, NFL DFS picks: Optimize DraftKings Showdown lineup with captain picks, values

The AFC Wild Card round will conclude with an AFC North showdown on tonightas the Baltimore Ravens head to Paycor Stadium to meet the Cincinnati Bengals. The game will kick off at 8:15 p.m. ET and will air on NBC.

Baltimore (10-7) earned the No. 6 seed in the AFC playoff bracket but stumbled down the stretch by losing three of its last four games in the regular season. Starting quarterback Lamar Jackson missed the final five games of the campaign with a knee injury and will once again be sidelined for this matchup.

Cincinnati (12-4) took the AFC North title this season and earned the No. 3 seed in the AFC bracket. The team officially clinched the division title by beating this very Ravens team in a 27-16 victory last Sunday.

Here, we'll go over the best lineup strategy for DraftKings Daily Fantasy.

Injuries

Baltimore has listed QB Lamar Jackson (knee), CB Brandon Stephens (illness), and WR Tylan Wallace (hamstring) as out for tonight's matchup. QB Tyler Huntley (right shoulder, wrist) is listed as questionable.

Cincinnati has just listed G Alex Cappa (ankle) as questionable.

Captain's Chair

Chase has been a monster in DFS this year, averaging 21.4 fantasy points per game. He caught eight of 13 targets for 86 yards and a touchdown in the season finale against the Ravens last Sunday, earning DFS users 22.6 points. That's a standard day for the second-year wideout and there's always the potential for him to cross the 30-point mark in any given game.

His captaincy comes at a hefty price of $16,800 and it's always worth it.

Dobbins was rested for last week's season finale against this very Bengals team and will be ready to carry the load for Baltimore on Sunday night. Dobbins put up modest DFS numbers by averaging 10.9 fantasy points per game and while that might not normally be captain's chair worthy, consider the circumstances heading into this matchup. The Ravens are once again without Lamar Jackson and backup Tyler Huntley is dealing with his own injury problems. That means the offense will most likely be routed through Dobbins and that could mean several touches for the tailback.

At $12,300, there's tremendous value to be had if you stick him in the captain's spot. Give it some consideration.

Value Plays

You never know when Hurst will have a big receiving day and given the nature of the Bengals' offense in spreading the wealth, he's worth a look in DFS. He averaged 8.1 fantasy points per game and his best outings would come in games where he would get at least six targets. If you see Joe Burrow looking for him early, you can count on a strong performance.

Watkins was a late-season waiver claim by the Ravens and he provided some decent production last week. He caught two targets for 79 yards to earn 8.9 fantasy points and would've had more if he didn't lose a fumble. The Ravens receiving game has been a mess since Jackson went down and if they're going to have any semblance of a coherent passing attack in this game, then Watkins will be the go-to guy. Consider him for the ultra-cheap price of $2,200.

  
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