NFL Prime Time Games: Showdown Championship Weekend Sunday Night Football (FREE)

Greetings, Gamers! Welcome to the Awesemo NFL DFS Single-Game Prime Time series for FanDuel and DraftKings showdown slates. For each of the feature postseason prime time games, we will be providing a free analysis for the single-slate action on DraftKings and FanDuel. This will include team capsules as well as player rankings and comments for all your daily fantasy needs. We have loads to get into on this Sunday Night slate between the Packers and 49ers with thoughts on Aaron Rodgers, George Kittle and more for your NFL DFS lineups!

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NFL DFS Picks: Green Bay Packers at San Francisco 49ers -7.5/45.0

We are wrapping up the Championship Round with two teams that prefer to keep the ball on the ground. This is a shame considering the talents of Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams.

Green Bay Packers NFL DFS Picks

18.75 implied points

Quarterback

Aaron Rodgers, future Hall of Famer has been relegated to game management duties this season. He was eighth in the league with 26 touchdowns and had only three interceptions, but his 250.1 passing yards per game ranked 16th. This is a fierce matchup with the 49ers posting the second-best DVOA this year. They had the best adjusted sack rate, second-best passing DVOA and were 11th against the run.

When we saw this same matchup in Week 12, Rodgers was 20-for- 33 for a paltry 104 yards and a score. San Francisco dominated that game 37-8 on Sunday Night Football.

Running Back

Aaron Jones hung two touchdowns on Seattle last week with 21 carries for 62 yards, bringing in one of his two targets for an additional four yards. Jamaal Williams had one carry and one reception. That is good news for the Jones backers. The bad news is that this is a tough matchup. For perspective, in Week 12 Jones had 13 carries for 38 yards while Williams had 11 for 45 and seven catches for 43 yards and a touchdown. Jones did not catch his lone target.

Jones is the play among this duo, but we need a touchdown. Jones outsnapped Williams 54 to nine last week with Tyler Ervin on the field for seven.

Wide Receiver

Davante Adams had more targets last week than all of the other wide receivers combined for the seventh time in the last nine games. The 11 targets for 8 catches, 160 yards and two touchdown was sublime and representative of Adams’ upside. In Week 12, Adams saw a dozen targets in this same matchup for 7 catches, 43 yards and a touchdown, which was solid considering the circumstances. Last week, the Packers went tight end heavy with the snap count ending up in a big surprise:

Davante Adams: 59 of 64, 11 targets

Jake Kumerow: 30, one target

Allen Lazard: 20, no targets

Geronimo Allison: 20, one target

Marquez Valdes-Scantling: five, no targets

For anyone besides Adams, we are looking at a lottery ticket situation.

Tight End

Jimmy Graham saw four targets, three catches for 49 yards, though he is really just a red zone hopeful with his lack of volume as well as poor yards after the catch. He was on the field for 24 snaps as compared to Marcedes Lewis’ 42 snaps, Jace Sternberger‘s 28 snaps and Robert Tonyan‘s 21 snaps. Among the latter trio, only Sternberger saw a target which he snagged for a two-yard gain.

Defense/Special Teams

Jimmy Garoppolo was sacked only twice per game during the regular season and had just one last week. San Francisco turns the ball over about 1.5 times per game. There are not going to be many opportunities for the Packers defense to pick up fantasy points.

San Francisco 49ers NFL DFS Picks

26.25 implied points

Quarterback

Jimmy Garoppolo ended up with the fifth-most passing touchdowns in the league with 27 this season, though he averaged a middle-of-the-pack 248.6 passing yards. Much like his counterpart in this battle, he is a game manager. Last week in a victory against the Vikings, he threw only 19 times for 131 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

Running Back

San Francisco trailed only the Ravens this season averaging 144.1 rushing yards per game with a solid 4.6 yards per carry. They led the league with 23 ground scores and we know that is going to be their strategy once again. Last weekend, they word down Minnesota with 47 carries for 186 yards and two scores. The longest run was a meager 11 yards.

Raheem Mostert started off last game with a decent showing (11 carries, 58 yards), but ultimately an illness and dehydration curtailed his opportunities. That gave a chance to Tevin Coleman who tallied two touchdowns with 22 carries and 105 rushing yards in his stead. Matt Breida resurfaced with eight carries for 17 yards after being aced out in the committee down the stretch. Good luck guessing who will be the hot hand on Sunday.

Wide Receiver

Deebo Samuel lead the way with six targets for three catches and 42 yards and he had another carry for six yards. The rookie from South Carolina had a nice season ending up second in the team with targets, receptions and yards. He also had 159 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 14 carries.

Kendrick Bourne ended up with the only receiving touchdown, which I guess should not be a surprise after he tied George Kittle for the team lead with five in the regular season. He was second to Kittle with five targets for 40 yards and a touchdown last Sunday.

Emmanuel Sanders was the only other receiver who saw a target. Heck, only this trio and Kittle saw any action through the air. He caught both of his targets for 33 yards.

Tight End

Last week was disappointing, but we know that George Kittle is the de facto WR1 having led the team in all receiving categories this season. He is worthy of Captain/MVP consideration in the hopes that the “never again” crowd from last weekend and the box score surfers stay away. While not indicative of Sunday’s outcome, it was nice to see Kittle catch all six targets against the Packers for 129 yards and a score in Week 12.

Defense/Special Teams

We know that Green Bay does not turn the ball over and they also do not allow many sacks with Rodgers suffering only two last week and two per game during the regular season.

Single Game Ranking (taking into account projected production, pricing and popularity)

Notable Inactives: Jeff Wilson Jr, Danny Vitale

NFL DFS Top 10

1. George Kittle: the hope here is that gamers stay away after last weekend’s poor showing. I have to put him above the game managers as well as the many running backs.
2. Davante Adams: this is the 1B to Kittle’s 1A and I would not fight anyone over their selection. There is a very good chance I split my Captain/MVP in my main lineup between these two potential game breakers.
3. Aaron Rodgers: yes, the matchup is tough, but we have seen him carry this team too many times when the chips are down.
4. Jimmy Garoppolo: one of two starting quarterbacks in this game and despite the 49ersleading the league in rushing touchdowns, Garoppolo still got his in the red zone.
5. Tevin Coleman: this is terrifying having him this high, but we have seen him end up as the main guy time and time again this season. Of course, those are usually in games where he does not start out as the main guy, unfortunately.
6. Aaron Jones: he looks to be the lead guy and we certainly need him to be at this price point. A hedge lineup or two with Jamaal Williams as the Captain/MVP is not the worst idea.
7. Deebo Samuel: the rookie keeps getting production and it is not like anyone will steal the limited opportunities from him.
8. Robbie Gould and Mason Crosby: I prefer the home town kicker unless the slight discount to Crosby gets you your otherwise perfect lineup.
9. Jimmy Graham: playing for a touchdown here, but we need the salary relief. It would not be a shock if he has less than five fantasy points in this matchup.
10. Raheem Mostert: hopefully he is efficient or lucks into a touchdown when he is on the field.

NFL DFS Showdown Picks: Secondary Plays

1. Kendrick Bourne: I hate to say it, but he seems to have a knack for scoring on his limited touches.
2. Allen Lazard: as we saw last week, any Green Bay receiver not named Davante Adams could be blanked at any time.
3. Jamaal Williams: needs a lucky reception for a score or an in-game injury to Aaron Jones.
4. San Francisco D/ST: there will not be many opportunities, but if they can get Rodgers into desperation mode, anything could happen.
5. Emmanuel Sanders: there is not much volume to go around and he is well down the pecking order.
6. Green Bay D/ST: at least they will be on the field..

NFL DFS Showdown Picks: Lottery Ticket

1. Matt Breida: troll touchdown incoming.
2. Geronimo Allison, Jake Kumerow, Marquez Valdes-Scantling: No thank you.
3. Kyle Juszczyk: needs to get a lucky red zone touch or target.
4. Richie James Jr: returning punts and kickoffs for the 49ers.
5. Any of the remaining Tight Ends for either team: No thank you.

As always, you can reach out to me in Awesemo.com Premium Slack or Twitter @EMacDFS if you have any questions.

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Good Luck in tonight’s Showdown Slate NFL DFS Gamers! ~ EMac