Week 2's Sunday Night Football clash features an exciting showdown between the Los Angeles Rams and Cleveland Browns. Following the main slate of action, fantasy enthusiasts can stay involved throughout the night by playing in FanDuel's Sunday Showdown contests.
For those unfamiliar, single-game slates feature five flex spots with identical scoring to the main slate. However, kickers are included in these contests and there is an "MVP" roster slot. The MVP receives 1.5-times his total fantasy points, making this spot crucial.
Bookmakers currently peg the Browns as 3.5-point favorites with a 48-point over/under. With a projected high-scoring affair in store, here are the notable matchups to target on this slate.
MVP Considerations
Baker Mayfield ($14,500) - One of the most important positions on the single-game slate, quarterbacks always deserve consideration in the MVP slot. In this matchup, Baker Mayfield could draw lower ownership after a disappointing start to open the year. Through two games, Mayfield has 610 passing yards but only two touchdowns. More importantly, he has already tossed four interceptions. According to our schedule-adjusted metrics, the Rams have the sixth-best pass defense in the NFL. However, they faced the Drew Brees-less New Orleans Saints and an ineffective Cam Newton. With Cleveland passing on a shade more than 66 percent of their plays, Mayfield draws the edge here.
Nick Chubb ($13,000) - Moving slightly down in price, Nick Chubb also provides value on this slate. The Browns enter this contest favored by 3.5 points, suggesting a positive game script for Cleveland. The Rams allowed Christian McCaffrey to rush for 128 yards in Week 1 before facing a Saints team that abandoned the run in Week 2. Chubb has touch counts of exactly 20 in each of the first two weeks, providing a solid floor on this single-game slate. He looks like the top running back play on Sunday Night.
Cooper Kupp ($12,000) - Pivoting over to the Rams' offense, Cooper Kupp stands out in the MVP slot with a solid matchup. The Browns dealt with injuries in the secondary this week with Greedy Williams and Denzel Ward missing practice throughout the week. Kupp runs a majority of his routes from the slot, where he creates mismatches for opposing defenses. Like the Rams, the Browns rank in the top 10 in pass defense, but they have also benefited from an easy schedule -- facing Marcus Mariota and Trevor Siemian/Luke Falk to start the year. Jared Goff remains a step up in competition, boosting the outlook of his receivers.
Value Plays
Jarvis Landry ($9,000) - With Odell Beckham pacing the entire slate in price, Jarvis Landry offers a cheaper stacking option with Mayfield. Despite only 99 receiving yards through two games, Landry has seven targets in each of the first two weeks. Again, the Browns pass just above 66-percent of the time, creating enough volume for both Beckham and Landry. While Cleveland has only two passing attempts in the red zone this year, one went to Landry. In a Cleveland passing game lacking options outside of its top two wideouts, Landry provides reliability at just $9,000.
Damion Ratley ($6,500) - Looking even deeper in the Cleveland passing game, Damion Ratley has taken over as the Browns' third receiver while Antonio Callaway serves a suspension. Last week, Ratley played 61 percent of the Browns' snaps, catching two of three targets for 50 receiving yards. Potentially benefiting from increased attention on Beckham and Landry, Ratley looks like a calculated dart throw in the Browns' offense.
Gerald Everett ($5,500) - Splitting time through most of his career, Gerald Everett could see an increased snap share with Tyler Higbee out. In the past, Everett has stepped up for increased snaps in negative game scripts, as well. Currently, the Rams stand as 3.5-point underdogs, potentially elevating his snap share. Last week, Everett stepped up for four targets on 71 percent of the Rams' snaps. At just $5,500, he is the cheapest viable attachment to Goff and the Rams' offense.
Matthew Gajewski is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Matthew Gajewski also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username mgajewski. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he/she may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his/her personal account. The views expressed in his/her articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.