Playoff DraftKings Picks: NFL DFS lineup advice for Bengals-Chiefs AFC Championship Showdown tournaments

Two high-upside offenses are set to square off in the AFC Championship game, and there is no shortage of viable picks for DraftKings Showdown lineups. We’re going with four Chiefs and two Bengals, but you could just as easily stack Bengals and fade Chiefs. With both QBs costing a ton and big-play pass-catchers all over the field, you’ll need at least one or two value sleepers. We’re (kind of) going that route with our “Captain” pick, but regardless of your strategy, you’ll likely have a chance to cash in your DFS tournaments well into the fourth quarter. 

Here are the important settings for DraftKings single-game contests: It’s full-point PPR, and there are three-point bonuses for 300 passing yards, 100 rushing yards, and 100 receiving yards. The Captain pick costs 1.5 times a player’s original price, but he also gets his point total multiplied by 1.5.

MORE DK SHOWDOWN: How to win a Showdown contest

DraftKings Showdown Picks: Bengals vs. Chiefs AFC Championship

$50,000 budget, need at least one player from each team.

Captain: (1.5x salary, 1.5x points): RB Jerick McKinnon, Chiefs ($7,500)

With 33 touches (including 11 receptions) over his past two games, it seems clear McKinnon is the “1A” running back in Kansas City. At his relatively cheap price, he makes for a great “Captain” pick against a Bengals defense that finished in the top 10 in fantasy points allowed to RBs. McKinnon is unlikely to hit the 100-yard bonus, but he can rack up catches and find the end zone in what should be an up-and-down game. 

FLEX: QB Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs ($11,200)

It’s tough to put a lineup together without including Mahomes. Sure, you could be contrarian and fade him, but after 782 passing yards, 98 rushing yards, and nine total TDs the past two games, do you really want to? The only real question is whether to pay the premium for Mahomes as your “Captain.” We opted not to, hoping McKinnon steals a rushing TD, but big points from Mahomes seems like a lock. 

FANDUEL SINGLE-GAME LINEUPS: KC-CIN | SF-LA

FLEX: QB Joe Burrow, Bengals ($10,400)

Burrow is coming off a zero-TD game, but he posted 348 passing yards despite dodging Titans pass-rushers on seemingly every play. Just four weeks ago, Burrow threw for 446 yards and four touchdowns against the Chiefs, and with Kansas City’s secondary banged up, he should have another big showing. Chances are, he’ll have to air it out often to keep up with Mahomes, giving him major upside. 

FLEX: TE Travis Kelce, Chiefs ($8,800)

After posting fewer than 35 yards in four of the final five games of the regular season, Kelce has come alive in the playoffs, catching 13 passes for 204 yards. He has scored in five straight contests, so even when he hasn’t done much through the air, he’s produced. The Bengals allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to TEs in the regular season, so Kelce is in a prime spot to keep the good times rolling. 

DRAFTKINGS SHOWDOWN LINEUPS: SF-LA

FLEX: RB Joe Mixon, Bengals ($9,000)

Mixon is a well-known starting RB, but he’s still a bit of a contrarian play after the Chiefs shut down Najee Harris and limited Devin Singletary the past two games. Mixon hasn’t done a ton through two playoffs games himself, but he’s received 41 total touches, including 10 catches. He’ll be on the field a ton against Kansas City, and he’s a good candidate for 100 total yards and a score. A few big runs could get him over the 100-rushing-yard plateau, making him a great “Captain” candidate. 

FLEX: WR Demarcus Robinson, Chiefs ($3,000)

By grabbing both QBs, Mixon, and Kelce, we don’t have a lot of money left for this final spot. Robinson received just one target last week, so hopefully he’s off everyone’s radar. However, the week before, he caught four-of-five targets for 76 yards, and against the Bengals in Week 17, he caught both of his targets for 33 yards and a TD. There’s plenty of upside here, but obviously there’s a low floor, too. For $3,000, that’s all we can ask for.