Playoff DraftKings Picks: NFL DFS lineup advice for Bengals-Titans Divisional Round Showdown tournaments

We’re hoping a lot of NFL DFS players jump at the chance to use Derrick Henry (foot) in Bengals-Titans DraftKings Showdown tournaments because we’re fading the two-time rushing champ. It’s a risky strategy, but when you’re playing in a single-game contest, you have to make some tough lineup decisions. We know anything can happen in the second round of the playoffs as teams go all-out to keep their Super Bowl dreams alive, and finding the right combination of stars and value sleepers given our limited budget is challenging. Nevertheless, we’re doing our best to get our daily fantasy investments started off right in Saturday’s first game.

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. Titans

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

Captain: (1.5x salary, 1.5x points): QB Joe Burrow, Bengals ($16,500)

Burrow is an easy “Captain” pick here, and while we don’t always like going with the obvious guy, sometimes it just makes sense. Tennessee ranked 25th against the pass this year, and perhaps just as notable, it was second against the run. Cincinnati will be forced to air it out often, which means Burrow will have ample opportunities to hit the 300-yard bonus. Because of Tennessee’s strong pass rush (and Cincinnati’s leaky offensive line), Burrow will also have plenty of chances to scramble and pick up points with his legs.

FLEX: WR Tee Higgins, Bengals ($7,200)

Higgins is coming off his worst game of the season (one catch, 10 yards), so a bounce-back performance seems in order. Ja’Marr Chase will be the far more popular (and expensive) pick, but we’re fine with Higgins, who had four 100-yard games and four TDs in Weeks 12-16. The upside is there for him to go off in a favorable matchup like this.

FLEX: WR Tyler Boyd, Bengals ($6,400)

Boyd has been a TD machine the past four weeks, and while we don’t like banking on a fifth score in a row from a No. 3 receiver, we do think Boyd can rack up catches and yards if things break right. Given his price, he makes for a perfect fit in our lineup. If you’re fading Chase, it makes sense to grab multiple Bengals’ pass-catchers to try to soak up as much of the Bengals’ leftover passing production as possible, so let’s hope the good times keep rolling with Boyd.

FLEX: QB Ryan Tannehill, Titans ($9,400)

By fading Derrick Henry (foot), we only have so many legitimate options for the rest of our picks. We could go contrarian with Joe Mixon or one of Tennessee’s backup RBs, but we’re fine grabbing the Titans’ trigger man, who’s not just a solid passer but also one of the top scrambling QBs, at least in terms of scoring. Tannehill is a bit of a long shot to hit the 300-yard passing bonus, but with A.J. Brown and Julio Jones, he’s always a candidate for multiple TDs and a good amount of yards. If he can run one into the end zone — something he did seven times this year and seven times last year — Tannehill will easily pay off his price. 

FLEX: WR Julio Jones, Titans ($6,200)

Jones had his only touchdown of the season in Week 18, and he also set a season high with nine targets. Is that a sign of things to come in the playoffs? We’re not necessarily counting on that, but we know Jones has plenty of upside when healthy. At this price, it makes all the sense in the world to stack him with Tannehill and hope the bulk of Tennessee’s passing production goes to him. 

FLEX: K Randy Bullock, Titans ($4,200)

We could’ve played the numbers and taken one of Tennessee’s tight ends here, as Cincinnati has struggled against the position all season, but we opted for a “safer” option with Bullock. He’s been a steady kicker all year, connecting on 26-of-31 field-goal attempts and hitting 42 PATs. Tennessee will give him multiple FG attempts in this game, and if the offense is a little rusty after a week off and trying to work Henry back in, Bullock could see even more. Obviously, we’re hoping Tannehill gets into the end zone at least twice, but we can also envision a scenario where Bullock is very busy.