DraftKings Thursday Showdown: Week 17

NFL Showdown can be a fickle beast. These contests do not rely on median projections so much as leverage and uniqueness. Fading the highest-rostered plays can be a risky proposition. Typically, your edge will come by identifying the best low-rostered plays and finding clever ways to pair them with the juggernauts of the slate.

This article will have a heavy DraftKings lean simply because the decision-making process is more interesting, given the salary premium attached to the Captain spot. FanDuel's pricing is the same for both MVP and Flex spots. You will usually need the slate's top scorer at MVP, so FanDuel strategy revolves around unique Flex builds.

The advice in this article pertains predominantly to tournament lineups and strategy. For cash lineups, build around median projections. For head-to-head contests, continue to lean into the median projections, but if two options project closely, give the nod to the lowest rostered player.

Game Scripting & Roster Construction

Thursday night's matchup features the 8-7 Seahawks traveling to Chicago to face the Bears, who have lost nine straight games. Chicago enters as slight home underdogs against Seattle, with oddsmakers projecting a 23-19 victory for the Seahawks. To be fair, over half of the Bears' losses this season have been by a touchdown or less. While they haven't won on the road, they are 4-4 at home.

My take on this game? One team is fighting to keep its playoff hopes alive, while the other is playing for pride. In these situations, I always give the edge to the team looking to extend its season.

Given the Bears' poor form and the Seahawks' playoff motivation, this line feels more conservative than expected—it arguably should be closer to a touchdown. As such, optimal roster construction should heavily favor Seattle players this week. Whether you choose a 4-2 or 5-1 player distribution depends on your outlook for the game, but the emphasis should remain on building around Seattle's key contributors and then adding a few high-upside options from the Bears to round out your lineup.

Injury Roundup

The Bears' secondary is dealing with injuries heading into this matchup, as both Elijah Hicks and Tarvarius Moore have been ruled out. However, their absences are unlikely to impact the game significantly—Moore hasn't played a snap this season, and Hicks' involvement has been minimal since Week 11. On the offensive side, Travis Homer is also inactive, strengthening Roschon Johnson's role as the Bears' backup running back. In games without Homer this season, Johnson has served as the RB2 and brings intriguing upside in a late-season game where the Bears could conceivably evaluate signed talent heading into the offseason.

For Seattle, three players will be sidelined on Thursday: tight end Brady Russell (foot), safety K'Von Wallace (ankle), and running back Ken Walker III (ankle). Of this group, only Walker's absence carries significant weight for Showdown contests. Zach Charbonnet steps into a lead role, with Kenny McIntosh as his backup, against a Bears defense that ranks as one of the most generous to opposing running backs (4th most fantasy points allowed to the position).

Captain Considerations

1. Zach Charbonnet
2. Jaxon Smith-Njigba
3. Caleb Williams