The biggest hole in this lineup is the exclusion of JuJu Smith-Schuster. He’s been quiet, so maybe he’s due, and a big game from him would hurt our chances. It just wasn’t worth playing him instead of the much safer James Conner, so we’ll take that chance. At least we have Rudolph, so if JuJu catches any scores, our QB will be involved.
DraftKings Showdown Picks: Steelers vs. Dolphins
CAPTAIN (1.5x points, 1.5x price): WR Diontae Johnson, Steelers ($11,700)
Johnson fits the mold of our usual captain choices of late. He provides a deep threat as a secondary receiver who really only needs one big play to pay off his value. Against the Dolphins, we like the odds of that happening.
FLEX: RB James Conner, Steelers ($13,400)
This is a chalky play. Nearly everyone will own Conner as he makes his return from a quad injury against such a vulnerable defense. We just can’t fade him. He’s got too good a chance of rushing for 100 yards and two touchdowns.
FLEX: QB Mason Rudolph, Steelers ($10,800)
We should have a piece in every Pittsburgh touchdown by pairing Conner and Rudolph. It’s obvious that they’re good plays against Miami, but we don’t need to get too cute here.
FLEX: WR Preston Williams, Dolphins ($6,200)
I’ve been all over Williams all season, and it seems like DeVante Parker has gotten a little more love of late. Williams provides just as much chance at a solid outing as Parker, as he often gets more targets, and he’s the one who fits our lineup here against a Steelers defense that isn’t overly impressive.
FLEX: RB Mark Walton, Dolphins ($6,000)
Kenyan Drake didn’t even make the trip to Pittsburgh, so Walton should be looking at at least three-quarters of the Miami RB snaps. Efficiency will always be a worry in this offense, but there should be 15 carries and five catches in the works for Walton.
FLEX: TE Nick Vannett, Steelers ($1,200)
Vannett sees the field a decent amount for Pittsburgh as its second tight end, so we’ll take a shot at a red-zone touchdown from our cheapest play.
