Welcome to the Sunday Night Showdown Slate for NFL Week 5!

What a whirlwind of the morning, right? Broncos/Patriots being cancelled has sent the fantasy world into a tizzy, we’re still not sure about the Titans/Bills game with another coach testing positive for Tennessee and waiver wire cupboards have been cleaned out. Good thing NONE of that matters for tonight’s Seahawks/Vikings game!

Before we start, please allow me to reiterate that while we all love having a little skin in the game, these showdown slates are basically lottery tickets. Sure, there are times when the chalk hits and everyone shares in the prizes, but more often than not, you need that random, differentiate yourself from the herd dart-throw to hit in order to claim that top prize. As a result, we encourage to play responsibly. Stick to the GPP contests (single-entry preferred), don’t blow your whole bankroll and understand that, unless you are a max-entry player, you should prioritize having fun.

OK, lecture over. Let’s get to tonight’s action.

Minnesota Vikings at Seattle Seahawks

Spread: Seahawks -6.5

O/U: 54.5

Betting Facts:

Money line: Seattle -286; Minnesota +245

The Seahawks are 4-0 against the spread this season.

Since joining the Vikings, Kirk Cousins is 5-11 ATS against teams with a winning record

Weather: High 50s, rain (85% chance) with winds SSW at 13 mph

Last 5 Match-Ups:

Seahawks lead 5-0

Average margin of victory of all games: 14.8

Last Match-Up: Seahawks beat the Vikings 37-30 in Seattle on 12/2/2019

Notable Injuries:

Seahawks:

Carlos Hyde (shoulder – questionable)

Jamal Adams (groin – out)

Quinton Dunbar (knee – questionable)

Vikings:

Holton Hill (foot – questionable)

Defensive Rankings (Using DVOA):

Seahawks:

vs Pass: 29th

vs Run: 6th

Vikings:

vs Pass: 9th

vs Run: 24th

Prop Bets to Watch:

The reason we are listing these here is to help you understand what the Vegas expectations are. If you aren’t routinely amazed by how accurate spreads and totals are, you haven’t been paying attention and you’re missing out on a valuable tool. Take a look at the list below and understand how to utilize for DFS. When you see the over and under have the same money line, that’s Vegas’ way of saying it can go either way. You have the base number and can determine whether you use a player or not based on that. But when there is a different money line on the over and unders (highlighted in green), Vegas is telling you what to expect. A negative money line means they feel it is more likely to happen which can help you make decisions regarding which players to play.

Russell Wilson Passing Yards: 315.5 (over & under -112); TD Passes: 2.5 (over +100; under -124)

Kirk Cousins Passing Yards: 275.5 (over & under -112); TD Passes: 1.5 (over -139; under +112)

Dalvin Cook Rushing Yards: 77.5 (over & under -112); Receiving Yards: 22.5 (over & under -112)

Chris Carson Rushing Yards: 65.5 (over & under -112); Receiving Yards: 20.5 (over & under -112)

Adam Thielen Receiving Yards: 77.5 (over & under -112)

Justin Jefferson Receiving Yards: 67.5 (over -143; under +115)

D.K. Metcalf Receiving Yards: 72.5 (over -124; under +100)

Tyler Lockett Receiving Yards: 77.5 (over & under -112)

David Moore Receiving Yards: 31.5 (over & under -112)

Kyle Rudolph Receiving Yards: 23.5 (over & under -112)

Greg Olsen Receiving Yards: 35.5 (over & under -112)

Here’s a breakdown of which players we suggest looking at for tonight:

Quarterbacks:

Russell Wilson , SEA – Despite the rain, you simply cannot ignore Wilson with all the weaponry he has at his disposal. The yards may not be what we are used to but he will throw with efficiency and he’s also a threat to run one in himself. I may not use him in the Captain/MVP spot because of the weather, but he should be used otherwise.

Kirk Cousins , MIN – The Vikings are more of a run-first team than even the Seahawks are, so Cousins’ performance will be tied to how effective Dalvin Cook is and what the game flow looks like. If Cook is running strong, Cousins won’t need to open up unless the Seahawks are successful at airing it out. If it becomes a shootout, Cousins works given how bad the Seattle secondary looks.

Running Backs:

Chris Carson , SEA – Carson has shaken off whatever injuries were supposedly plaguing him and should warrant Captain/MVP consideration given his high usage and success. He’s coming off a two-score game with 100 all-purpose yards and is looking to carry that momentum against a defense that has allowed almost 135 rushing yards per game and has coughed up four rushing touchdowns.

Dalvin Cook , MIN – We don’t need to tell you how amazing Cook is or how successful he is in this run-first, zone-blocking scheme that Gary Kubiak runs. We should mention that Seattle has allowed just over 75 rushing yards per game this season, but they have allowed five rushing touchdowns on the season. Cook is Captain/MVP-worthy any time you’re playing a Minnesota showdown slate.

Wide Receivers:

D.K. Metcalf, SEA – The rain is the only thing working against Metcalf in this match-up. Whether it’s a hobbled Holton Hill or rookie Cameron Dantzler in coverage, Metcalf has a massive advantage. His size and speed are very tough to match and he is going to have an easy time gaining position.

Tyler Lockett , SEA – This is going to be a very interesting match-up should this game be taken to the air instead of the ground. Lockett will be covered by rookie Jeff Gladney and while Gladney is a talented cover guy, it seems very unlikely that he will be able to handle Lockett all game. Again, rain could be a problem but it’s hard not to love Lockett in this match-up.

David Moore , SEA – He seems to be the forgotten guy in this passing attack at times. He only sees 3-5 targets in a game, but he’s found the end zone twice this season and seems to have a nice downfield connection with Wilson. He’ll save you some salary, but he’s not someone you want for your primary lineup.

Adam Thielen , MIN – Thielen could actually have a strong game here as the Seahawks coverage is pretty bad, but even in the rain, should Cousins have to take it to the air at all, the short, quick passes to Thielen will be his bread and butter. He’s probably not someone you want in the Captain/MVP spot, but definitely usable in your primary lineup.

Justin Jefferson, MIN – He’s in a great spot this week, especially if the Vikings end up needing to throw the ball around more. He’ll see a lot of Tre Flowers in coverage which is a nice advantage for Jefferson, but even if Shaquill Griffin is on him, the advantage belongs to Minnesota. As much as we’d love to get him into our main lineup, the rain is turning us off right now.

Tight Ends:

Greg Olsen , SEA – The Vikings rank 18th in DVOA against the tight end which puts Olsen in a really nice spot this week. He’s seen 13 targets in the last two games and four of them have come inside the red zone. If the Seahawks get inside the 10-yard line, he becomes a major target.

Jacob Hollister , SEA – More of a dart-throw at the TE position for Seattle. He’s caught a touchdown this season already, but he doesn’t see the consistent targets Olsen gets.

Kyle Rudolph , MIN – Between the Seahawks ranking fifth in DVOA against the tight end and not seeing enough consistent targets, Rudolph doesn’t profile as anything more than a desperate dart-throw.

Irv Smith, Jr., MIN – If you think Rudolph is a desperate dart-throw, how much of a longshot is Smith tonight?

Defense/Kickers:

Seattle Seahawks D/ST – Given the rain, both defenses could actually be in play despite the ridiculously high over/under. Bad weather means sloppy play and sloppy play means turnovers.

Minnesota Vikings D/ST – If we have to pick a defense, we’re going to lean on Seattle’s. Tough to go against Wilson in any fashion, though with the way some of these games have gone today…who knows?

Jason Myers , SEA – Kicking in the rain is never fun. Wouldn’t use him at all.

Dan Bailey , MIN – See above.

If you are looking for lineup help, check out our NFL Lineup Generator which can be adjusted for Showdown Slates.