DFS Thursday Night Football: DraftKings Showdown for Week 1 (Fantasy Football)
We are baaaaaaack, and yes, it’s football time! Before we get into the specifics of this matchup and how to approach it for the DraftKings showdown slate, I want to point people back to a few pieces of evergreen content that I think are extremely valuable if you are serious about winning showdown all season. I would recommend reading/listening to this content before proceeding, especially if you are new to showdown.
1. How to Win Showdown Contests: A detailed article looking at the data and strategy behind winning showdown lineups.
2. DFS Showdown Strategy Podcast: A thorough discussion on how to beat showdown, looking at the game theory and how to leverage the field.
DraftKings Sportsbook Lines
Spread: LAR -3.5
Total: 48.5
Team Totals: Rams (26.0), 49ers (22.5)
Game Outlook
The first Thursday Night Football slate of the year kicks off “down unda” on the other side of the world with the Rams and 49ers going toe to toe in Melbourne, Australia. To quote the great Lloyd Christmas: “G’day, mate! Let’s put anotha shrimp on the barbie.” Okay, that’s enough cheesy jokes/90s cinema references for the 2026 season. Let’s get to the football. These NFC West foes are obviously quite familiar with each other, with McVay and Shanahan giving us some excellent football games over the year. The oddsmakers have the Rams favored by 3.5 in this one, but it has been Shanny who has gotten the better of this series over the last ~10 years. Kyle Shanahan is 11-8 versus McVay since both became head coaches in 2017.
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