Monday Night Football brings a robust 50.5 projected total as Detroit Lions (13-2) are in San Francisco, facing the 49ers (6-9) who are looking to play spoiler. The lofty total and 4.5-point spread for this Week 17 showdown demand sharp NFL DFS decisions. Here we will dive into the key NFL DFS ownership projections and player projections for DraftKings and FanDuel as we break down everything you need to build winning lineups for the MNF slate.
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NFL DFS Picks: Lions-49ers Monday Night Football Week 17
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NFL DFS Picks for Lions-49ers Monday Night Football Week 17: Jahmyr Gibbs
PLEASE NOTE: Detroit does not need to win this game; everything comes down to next Sunday when the Lions host the Minnesota Vikings. The winner of that game will be the top seed in the NFC, with the loser dropping to the fifth seed as a Wild Card entry. This article was mostly written prior to the Vikings beating the Green Bay Packers on Sunday afternoon. Who knows what coach Dan Campbell will do tonight?
Jahmyr Gibbs
DFS Salary
DraftKings: $11,600
FanDuel: $15,000
Fantasy Points
DraftKings: 24.88
FanDuel: 21.27
We will not be alone in quickly determining that Jahmyr Gibbs is the most coveted play for the Monday Night Football DFS contests. David Montgomery is out, which turns the best 1-2 running back combo into a solo affair.
Setting aside the pomp and circumstance around talking about how good Gibbs is, well it is prudent to save time. All we need to know is that after Minnesota won yesterday, the Lions control their playoff destiny and the path to the top seed, but Detroit needs to win tonight and then again in the Motor City on Sunday Night Football.
San Francisco has struggled against the run over the latter portion of the season. Beginning in Week 12, Josh Jacobs (14/107/1), James Cooke (14/107/1), Kyren Williams (29/108/0) and De’Von Achane (17/120/1) each cleared the century mark. Only Chicago in Week 14 failed to get anything going on the ground.
This all bodes well for Gibbs, who also is a tremendous asset in the passing game. Craig Reynolds is a trusted RB3 and while he is not flashy, he can handle whatever the team needs. He is likely to be on the field for a dozen snaps or so and in his career he is averaging 4.3 yards per carry and has brought in 23 of his 25 targets. Because next week is so important, do not expect Reynolds to step in for Gibbs if coach Campbell decides to pull his starter.
Second-year back Jermar Jefferson and rookie Sione Vaki are likely to get some second half run, depending on how this game goes. Jefferson was a seventh-round selection out of Oregon State in 2021, while Vaki was chosen in the fourth round of the most recent draft, out of Utah where he began his college career as a safety before becoming an emergency running back in his sophomore season, getting 42 carries and 11 receptions.
Detroit Lions Positional Preview
Quarterback | Lions-49ers NFL DFS Picks for Monday Night Football Week 17
When Matthew Stafford was traded to Los Angeles for Jared Goff, it seemed like the top pick of the 2016 NFL Draft was on his way out of the league. Stafford took the Rams to the Super Bowl, but in a somewhat surprising twist, Goff rejuvenated his career, earning Pro Bowl honors in his second season with Detroit and leading the team to a 25-7 record the following two seasons. Last year, the Lions collapsed in the NFC Championship Game in Levi’s Stadium, frittering away a 24-7 halftime lead, ultimately losing the game 34-31. Now once more, Goff and company are pushing for a Super Bowl, which is impressive.
Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has Goff right in his comfort zone and the results have been impressive. The true test will, of course, be getting this team to the Super Bowl, but there are several hurdles between now and then. San Francisco is missing several key defenders, with lead cover-man Charvarius Ward out, along with linebackers Dre Greenlaw and Tatum Bethune, along with defensive lineman Robert Beal Jr. Of course, Nick Bosa and Fred Warner will still be around to wreak havoc.
Wide Receiver | Lions-49ers NFL DFS Picks for Monday Night Football Week 17
Amon-Ra St. Brown is ninth in the league with 75.1 receiving yards per game and tied for fifth with 101 receptions, while his 11 touchdown receptions are the third most in the league. Last year St. Brown earned his second Pro Bowl nomination, while also being the First Team All-Pro wideout. He excels at all three levels and his hands are second to none.
Jameson Williams has had a strong season and despite a variety of suspensions, he has seen his production increase after a rocky first year. This is his third season, and he is on the cusp of 1,000 yards, needing only 110 across the next two games. He also has scored four touchdowns from 50-plus yards this season, giving the Lions a downfield threat that helps open up both the running lanes and short passing routes.
Tim Patrick is well behind his counterparts, with 41 targets, however, 27 opportunities have come his way since Week 11, including seven red zone opportunities. Allen Robinson II, yes he is still in the league, should be on the field for half a dozen plays, with Tom Kennedy serving as the WR5.
Tight End | Lions-49ers NFL DFS Picks for Monday Night Football Week 17
This is a two-man show, with Sam LaPorta playing on over 90% of the offensive plays after missing Week 11 with an injury. Brock Wright is also heavily involved and he has been on the field for close to 40% of the snaps in this stretch. It would be a surprise for him to see more than one target, but he is live for a look. LaPorta will be dealing with Warner, but the stellar tight end has at least six targets in each of the last five games, with 36 total in this timeframe, including nine in the red zone.
Kicker | Lions-49ers NFL DFS Picks for Monday Night Football Week 17
Jake Bates has had a fun journey to the NFL. He played two seasons of college soccer for Central Arkansas prior to transferring to Texas State to play football. He spent two seasons there as a kickoff specialist prior to moving to Arkansas, where again he was relegated to kickoff duty only, though he was named to the All-SEC team. He had a quick two-week turn with the Texans but was cut halfway through training camp. Next up was the UFL, where Bates finally received his chance to officially kick field goals, setting a league record with a 64-yarder, while also converting two others from 60-plus.
This season he has converted on 23 of 26 (89%) of his field goal opportunities, including 5 of 7 (71%) from beyond 50 yards. Playing for the highest scoring offense in the league has also allowed him to kick 59 PATs, missing only one.
Defense | Lions-49ers NFL DFS Picks for Monday Night Football Week 17
Detroit has had even more injuries on the defensive side of the ball than San Francisco. This has led to several reserves becoming starters and understudies stepping into the defensive rotations at all three levels. In the last six games, aside from five sacks against Caleb Williams, this unit has only four other quarterback takedowns. Even though the San Francisco offensive line is looking like Swiss cheese, it is hard to be excited for the Lions D/ST.
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NFL DFS Picks for Lions-49ers Monday Night Football Week 17: George Kittle
George Kittle
DFS Salary
DraftKings: $11,600
FanDuel: $15,500
Fantasy Points
DraftKings: 23.16
FanDuel: 21.92
George Kittle is just outside the top 10, with 74.4 receiving yards per game. That is for all pass-catchers, and he actually is first among tight ends. Even though he missed a couple games with injuries, Kittle is 28th overall with 68 receptions and his 18 plays of 20-plus yards is tied with DK Metcalf for the fifth-most this season.
Should we expect anything less from the co-creator of National Tight End Day, who also has three of the 11 best single-game yardage totals for the position?
The slight worry for Kittle is that he is so heavily involved in the blocking scheme and with left tackle Trent Williams, left guard Aaron Banks and their backups all out with injuries, San Francisco has been forced to rely on third-string options for both positions. Fortunately, for as banged up as the Lions are on defense, Kittle may still be able to get out into the seams and make some noise.
Eric Saubert is the only other tight end to see targets this season and he has four in the last six games, though last week he did get his first opportunity in the red zone. Since the Week 9 bye, Jake Tonges and Brayden Willis have each been on the field for six offensive snaps.
San Francisco 49ers Positional Preview
Quarterback | Lions-49ers NFL DFS Picks for Monday Night Football Week 17
Every key player on the San Francisco offense has missed time this season or is out for the year. This includes Brock Purdy who sat out Week 12 with a shoulder issue that he has been managing since. He did author a pair of 300-plus yard, two touchdown performances in Week 14 against Chicago and last week in Miami, so it would appear that he is healthy enough, considering the grueling season is nearing completion. Mr. Irrelevant has been a mere mortal this season, though considering every running back and his top four receivers have all missed games, his overall line is adequate for a “down” year.
Running Back | Lions-49ers NFL DFS Picks for Monday Night Football Week 17
Isaac Guerendo is back in the mix, which is a major improvement over journeyman Patrick Taylor Jr. Even with all the uncertainty around who will be playing for both sides, Guerendo should be the lead back. He is a dynamic speedster and with a little polish, could easily be the RB2 behind Christian McCaffrey for next season. There is no real need to push Guerendo into the ground, but he should at least see a dozen carries and a couple of targets as he continues to gain NFL experience.
That leaves Taylor as the backup, and somewhere between six and eight opportunities, unless, of course, the white flag is waved early. Ke’Shawn Vaughn is the third running back, who is likely to actually get some run tonight, where he otherwise would be watching from the sidelines.
Wide Receiver | Lions-49ers NFL DFS Picks for Monday Night Football Week 17
Jauan Jennings had a breakout season and he is 144 yards shy of 1,000. It looks like his ascendence has made Deebo Samuel expendable going forward, which makes things interesting from a salary cap perspective. Brandon Aiyuk got the bag earlier this year prior to his season ending injury. So we could see a changing of the guard for San Francisco next year.
Samuel finally had a good game, in what has been a lost season with injuries and illness. Could the mileage be catching up to him, maybe – or perhaps this was just one of those seasons. Rookie Ricky Pearsall has not been able to carve out many offensive opportunities with everyone healthy, but he should get run for most of this game as he missed the first portion of the year and could use the seasoning.
Depending on how the 49ers handle this game, veteran Chris Conley could get some “thank you” run, while fourth-round rookie Jacob Cowing sees action to gain experience for next year.
Kicker | Lions-49ers NFL DFS Picks for Monday Night Football Week 17
Jake Moody missed three games with an ankle injury on his kicking foot. Since his return, he has missed six field goal attempts in 16 attempts after making his first 14 prior to the injury. Kickers should be safe tonight, so keep Moody in the mix.
Defense | Lions-49ers NFL DFS Picks for Monday Night Football Week 17
Goff limits sacks, with only 10 in the last eight games, with 10 interceptions on the season. San Francisco is missing so many defenders that it is hard to infer much from this matchup. Hendon Hooker is the backup, though keep in mind the team just added Teddy Bridgewater, who was coaching high school football this year.
NFL DFS Picks for Lions-49ers Monday Night Football Week 17: Rankings
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Now let’s dive into the final rankings for the Lions-49ers Monday Night Football slate!
Top 10 NFL DFS Showdown Picks for Lions-49ers
- Jahmyr Gibbs: As of Noon ET, Gibbs is -260 to score a touchdown and -115 to run for under 93.5 yards, OddsShopper is your friend in keeping tabs on how the bookmakers think playing time is likely to work out.
- George Kittle: Listed as +125 to score a touchdown and -115 to record less than 64.5 receiving yards. If you think he or anyone else plays sparingly, start booking some unders.
- Jauan Jennings: Truly has been the WR1 this season, since Aiyuk went down.
- Jameson Williams: One big play gives him a great DFS baseline, even if he sits in the second half.
- Amon-Ra St. Brown: If this game were important, he would feel much safer, but if anyone hits the bench early it will be him and Gibbs.
- Isaac Guerendo: Poor guy is always banged up, but there is no injury designation tonight.
- Jared Goff: No rushing upside, still could pick apart this defense for a couple hundred yards and two touchdowns in three quarters.
- Deebo Samuel: Hopefully this is not the beginning of the end.
- Jake Bates: What a leg!
- Jake Moody: Rocky season but should get chances tonight.
Secondary Options
- Sam LaPorta: Got hurt in the meaningless game last year, this is the bellwether for Detroit playing time.
- Tim Patrick: Continues to be a solid contributor, likely to be on the field longer than Williams and St. Brown.
- Ricky Pearsall: Should see ample playing time for developmental purposes.
- Jermar Jefferson: Gets a slight edge over Vaki.
- Sione Vaki: See, it was pretty slight.
Lottery Tickets
- Craig Reynolds: Next Sunday, he will be in the secondary options.
- Patrick Taylor Jr.: Last guy worthy of his own line and that is debatable.
- Kyle Juszczyk, Brock Wright, Jacob Cowing, Chris Conley, Eric Saubert and Ke’Shawn Vaughn: Could see scraps if the starters are pulled.
- Allen Robinson II, Tom Kennedy, Shane Zylstra and Braden Willis: Maybe next preseason.
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