Plenty of exciting Week 2 NFL action remains, with a doubleheader slated for this evening. The first-half of the night, Texans vs. Buccaneers, features two of the more dynamic offenses in the league. Sounds like a great time to construct a DraftKings Showdown lineup!
For Houston, expect to see a bunch of stud wideout Nico Collins and veteran Nick Chubb. With the Texans only favored by 2.5 points at home, C.J. Stroud will likely need strong performances from his highest-usage playmakers.
Speaking of playmakers, how awesome did rookie receiver Emeka Egbuka look in his NFL debut last weekend? The rook seems like a perfect fit in the Bucs' offense, and his impact should open up the field for fellow wideout Mike Evans and second-year running back Bucky Irving.
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Enough yada-yada — let's get to our daily fantasy selections. Most of you already know the deal with this column: we highlight the players with the best chance of optimizing your DFS lineups for single-game contests. That means one fantasy football lineup for DraftKings Showdown contests, and one lineup for FanDuel single-game tournaments.
Here's the Sporting News' optimal lineups for Texans vs. Buccaneers in Houston this evening. Good luck, have fun, and enjoy Monday Night Football!
Texans vs. Buccaneers NFL DFS picks: Optimal DraftKings Showdown lineup
Before we get into our lineup and strategy, here are the key scoring settings for DraftKings Showdown contests: They're full-point PPR, and they feature three-point bonuses for 300 passing yards, 100 rushing yards, and 100 receiving yards. The Captain pick costs 1.5 times a player's original price, but he also gets his point total multiplied by 1.5.
| POS | PLAYER | TEAM/OPP | DK SALARY |
| Captain | Baker Mayfield, QB | Bucs at HOU | $15,900 |
| FLEX | Nico Collins, WR | Texans vs. TB | $11,400 |
| FLEX | Emeka Egbuka, WR | Bucs at HOU | $9,800 |
| FLEX | Nick Chubb, RB | Texans vs. TB | $7,000 |
| FLEX | Ka'imi Fairbairn, K | Texans vs. TB | $4,800 |
| FLEX | Justin Watson, WR | Texans vs. TB | $1,000 |
Captain: Baker Mayfield, QB, Buccaneers ($15,900)
Mayfield racked up three passing touchdowns in the Bucs' 23-20 season-opening win over the Falcons, and now he draws a Texans defense that allowed Matthew Stafford to complete 21-of-29 passes for 245 yards and a TD last weekend. Trust Baker in your Captain's seat.
FLEX 1: Nico Collins, WR, Texans ($11,400)
Collins had an underwhelming start to the season, with just three catches for 25 yards against the Rams in LA. A home game against the Bucs should produce much more favorable results. The last time these squads faced off in November 2023, they combined to score 76 points and Collins had 54 yards and a TD.
FLEX 2: Emeka Egbuka, WR, Bucs ($9,800)
Egbuka looked special in his NFL debut last weekend, amassing 67 yards and two touchdowns. A seemingly perfect fit opposite Mike Evans, the rookie will likely stay busy on the road against the Texans.
FLEX 3: Nick Chubb, RB, Texans ($7,000)
Chubb served as Houston's clear bell-cow back last weekend, and now he faces a Bucs defense that surrendered the third-most PPR points in the NFL last weekend. It feels like a bit of a touchdown-dependent play, but it also feels like a big-time value at just $7,000.
FLEX 4: Ka'imi Fairbairn, K, Texans ($4,800)
When in doubt, opt for the kicker! Fairbairn tallied 14 total DK points last weekend, and now he's at home in the dome. With only $5,900 left, this felt like the best possible option for our penultimate roster spot.
FLEX 5: Justin Watson, WR, Texans ($1,000)
Watson serves as the dart-throw at the end of our roster, but at least he yields some upside. The veteran receiver hauled in both of his Week 1 targets for 27 yards, good for 4.7 DK points. If we can get similar production from him this week, we'll be happy.
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Texans vs. Bucs NFL DFS picks: Optimal FanDuel single-game lineup
Here are the key scoring settings for FanDuel single-game tournaments: They're half-point PPR with three-point bonuses for 300 passing yards, 100 rushing yards, or 100 receiving yards. The MVP pick multiplies that player's total by 1.5 and, for the first time, the MVP pick also costs 1.5 times that player's salary.
| POS | PLAYER | TEAM/OPP | FD SALARY |
| MVP | Emeka Egbuka, WR | Bucs at HOU | $14,700 |
| FLEX | Baker Mayfield, QB | Bucs at HOU | $13,200 |
| FLEX | Nico Collins, WR | Texans vs. TB | $13,000 |
| FLEX | Nick Chubb, RB | Texans vs. TB | $8,800 |
| FLEX | Ka'imi Fairbairn, K | Texans vs. TB | $7,200 |
| FLEX | Jayden Higgins, WR | Texans vs. TB | $3,600 |
We took a similar approach with our FanDuel lineup, only we put Egbuka in our MVP spot so we could afford a higher-ceiling guy — Higgins — in our final flex spot. Now we have a lot riding on two rookie wide receivers, but we project this game to involve a lot of passing so we're fine with targeting their upside.