Vikings vs. Falcons DFS Picks: Best SNF DraftKings, FanDuel lineups for NFL Showdown games

The Minnesota Vikings and Atlanta Falcons will clash in a primetime NFC tilt on Sunday Night Football, a game for which nobody knows exactly what to expect. One thing's for sure, though — this primetime showcase will have plenty of scoring, which means plenty of fun for DFS and fantasy football enthusiasts.

Minnesota enjoyed J.J. McCarthy's first start of the 2025 NFL season, a come-from-behind victory over the NFC North division-rival Bears. It sure seems like the Vikings have picked up where the franchise left off in 2024, but Justin Jefferson, Aaron Jones and company likely have their sights on a deeper postseason run this time around.

FANTASY LINEUP TIPS: Week 2 Start-Sit | Week 2 Sleepers | Week 2 Busts

Of course, the Falcons have a young signal-caller of their own in Michael Penix Jr. His rapport with stud wideout Drake London and elite running back Bijan Robinson through just a handful of NFL starts has put the rest of the NFC on notice. Could the Dirty Birds be a legit contender for the first time since the Matt Ryan era?

Everyone who's a fan of NFL football will be watching this game, and it's easy to see why the GPP tournaments have been filling up so quickly. Want to make some money while tuning into this primetime conference clash?

Take a look at our favorite daily fantasy picks below, and check out our optimal Week 2 DFS lineups.

Vikings vs. Falcons NFL DFS picks: Optimal DraftKings Showdown lineup

➕ Sign up for DraftKings to play Showdown cash and GPP contests.

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.

Captain: Michael Penix, Jr., QB, Falcons ($14,400)

Yours truly had Michael Penix Jr. as one of the biggest breakouts of the 2025 NFL fantasy season, and yours truly continues to ride with Penix this weekend. The kid has so much talent, and it's difficult to avoid making comparisons to former southpaw Falcons QB Michael Vick. Grab the sophomore signal-caller in your Captain spot while you can still afford it, because $14,400 will be a price of the past for this guy before we know it.

FLEX 1: Justin Jefferson, WR, Vikings ($11,800)

There aren't three wide receivers in the game of football more dominating than Justin Jefferson, so $11,800 seems too good to pass up. Jets already flew out to a strong start in Minnesota's Week 1 victory over the division-rival Bears, hauling in four catches and putting a touchdown on the board. The Falcons defense is not good, so Jefferson should enjoy quite the evening in Minneapolis.

FLEX 2: Drake London, WR, Falcons ($10,400)

From the moment we decided to comprise a couple fantasy lineups for this primetime game, we know Jefferson and London would be on our squads. Both serve as the biggest after-catch playmakers on their respective squads, and both seem like a value at their listed DFS prices. Penix and London have a stellar rapport with one another, so we could see a major boom if Atlanta pulls off the road victory this evening.

FLEX 3: Jordan Mason, RB, Vikings ($6,600)

Mason might already be the best current Vikings running back, but Aaron Jones has obviously earned his role as the lead back for now. We still like Mason as a third-down and goal-line go-to for Minnesota, though, much like David Montgomery has been for Detroit since the Lions reclaimed NFC North dominance. For $6,600, we'll take the upside Mason has to offer.

FLEX 4: Kyle Pitts Sr., TE, Falcons ($5,800)

We get it — you've been burned by Pitts in the past (sounds like an Old Spice commercial). But Penix is a far different QB than old-man Matt Ryan and over-the-hill Kirk Cousins. We saw a glimpse last week of how the young tight end can get open and run after the catch — enjoy the modest $5,800 price tag before it rises next week.

FLEX 5: Charlie Woerner, TE, Falcons ($600)

This is about as stars-and-scrubs as it gets, and we're really hoping our top five players ride us into big paydays. However, if Pitts gets hurt — or pulled — it might be Woerner that delivers us the jackpot. Stranger things have happened, folks!

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Vikings vs. Falcons NFL DFS picks: Optimal FanDuel single-game lineup

➕ Sign up for FanDuel to play cash and GPP single-game contests.

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.

We took a similar approach with our FanDuel lineup, but we were able to lock down J.J. McCarthy as our second of two young stud QBs. We also made sure we had the double-stack, which could be a huge plus for us if Kyle Pitts also steps up for a second consecutive week. And, if Charlie Woerner hits, we're going streaking through the quad!

FANTASY WEEK 2 RANKINGS: QB | ​​RB | WR | TE | D/ST | PK | Non-PPR Flex Cheat Sheet