Free NFL Showdown Lineup Optimizer for DraftKings & FanDuel

Build a single-game NFL lineup for DraftKings or FanDuel. Pick the showdown slate, star the player you want in the captain slot, and the optimizer fills the five flex spots around him inside the salary cap. Lock the pieces you are confident in, exclude the ones you are not, and rebuild as many times as you like. No account and no paywall.

How do I build a free NFL Showdown lineup?

Pick the showdown slate, star a player for the captain slot, and the optimizer fills the five flex spots around him from our projections — no account or paywall.

How the captain slot changes the math

The captain scores 1.5x and costs 1.5x. That second half is what most single-game lineups get wrong: a $13,200 quarterback in the captain slot is charged $19,800 against the cap, so the choice is not just who scores most, it is who scores most per dollar once the premium is applied. The builder charges the multiplied salary the same way the contest does, so the number on screen is the number the site will use.

Both teams, six players, no position rules

A showdown roster is one captain plus five flex, and at least one player has to come from each team. There are no position requirements beyond that. A kicker or a defense can take the captain slot, and stacking a quarterback with two of his own receivers is legal. The optimizer respects every one of those rules rather than assuming a classic roster shape.

DraftKings CPT vs. FanDuel MVP

The two sites use different names for the same idea and different caps: DraftKings runs a $50,000 cap with a CPT slot, FanDuel a $60,000 cap with an MVP slot. Salaries rarely line up across the two, so the best captain on one site is often a fade on the other. Toggle the platform and the whole pool re-prices.

PlayerSalProjVal
Loading FanDuel showdown projections…
Loading FanDuel showdown projections…

Building a full slate instead

Showdown only covers one game. For Sunday main slates, Thursday night, and the early or late windows, use the NFL classic lineup builder, which runs the standard nine-slot roster across every game on the slate.

Frequently asked questions

What is an NFL showdown slate?

A single-game contest. Every player from both teams is in one pool, and your roster is six players: one captain and five flex.

What does the captain slot do?

The captain scores 1.5x his normal points and costs 1.5x his normal salary. FanDuel calls it MVP, DraftKings calls it CPT. Picking the right one is most of the game.

Can I pick the captain myself?

Yes. Star a player and the optimizer pins him to the captain slot, then fills the five flex spots around him inside what is left of the cap.

Can I lock or exclude flex players too?

Yes. Lock up to five flex players alongside your captain, and exclude anyone you do not want considered at all.

Are kickers and defenses eligible?

Yes, in both the captain slot and flex. Showdown has no position requirements, so any six-player combination that fits the cap is legal as long as both teams are represented.