Pearce Dietrich preps you for Sunday Night Football between the Broncos and Commanders with analysis and Captain’s picks.
Sunday night gives us a gritty AFC–NFC clash as Denver travels to Washington, setting up a classic DraftKings Showdown slate built on volatility and opportunity. Both offenses are inconsistent but explosive in spots, creating a wide range of lineup constructions—especially with concentrated usage on each side. With $1M up for grabs and $250K to first, this slate rewards anyone willing to embrace uncertainty and get different in the right places.
Set your DraftKings fantasy football lineups here: NFL Showdown $1M Sunday Night Showdown [$250K to 1st] (DEN @ WAS)
Captain’s Pick
Bo Nix ($16,500 CP): This game perfectly illustrates the mood. The Holiday weekend is over. It’s time to go back to work. The fun has ended. This game is not fun. Nix is the most fun player on the slate, but he hasn’t been particularly efficient this season. He’s won games and been impressive during spectacular moments, but he’s not a fantasy sports ringer. He doesn’t consistently drop massive totals, but he can. This is a matchup where Nix can easily light up the slate. Afterwards, everyone points out that this was the most obvious Captain’s Pick of the season.
UTIL Plays
RJ Harvey ($8,400): Who is RJ Harvey? He’s another Broncos running back with his first name as initials. J.K. Dobbins is injured again. Harvey— a 2025 second-round pick out of UCF — took over the starting role in Week 11. He didn’t do much, but he’s had a bye week to fit into the starting role. The Commanders are big dogs at home. The Broncos should control this game. The winning formula is simple: play defense and be efficient with short fields. Harvey may not be the best player on the field, but he has the best opportunity.
Marcus Mariota ($10,200): This does not feel like a good pick. Picking Mariota is like choosing from the Thanksgiving leftovers in the fridge. Nothing looks good, but you’ve got to eat something. The ball is going to be in Mariota’s hand. What he does with his hands probably won’t be that great, but he can scratch out some points on the ground. The matchup is bad, but Mariota can get there in garbage time.
Broncos D/ST ($5,400): It’s one of those slates. The right stack might be the boring stack. The Broncos D/ST, Harvey, and Mariota in garbage time. Bo Nix fits because there’s enough salary. Throw in a kicker because why not? It’s basically a Thanksgiving Dinner lineup. It’s a little bit of everything. It’s not the greatest of everything. It’s not grandma’s cooking. It’s more of the first time someone hosts Thanksgiving Dinner cooking. Don’t let the Turkey dry. Don’t burn down the house. Just get it done and play it safe. The Broncos will get sacks. They could hold the Commanders scoreless, and a slate-breaking D/ST TD is a possibility in this matchup.
Fade
Terry McLaurin ($8,000): Mariota has to throw to someone, but that’s not a ringing endorsement. It’s likely that one of the Commanders’ weapons will find its way into the winning lineup. It’s also likely that most don’t. The matchup is not appealing, but DraftKings requires a player from each team. The best option might be the cheapest option. Washington’s WR3 might be sneaky, but their volume is suspect with a healthy WR1 and WR2. Don’t rule out clicking on Washington’s kicker.
The Outcome
Is there any way that Washington wins? Everyone knows the answer. The result is not in question. The game is not even in question. Denver is going to handily beat the Commanders on Sunday Night.
Final Score: Broncos 23, Commanders 10
