The No. 4 seed Cincinnati Bengals will play the No. 2 seed Kansas City Chiefs at 3 p.m. ET Sunday on CBS.
This game also features a ton of stars such as Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill, Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Joe Mixon that many DFS players will try to stack their lineup with. But as we see in DFS showdown contests, it is not about the star players sometimes. It also depends which players you have in those FLEX tiers to fill out your lineup.
Outside of the big names, who are some lower-tier value flex plays on both teams that could help you win this AFC Championship showdown on DraftKings? Let’s discuss some options below.
Bengals vs. Chiefs: Best showdown values
Jerick McKinnon, RB, $5,000
The versatile McKinnon has brought a spark to the Chiefs’ backfield over the last few weeks and will likely be in a ton of lineups on Sunday. In his last three games, the veteran running back is averaging 17.6 fantasy points per game with two receiving touchdowns.
The Bengals defense is ranked 21st against running backs (OPRK) and was gashed by the Titans for 140 yards last week. We should expect to see McKinnon involved in the offense this week with Darrel Williams still listed as questionable.
C.J. Uzomah, TE, $5,600
Uzomah is a higher-end value play but is someone that will be a factor in the passing game on Sunday afternoon. Last week against the Titans, the 29-year-old tight end put up seven receptions (eight targets) for 71 yards and 14.1 fantasy points.
It was the second consecutive week that Uzomah had double-digit fantasy points and over 50 receiving yards. When the Bengals last played the Chiefs in Week 17, he only had four receptions (six targets) for 32 yards. I think we’ll see a better performance on Sunday as the Chiefs will try to limit the catches for Chase and Tee Higgins.
Byron Pringle, WR, $5,200
Don’t look now, but Pringle has firmly solidified himself as the Chiefs’ No. 2 wide receiver behind Hill. The 28-year-old receiver had five receptions (seven targets) for 29 yards and a touchdown (13.9 fantasy points) against the Buffalo Bills last week.
The former Kansas State receiver has recorded at least five receptions in the Chiefs’ last three games. Pringle should be able to pick up a few catches on Sunday as the Bengals focus on Hill and Kelce.