Cowboys Vs Giants Showdown DFS: Don't Captain Prescott
By Jake Hari
September 13, 2026
The Sims' captain for Sunday Night Football is Jaxson Dart (NYG), in the 1.5x slot in 17.5% of their builds. The field's captain is Dak Prescott (DAL), the most-owned player on the slate at 53.1%. That disagreement is the slate. Kalshi has the Cowboys at 61 cents to win, a modest favorite, and both quarterbacks are in about half the lineups: Dak Prescott 53.1%, Jaxson Dart 49.1%.
The most under-owned skill player with a real projection is CeeDee Lamb (DAL), 34.1% owned against 36.3% in the Sims' builds. The most over-owned is Jake Ferguson (DAL), 19.7% against 17.5%.
The Quick Answer
Dart at captain, Lamb for tournaments, and the board below shows why the field's Prescott captain is the slate's mistake.
The Board: Every Player Who Matters, With Sims Ownership
DraftKings showdown: one captain at 1.5 times salary and points, five flex spots, $50,000, at least one player from each team. Flex salary shown. Sims Ownership is the projected field ownership, Sims Exposure is how often the Stokastic Sims roster the player across their own optimal builds, and Captain Exposure is how often the Sims put him in the 1.5x slot. All from the Sims' Saturday 7:40 p.m. ET run; nothing here is a result.
| Player | Team | Pos | Salary | Sims Projection | Sims Ownership | Sims Exposure | Captain Exposure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dak Prescott | DAL | QB | $10,400 | 19.3 | 53.1% | 52.1% | 13.1% |
| Jaxson Dart | NYG | QB | $9,600 | 18.8 | 49.1% | 49.4% | 17.5% |
| CeeDee Lamb | DAL | WR | $10,800 | 17.6 | 34.1% | 36.3% | 13.8% |
| Javonte Williams | DAL | RB | $9,000 | 17.4 | 46.0% | 44.2% | 15.8% |
| George Pickens | DAL | WR | $9,800 | 15.3 | 33.0% | 31.5% | 10.2% |
| Malik Nabers | NYG | WR | $9,400 | 14.0 | 28.6% | 28.7% | 6.9% |
| Cam Skattebo | NYG | RB | $8,400 | 13.7 | 34.0% | 35.1% | 6.1% |
| Brandon Aubrey | DAL | K | $5,400 | 9.1 | 27.1% | 24.9% | 1.9% |
| Isaiah Likely | NYG | TE | $6,400 | 8.9 | 19.6% | 18.5% | 2.5% |
| Jake Ferguson | DAL | TE | $5,800 | 8.6 | 19.7% | 17.5% | 2.4% |
| Dominic Zvada | NYG | K | $4,800 | 8.1 | 23.8% | 22.9% | 1.9% |
| Ryan Flournoy | DAL | WR | $3,800 | 6.8 | 17.6% | 20.1% | 1.9% |
| Cowboys D/ST | DAL | DST | $4,400 | 6.7 | 13.4% | 16.0% | 1.6% |
| Giants D/ST | NYG | DST | $3,400 | 5.9 | 15.6% | 17.0% | 1.6% |
| Malachi Fields | NYG | WR | $5,000 | 5.8 | 11.2% | 10.7% | 0.7% |
| Najee Harris | NYG | RB | $2,000 | 4.7 | 14.7% | 13.9% | 0.1% |
| Darnell Mooney | NYG | WR | $4,000 | 4.6 | 8.0% | 7.6% | 0.5% |
| Tyrone Tracy Jr. | NYG | RB | $3,000 | 4.3 | 5.1% | 7.2% | 0.2% |
| Theo Johnson | NYG | TE | $1,800 | 4.0 | 12.7% | 12.5% | 0.3% |
| KaVontae Turpin | DAL | WR | $2,600 | 3.6 | 8.1% | 7.6% | 0.3% |
| Emari Demercado | DAL | RB | $1,000 | 3.6 | 10.4% | 11.8% | 0.2% |
| Odell Beckham Jr. | NYG | WR | $2,200 | 3.0 | 7.0% | 5.9% | 0.3% |
Quarterbacks: Prescott And Dart Are Both Chalk, One Is The Captain
Dak Prescott (DAL) at $10,400 projects 19.3 with 53.1% ownership against a 52.1% Sims exposure, so the field is a shade over him. Jaxson Dart (NYG) is next at $9,600 and 18.8, 49.1% owned, 49.4% in the Sims' builds. The captain question between them is settled by the Sims' captain rates: Dak Prescott 13.1% against Jaxson Dart 17.5%. In a game this close the cheaper way to get quarterback exposure is the flex.
Running Backs: Williams Is The Volume
Javonte Williams (DAL) carries the backfield at $9,000: 17.4 projected, 46.0% owned, and the Sims roster him 44.2% of the time. Cam Skattebo (NYG) is the other side's back at $8,400, 13.7 and 34.0%. The cheap one is Najee Harris (NYG) at $2,000, 4.7 projected and 14.7% owned, the salary relief that makes a star captain fit.
Wide Receivers: Lamb Leads, The Second Receiver Is The Argument
CeeDee Lamb (DAL) is the top receiver on the board at 17.6, and the field is under him: 34.1% owned, 36.3% in the Sims. The second receiver slot is the argument. George Pickens (DAL) projects 15.3 at 33.0% owned and Malik Nabers (NYG) 14.0 at 28.6%, with the Sims under the field on Nabers by 0.1 points.
Tight Ends: Likely Is The One
Isaiah Likely (NYG) is the tight end the Sims trust, 8.9 at $6,400, 19.6% owned against 18.5% in their builds. Jake Ferguson (DAL) at $5,800 projects 8.6. The cheap one, Theo Johnson (NYG) at $1,800, is 12.7% owned for 4.0.
Kickers And Defenses: The Cheap Way To A Star Captain
Brandon Aubrey (DAL) at $5,400 projects 9.1 and is 27.1% owned, Dominic Zvada (NYG) 8.1 at 23.8%. Cowboys D/ST at $4,400 projects 6.7 with 13.4% ownership against 16.0% in the Sims, and Giants D/ST at $3,400 projects 5.9 at 15.6%. A defense is the only way to get under the kicker price, and that is the whole case for one: it is what pays for a Dart captain without giving up the second quarterback.
Two Builds: Captain Dart For Cash, Captain Lamb For The Field
| Slot | Cash / smaller fields | Salary | Sims Projection | Tournaments | Salary | Sims Projection |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPT | Jaxson Dart (NYG) | $14,400 | 28.2 | CeeDee Lamb (DAL) | $16,200 | 26.4 |
| FLEX | CeeDee Lamb (DAL) | $10,800 | 17.6 | Dak Prescott (DAL) | $10,400 | 19.3 |
| FLEX | Dak Prescott (DAL) | $10,400 | 19.3 | Jaxson Dart (NYG) | $9,600 | 18.8 |
| FLEX | Javonte Williams (DAL) | $9,000 | 17.4 | Javonte Williams (DAL) | $9,000 | 17.4 |
| FLEX | Giants D/ST (NYG) | $3,400 | 5.9 | Ryan Flournoy (DAL) | $3,800 | 6.8 |
| FLEX | Najee Harris (NYG) | $2,000 | 4.7 | Emari Demercado (DAL) | $1,000 | 3.6 |
| Total | $50,000 | 93.2 | $50,000 | 92.3 |
Both builds are legal on DraftKings: under $50,000 with at least one player from each team, and both are the highest-projection lineup the Sims' most-rostered sixteen players allow around that captain. Both spend the full $50,000. Copy them or build off them; they are the shape of the slate: the captain the Sims trust with 1.5x, the two quarterbacks handled as flex plays, and the cheap pieces that make the salary work.
What Changes Before Kickoff
The market's read on the game itself, Kalshi's live price on Cowboys-Giants next to every other Week 1 game, is on the NFL Week 1 predictions board.
The board above is the Saturday 7:40 p.m. ET run. Inactives post 90 minutes before kickoff, and the Sims re-run on every roster change through lock; the Stokastic NFL showdown Sims carry the live version of every number on this page. If a name in the board is ruled out, the captain answer changes with it.
Week 2 offer. Code NFLWEEK2 takes 10% off your first payment on any Stokastic NFL DFS or All Access package, and it expires Monday, September 21. The showdown Sims are live now.
More on this: NFL DFS Hub: Every Live Stokastic NFL Page · Patriots vs Seahawks Showdown DFS: The Opener's Captain Question · Colts vs Chiefs Showdown DFS: EMac's Week 2 SNF Top-10 · Lions Vs Bills Showdown DFS: EMac's Week 2 TNF Top-10 · Buccaneers vs Cowboys Showdown DFS: EMac's Week 5 TNF Top-10
Code NFLWEEK2 takes 10% off your first payment on any Stokastic NFL DFS or All Access package through Monday, September 21. The NFL showdown Sims are live.
Use code NFLWEEK2
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