NFL Week 8 MNF DFS: Bears vs. Seahawks
Smith-Njigba or Loveland at Captain? Our Bears-Seahawks Showdown picks, salary savers and two lineup examples for November 2.
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Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the premium Captain. Colston Loveland is the strongest alternative. Tory Horton is the salary saver who opens the rest of the lineup.
- Our MNF DFS priorities
- CTS projected ownership
- Smith-Njigba has earned the premium
- Loveland offers a different way to spend
- Quarterbacks and Chicago’s other ceiling plays
- Swift remains the Chicago back to prioritize
- The salary savers
- Seattle’s backfield is different this week
- Kickers, defenses and the conditions
- Two ways to build
Related: Bears vs. Seahawks best bets.
Chicago visits Seattle on Monday, November 2, at 8:15 p.m. Eastern. The central Showdown decision is whether paying $18,000 for Smith-Njigba at Captain leaves enough production in the other five spots.
Our MNF DFS priorities
- Premium Captain: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, $18,000 CPT / $12,000 FLEX
- Alternative Captain: Colston Loveland, $11,700 CPT / $7,800 FLEX
- Seattle passing-game partner: Sam Darnold, $9,400
- Chicago volume: D’Andre Swift, $9,800
- Salary relief: Tory Horton, $2,800; Cooper Kupp, $4,800
- Higher-variance Chicago receiver: Luther Burden III, $9,000
CTS projected ownership
CTS analyst estimates for this Showdown slate. Captain and FLEX are separate roster-slot estimates, not contest results.
| Player | FLEX salary | Captain ownership | FLEX ownership |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jaxon Smith-Njigba | $12,000 | 31.3% | 34.2% |
| Sam Darnold | $9,400 | 9.8% | 48.3% |
| Caleb Williams | $10,200 | 11.7% | 45.3% |
| D'Andre Swift | $9,800 | 17.6% | 31.9% |
| Luther Burden III | $9,000 | 9.8% | 31.8% |
| Colston Loveland | $7,800 | 6.9% | 28.7% |
| Cooper Kupp | $4,800 | 1.3% | 32.4% |
| Tory Horton | $2,800 | 1.0% | 31.9% |
| Rome Odunze | $7,600 | 3.9% | 24.1% |
| AJ Barner | $4,600 | 1.0% | 26.9% |
| Zach Charbonnet | $7,000 | 2.0% | 21.9% |
| Seahawks | $4,200 | 0.6% | 21.7% |
| Jason Myers | $5,400 | 0.4% | 20.6% |
| Sam Roush | $1,200 | 0.4% | 20.2% |
| Cairo Santos | $5,000 | 0.3% | 18.9% |
| Emanuel Wilson | $7,400 | 1.0% | 16.3% |
| Bears | $3,800 | 0.3% | 15.0% |
| Kalif Raymond | $3,600 | 0.3% | 11.3% |
| Roschon Johnson | $3,400 | 0.3% | 9.9% |
| George Holani | $3,000 | 0.1% | 3.0% |
| Zavion Thomas | $2,000 | 0.1% | 2.0% |
| Jahdae Walker | $800 | <0.1% | 1.6% |
| Eric Saubert | $1,600 | <0.1% | 1.2% |
| Nick Kallerup | $600 | <0.1% | 0.8% |
Smith-Njigba leads our Captain estimates at 31.3%, compared with 17.6% for Swift and 6.9% for Loveland. Loveland offers a less crowded Captain choice backed by real target volume, while keeping enough salary for multiple premium FLEX players.
The affordable Seattle receivers will attract plenty of company: Kupp projects for 32.4% FLEX ownership and Horton 31.9%. Their salaries make them useful, but neither is an overlooked play. Roush also projects for 20.2% in FLEX. Paying down to him sacrifices receiving certainty without buying much uniqueness.
Smith-Njigba has earned the premium
Smith-Njigba has 78 targets, 58 catches, 867 receiving yards and eight touchdowns through seven games. His last three games produced 36 targets, 26 catches and 386 yards. That sustained volume puts him first in the Captain conversation.
Seattle’s official Week 7 recap credited him with his sixth 100-yard game in seven appearances. His production has been backed by repeated double-digit target games. Seattle’s Week 7 recap
The cost is the counterargument. Smith-Njigba at Captain consumes 36% of the salary cap. A merely good game can still leave a cheaper Captain ahead once the five FLEX spots are counted. Chicago also added Jeffery Simmons, and Seattle will be without left tackle Charles Cross. Pressure matters even when the receiver matchup looks attractive.
Loveland offers a different way to spend
Loveland drew 19 targets over his last two games, catching 13 passes for 134 yards and two touchdowns. He saves $6,300 compared with Smith-Njigba at Captain, enough to change the entire lineup rather than merely swap one punt.
He finished Saturday as a full participant with no game designation. Cole Kmet is on injured reserve, and Chicago expects rookie Sam Roush to take on more work behind Loveland. Loveland leads a much thinner tight-end room. Bears injury report; Chicago’s tight-end outlook
Seattle allowed opposing tight ends a combined 4.7 catches and 34.4 receiving yards per game through Week 7. Loveland’s recent involvement keeps him high on our list despite a difficult matchup.
Quarterbacks and Chicago’s other ceiling plays
Darnold costs $800 less than Caleb Williams and fits naturally beside a Smith-Njigba Captain. He passed for 278 and 257 yards in his last two games, but threw only one touchdown across those games. A Seattle receiver can have a strong night without Darnold leading the slate.
Williams, $10,200, passed for 305 and 308 yards in his last two starts. Loveland and Burden are his preferred stacking partners. Seattle held opposing quarterbacks to 158 passing yards per game through seven games, however. That makes Williams an appealing but expensive bet on Chicago sustaining its recent passing form.
Burden caught all 12 of his targets for 225 yards across his last two games. His latest 130-yard performance came on only four targets. That explosiveness is attractive in tournaments, but it is a thinner volume case than Smith-Njigba’s. Rome Odunze, $7,600, is $1,400 cheaper and has reached 40 receiving yards in six of seven games. He has yet to score a receiving touchdown this season.
Swift remains the Chicago back to prioritize
Swift has 47 carries and 12 receptions over his last three games, with four rushing touchdowns. Kyle Monangai remains out. Swift’s established workload matters more than treating that announcement as a brand-new opportunity.
Seattle has allowed running backs a combined 5.4 catches per game. Swift caught four passes in each of his last three appearances, giving him a way to contribute even if Chicago struggles to run efficiently. Roschon Johnson is still part of the risk: he had 13 carries in Week 6 before falling to two in Week 7. Swift remains the preferred back despite Johnson’s occasional involvement.
The salary savers
Tory Horton, $2,800
Rashid Shaheed and Velus Jones Jr. are out. Seattle explicitly identified a bigger role for Horton, making him the most interesting inexpensive receiver. Horton had only one target and no catches in Week 7, so the opportunity ahead matters more than his recent box score. Seattle’s Monday injury and role updates
Cooper Kupp, $4,800; AJ Barner, $4,600
Kupp had 15 targets and 85 receiving yards over his last three games. Barner had 14 targets and 78 yards in that span. Both offer access to Seattle’s passing game for less than $5,000. Kupp is the preferred receiver complement; Barner is an alternative when building around tight-end scoring rather than adding another Seattle wideout.
Sam Roush, $1,200
Roush is genuine salary relief, with an official expectation of more reps after Kmet’s injury. The receiving record is thin: three catches for 33 yards across Weeks 2 through 4, followed by no targets in Weeks 5 and 6. He belongs in aggressive constructions that need the savings, not in a list of dependable core plays.
Seattle’s backfield is different this week
Zach Charbonnet, $7,000, is cleared for his season debut. That changes the argument for Emanuel Wilson, $7,400, who rushed 24 times for 100 yards and a touchdown in Week 7. Repeating Wilson’s old workload would ignore the returning back. Charbonnet offers a tournament path through touchdowns, but there is no confirmed carry split.
Jadarian Price remains on injured reserve in Seattle’s current roster listing. He is omitted from these examples pending activation. Seattle injury report; Seahawks roster
Kickers, defenses and the conditions
Jason Myers costs $5,400 and Cairo Santos costs $5,000. Santos is especially useful in a Seattle-led build that gives Chicago enough offense to reach scoring range without requiring several passing touchdowns. Seattle DST is $4,200; Chicago DST is $3,800. Cross’ absence creates a real pressure opportunity for Chicago, but Seattle’s line also adds Quenton Nelson at left guard and moves Grey Zabel to right guard. Both fronts look different this week. Seattle’s line changes; Chicago adds Simmons
The current National Weather Service forecast calls for cloudy conditions and calm wind Monday night in downtown Seattle. There is no present wind-based reason to downgrade the passing games or kickers. National Weather Service forecast
Two ways to build
Smith-Njigba Captain: $49,800
| Slot | Player | Salary |
|---|---|---|
| CPT | Jaxon Smith-Njigba | $18,000 |
| FLEX | Sam Darnold | $9,400 |
| FLEX | D’Andre Swift | $9,800 |
| FLEX | Cooper Kupp | $4,800 |
| FLEX | Tory Horton | $2,800 |
| FLEX | Cairo Santos | $5,000 |
This puts four spots into Seattle’s passing game and brings Chicago back through Swift and Santos. It needs Seattle’s receiving production to be concentrated enough for Smith-Njigba to lead while Kupp and Horton contribute. Multiple Chicago passing touchdowns spread among receivers would hurt a build without Williams.
Loveland Captain: $49,700
| Slot | Player | Salary |
|---|---|---|
| CPT | Colston Loveland | $11,700 |
| FLEX | Caleb Williams | $10,200 |
| FLEX | Jaxon Smith-Njigba | $12,000 |
| FLEX | D’Andre Swift | $9,800 |
| FLEX | Cooper Kupp | $4,800 |
| FLEX | Sam Roush | $1,200 |
This is the more aggressive example. Loveland’s lower Captain salary buys Williams, Swift and Smith-Njigba together, but Roush is the weak point. Using both Chicago tight ends leaves the lineup especially dependent on Roush earning receiving work. His savings buy the stars, but he could contribute very little.