Lions at 49ers Single-Game NFL DFS Picks for Monday Night Football

We have potential high-scoring affair on tap for Monday Night Football between the Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers, setting the stage for an entertaining FanDuel slate. The Lions are slight road favorites in a game boasting a 50.5 total.

For those unfamiliar, single-game slates feature five flex spots with identical scoring to the main slate. However, kickers are included in these contests, and there is an "MVP" roster slot. The MVP receives 1.5 times his total fantasy points, making this spot crucial.

FanDuel Research's Brandon Gdula has done a deep dive on single-game strategy, and FanDuel Research has NFL DFS projections if you select the game from the slate tab. It's worth checking out both before making your lineups.

All NFL projections via our numbers at FanDuel Research, and NFL odds references are to FanDuel Sportsbook.

Lions at 49ers NFL DFS Picks

MVP Candidates

It isn't shocking to see Jahmyr Gibbs ($15,000) top our single-slate NFL DFS projections as Detroit's unquestioned featured back with David Montgomery out for the foreseeable future. In Week 16, Gibbs converted 23 carries and 5 targets into 154 scrimmage yards and a touchdown for 26.4 FanDuel points, and no other Lions back earned more than 5 opportunities. He also logged 81.8% of the red zone carries. Add in that the 49ers are 27th in schedule-adjusted rush defense, and Gibbs' case for the MVP slot is crystal clear.

Quarterbacks Brock Purdy ($14,500) and Jared Goff ($15,500) follow Gibbs closely in our projections. Both players are showing fairly high passing yardage prop lines as Purdy's is set at 255.5 while Goff's is at 250.5. Both are fully capable of putting up MVP-worthy numbers if this turns into a shootout.

While Goff sometimes takes a back seat to the Lions' rush attack, he's demonstrated a high ceiling when he's been asked to throw, averaging 0.24 expected points added per dropback, per NFL Next Gen Stats. It's worth noting that San Francisco has given up the fourth-fewest FanDuel points per game to QBs, though, so a Gibbs-heavy game plan could be upcoming.

If the Lions do unleash Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown ($14,000) could pop for a big performance. He leads the team in target share (27.3%), air yards share (31.9%), and red zone target share (30.6%). Due to Goff's up-and-down passing value, St. Brown hasn't had the most consistent results, but he's spiked for 30-plus FanDuel points twice in 2024. However, much like his quarterback, the matchup stings against a defense that's given up the fewest FanDuel points per game to WRs.

Isaac Guerendo ($10,500) will return after sitting out Week 16, and he should reclaim his role as the 49ers' lead running back. In his two starts, Guerendo has averaged 15.5 carries and 3.0 targets, and he blew up for 128 scrimmage yards and a pair of TDs in one of those outings (25.8 points). Plagued by injuries on defense, the Lions are down to 18th in adjusted rush D.

Deebo Samuel ($10,000), George Kittle ($12,500), and Jauan Jennings ($11,000) all project for double-digit points as borderline MVPs or high-end flex plays.

Following Brandon Aiyuk being lost for the year, we've had six games with all three active, and Jennings has led the trio with a 26.9% target share while both Samuel and Kittle have been at 19.9% apiece. Jennings also leads the way in air yards share over that span (36.5%) while averaging 4.0 downfield targets (10+ air yards) per game. In the aforementioned sample, Kittle leads the team in both red zone target share (29.2%) and end zone target share (50.0%), and he's cracked 100+ receiving yards in two of the last three games.

Samuel has largely been a disappointment this year, but he's coming off one of his best fantasy performances (21.6 points) and could continue to get increased reps out of the backfield after seeing 5 rushes last week.

Flex Targets

Jameson Williams ($11,500) -- Since returning to the lineup in Week 10, Williams has logged an 18.4% target share and 30.0% air yards share over seven games. He can pop for the occasional spike week when Goff connects for a deep touchdown pass.

Sam LaPorta ($9,500) -- Following a one-game absence in Week 11, LaPorta is second on the Lions with a 19.0% target share and 23.1% red zone target share over the last five games. He's reached double-digit FanDuel points three times across that sample.

Jake Bates ($9,000) and Jake Moody ($9,000) -- Bates projects well as a beneficiary of this high-powered Detroit offense, and he should flirt with 10+ FanDuel points. But if this game turns into a shootout, the kickers will need to luck into a lot of FG attempts to keep pace.

Tim Patrick ($8,000) -- In four games with Kalif Raymond out, Patrick has recorded a 12.2% target share and 72.2% route rate for Detroit, putting him on the touchdown-or-bust radar.

Ricky Pearsall ($8,000) -- Across the last six games with Jennings, Samuel, and Kittle active, Pearsall has a 9.9% target share and 65.2% route rate for the 49ers, putting him in a similar boat as Tim Patrick.

Craig Reynolds ($7,500) -- In Week 16, Reynolds logged a mere 15.4% snap rate with 4 rushes and a target. He likely needs a Gibbs injury or significant garbage time to have any shot of fantasy relevance tonight.

Get ready for Monday Night Football! All customers get a 25% Profit Boost for a LIVE wager on the Lions vs 49ers game happening December 30th. See here for full terms and conditions. Learn about today’s other offers at FanDuel Sportsbook Promos.

Interested in playing NFL DFS? Head over to FanDuel’s daily fantasy football lobby to see all the offerings for this week's slates.

Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook and FanDuel Daily Fantasy today!

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.