DraftKings NFL Week 11 lineup
By Joe Romano
The air is getting crisper, and the season is past the halfway point. Here’s everything you need to know to compete on DraftKings in NFL Week 11.
I’ve got bad news, daily fantasy players. Those of you that play the main slate of Sunday’s games are in for some tough sledding. Here are the teams playing the night games this week: the Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks, Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears, Los Angeles Rams and the Kansas City Chiefs. That is some fantasy firepower that will be missing. Luckily, the bye teams are the Bills, Browns, Jets, Dolphins, 49ers and Patriots. There will be some big names missing from this week’s slate. That just means a deeper dive and some real value can be found at every position if you know where to look.
Quarterbacks
Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints vs Philadelphia Eagles – $6500
In a week in which Tom Brady is off, and Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers play in prime time, sleeper MVP candidate Drew Brees gets the nod as DraftKings’ highest priced quarterback. The veteran is once again leading a high powered Saints offense coming off a 50-plus point outing. This week in the marquee game of the Sunday slate, they welcome the Eagles to New Orleans. Philadelphia’s defense has been a shell of what it was during last year’s Super Bowl run. It is allowing the ninth highest points per game average to opposing quarterbacks. In what should be a shoot out, Brees is a great play, especially at home.
Carson Wentz, Philadelphia Eagles @ New Orleans Saints – $6300
Clearly DraftKings sees some serious shootout potential in New Orleans this weekend. Right behind Brees comes the game’s other quarterback, Carson Wentz. The Eagles season is not what most expected coming off their Super Bowl run and some of that could be on Wentz coming back from injury. However, he’s played well enough to keep the team in games. This is a must-win for Philadelphia and that’s good news for fantasy players. Wentz gets to go up against the NFL’s worst defense against quarterbacks in New Orleans. The fact the Saints have surrendered four rushing touchdowns to the position only elevates Wentz’s already high floor.
Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers @ Detroit Lions – $6200
If Brees is the biggest surprise MVP candidate then the second leader for that title is Cam Newton. The former number 1 overall pick is having his best throwing season of his career under the new offense tailored for his skill set. With rookie receiver D.J. Moore and the rest of the weapons at his disposal, Newton is showing why he was the league’s MVP only three years ago. This week they travel to Detroit for a game in which the quarterback should dominate. Detroit ranks about league average in points allowed to quarterbacks but Newton should slice them up. The Lions season is going down the dumps and Newton will be the next one to pile on.
Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons vs Dallas Cowboys – $6100
From one former MVP to another, Matt Ryan is the fourth highest priced quarterback this weekend. Ryan and the Falcons are having a tough, injury-plagued season. They’re also coming off a low point, a loss to the Browns. Atlanta will need this win Sunday if it hopes to get into the Wild Card race. They play a Cowboys defense that has looked extremely good as of late. The Cowboys rank about league average in points to quarterbacks. It was only a year ago that Ryan dink and dunked against this same defense in a 27-7 blowout win.
Phillip Rivers, Los Angeles Chargers vs Denver Broncos – $6000
To round out the quarterbacks this week is Phillip Rivers. The Chargers signal caller is having a great fantasy season already with 21 touchdowns to four interceptions. This weekend he stays at home to play the Denver Broncos. Rivers and the entire Chargers team is playing well despite some injuries. This is a good test for the passing attack of Los Angeles. The Broncos are still a tough defense to throw on with their elite pass rush and solid corner rotation. Rivers should find some success but there are better plays out there with that price tag.
Value quarterbacks
Marcus Mariota, Tennessee Titans @ Indianapolis Colts – $5500
Coming off a big win against the Patriots, confidence is high in Tennessee. They now travel to Indianapolis to play a hot Colts team to try and stay ahead in the AFC South race. Marcus Mariota has impressed in the Titans two games off the bye, both wins. The Colts defense has been better than expected but is still vulnerable. On average, they give up the 14th most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. Mariota is a solid option with the new-found confidence despite being on the road against a hot team.
Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys @ Atlanta Falcons – $5200
The Dallas Cowboys offense has not been the ideal fantasy offense this season save for Ezekiel Elliott. However the addition of Amari Cooper has brought some life to this disaster as of late. This is a great opportunity to grab some value with the Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. With a new number one receiver Prescott has been solid in the last two games. This week Prescott gets revenge against the team that dominated him a season ago in Atlanta. The Falcons allow the second most fantasy points to quarterbacks on the season. In a game that could turn into a mini-shootout this is a good option at the quarterback position.