Fantasy football: NFL DFS Bargain Bin Week 11 Sunday Slates
NFL DFS Bargain Bin: Week 11 Sunday Slates Wide Receivers
Diontae Johnson, PIT at JAX ($5,900-DK/$6,400-FD)
Johnson continues to see a barrage of targets from Ben Roethlisberger each week, yet his salaries remain encouragingly affordable and not truly reflective of his role in Pittsburgh’s offense. Along with rookie Chase Claypool, Johnson offers the Steelers air attack an element of explosiveness that is also keeping his DFS floor formidable each week. The good times project to continue in Week 11, as the Steelers are likely to continue throwing plenty while facing a Jaguars defense that’s quietly been much better versus the run in recent weeks but that still has plenty of vulnerability against the pass. Jacksonville has allowed a modest 107.3 rushing yards per contest over its last three games, significantly below their season average of 131.7, and they rank in the top 10 in both adjusted line yards (3.94) and running back yards (4.03) allowed per carry.
It shouldn’t take much more than that for the Steelers to steer away from the ground attack, as they’ve had Roethlisberger put up a combined 88 pass attempts over the last two games alone. Johnson has been targeted on just under 25% of those throws, logging 21 looks and parlaying them into a 12-193-1 line over that span. Meanwhile, the Jags have given up 283.9 passing yards per contest, the second-highest opponent completion percentage (70.2 percent) and a league-high 8.5 yards per attempt. That sets up perfectly for Johnson, who’s garnering 72.3 air yards per game, lays claim to 23.9 percent of Pittsburgh’s air yards overall and is averaging an elite 6.6 yards after the catch, all numbers that render him a high-upside asset at a savings.
Brandin Cooks, HOU VS. NE ($5,200-DK)/$6,100-FD)
Cooks is another example of a pass catcher that’s priced at a level not quite commensurate to his expansive role on his team’s offense, making him another viable cost-savings option at wideout for cash games or tournaments. The veteran speedster has logged between eight and 12 targets in five straight games, settling into a nice groove with quarterback Deshaun Watson after a more uneven start to their connection following a summer without preseason games.
Cooks now sets up for another potentially productive matchup against one of his former squads, as the Pats have allowed an elevated 14.8 yards per reception and 10 receiving touchdowns to wideouts. New England’s Stephon Gilmore is likely to mostly be preoccupied with Cooks’ teammate Will Fuller as well, which should free up the latter to potentially add to the 76.0 air yards per game and 28.5% team air-yards share he already boasts. Cooks is also up to commanding 23.2 percent of the Texans’ targets, and given Houston’s typically pass-happy ways, that could all add up to a strong fantasy return at his prices.
Emmanuel Sanders, NO vs. ATL ($4,900-DK/$5,600-FD)
Sanders’ position mate Michael Thomas is back from his hamstring and ankle injuries and has played a combined 86 snaps over the last two games. However, the star wideout has underwhelmed with a combined 7-78 line over that span, calling his health somewhat into question. Meanwhile, Sanders had admittedly been similarly disappointing during that stretch with five receptions for 43 yards and a touchdown, but he could benefit more than Thomas from the apparent imminent interim starting tenure of the strong-armed Jameis Winston under center.
While Saints head coach Sean Payton has yet to confirm Winston as his starter for Week 11, the general sentiment appears to be the latter and the versatile Taysom Hill will operate in a similar split as Hill and Drew Brees (ribs/lung). Additionally, reports indicate Payton will incorporate more deep passing if Winston is indeed the primary signal caller, which makes sense when considering the 2015 first overall pick notched 75 completions of 20 yards or more last season in Tampa. Sanders gets a favorable positional matchup as well, with the Falcons surrendering the third-most DK (47.1) and second-most FD (37.5) points per game to wide receivers, partly the byproduct of giving up the second-most receiving yards (1,936) and 10 touchdowns to the position. Sanders can still get downfield when given the chance, and he may just get it in the fast track of the Superdome in what could be a back-and-forth affair.