Winners Club: Fantasy Football and Betting Advice for NFL Week 11
The Ravens routed the Bengals in an injury-riddled Thursday night game that saw Joe Burrow and Mark Andrews both exit early. Cincinnati’s quarterback hurt his wrist and Baltimore’s top tight end suffered what’s feared to be a season-ending ankle injury.
This AFC North battle was billed as one of the best games of the week, but there’s still Monday’s Super Bowl rematch to look forward to, as well as other key games that will factor into the tight playoff race as the season winds down.
In today’s Winners Club you’ll find:
Fantasy Football Lineup Decisions
Quarterback injuries keep piling up with Deshaun Watson (shoulder) sidelined for the season. The Browns tapped rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson to start in his place, which could be a concern for Amari Cooper managers going forward. On the other hand, two fantasy stars could be back on the field come Sunday: Justin Jefferson (hamstring) and De’Von Achane (knee) are both eligible to return from injured reserve this week.
This is a more manageable set of teams on bye with the Saints, Colts, Patriots and Falcons all idle this week. Where that hurts the most is at the running back position, but thankfully Michael Fabiano has RB recommendations as well as start/sit advice and player rankings for every position.
Start ’Em, Sit ’Em: QB | RB | WR | TE | K & D/ST
Player Rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE | FLEX | K | D&ST
Jen Piacenti shared her DFS picks for Week 11 and her preferred QB-TE stack is Kyler Murray and Trey McBride, who linked up eight times for 131 yards last time out. And as expensive as Austin Ekeler might be this week, she thinks he’s worth his high price tag in a plus matchup with the Packers. As far as bargain options go, you could do worse than Rico Dowdle or Romeo Doubs to round out your lineup.
NFL Week 11 Picks and Lines
There’s a stark contrast between last week’s primetime slate and this one. For one, Week 11 began with two teams that have winning records rather than two at the bottom of the barrel. And Monday night’s Eagles-Chiefs game has the potential to be the game of the year.
Of course, the rematch from the Big Game and potential preview of what’s to come this February is our No. 1 game to bet this week. See which other games made the list and find out which way Gilberto Manzano, Matt Verderame and I are leaning as we share our ATS and O/U picks as well as score predictions for the best Week 11 games.
You’ll also notice below that the Dolphins, Cowboys and 49ers are all favored by 10 or more points, so I took a look at how double-digit favorites have performed against the spread this season. The short answer is they’ve been rather successful, although there’s one situation and one team in particular it’s best not to back when giving so many points.
Manzano shared his five best over/under picks and he made sure to steer clear of the Steelers-Browns game, which has an Iowa-esque total of 32.5 points. Yuck.
Piacenti picked her favorite props for this week, one of which involves taking the over on rookie Tank Dell’s receptions. Dell has been one of C.J. Stroud’s favorite targets and he has a good matchup at home against the Cardinals.
The MMQB team has straight-up picks for the remaining 13 games this week. With so many large spreads, they’re not predicting too many upsets, though a handful of our writers are backing the Birds in Kansas City on Monday.
Darren Yamashita/USA TODAY Sports
1 p.m. ET (CBS): Steelers vs. Browns (-1.5) | Total: 32.5
1 p.m. ET (FOX): Bears vs. Lions (-7.5) | Total: 47.5
1 p.m. ET (FOX): Chargers (-3.5) vs. Packers | Total: 44.5
1 p.m. ET (CBS): Raiders vs. Dolphins (-13.5) | Total: 45.5
1 p.m. ET (FOX): Giants vs. Commanders (-9.5) | Total: 36.5
1 p.m. ET (FOX): Cowboys (-10.5) vs. Panthers | Total: 41.5
1 p.m. ET (CBS): Titans vs. Jaguars (-6.5) | Total: 39.5
1 p.m. ET (CBS): Cardinals vs. Texans (-5.5) | Total: 47.5
4:05 p.m. ET (FOX): Buccaneers vs. 49ers (-12.5) | Total: 41.5
4:25 p.m. ET (CBS): Jets vs. Bills (-7.5) | Total: 39.5
4:25 p.m. ET (CBS): Seahawks (-1.5) vs. Rams | Total: 46.5
8:20 p.m. ET (NBC): Vikings vs. Broncos (-2.5) | Total: 42.5
8:15 p.m. ET (ABC, ESPN): Eagles vs. Chiefs (-2.5) | Total: 45.5*
*Monday Night Football
No. 1 UGA Goes for 28th Straight Win
The Bulldogs leapt past the Buckeyes to reclaim the top spot in the latest CFP rankings this week. Now No. 1 Georgia is a double-digit favorite in Knoxville against No. 18 Tennessee. The Volunteers got blown out last week, but they’re still a tough team to beat at Neyland Stadium. Can UGA cover the number and extend its winning streak? I shared my pick in the Week 12 CFB betting breakdown.
John Bazemore/AP
The other marquee college football game Saturday involves playoff-hopeful No. 5 Washington. The Huskies just need to keep on winning to punch their ticket and they’ve had some close calls as of late. UW is an underdog on the road against No. 11 Oregon State for the first time this year. However, the bet I’m locked in on in this matchup involves the over/under.
Pat Forde and Richard Johnson also shared their insights on Georgia-Tennessee and made picks for a few other big bouts on campuses around the country.
Top 25 Action
2:30 p.m. ET (Pac-12 Network): No. 22 Utah vs. No. 17 Arizona (-1.5) | Total: 45.5
7 p.m. ET (FS1): No. 21 Kansas State (-9.5) vs. No. 25 Kansas | Total: 57.5
Other Games for Your Consideration
12 p.m. ET (ABC): No. 10 Louisville vs. Miami (-1.5) | Total: 45.5
3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN): No. 20 North Carolina vs. Clemson (-7.5) | Total: 59.5
8 p.m. ET (FOX): No. 7 Texas (-7.5) vs. Iowa State | Total: 46.5
In Other News
Jim Harbaugh Accepts Three-Game Suspension: No. 3 Michigan came to terms with the conference regarding the legal fight over the suspension of its head coach. The Wolverines, who beat Penn State on Saturday without Harbaugh, wrap up the regular season on the road against Maryland at home against No. 2 Ohio State.
76ers On the Rise in Latest NBA Power Rankings: Despite back-to-back losses, Philadelphia has earned a top-three spot for its early-season play. The Sixers lost on Wednesday to the top-ranked Celtics, who are tied with the No. 2 Nuggets for the best record in the league.
James Madison’s Postseason Waiver Request Denied: The No. 18 Dukes will not be going bowling despite their 10–0 start. JMU is in its second season at the FBS level, which makes the team ineligible for a bowl game or conference championship appearance.
All the NFL games this week are domestic so enjoy the extra time before Sunday’s slate kicks off. And remember to follow us @SI_Betting and @SI_Fantasy and you can find me @Kkylewood.
Thanks for reading! Winners Club will be back in your inbox Sunday morning. Until then.
