NFL DFS Week 11 Picks: Bargain Buys and Spend-Up Studs
It’s time to set those Week 11 DFS lineups!
I’ve broken down Sunday’s main slate into tiers to target players at all salary levels. I’m very interested this week in the Cowboys-Vikings game for both spend-up plays and some mid-tier values. SI Sportsbook has this contest as the third-highest total of the week, and it sets up well for DFS. I didn’t mention Justin Jefferson in the spend-up plays, but if you can fit him into your lineup, he is always worth a start. Dak Prescott could be the biggest value on the slate, and I also like some Cowboys pass-catchers.
I have also found value plays in the Commanders-Texans matchup that I think could pay big dividends, and the Bears-Falcons game has great options. Though he isn’t mentioned below, if you need a huge salary-saving dart, also consider running back Travis Ebner, who should be splitting time with David Montogmery now that Khalil Herbert has landed on the IR.
Let’s get to it.
NFL DFS Top-Tier Plays
Quarterback
Justin Fields, Bears
Fields has been a Top 5 DFS quarterback for the past four weeks in a row, and he’s only just now cracking the Top 5 in DFS salary. Fields has run for 147 or more yards and thrown 2-plus TDs in each of his last two games, scoring more than 40 DFS points in those contests. This week, he gets an Atlanta team that has allowed the most passing yards and the fourth-most rushing TDs this year.
Saquon Barkley, the NFL’s top all-purpose threat this season, has another plus matchup this week against the Lions.
Robert Deutsch/USA Today Sports
Running Back
Saquon Barkley, Giants
Saquon is so, so good. It’s just that easy.
Oh, and did I mention that the Lions have allowed the second-most rushing yards per game this year? Set it and forget it.
Wide Receiver
CeeDee Lamb, Cowboys
Lamb finished as the No. 1 over wideout last week and this week he has another favorable matchup vs. a Vikings secondary that has allowed the third-most receiving yards and the fifth-best catch rate (67.9%) to opposing wideouts this year. Lamb is the clear WR1 in Dallas, commanding a league-leading 32.1% of his team’s targets as well as 39.5% of the team’s target air yards (fourth).
Tight End
Dalton Schultz, Cowboys
Let’s continue with our Cowboys stack here and include Dalton Schultz. Now that Prescott is back under center, Schultz has resumed his spot as the number two receiver in Dallas. Schultz has seen more targets (15), yards (128), catches (12) and TDs (1) than Michael Gallup across the past two contests.
NFL DFS Mid-Tier Plays
Quarterback
Dak Prescott, Cowboys
The Vikings have allowed the fourth-most passing yards per game to opposing QBs this season (262.9), and Prescott is coming off a game in which he passed the ball 46 times.
Minnesota is allowing a touchdown in 72% of red-zone situations, and 2.4 touchdowns per game. Dallas is scoring 2.7 touchdowns per game this year. You can see why I am liking a Cowboys stack in the game with the third-highest implied points total at SI Sportsbook.
Running Back
Cordarrelle Patterson, Falcons
Patterson was a bust last week, but luckily you didn’t play him in your DFS lineup, right? This week, his matchup looks excellent- especially for this salary -- and I’m willing to bet on a bounce-back. Chicago has surrendered the fifth-most rushing yards and the most rushing TDs this year to opposing running backs. This is a run-first Atlanta team, and this game is tied for the highest game total of the week with the Chiefs-Chargers game that isn’t on this slate.
Wide Receiver
Tyler Boyd, Bengals
Ja’Marr Chase remains out, and if you don’t want to pay up for Tee HIggins, who has been unreliable of late, Boyd is your guy. Boyd has seen 11 targets across the past two contests and he can go off on any given Sunday. This could easily be that Sunday as the Steelers have allowed the third -most passing yards per game and a league-leading 17 touchdowns to opposing wide receivers.
Tight End
Greg Dulcich, Broncos
Dulcich and Russell Wilson couldn’t get on the same page last week, but nevertheless he saw four targets and his matchup this week with the Raiders is very favorable. Las Vegas is allowing the fourth-most DFS points per game to tight ends, including the second-most touchdowns (6).
NFL DFS Bargain-Tier Plays
Quarterback
Daniel Jones, Giants
Daniel Jones gets Detroit this week, and let’s face it, Detroit can make any QB a DFS stud. They’ve allowed two QB1 finishes across the past three weeks (Tua Tagovailoa, Fields), and Daniel Jones is the type of mobile QB that can take advantage. Jones has the fourth-most rushing yards at the QB position this year, and he’s had two Top 8 DFS finishes this season -- both vs. similarly predictable defenses (Jacksonville, Chicago).
Running Back
Antonio Gibson/Brian Robinson, Commanders
Either of these two running backs are excellent plays vs. an epically bad Houston run defense that is allowing an average of 34 DFS points per game to opposing running backs. The Texans lead the league in yards (1,407) and rushing touchdowns (13) allowed, and we’ve seen that Ron Rivera is smart enough to know what works. He ran the ball 49 times last week vs. the Eagles, and I expect a similar game plan this weekend. Both Gibson and Robinson scored a touchdown last week with Robinson carrying the ball 26 times to Gibson’s 14.
Wide Receiver
Darnell Mooney, Bears
If you’re playing Fields, you can take the value with Mooney, who probably has the best matchup of the week with the Falcons. Mooney continues to serve as the WR1 even with Chase Claypool in town.
Nico Collins, Texans
If you’re looking for an even bigger salary-saver, I really like Nico Collins, who returned from injury last week to see a team-high 10 targets vs. the Giants. This week, Houston gets a Commanders team that has been generous to opposing wide receivers.
Tight End
Tyler Conklin, Jets
The Patriots have allowed the fifth-most fantasy points per game to TEs across the past four weeks, including two receiving touchdowns in the last three games. Conklin has seen 50 targets this year for the Jets, second only to Garrett Wilson, and he leads the team with three receiving touchdowns.
More fantasy & NFL coverage:
• Week 11 Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em: QB | RB | WR | TE | K/DST
• Week 11 Projections: QB | RB | WR | TE
• Week 11 Dynasty Stock Watch
• Waiver Wire Pickups Week 11
• Top 10 Week 10 Fantasy Takeaways
• Fantasy Fallout: Kupp Injury Torments Tinseltown
• Week 11 IDP Waiver Wire Report
• The Upside-Down World of Long Snappers
