DraftKings Week 11 Optimal Lineup: Best Picks In DFS Fantasy Football
We’re sure you’re discouraged about your season-long fantasy football team, but that shouldn’t deter you from taking a run at daily fantasy. And with the New England Patriots being the only true playoff contender idle in Week 11, there are sure to be some exciting options when selecting a team for this Sunday.
Below is our “optimal lineup” for DraftKings’ main Sunday slate (early afternoon and late afternoon games), which allots a $50,000 budget for a roster of nine players.
Quarterback: Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys ($5,200)
We know, we know. Prescott usually isn’t a quarterback you should be going all-in on in fantasy, but hear us out on this one.
The Cowboys signal-caller has thrown just one interception in his last four games while launching six passing touchdowns and rushing for three more in that stretch. And while he’s been shaky on the road this season, he has about a good a matchup as could be in Week 11, squaring off against a downright dreadful Atlanta Falcons defense. Given the financial flexibility he gives you with the rest of your roster, recent performances and his matchup, Prescott is worth a look.
Running Backs: Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints ($8,200); James Conner, Pittsburgh Steelers ($7,200)
If you have a chance to draft Kamara, you probably should. He’s a touchdown machine, racking up eight combined between the air and on the ground in his last four (yep, four) games. That coupled with a tilt against a pedestrian Philadelphia Eagles defense should have owners licking their chops.
And now that Le’Veon Bell officially is done for the 2018 season, Conner will continue to be a must-start player. He’s averaging a whopping 26.5 fantasy points per game and will face a Jacksonville Jaguars rush defense that ranks 18th in the NFL.
Wide Receivers: DeAndre Hopkins, Houston Texans ($7,900); Sterling Shepard, New York Giants ($5,300); Nelson Agholor, Philadelphia Eagles ($4,100)
One thing you can always count on for Hopkins is volume, plus, he’s found the end zone in each of his last four games, with two TD grabs in Week 8. Oh, and the Texans are facing a miserable Washington Redskins pass defense that is 25th in the league.
The Giants are dreadful, but Shepard did score the game-winning touchdown in Week 10 and possesses enough explosiveness to do damage in fantasy. A matchup with Tampa Bay’s appalling fourth-worst pass defense means his matchups will be all the more favorable with most of the attention on Odell Beckham Jr.
The Saints are one of the best teams in the NFL, but that doesn’t excuse the fact that they have the second-worst pass defense. Agholor has just one touchdown this year and it came in Week 2, but it will be a gunslinging affair in New Orleans, which elevates his fantasy ceiling.
Tight End: Eric Ebron, Indianapolis Colts ($4,300)
It appears Ebron actually may be a legit pass-catching tight end. In his first year with the Colts, Ebron decided he would go scorched earth in the receiving game, grabbing 10 touchdowns already this season.
Indeed, the Colts’ Week 10 opponent, the Tennessee Titans, have a solid defense (just ask Tom Brady), but Ebron has been Andrew Luck’s primary target in the red zone this season and matchups nary have been a worry so far.
Flex: Demaryius Thomas, Houston Texans ($4,900)
As mentioned with Hopkins, the Redskins’ defense is a tire fire. So although Thomas wasn’t overly effective in his first game with the Texans, it was pretty clear the tilt mainly was a feeling out process for him.
Because of that, reasonable minds would think he’s going to be far more involved this time around, especially when most of Washington’s focus will be on Hopkins.
Defense: Pittsburgh Steelers ($2,900)
This is a pick purely with the matchup in mind. The Steelers have a pretty middle-of-the-road defense, but Jacksonville’s anemic offense makes Pitt a good option so you can save some cash when drafting your defense.
