DraftKings NFL Picks, Week 11: Best bargains in DFS play

Whether you’re on a roll or looking to bust a slump, consult our DraftKings positional analysis for the best DFS bargains in Week 11.

This is a time of year when many veterans of season-long fantasy football leagues throw in the towel due to injuries, not to mention disappointing performances from “can’t miss” early-round draft picks. These ill-fated fantasy football fanatics from more traditional formats understandably circle the wagons in mid-November and invariably turn their focus to weekly NFL DFS on DraftKings to fill the void.

Unlike season-long leagues, the key to success in DFS lies in salary cap maximization, which requires an astute awareness of the best available bargains at every position. That’s where we come in. Each week, we go position-by-position on DraftKings, digging past the highest-priced options to find the hidden gems that help NFL DFS players rake in cash.

Typically, we focus our efforts outside of the Top Ten highest priced quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers. True bargains are harder to find among tight ends and defenses, so we alter our selection criteria accordingly for those positions.

Quarterbacks

This week, all eyes will understandably be fixated on the showdown between two of fantasy football’s most electrifying quarterbacks: Lamar Jackson (BAL vs. HOU, $7,700) and Deshaun Watson (HOU at BAL, $6,800). Both should stuff the stat sheet, but their high costs require those who plug them into DFS lineups to maximize value at other positions. DFS players in that situation should hit up the upcoming pages for our recommendations.

Conversely, those who elect to start studs at other positions turn to the quarterback position to find the best values presented by matchups and other such factors. For them, we offer our picks for the most economically scintillating signal-callers in Week 11.

In additon to Jackson and Watson, Drew Brees (NO at TB, $6,900), Dak Prescott (DAL at DET, $6,700), and Josh Allen (BUF at MIA, $6,600) are all high-priced quarterbacks with favorable matchups to exploit. The same can be said for Jameis Winston (TB vs. NO, $6,500), who draws a Saints team that’s suddenly missing top cover corner Marshon Lattimore (more on that later).

Tom Brady (NE at PHI, $6,400) threw for over 500 yards the last time these two teams met, but what most remember is the pass that went through his fingertips. He’s no Nick Foles, but Brady still offers massive potential against a Philadelphia Eagles secondary that has taken more lumps than Myles Garrett‘s bank account. The Eagles are stout against the run, so expect Brady to once again carry the load in this Super Bowl LII rematch.

Derek Carr (OAK vs CIN, $6,100) is a high-floor option against a terrible Cincinnati Bengals pass defense that just officially lost Dre Kirkpatrick for the season. Expect a minimum of 200 yards and two touchdowns…in the first half. Video game numbers are a possibility if the Bengals can somehow force the Raiders to pass in the second half.

Phillip Rivers (LAC vs KC, $5,800) was a letdown last week, but he’s simply too good to be bad for too much longer. KC’s defense is vulnerable to the pass, and the Los Angeles Chargers‘ best skill position players are all relatively healthy. The Chargers are as unpredictable as an NFL team can get; they are as likely to put up 40 points as they are 14. Either way, Rivers offers fair value for the price in Week 11.

Sam Darnold (NYJ at WAS, $5,700) should shoulder more of the load with Le’Veon Bell‘s knee a lingering concern. The Washington Redskins defense scares no one, so Darnold should continue on an upward arc from rock-bottom and extend his two-game run of respectability.

Kyle Allen (CAR vs ATL, $5,300) is a popular choice among fantasy football pundits this week given his recent run of success, and understandably so with weapons such as Christian McCaffrey, D.J. Moore and Curtis Samuel at his disposal.

However, it’s worth noting that one of the more toothless secondaries in the league gets a shot in the arm, as Atlanta Falcons cornerback Desmond Trufant returns from injury in Week 11, somewhat capping the sky-high ceilings of Allen’s wideouts.

Jeff Driskel (DET vs DAL, $4,600) is more of an honorable mention than a recommendation as a high-risk, high-reward, low-budget option for those wishing to stack a lineup full of studs at other positions. His deceptive speed offers a sneaky rushing upside, which opponents aren’t used to seeing from a Detroit Lions quarterback.

Odds are high that he finishes as the Lions’ leading rusher in Week 11, so his legs stabilize an otherwise low floor against a solid Dallas Cowboys defense.