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

Tight Ends

Tight end is fantasy football’s thinnest position, and therefore the hardest place for DFS players to find value when creating their DraftKings lineups. Austin Hooper‘s knee injury, Evan Engram‘s primary residence on the injury report and George Kittle’s doubtful designation has made the landscape even more barren:

Spending money on top tight ends is therefore an understandable practice, but consistency is key in doing so. Travis Kelce (KC at LAC, $6,800) has arguably been the most consistent tight end not named Hooper, but he’s also the most expensive given Kittle’s expected designation.

Is there a doctor in the house? Can anyone here play tight end?? Are there any worthwhile Week 11 starts other than Kelce??? We didn’t have all the answers, so we rolled up our sleeves, dug deep, and got our hands dirty. Here’s what we found:

Mark Andrews (BAL vs. HOU, $6,100) is as solid an option as any and faces a susceptible Houston Texans pass defense on the heels of his own 23.3 point performance in Week 10. The Texans largely kept Darren Waller in check, but were taken to task by Eric Ebron the week before. Opposing defenses have elected to attack the Texans cornerss via wide receivers, but that may change as soon as this week; given the recent additions of Gareon Conley and Vernon Hargreaves, opponents with formidable tight ends may elect to exploit those mismatches instead.

Hunter Henry (LAC vs. KC, $5,700) was once one of the fallen, but has scored 13 or more fantasy points in four of five games since returning from injury. The Chiefs rank 22nd in the league in terms of points allowed to the tight end position, making Henry one of Week 11’s best matchups at the tight end position.

Darren Waller (OAK vs. CIN, $5,500) has slumped of late, with three straight so-so games. He is still one of the go-to weapons in the Raiders’ passing attack, and as such, offers significant upside against a terrible Bengals defense, however.

Jared Cook (NO at TB, $4,400) offers true value against one of the league’s worst pass defenses. Cook was on the receiving end of 10 targets in his return to action last week, hauling in six passes for 74 yards. His first trip to the end zone in over a month is almost an expectation; Cook should finish as a top-five fantasy tight end in Week 11.

Greg Olsen (CAR vs. ATL, $3,900) is more of a risky play, but he’s a hot hand in the Panthers’ offense right now after a big week in Lambeau Field against the Green Bay Packers. He’s a good bet for a second straight solid week against a vulnerable Falcons pass defense, which ranks 24th in the league in fantasy points allowed to tight ends.

Honorable mentions include lower-priced tight ends such as Kyle Rudolph (MIN vs. DEN, $3,600), who has quietly been productive fantasy TE in Thielen’s absence, despite inconsistent volume and usage and the looming specter of young Irv Smith, Jr.

Also, O.J. Howard (TB vs. NO, $3,600) showed flashes of the talent that made him a relatively high draft pick in season-long leagues; he’s well-positioned to build on that success against a Saints defense that will be stretched thin in their attempts to limit the downfield damage caused by Evans and Godwin.

Ross Dwelley (SF vs. ARI, $3,400) stands in for George Kittle against the Arizona Cardinals, who are historically horrific at defending the tight end. Mike Gesicki (MIA vs. BUF, $3,500) had a bit of a breakout game two weeks ago, but anyone who’s been following him since his Penn State days believes he’s just scratching the surface of his potential.

With Tre’Davious White set to lock down Davante Parker, and Preston Williams out for the season, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Gesicki finish as the Dolphins’ most targeted receiver in Week 11.

Higher risk, lower-cost options include Ryan Griffin (NYJ at WAS, $2,900), who benefits from the absence (once again) of Chris Herndon and veteran Ben Watson (NE at PHI, $2,900), who played every single snap on offense for the Patriots in Week 9, and has seen five targets in two of his three games so far this season.