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If you’re a DFS player, you know that a successful lineup has to have a solid combination of big-name star power players that are known commodities with a few high-upside players that provide a little more bang for your buck.
If you pay up for a big name in your daily fantasy lineup, you definitely cannot afford for that player to put up a dud of a game in your lineup.
So here are the running backs that will likely provide some of the best and worst value for Week 11 (Values from DraftKings).
BEST: Ezekiel Elliott (DAL) - $9,000
Dak Prescott might have had a great game last week, but it didn’t result in a win for the Dallas Cowboys. If the Cowboys want to win games, Jason Garrett will likely need to lean more on his Pro Bowl running back to help balance the Cowboys offense. There isn’t a much better opportunity to do that than against the Detroit Lions and the NFL’s worst rushing defense.
WORST: Alvin Kamara (NO) - $7,400
From the NFL’s worst rushing defense to the NFL’s best, the New Orleans Saints are traveling to Tampa to face the best rush defense in the league in the Buccaneers. In the last meeting between these two teams, Kamara rushed for “only” 62 yards and no touchdowns, but this time the two will be playing outside the friendly confines of the Mercedes-Benz Super Dome. Add in the fact that Latavius Murray showcased his talents while Kamara missed two weeks due to injury, and all signs seem to indicate back-to-back poor performances from Kamara (24 rushing yards last week against the Atlanta Falcons).
BEST: Josh Jacobs (OAK) - $6,900
Josh Jacobs has all the ingredients you look for in a DFS running back: a talented between-the-tackles runner, lack of competition for touches, no goal line back to vulture touchdowns, and a game script that likely involves leaning on the run game. With the Miami Dolphins suddenly deciding to win games, it’s been the Cincinnati Bengals who have been the worst team in the NFL. That means the Oakland Raiders will likely be able to build a lead early and then lean on Jacobs to keep the lead late. The stars are aligning for a big game for Jacobs this week.
WORST: Kenyan Drake (ARI) - $5,400
In Drake’s second game with the Arizona Cardinals, he doubled-up the number of rushing attempts as David Johnson and was far more efficient. However, does anyone honestly believe this is going to be the Kenyan Drake Show moving forward? No, instead it was more than likely just a case of the Cardinals being overly cautious in Johnson’s first game back from injury. With that week under his belt, I expect the number of touches to shift back in DJ’s favor. I wouldn’t start either Arizona running back this week against the San Francisco 49ers, but if you’re going to start one, pick Johnson who shockingly comes $300 cheaper.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is cdunnz) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.