The Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders kicked off Week 11 with a thrilling Thursday Night Football matchup, which carries some significant weight in the NFC East and overall playoff outlook. This sets the stage perfectly moving forward as each game will carry some additional weight from here on out with the playoffs inching closer.
There are four teams on their bye week as the Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers, New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers will each be off until Week 12.
As you seek to maximize your DFS lineups, here’s a look at a few players who could have the inside track to outperform their price points. Be sure to get some superstars in your lineup, but here are some lower-budget names who could help you win your competitions!
Set your DraftKings fantasy football lineups here: NFL $2.5M Fantasy Football Millionaire [$1M to 1st]
Quarterbacks:
Russell Wilson ($5,900)
The Pittsburgh Steelers are set to face off with the Baltimore Ravens in what will be Russell Wilson’s fourth start with the team. After Mike Tomlin made the controversial decision to make a quarterback change, Wilson has lifted the ceiling of the offense with the team being 3-0 in the games that he has started. Based on DraftKings scoring, Wilson has produced fantasy outputs of 24.9, 13.1 and 18.1.
While the Ravens deserve to be considered Super Bowl contenders, their defense is the biggest concern with what could hold them back. So far this season, Baltimore ranks 25th in points allowed and 27th in yards given up. It has been especially poor against the pass and ranks dead last in passing yards and passing touchdowns allowed. The Ravens are also 28th in net yards per pass attempts given up.
These numbers are a bit inflated due to the Ravens playing with a lead for the majority of the season, but there is no side-stepping that this is a favorable matchup for Wilson. The nine-time Pro Bowl QB has thrown for 737 yards, six touchdowns and one interception across his three starts. Expect him to get plenty of opportunity to air it out in this game and for Wilson to have a chance to produce one of the best scoring outputs of the week.
Jameis Winston ($5,500)
We have already seen the good and the bad with Jameis Winston. The former No. 1 pick has stepped into the starting role after Deshaun Watson got injured. In his first game as the starter, Winston threw for 334 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. He finished as the fifth-best fantasy quarterback that week. In his second start, Winston’s turnover demons showed face as he was held to just 235 passing yards, one touchdown and three interceptions against the Chargers.
Coming off a bye week with additional time to prepare, Winston should be in line for more success this week. The Browns have a favorable matchup against the Saints, who are bordering on disaster as an organization. After a strong start to the season, New Orleans has dropped to 3-7, fired its head coach and is not showing any signs of turning things around. Looking at their defensive numbers, the Saints rank 24th in points allowed and 28th in yards given up. They also rank 29th in passing yards given up and 26th in net yards per pass attempt.
While the season-long goals for both teams are out of reach at this point, Winston still has plenty to play for as he looks to carve out another opportunity for himself as a starting quarterback. Expect him to make the most of the opportunity against a struggling Saints team. He will have plenty of opportunities to throw the ball and should have no problem turning this into a positive fantasy output, even if there are some bumps along the way.
Running Backs
Rhamondre Stevenson ($6,100)
The entire outlook of the Patriots season changed when Drake Maye stepped in at quarterback. Rhamondre Stevenson is included in this and will continue to function as the primary running back in the offense. On the season overall, Stevenson has rushed the ball 134 times for 512 yards and four touchdowns. He ranks 21st among all running backs in DraftKings fantasy scoring.
The Patriots are set to face off with the 4-5 Los Angeles Rams this week, who have not lived up to expectations this season. They rank 22nd in both points and yards allowed and 19th in rushing yards allowed. Stevenson is in line for a strong workload as he has tallied 20+ carries in four games this season and averaged 14.8 carries per game overall. It has not been the level of opportunity but rather the lack of impact in these carries that has held Stevenson back. He ranks 46th in the NFL at just 3.8 yards per carry.
Los Angeles’ defense will leave some opportunity for Stevenson and the Patriots to deliver. While he lacks the explosion of some other running backs, the guaranteed carries create a high floor for his production. Stevenson likely will not be among the leaders of the week, but expect him to outperform his price point as the 21st-most expensive running back.
Nick Chubb ($6,000)
There were 398 days in between Nick Chubb suiting up for an NFL game following his gruesome knee injury. The four-time Pro Bowl RB made his return to the field in Week 7 against the Bengals. In the three games he has played this season, he has tallied 42 carries for 113 yards and a touchdown.
Cleveland is still scaling up his workload, but Chubb received 15+ carries in each of the past two weeks. He will also be the beneficiary of going against a porous New Orleans defense. The Saints rank 27th in rushing yards allowed, 29th in rushing touchdowns given up and 31st in net yards per rush attempt.
While the struggling defense helps, the outlook for Chubb is more about him beginning to get fully healthy. He was once one of the premier running backs in the league and is still shaking off the rust. Chubb will also benefit from the bye week and should be in line for his best game of the season. Look for him to return to form and show why he is still plenty capable as a featured back.
Wide Receivers
Jameson Williams ($5,800)
It has been an up-and-down season for Jameson Williams with off-the-field distractions stealing the spotlight away from some impressive showings on the field. The Alabama product has already tallied more receiving yards than his first two seasons combined and has made his way into the end zone three times.
Williams is a big play waiting to happen and can change the outlook for an entire game in just one play. He ranks 46th among all wide receivers in fantasy football output this season, which includes four games with more than 14 fantasy points.
The Detroit Lions are set to face off with the Jacksonville Jaguars this week, and they have made a strong case for the worst defense in the NFL. They rank dead last in yards allowed on the season and 27th in points given up. Jacksonville is also 30th in passing yards allowed and 29th in passing touchdowns given up. Expect Detroit to have its way offensively and get creative with the play call. Count on Williams to be involved in this and have a strong fantasy output this week.
DeAndre Hopkins ($5,700)
The Kansas City Chiefs made a midseason trade to add DeAndre Hopkins and are already reaping the benefits. Patrick Mahomes and the rest of the organization have made it a clear focus to get Hopkins involved right away. Through the first three games with the team, Hopkins has produced 14 catches for 171 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Hopkins even finished as the fourth-best fantasy football wide receiver in Week 9.
Heading into this week, the Chiefs will be facing off with the Buffalo Bills in what will be one of the most highly anticipated games of the season. There is plenty of history between these two teams and Buffalo will be hungry to hand the Chiefs their first loss. While Josh Allen and the offense have shined, the Bills’ defense has had its ups and downs this season. Overall, the Bills rank 19th in yards allowed, 18th in passing yards given up and 14th in passing touchdowns.
Expect Kansas City to use every weapon it has and for Hopkins to continue seeing his role grow within the offense. He still has not logged more than 65% of offensive snaps and this should be expected to grow as he gets more familiar with the team and play call. Expect him to take another stride forward this week and for Hopkins to play his way back into the conversation of elite wide receivers as the season progresses.
Diontae Johnson ($4,800)
There will be a revenge factor in mind for Diontae Johnson as he faces off with the Steelers after spending the first five seasons of his career in Pittsburgh. Johnson has been unable to reach the level of production he produced in Pittsburgh with the Carolina Panthers and was traded to the Baltimore Ravens midseason this season. He has spent two games with Baltimore and tallied just one reception thus far.
It is always a difficult adjustment for players to switch teams midseason. Johnson has not been unleashed yet and logged just 30% and 8% of offensive snaps in the two games he has been active for. The Ravens played on Thursday night last week and the additional days in between could be a huge factor in getting him caught up.
While the Steelers’ defense has been impressive, they have not been particularly strong against the pass. Pittsburgh ranks 19th in passing yards allowed and 13th in net yards per pass attempt. This is a bit of a big swing, but Johnson has tallied over 1,100 receiving yards in the very jerseys he will be playing against. Johnson will eventually play a notable role in the Ravens’ offense and this could be the breakout week.
Tight End
Tucker Kraft ($4,400)
Tight end play has been disappointing across just about the entire NFL this season. However, Tucker Kraft has been one of the exceptions to this. The second-year pass catcher has already recorded more receiving yards and touchdowns compared to last season. Overall, he has tallied 28 receptions for 376 yards and five touchdowns. He ranks eighth among tight ends in fantasy output on the season.
Heading into this matchup, the Packers are set to face off with the Chicago Bears. Despite having plenty of hype coming into the season, the Bears have been far from the playoff contenders they hoped to be. Chicago has allowed an average of 57.7 receiving yards per game to tight ends, which ranks in the bottom 10 in the league. Expect Kraft to continue to be a significant part of the Packers’ lineup and outperform his price point as the 11th-most expensive tight end.
Dawson Knox ($3,500)
The Bills took a notable injury hit as TE Dalton Kincaid has been ruled out of their matchup with the Chiefs due to a knee injury. Luckily, they are better equipped to survive this than most teams as Dawson Knox has a strong case for the best backup tight end in the league. Knox has tallied 10 receptions for 142 yards and a touchdown this season despite serving as the secondary tight end.
Expect Knox to make up for the 34 receptions for 356 yards and two touchdowns that Kincaid has tallied this season. Knox has played five games without Kincaid in his career and produced 31 catches for 281 yards and two touchdowns in these opportunities. Count on this trend to continue and for Knox to vastly outperform his price point as the 20th-most expensive tight end as he faces off with the Chiefs.
Defense & Special Teams
New England Patriots Defense & Special Teams ($2,500)
The New England Patriots have not had a strong defensive outlook this season and have the fifth-worst fantasy output per game. They rank in the middle of the pack or worse in just about every metric but have an opportunity for their best statistical output of the season in this game.
New England will be facing off with the 4-5 Los Angeles Rams, who have underwhelmed greatly this season. The Rams rank 20th in scoring, 22nd in yards tallied and have been held to 20 or fewer points in six of their nine games. The Rams do not look to have the level of offensive explosion that has become expected. While the Patriots’ defense will not win you the week, you can survive with them and the $2,500 price tag if you are looking to save money for other positions.
Set your DraftKings fantasy football lineups here: NFL $2.5M Fantasy Football Millionaire [$1M to 1st]
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is seanbarnard) 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 do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. 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.
