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Austyn Varney highlights the top FanDuel NFL DFS lineup picks for Thursday Night Football for Week 11 of the 2019 season, and a couple of sleepers to consider while building TNF daily fantasy rosters.
It's already week 11! Time flies when you're having fun and this has been an eventful football season to say the least. We have another solid Sunday upcoming, but we'll kick things off with a Thursday match-up between the Browns and Steelers. James Conner is looking good to go, so the Steelers will be back to full strength, relatively.
In this article, I will be providing you with daily fantasy football picks on FanDuel for Thursday Night Football on November 14th, 2019 (Week 11). These lineups can vary from higher-priced players and elite options to lower-priced players and value picks on FanDuel.
If you have any questions you can follow me on Twitter @VarneyDFS and fire away. Now let's break this slate down and make some cash. Good luck RotoBallers!
Editor's Note: The FFPC Baby Gorilla Tournament is now open, featuring a $100,000 grand prize and a $675,450 total prize pool! This 12-team, Tight End Premium contest uses a 20-round draft format, with the overall winners determined by total points scored during Weeks 15–17. Get $25 to use toward your first entry by signing up through our link. Grab your team now! Sign Up Now!
DFS Quarterbacks - Week 10 Picks
Baker Mayfield - CLE vs. PIT (FanDuel $15,500 / DraftKings $9,000)
Mayfield hasn’t been very impressive this season, eclipsing 20 fantasy points just once. The Steelers are an above-average defense against the pass, but they’re not unbeatable. They haven’t faced very many good passers and they have given up 300+ yards to the three best quarterbacks they’ve faced. I don’t love Mayfield at the captain spot, but he’s a primary flex option in both cash games and tournaments.
Mason Rudolph - PIT @ CLE (FanDuel $14,500 / DraftKings $8,400)
Rudolph has been consistent I don’t love Mason Rudolph in this match-up. The Browns aren’t a great defense, but they’re also not necessarily bad. At home, they rank ninth in football against QB’s. They rush the passer with the best of em and have solid cover cornerbacks. With that being said, if the Browns get the lead, Rudolph will be throwing from behind and he makes a solid tournament play. I wouldn't play him in the captain spot, as his upside just isn't high enough. I would much rather play Mayfield at QB in all formats.
DFS Running Backs - Week 10 Picks
Nick Chubb - CLE vs. PIT (FanDuel $14,000 / DraftKings $10,600)
Chubb is a guy you can play at captain tonight. The Browns are three-point home favorites and they made it clear that Chubb is still the clear number one with Hunt back in the mix. The Steelers are a good defense overall, but they’re worse against the run and have given up multiple 100-yard performances. Chubb is your safest bet at captain to put up 15+ fantasy points in a game with a relatively low 40-point total.
James Conner - PIT @ CLE (FanDuel $14,500 / DraftKings $10,800)
With the Steelers being underdogs on the road and Cleveland being pretty solid against the run, James Conner should be a lot less popular than Nick Chubb. This game could easily go the other way and Conner can do it all out of the backfield. He put up 22+ fantasy points in three of the four games before getting injured. If Conner is going to be a bit contrarian and less owned than Chubb, he’s certainly worth a roster spot. You can also consider him at captain as there’s a path this game goes the Steelers way and Conner is who they’ll run the offense through.
Kareem Hunt - CLE vs. PIT (FanDuel $9.000 / DraftKings $5,800)
In his first game back from suspension, Kareem Hunt ran the ball just four times for 30 yards. However, he also caught seven of nine targets for another 44 yards. Against a solid Steelers Defense, I could see Hunt getting another seven-plus targets and his involvement in the running game is only going to go up. On DraftKings, a full-PPR site, I like Hunt as a contrarian captain.
DFS Wide Receivers - Week 10 Picks
Odell Beckham Jr. - CLE vs. PIT (FanDuel $11,500 / DraftKings $)
Jarvis Landry has eclipsed Beckham in price, but I still think Beckham Jr. is the best play out of these guys. Mincah Fitzpatrick will be a pain for Beckham Jr., but he should still see close to double-digit targets and he can turn a slant into 15 fantasy points on any given play. He doesn’t cost you much anymore, so the reward is far outweighing the risk. If Mayfield is throwing it in the right spots, there isn’t a cornerback in football that can cover Odell.
JuJu Smith-Schuster - PIT @ CLE (FanDuel $10,500 / DraftKings $)
Rudolph hasn’t shown an affinity toward Smith-Schuster, targeting Johnson and Washington just as often. Juju still has elite upside, though, and like Beckham, has seen his price plummet. The Browns are a solid secondary at home, but Juju will move around and the Steelers should make it a point for him to get five-plus touches. It’s just hard to trust him in cash games when we have single-digit performances in four of the last six.
Jarvis Landry - CLE vs. PIT (FanDuel $12,000 / DraftKings $)
Landry has seen 10+ targets in three straight weeks now. Mayfield is peppering his top two options with the ball and Landry has come through with a score in back to back weeks. I expect Fitzpatrick to be primarily focused on Odell, which should leave Landry open for another seven or eight catches. He’s not a yardage monster, but does have the ability to break one loose at any time. He will see three or four screens and Mayfield will use him as a checkdown with Kareem Hunt.
James Washington - PIT @ CLE (FanDuel $9,500 / DraftKings $5,600)
Washington was targeted seven times last week and reeled in six balls for 90 yards and a touchdown. With the majority of the focus on Juju Smith-Schuster, Washington has been an efficient option for Rudolph and he’s a great red-zone threat. I wouldn’t consider him at captain, but love the play at flex for an affordable shot at a touchdown.
DFS Tight Ends - Week 10 Picks
Vance McDonald - PIT @ CLE (FanDuel $7,500 / DraftKings $5,400)
McDonald has seven targets in each of the last two games. While the volume is encouraging, the production surely hasn’t been. With that being said, this is a showdown slate and we’ve seen far stranger tight ends catch a pair of touchdowns. With McDonald seeing guaranteed volume, he’s a solid flex play.
Demetrius Harris - CLE vs. PIT (FanDuel $6,500 / DraftKings $4,200)
Ricky Seals-Jones is currently questionable, so he’ll be starting if cleared. If he’s out, Demetrius Harris makes for an interesting play. He’s been targeted nine times in the last three games and catches everything thrown his way. He’s by no means safe, but can find the end zone a time or two and won’t be highly owned. Make sure RSJ is out before deploying Harris.
