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Hey there RotoBallers! Week 10 saw Kyler Murray and Christian Kirk combine to dominate the Buccaneers as they hooked up for three touchdowns. The Ravens dropped 49 points on the hapless Bengals while the Jets and Giants combined for 61 points. This weekend has four teams on bye, including the Packers, Giants, Seahawks, and Titans. That will slightly limit the options available to DFS gamers on Sunday. The Houston/Baltimore, New Orleans/Tampa Bay, and Atlanta/Carolina games all have over/unders near 50 points.
The goal of this weekly column will be to locate some of the best DFS stacks each week. Stacking, or pairing a quarterback with one of his pass-catchers, is a great way to maximize the number of points scored. This method is generally viewed as a strategy in tournaments, but I also have no problem using safe, high-floor stacks in cash games, as well.
The top Week 11 DFS stacks will be listed below, loosely sorted by my preference. This article will center on the main slate (1:00 PM and 4:00 PM Sunday) games across both DraftKings and FanDuel. Each stack will reference two pass-catchers along with their quarterback. The pass-catchers will be listed in preferential order but sometimes a three-man stack is in play as full-game stacks led to several wins in the Milly Maker in 2018. If you feel strongly about how an offense will perform in a given week then consider loading up on several offensive players from that offense. All references to team defense DVOA come from Football Outsiders while cornerback and wide receiver matchups and grade references come from Pro Football Focus.
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Week 11 DFS Stacks
Baltimore Ravens vs. Houston Texans
QB Lamar Jackson ($7,700 DraftKings, $8,800 FanDuel)
TE Mark Andrews ($6,100 DraftKings, $6,900 FanDuel)
WR Marquise Brown ($5,600 DraftKings, $5,600 FanDuel)
Lamar Jackson has been the No. 1-scoring fantasy quarterback on DraftKings this season (he's No. 2 on FanDuel) and will benefit from a positive situation in Week 11. This game has a 51.5-point over/under, highest on the slate, with the Ravens installed as a four-point home favorite with a 27.75-point implied team total. The Texans have an explosive offense in their own right, which should force this game into shootout status. Jackson is the premier dual-threat quarterback in the league, averaging an eye-popping 78.0 rushing yards per game while tacking on six rushing scores.
Mark Andrews shook off a midseason lull to rip off two receiving touchdowns, constituting his first end-zone trip since Week 4 against the Browns. Apparently over the assorted injuries that limited his practice time earlier in the season, Andrews is locked in as a top-five fantasy tight end, even against a Houston defense that has been good a limiting the position.
Consider finishing the three-man stack with rookie wideout Marquise Brown if he's able to play. The rookie wideout missed Thursday's practice with an ankle injury so be sure to keep an eye on his participation on Friday. If he suits up, Brown will see plenty of chances to score fantasy points against a Houston secondary that ranks 20th in pass defense DVOA this season. Brown will run the majority of his routes against fading veteran Johnathan Joseph, who has just a 59.8 grade from Pro Football Focus and is allowing 0.37 fantasy points per route covered this year.
New Orleans Saints @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
QB Drew Brees ($6,900 DraftKings, $8,300 FanDuel)
WR Michael Thomas ($9,900 DraftKings, $9,000 FanDuel)
RB Alvin Kamara ($7,400 DraftKings, $7,800 FanDuel)
In the most surprising game from Week 10, the Saints managed just nine points at home against the leaky Atlanta defense. Recency bias could serve to lower ownership levels on the Saints, which makes them all the more intriguing in DFS contests. Brees will take on a Tampa Bay defense that can't stop anyone in the passing game. The Bucs' pass defense ranks 27th in the league in DVOA while their run defense is first in the league. Look for New Orleans to deploy a pass-heavy gameplan as a result. The Saints have an implied team total of 27.75 points, tied for second-highest on the slate.
Michael Thomas continues to be matchup-proof and he draws an extremely favorable fantasy matchup against a struggling Tampa Bay secondary in Week 11. Tampa will turn to 2019 third-rounder Jamel Dean after releasing Vernon Hargreaves after the latter was torched by Christian Kirk in Week 10. Dean himself is untested and was the man primarily in coverage during D.K. Metcalf's six-catch, 123-yard, one-score outing against Tampa back in Week 9. Thomas is going to shred the Bucs this weekend.
Alvin Kamara may not get much done against Tampa Bay on the ground in Week 11 but he remains a vital cog in the New Orleans passing attack, operating as Drew Brees' No. 2 option behind Michael Thomas. Kamara caught six passes for 42 yards back when these two teams met in Week 5.
Dallas Cowboys @ Detroit Lions
QB Dak Prescott ($6,700 DraftKings, $8,100 FanDuel)
WR Amari Cooper ($7,700 DraftKings, $8,100 FanDuel)
WR Michael Gallup ($6,500 DraftKings, $6,700 FanDuel)
There is some cause for concern here if Matthew Stafford (questionable, back) is unable to suit up in Week 11. While it would be preferable if Stafford plays, the Cowboys passing attack is a solid play even if Jeff Driskel is under center for Detroit. The Lions rank just 23rd on the year in pass defense DVOA. Prescott has been an extremely consistent fantasy option this season, falling below 25 fantasy points just twice in nine games while bringing a high floor with his rushing upside.
The Cooper/Gallup combo has proven to be a handful for opposing defense, ranking fourth and 21st, respectively, in FanDuel points per game (fourth and 22nd on DraftKings). The Lions are expected to shadow Cooper with Darius Slay while Gallup will be shadowed by Rashaan Melvin. Gallup draws the much easier matchup of the pair but don't fade Cooper on the account of Slay. While he was once a lockdown force, Slay has been slowed by injuries and hasn't been as dominant in coverage in 2019.
Under-owned Week 11 Stack
New England Patriots @ Philadelphia Eagles
QB Tom Brady ($5,100 DraftKings, $7,800 FanDuel)
WR Julian Edelman ($7,600 DraftKings, $7,400 FanDuel)
WR Mohamed Sanu ($5,100 DraftKings, $5,800 FanDuel)
It is strange to see New England with low projected ownership but here we are. Several of the top quarterbacks have plus matchups against bad defenses which will allow Tom Brady and company to go overlooked by many DFS gamers. Philadelphia locks down opposing running attacks but is just average against the pass, something the Patriots are sure to take advantage of on Sunday. New England has a 24.25-point implied team total in what could be a high-scoring contest.
The Edelman/Sanu combo made some noise in Week 9, combining for 20 catches, 170 yards, and a touchdown. The two savvy wideouts should move around in the formation plenty and will run most of their routes against Avonte Maddux and Ronald Darby. Maddux has a 55.4 grade from PFF while Darby is even worse, checking in at 43.4. Both should mostly avoid Philly's best corner in Jalen Mills, who will be tasked with covering Phillip Dorsett.
Thanks for reading, go win some money this weekend!
