4 NFL FanDuel Studs to Target in Week 11

Spending your available salary in any DFS lineup on a stud can make or break your lineup. These high salary players will take up the majority of your budget, so it’s critical to carefully consider which ones you’ll want for each slate. Whether it’s trying to capture a safe floor in a cash game or chasing a huge game to help you win a tournament, nailing the expensive players is one of the keys to making winning NFL lineups on FanDuel.

Week 11 presents a different challenge than other weeks, as many star players are not available on the main slate. Let’s see which of the ones on the slate we’ll want this week.

Justin Herbert, QB, Los Angeles Chargers

FanDuel Salary: $8,500
Projected Points: 20.7

Few people would have predicted that Justin Herbert could be in the studs category in his rookie season. His play has warranted it, though, as he averages the most fantasy points per game of any quarterback on the main slate. In five of his last six games, he's accounted for three touchdowns or more. Herbert is coming off his worst passing performance from a yardage perspective, but that was against a solid Miami Dolphins pass defense. This week offers him the perfect chance to bounce back.

The Los Angeles Chargers will face the winless New York Jets at home in Week 11. The Chargers are 8.5-point favorites and also have an implied team team total of 27.75, according to our daily fantasy matchup heat map. The Jets are bad in most aspects of football, and pass defense is certainly one of those. They rank 31st in numberFire's schedule-adjusted pass defense metrics. They've allowed the fourth-most fantasy points per game to the quarterback, according to Pro Football Reference. Herbert should be able to pick apart this defense, who haven't been able to slow anyone down this season.

Herbert is third in our projections at the quarterback position. With the way the Chargers tend to keep games closer than they should be, Herbert has upside to be the highest-scoring quarterback of the week. He can be used in all formats on this slate.

Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints

FanDuel Salary: $9,700
Projected Points: 20.1

Alvin Kamara had a down year last season. He struggled with injuries and only scored six touchdowns after having had a nose for the end zone in his first two seasons.

Well, he's already blown past last season's mark, with 11 touchdowns this season. His role in the passing game sets him apart from other running backs. Kamara has a 26% target share, by far the most among running backs. In fact, his 67 receptions are the second-most in the entire league.

The New Orleans Saints are at home in the dome against the division-rival Atlanta Falcons. The Saints are always a threat to go off at home, and this week is no different, as their implied point total is 27.75.

The Falcons have actually been good at stifling running backs this season, allowing the fourth-fewest points per game to the position in half-PPR scoring. That's where Kamara's passing game role will do him good. Kamara hasn't racked up rushing yards in any game this season. In fact, he's had two games with under 20 rushing yards this season, and he's scored a combined 52.5 FanDuel points in those games. He is unique at the running back position and very hard to stop for any defense.

Kamara is the second-highest projected running back on the week. He's projected for over seven targets, which is the most for any running back. With the way Kamara has been scoring touchdowns this season, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him in the end zone in this game.

Davante Adams, WR, Green Bay Packers

FanDuel Salary: $9,500
Projected Points: 16.1

With the season he is having, we have to consider Davante Adams every week. In half-PPR scoring, Adams is nearly lapping the field in points per game, scoring over five points more than the second-best wide receiver. His target share is at 35%, five percentage points higher than the next closest player. He's also tied for the league lead in receiving touchdowns despite missing two games. He's approaching a 2019 Michael Thomas level of domination at the position.

The Green Bay Packers don't have nearly as favorable a matchup as they did last week. The Indianapolis Colts' defense has been solid against the pass, ranking seventh in schedule-adjusted pass defense.

There are some positives for Adams heading into this game, though. This game has a total of 51.0 points, the highest on the main slate. The Packers haven't played many close games this season, and the 2.5-point spread suggests that they could be in one here. That could lead to Green Bay needing to throw more, which would help Adams' raw target numbers. Two of the last three games for the Packers have been in bad weather, which won't be a problem in this indoor game. Even in a bad matchup, Adams should still be able to get his production with the volume he will see.

Adams is our highest projected wide receiver this week once again. He'll be tough to fit into lineups at this expensive salary but really offers a floor/ceiling combination that other wideouts cannot match.

Mark Andrews, TE, Baltimore Ravens

FanDuel Salary: $6,500
Projected Points: 11.2

Once again, the tight end position is bereft of quality options. Last week, the highest scoring tight end in half-PPR was Rob Gronkowski at only 12.1 points.

With the clear best tight end in fantasy football, Travis Kelce, not available again, we'll have to look for another option. Mark Andrews fits the bill as a player who sees decent volume. The third-year tight end has seen 20 targets in the past three games. The results haven't been great, but that was against three of the top four defenses against the position this season. This week, he'll have an easier matchup.

The Baltimore Ravens play the Tennessee Titans at home, with revenge for last season's playoff defeat in mind. There's been a lot of talk about how the Ravens' offense has struggled this season, but they could have a good game in this spot. They are implied to score 27.50 points against a Titans defense that is 24th in schedule-adjusted pass defense. With Andrews' 22% target share, he should be involved if the Ravens are able to approach that team total. While Andrews has had tough matchups over the last three games, this one ranks more in the middle of the pack, with the Titans allowing the 14th-most FanDuel points per game to tight ends.

Tight end has probably been the toughest position all season for most fantasy managers. That's why it could be worth spending on a player you at least can project for volume. Andrews is numberFire's highest projected tight end by nearly three points, so he would be the one to spend on if that's the route your roster construction takes you.

Nicholas Vazquez is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Nicholas Vazquez also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username hbyanksman. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he/she may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his/her personal account. The views expressed in his/her articles are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.