Week 11 of the NFL season brings us primetime games on Sunday and Monday night which feature two intriguing matchups. First up is the Minnesota Vikings against the Chicago Bears on Sunday Night Football, and that's where we'll start. As always, the fantasy football action doesn't end after the afternoon slates, as we have the DraftKings showdown slates to evaluate.
The Vikings (5-3-1) and Bears (6-3) are in a battle at the top of the NFC North, as both teams try to distance themselves from Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers.
We're going to check out the DraftKings offerings for their showdown slate, and as usual, it features some solid options and a few unique ways to build lineups. This slate features the popular $10 option which has a guarantee of $800,000 and $200,000 to first place. There are also a few high-dollar options with big guarantees ($180 buy-in, $100,000 guaranteed) and less-expensive ones ($3 buy-in, $150,000 guaranteed), so there's plenty to consider.
For this Sunday Night Football matchup, I'll create multiple different lineups, offer my top targets and give insight into the various options on the slate. This will include three unique lineups, one of which is the optimal (well-rounded), a 150-max option (high ceiling, boom-or-bust) and a single-entry/cash lineup (high floor).
Showdown games are different than your normal daily fantasy game, so there are a variety of ways to go about creating lineups for them. You'll select six players from any position you want as opposed to fielding an entire roster. Before we get too deep into the lineups, I'll first evaluate my favorite captain options, a spot which features a higher price tag but a bonus for the player you designate there.
Here's a look at how showdown games work along with the rules to make sure you're set for Sunday's action.
– Six total players (one captain, five flex players)
– Captain selection costs 1.5 times standard salary but scores 1.5 times the standard points
– Can choose from any position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DST)
– $50,000 salary cap
– You can use more than one quarterback
Constructing of lineups in showdown games is something you should focus on attempting to do in a unique way, specifically in 150-max games. With only six players selected, differentiating yourself from the field is going to be key, but fortunately, this slate offers a few ways to do that. One of those focuses on the captain spot, as the 1.5x points you earn there can make a world of difference, so we'll evaluate that a bit more in-depth as we lay out each lineup.
I'll first break down my favorite captain plays for Vikings vs. Bears and evaluate the ones which stand out most.
150-Max Entry Lineup
– CAPTAIN: Mitchell Trubisky ($14,700)
– Todd Gurley ($11,400)
– Jared Goff ($10,000)
– Anthony Miller ($6,200)
– Taylor Gabriel ($5,600)
– Gerald Everett ($2,000)
I really like the idea of putting Jared Goff with a few of his weapons, but the Rams defense is a great spot to target as well in some areas. Specifically, targeting wide receivers on the Bears could be beneficial. I mentioned the team's struggles against the position, which is a part of what led me to this build.
While not only do the Bears receivers find themselves in a good spot, they also get one of my favorite spots – being a home team in a primetime game. Mitchell Trubisky's matchup is solid in its own right, considering the Rams have allowed 3,262 yards and 26 touchdowns to opposing quarterbacks.
Trubisky should have no issue moving the ball against the Rams defense, but his added appeal comes in the ability to take off and run. As the Bears young quarterback knocks off any rust early in the game, he'll likely use his legs or short passes to wideouts and running backs to help make life easier.
I spoke before about my thoughts on Anthony Miller and his upside with Trubisky back, but Taylor Gabriel provides a huge level of big-play potential in his own right. He may be the biggest beneficiary of short passes early, but also has the chance to break the game open in the span of one play if he gets behind the Rams defense.
Obviously, one name who needs to be mentioned is Rams tight end Gerald Everett. He's certainly not the sexiest name on this slate, but at $2,000, it allows you to get a situation where your entire lineup opens up when using him. There's obvious risk (which is why he's in the 150-max), but this is a player who has shown flashes of upside. He caught three touchdowns over the past three games, but was essentially nonexistent last game.
Everett's workload and snap count will always remain roughly the same, and in Week 13 he saw 24 snaps (per Football Outsiders). I don't expect a ton of plays from him, but he's shown that he doesn't necessarily need that in order to produce. Even going back to the game before that when he caught two touchdowns, Everett played just 23 snaps.
To wrap up the appeal of Everett, you can consider that the Bears have allowed 451 yards and five touchdowns to opposing tight ends this year. They've been less than mediocre, and if Chicago gets a pass-rush on Goff, we could see some quick passes to Everett and other Rams players.
Although the single entry/cash lineup is more balanced, there are one or two players worth taking a chance on while building it.
Optimal Lineup
– CAPTAIN: Trey Burton ($8,700)
– Kirk Cousins ($9,800)
– Stefon Diggs ($9,600)
– Dalvin Cook ($8,000)
– Tarik Cohen ($7,400)
– Anthony Miller ($6,400)
I was fully prepared not to use much of Kirk Cousins on this slate, yet here we are. While I fully expect Cousins to throw a few picks against the Bears defense, I also think the Vikings will be playing from behind. That's beneficial for a quarterback, obviously, and especially when the opposing defense has allowed 17 passing touchdowns on the year.
While I don't think Cousins is going to break the slate, I can see him tossing two touchdowns and hitting a solid yardage total if playing catch up. Plus, pairing him with Stefon Diggs, who should have a strong night against a Bears team who's struggled against outside receivers could lead to a few big plays with double fantasy points.
The Dalvin Cook spot is interesting to me. The running back returned ahead of the team's bye week and only played 57 percent of the offensive snaps (per Football Outsiders), which was expected. The Vikings were wise to ease him back into the mix, but he still ripped off a 70-yard run and finished the day with 15 touches for 109 yards.
I think many people are going to be a bit off Cook due to the lowered snap count (which will increase) and the matchup with the Bears. But Cook not only has multi-touchdown upside, but he's going to catch passes as well. I'm fine with his spot, even against a tough Bears defense. I think his floor isn't bad and his ceiling is pretty high.
I'll dive into Tarik Cohen and Anthony Miller as we roll along because I'm a big fan of both players. Their upside is tremendous and they help to round out a lineup that could feature a few lower-owned players. Both of these guys should be chalk, assuming fantasy players opt to go off how exceptional the Vikings have been against running backs on the ground.
Trey Burton is in a very good spot and although he's seen just 11 targets in the past three games, he's consistent in hauling them in. The Vikings have a solid all-around defense, but have struggled against tight ends, specifically as of late. On the year, they've allowed 533 yards and three touchdowns to the position and I think Burton adds to those numbers in a big way in Week 11.
Let's look at the 150-max lineup which has quite a few my favorite plays, but also one or two players with slightly more risk.
150-Max Entry Lineup
– CAPTAIN: Taylor Gabriel ($7,500)
– Adam Thielen ($11,800)
– Mitchell Trubisky ($10,600)
– Stefon Diggs (9,600)
– Anthony Miller ($6,400)
– Bears DST ($3,800)
Taylor Gabriel's ownership should be drastically low based on the fact that he had no catches last week. He just missed a long touchdown last week and if he had hauled that in, we may be having a slightly different conversation.
Regardless, there's no question he's fallen down the depth chart a bit, but with Allen Robinson drawing a brutal matchup, I fully expect Gabriel to see a few deep targets and to haul in 2-3 of them. I'm a big fan of the upside and low ownership, although it's plenty risky and it's not recommended to use Gabriel in a ton of lineups.
Speaking of Gabriel dropping on the depth chart, that comes thanks to the play of Anthony Miller. The rookie will benefit from his teammate's ability to stretch the field as well as Robinson's tough matchup. Miller also has arguably the best matchup on the Bears roster as he plays primarily out of the slot. Miller has progressively improved over the past four games, increasing his catches and yardage in each game.
Fresh off a 122-yard, one touchdown performance against the Detroit Lions, Miller will have ownership at this price tag, but I'll eat the chalk here. The most enticing part of this play aside from recent play is the fact that the 24-year-old is getting plenty of targets, with 26 in the past four games. He may see his highest number of looks in a single game this season on Sunday night.
I do have to mention Adam Thielen before we move on. Although I'm not a fan of the matchup and how he's done against Fangio-led defenses, It's hard not to love this guy. He had his worst game of the season against the Lions, catching four passes for 22 yards but salvaged it a bit with a touchdown. After ripping off eight-straight games with 100 or more receiving yards, Thielen should see plenty of work.
One concern is that his targets have dropped to single digits in each of the past two games (seven in both). Defenses are obviously goinig to extreme lengths to try to slow Thielen down. It may not always work, but the Bears have the all-around talent to at least keep him somewhat in check, which isn't ideal for the most expensive player on the slate.
We'll roll right into the single entry lineup now for those who aren't feeling quite this risky, as this option is probably up your alley.
Single Entry/Cash Lineup
– CAPTAIN: Tarik Cohen ($11,100)
– Mitchell Trubisky ($10,600)
– Stefon Diggs ($9,600)
– Dalvin Cook ($8,000)
– Anthony Miller ($6,400)
– Bears DST ($3,800)
I've already gone crazy about how much I love Anthony Miller this week and offered some insight into my thoughts on the tremendous upside of Stefon Diggs. They are arguably the names I'll have the most exposure to this week, along with the Bears running back.
Not Jordan Howard, though. Instead, my focus is on Tarik Cohen, who should benefit from the fact that the Vikings are exceptional against opposing backs. On the season, they've allowed just 667 yards on the ground and two touchdowns to the position. Brutally tough spot for Jordan Howard, but the good news is that Minnesota has also allowed 47 receptions for 490 yards and three touchdowns through to air to running backs.
Cohen should see a massive number of targets and although he had back-to-back weeks with just one catch each (one of them which went for 70 yards), in the four weeks around it, he had 28 catches. The upside is arguably the best on the slate and unless the Bears throw a major curveball, Cohen should be incredibly busy.
And while Cohen catches all of those passes and scores all of those touchdowns (we hope), Mitchell Trubisky will be the one throwing them. Although the Vikings have been pretty good against quarterbacks this season, we get a fine spot with Trubisky due to the fact that his floor is high thanks to the ability to take off and run. The Vikings have given up three rushing touchdowns to opposing quarterbacks this year.
Trubisky has been a tough player to gauge, as he's put up huge fantasy numbers in four of the last six games. Fortunately, he only had one poor showing in that stretch, proving that he's quickly becoming a safe option in the fantasy football world.
As you can tell, I'm going heavy with the Bears offense here, and I think we see the Vikings playing catch up somewhat. If that's the case, then the Chicago defense should have no problem racking up sacks and possibly even pulling down an interception or two. They're safe in terms of floor and think they could have a pretty high ceiling as well.
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