College Football DFS: Friday Night Slate Picks on DraftKings and FanDuel for Week 11

We have four games available for DFS consideration on Friday. All four games are pretty competitive and offer a lot of great targets for our lineups.

Slate Overview

Cal (-7) @ Wake Forest O/U: 54.5

Memphis (-8) vs. Rice O/U: 51

Iowa (-6) @ UCLA O/U: 44.5

San Diego State (-1.5) vs. New Mexico OU: 65.5

We placed a lot on Memphis and Cal, leaving Iowa, Wake and San Diego State out in the cold. Interestingly, the game with the highest total didn't give us many worthwhile options, but you can definitely scour the rosters of New Mexico and San Diego State to hunt for additional value.

CFB DFS Tools

• DraftKings College Football Optimizer
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• CFB Targets
• CFB Stats
• CFB Team Trends
• CFB Advanced Team Stats with Plays per Game, Pass %, Run % and more

CFB DFS Friday Night Picks on DraftKings and FanDuel for Week 11

Quarterback

Fernando Mendoza , California (DK $^,400, FD $9,500) @ Wake Forest

When you put output, stats and matchup together, Mendoza comes out on top in my rankings. He's not the flashiest quarterback on the slate - that title probably goes to Devon Dampier (DK $9,900, FD $12,000), who put up 50 FP against Wyoming last week. While his dual-threat ability is a great asset and a spot where I'll give some exposure, Mendoza faces a Wake passing defense that ranks near the bottom of the FBS, allowing an average of 301.7 passing yards per game (131st). While we are all too familiar with the cross-country travel demon and the short week as reasons to look the other way, Wake looks way too vulnerable in this spot. Cal ranks 60th in passing defense and an impressive 37th in opponent third down conversion rate, meaning Mendoza will get his share of possessions.

Seth Henigan, Memphis (DK $8,400, FD $10,200) vs. Rice

While Rice's passing defense looks great on paper, you have to consider their schedule when looking at the numbers. Memphis' offense is on another plane from what the defense is accustomed to, and facing Henigan will be a huge problem. The Memphis QB has the offense working at a very high level, and his 2,582 passing yards place him 10th nationally in that category. He's primarily a pocket passer, but his 16:5 TD:INT ratio is decent, and his ability to put up yardage is evident. The only knock on Henigan may be a smaller emphasis on passing the ball against a weaker opponent, but the Tigers are struggling defensively and keep opponents in games - last week's loss to UTSA is an example.

Running Back

Mario Anderson, Memphis (DK $9,400, FD $10,600) vs. Rice

I expect the public will flock to Iowa's Kaleb Johnson, but UCLA's defense is good enough to reduce Johnson's efficacy just enough for him to lose value at his massive salary. If you spend down at receiver, Johnson becomes a bit more viable. We've already mentioned Rice's defense with Henigan, and we can also cast some doubt on Rice's rushing defense numbers when facing a back like Anderson, who has been almost matchup-proof this season.  While he's not a player you think of when considering the nation's top running backs, his 833 yards on the ground place him 22nd in the country. He has 14 rushing touchdowns on the season, and his biggest asset may be his 39 catches for 227 yards and two touchdowns. He significantly outpaces Johnson as a pass-catcher, and PPR numbers can rack up quickly.

T.J. Harden, UCLA (DK $4,500, FD $7,000) vs. Iowa

It's hard to believe that UCLA's rushing defense is better than Iowa's rushing defense, but here we are. The cross-country hangover could have some effect on Iowa's defense in a short week, and Harden has demonstrated productivity as a rusher and pass-catcher. He only has two touchdowns on the season, but he's one of Ethan Garbers' favorite downfield targets, and his PPR potential is one reason why I am considering him. Iowa's defense is traditionally solid, but they have been proven vulnerable against the big play, and catching lobs under coverage is one scheme that's worked for the Bruins. Harden has been the recipient in that play often. You aren't taking Harden for his rushing prowess, but his receiving potential is there.

Also consider: Eli Sanders, New Mexico (DK $5,700, FD $8,500)

Wide Receiver

Roc Taylor, Memphis (DK $6,300, FD $7,600) vs. Rice

Memphis could turn on the offense and get out of this game early, but I don't trust the Tigers' defense. Rice could keep this close, forcing Henigan to open up the passing game. Taylor's touchdown total leaves a lot to be desired, but he has 44 catches for 658 yards on the season. If Demeer Blankumsee (undisclosed) remains out, his touchdown share could go up considerably and also potentially up the stock of Koby Drake (DK $3,400, FD $6,500). Keep an eye on Blankumsee's status.

Matt Sykes, Rice (DK $5,200, FD $7,800) @ Memphis

We didn't include E.J. Warner in our endorsements, but Sykes' target share makes him a worthy asset to our lineup, especially when you consider Memphis' subpar passing defense. The Owls will need to air the back out to keep up, and they will probably fare better than expected. Sykes comes at a good discount with upside.

Jack Endries, Cal (DK $4,800, FD $7,000) @ Wake Forest

I don't typically target tight ends, but Endries is Mendoza's favorite target by a pretty wide margin. He has 10 more catches than Nyziah Hunter (DK $4,600, FD $6,900), but Hunter does have five touchdowns compared to Endries' two scores. Stacking Mendoza is pretty safe against a porous Wake defense that will allow Mendoza to find both receivers.

I'll conclude the article by offering some different strategy considerations. Our ability to spend down at wideout opens up some more expensive options to consider like Dampier and Johnson. While it's very expensive to use both of them, there is enough salary cap to spend for one of them, especially if you follow my endorsements on DraftKings. Be ready to sacrifice a bit at running back if you take either route.