This article is part of our FantasyDraft NFL series.
Each week, RotoWire provides picks and values for FantasyDraft lineups. Users have a salary cap of $100,000 to select a lineup comprised of one quarterback, two running backs, two receivers, one tight end, two flex spots and one defense. The scoring is standard point-per-reception.
To roster some top-tier players in tournaments, you need some lower-priced sleeper options with upside. That's what we aim to bring you in this column.
Here are our fantasy football value picks for Week 11 on FantasyDraft.
QUARTERBACK
Matthew Stafford, $10,600 vs. OAK
It's never sexy to pick a quarterback on a team with a 2-7 record, but all the numbers point to Stafford having a big game on Sunday. Most fantasy owners believe that Stafford has had a down year, but let's look deeper into the schedule. Stafford had a terrible two-game stretch against the Cardinals and Seahawks, who are two of the best defenses in the NFL. If you take those two games out of his statistics, he's averaging 276 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception per game. Those are very solid numbers, especially for a player at a near minimum price tag. On Sunday, he gets to face the Oakland Raiders, who have the 28th ranked pass defense in the league. According to Vegas odds, this is a game with a total of 49 points, and that means Detroit should score about 24 with the spread being nearly even. With very little running game, that means Stafford should have a great chance at two touchdowns with a good possibility to throw for three. This game has shootout written all over it, and it seems like a strong possibility that Stafford can eclipse 300 yards as well. He'll be in his home dome against a poor pass-defense, and that's always a good recipe for a quarterback like Stafford. The price is the icing on the cake though, as no other player in this price range has the same upside as Stafford.
RUNNING BACK
Charcandrick West, $8,800 vs. SD
In the absence of Jamaal Charles, West has been a godsend for the Chiefs. West had more than 120 yards from scrimmage in each of his last three games and had at least 20 carries in those games as well. Not to mention, West had four touchdowns and caught three passes per game in that three-game stretch. It's clear he has taken over the Charles role, and West has been truly thriving in this Andy Reid offense. The 20-carries per game and catches out of the backfield are the most promising signs for me, as he should get plenty of work no matter what happens in this game. On Sunday, the Chiefs get to play the San Diego Chargers, and that's a fantastic matchup for any running back. The Chargers have allowed 1,106 yards and nine touchdowns on 228 carries to running backs this year. That puts them in the bottom-five in nearly every category against RBs, and it would be hard to imagine them stopping someone as hot as West. The price is the most surprising part of this play though, as FantasyDraft is clearly late in adjusting to West's stellar play. He's currently priced below Frank Gore, Eddie Lacy and Jeremy Hill, and he's a much better play than any of those guys.
Jonathan Stewart, $8,800 vs. WSH
Stewart got off to a slow start this season, but he's turning it on as of late. Over his last five games, Stewart is averaging 22 carries for 89 yards and one touchdown per game. It's clear that he's the only back in this Carolina offense, and 20-plus carries seems like a near guarantee. For Sunday's game, he faces the Washington Redskins. Washington currently ranks as the worst rushing defense in the NFL in yards-per-carry, allowing about five yards per rush. The scary thing about their rush defense is that they allowed only 61.5 rushing yards per game in the first four weeks and have allowed at least 147 rushing yards in every game since (167 YPG). When a stock is going up in one direction and down in the other so drastically and they square off with one another, it's a fantasy gold mine. Not to mention, the Panthers will be heavy favorites in this game, and they should lean on Stewart to kill the clock late to seal up a win.
WIDE RECEIVER
Danny Amendola, $7,800 vs. BUF
With the injury to Julian Edelman, Amendola just picked up a huge role for the Patriots. He should play the same underneath role that Edelman has dominated and get plenty of looks in the slot. This is strictly a PPR option though, because he doesn't get vertical too often in this offense. Luckily for us, FantasyDraft uses a PPR format and that makes Amendola a fantastic option. Amendola already has had three games with at least seven catches this season and that number should only increase in the absence of Edelman. The Patriots are notorious for using their slot receivers to dink-and-dunk it down the field, and that can be exemplified by the fact that Edelman had 61 catches to rank eighth in the NFL. Amendola is the only player on this roster who can take that role and he should fill in perfectly This will probably be the last time that Amendola's price will be below $8,000 and that's always the best time to use that particular player.
TIGHT END
Eric Ebron, $7,000 vs. OAK
The Raiders are having a historically bad season against tight ends, and it could get even worse on Sunday. In the nine games Oakland has played this season, they have allowed 10 touchdowns to tight ends, which ranks dead last in the NFL. Like I wrote earlier, Stafford should have a good chance at two or three touchdowns, and that means Ebron has a good chance at a touchdown or two as well. It hasn't been a great season for the young Lions tight end, but he has been targeted at least five times in every game, aside from a loss to Seattle. A crazy stat that the Lions should take a look at is that Ebron has been targeted just three times in the red zone all season and he has scored a touchdown on all three of those targets. With his huge, athletic frame, it's clear that he's dangerous in the red zone, and Detroit needs to take advantage of that. The talent and opportunity are there, but this is certainly a risk. If you're in a GPP, Ebron is a great stack with Stafford to try to separate yourself from the field and save some serious cash.
DEFENSE
Seattle, $7,800 vs. SF
I feel cheap using the No. 1 defense, but it seems like a good bet that Seattle will outperform that $7,800 price tag. Not only is this one of the premier defenses in the NFL, they face off against possibly the worst offense in the league. In their other matchup this season, the Seahawks allowed just three points and recorded six sacks against the Niners. This game will be at home this time though, and the Seahawks notoriously have one of the best home field advantages in the NFL. This used to be a rivalry game, and that makes this the perfect opportunity for Seattle to lay it on San Francisco and embarrass them in front of everyone. Seattle is also tied for the league lead in defensive touchdowns and they could definitely add to that total here. This is a simple play with not much explanation needed, and it's just better to get a guaranteed good game at such a volatile position like defense, when it can be so hard to predict on most Sundays.
