NFL DFS Week 11: Sunday Night Showdown
Published: Nov 21, 2021
Pittsburgh Steelers vs Los Angeles Chargers
Spread: Chargers -6.5
Total: 47.5
Injuries
Steelers
T.J. Watt - Out
Joe Haden - Out
Chargers
Linval Joseph - Doubtful
DVOA Defensive Rankings
Steelers
vs Pass: 15th
vs Run: 17th
Chargers
vs Pass: 7th
vs Run: 32nd
**Please note that players not listed below are not necessarily a complete fade and any player listed can certainly be used as the MVP/Captain. These are merely suggestions for players to use when setting Showdown lineups.
MVP/CPT
Najee Harris, RB PIT - The Chargers are the worst rated defense against the run, worse than even the New York Jets. Harris has been a volume monster this season in both the running and passing attack. I expect him to be the highest rostered MVP/CPT play on tonight's slate.
Keenan Allen, WR LAC - Joe Hayden and T.J. Watt being out for the Steelers defense is big for the Steelers passing attack as their top corner and top pass rusher are off the field. This should give plenty of time for Keenan Allen and Justin Herbert to connect here. Allen has seen double-digit targets in three straight games.
Justin Herbert, QB LAC - Herbert had a tough game against Minnesota last week but as I mentioned, the Steelers are without two of their top defensive players tonight. Though expensive, the upside here as an MVP option is hard to ignore if you can fit him at the top of your lineup.
Austin Ekeler, RB LAC - The versatility is the appeal here. Ekeler makes impacts in both the running and passing game much like Najee Harris does for the Steelers. Ekeler always has the upside to be the top scoring player on the slate given the total yardage and multi-touchdown upside.
UTIL
Diontae Johnson, WR PIT - If you used Johnson as your MVP/CPT play tonight I certainly wouldn't blame you but I just worry about the touchdown upside as the Steelers passing attack has not been good this year and he only has three touchdown catches on the year. That said, the man gets a TON of targets and is great in PPR formats.
Pat Freiremuth, TE PIT - So, Eric Ebron was active last week and yet it was still Freiremuth who lead the tight end position in snaps, targets and routes run. I think it is safe to assume the rookie has risen above Ebron on the depth chart and therefore I am willing to keep rolling him out there. Big Ben loves his tight ends and Freiremuth has been a popular end zone target for him.
Mike Williams, WR LAC - Could very easily fit in the dart throw section. Williams has been a big time hit or miss play over the past few weeks. He is certainly going to find himself in lineups tonight but the fade could actually give you some upside over the field if he was to be a bust.
Chris Boswell/Dustin Hopkins, K - Both kickers are in play tonight. Boswell has a big leg with 50+ yard range with Hopkins also enjoying a strong season, going 17-of-19 on the year. If you are going to spend up on a few of the top priced plays, you need the kickers as a salary saver.
Chase Claypool, WR PIT - Yes, another Steelers WR to look at. Claypool is going to be active tonight but, like Mike Williams, he is a big time boom or bust play. Showdown slates are the perfect time to put him in your lineup and hope he and Big Ben connect on a big play.
Dart Throw
Ray-Ray McCloud, WR PIT - Last week we saw McCloud have nine catches on 12 targets for 63 yards. This was just the second game all season where he saw more than two targets. McCloud had taken over the role for JuJu Smith-Schuster but clearly the volume hasn't been there in any week other than the last. That said, maybe that performance opened some eyes on the Steelers sideline.
Jared Cook, TE LAC - The Chargers tight end position is in flux. Cook has certainly had his moments but we have also seen Darnold Parham Jr. find the end zone a few weeks back. I still trust Cook over the options at the position but this would be another low-owned play.
Player News
RB Cam Akers is visiting the Saints on Tuesday.
Saints beat reporter Nick Underhill sourced the report, which indicates the team is not fully happy with the state of their backfield, consisting of Alvin Kamara, Kendre Miller, 2025 sixth-round pick Devin Neal, former first-round pick Clyde Edwards-Helaire, former wide receiver Velus Jones, and Xazavian Valladay. They’ll see what Akers has left in the tank, with their ultimate goal being to eventually trade him to the Vikings in Week 7, as is NFL tradition.
Colts QB Anthony Richardson will seek another opinion from surgeon Neal ElAttrache later this week.
ElAttrache is the surgeon that performed the surgery on Richardson’s throwing shoulder in 2023 and is not a name Colts fans want to hear in the news regarding their quarterback. It was previously reported that no structural damage was found after a scan on his shoulder was performed Friday, but any lingering inflammation and soreness almost two years after surgery is noteworthy. The team does not believe he will require another surgery at this time.
Texans signed RB Nick Chubb to a one-year, $2.5 million contract.
The former workhorse finds a new home after another lost season due to injury, landing in Houston on a one-year deal that carries a maximum value of $5 million. The incentive-laden contract makes sense for both parties considering Chubb’s recent injury history, providing a proven low cost option behind Joe Mixon in the backfield pecking order. Chubb passed his team physical Monday, prompting the signing and also indicating that he is on track in his return from a broken foot that ended his 2024 season after just eight games.
The Jaguars signed P Logan Cooke to a four-year, $16 million contract extension.
The seven-year veteran, who turns 30 next month, is coming off a strong year. In 2024, Cooke earned his first Pro Bowl selection after setting a career high in net punting average (44.8), which ranked second highest in the NFL. Cooke also pinned 34 of his 68 punts (50 percent) inside the 20, which tied for fourth most in the NFL. Cooke has spent his entire career with the Jaguars, who drafted him in the seventh round in 2018.
The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports the Falcons expect Kirk Cousins to report to mandatory minicamp.
The 13-year veteran quarterback did not attend the Falcons voluntary OTAs in May, but did work out with the team in April. The team has repeatedly committed to Michael Penix as the Week 1 starter, even suggesting they could keep Cousins — scheduled to make $40 million in 2025 — as Penix’s backup. Cousins, who will be 37 at the start of the 2025 season, threw for 3508-18-16 in 14 games last season and had an abysmal five-game stretch in which he threw just one touchdown to nine interceptions, which ultimately led to his benching. The Falcons remain open to trading Cousins for the right price but that has not been met by any teams who have shown interest.
Dolphins RB Jaylen Wright said he’s in better shape than he was as a rookie.
Fantasy managers taking late-round stabs on Wright this season will be happy to hear this. The speedy second-year back said he “lost a lot of body fat” this offseason while gaining “a lot of muscle” and estimating that he’s put on roughly six pounds. It’s a marginal increase, but one that Wright clearly hopes will help him better manage his second year in the pros as he’s expected to take on a bigger role with Raheem Mostert now out of the way. Wright rushed 68 times for 249 scoreless yards last season and posted a 9-6-0 rushing line over his final five games of the season. It was disappointing, to say the least. Wright will hopefully have more value as a handcuff to De’Von Achane this season, but any stand alone value will likely be dependent on Achane’s availability.