Mike's Week 11 Player Grid

By :: Mike Johnson (@mjohnson86)

Welcome back to my (Mjohnson86) Player Grid. The format will vary slightly from JM’s Player Grid, as we each see things slightly differently and play in slightly different contests, but should complement his thoughts and content very well for those looking to build their lineups for the week. The format of this article will vary slightly from my FanDuel Player Grid, which will be more direct in terms of which players I like. Enjoy!!

The Core

This is a list of players that stand out to me at each position from using my “Checking the Boxes” criteria outlined in my course you can find in our Marketplace. This list is a starting point, from which I build out lineups using game theory and roster construction concepts (which we will also touch on) with the mindset being to find the best plays with big ceilings. Low ownership is a bonus, but not a must. This section will focus primarily on three positions – running back, tight end, and defense – as the other two positions (quarterback and wide receiver) tend to have more dependent tendencies which I try to attack from other angles (which we will get into in the other sections):

Running Back ::

• Christian McCaffrey – Not a lot to say here other than he is in an incredible spot and his skill set is a nightmare for the Cardinals’ defensive scheme.

• Jaylen Warren – Warren is the feature back for the team facing the Bengals. If we just play that blindly every week, we are coming out ahead.

• Rico Dowdle – Classic bounce-back spot for Dowdle, as the Panthers’ physical downhill running game is the kryptonite for the Falcons defense. 

• Chase Brown – Last season Brown was dominant when he got the bell-cow role and barely left the field for the Bengals. This is a massive game for Cincinnati and Samaje Perine is out, so Brown is a near-lock for a 90% snap share and 20+ touches.

• Aaron Jones Sr. – The Vikings are another team in desperate need of a victory this week in a key divisional matchup. The matchup is elite and Jones is clearly the lead back.

• RJ Harvey – The explosive and dynamic Harvey is in position to potentially have his own “TreVeyon Henderson-like” breakout in a huge divisional game.

• Woody Marks – Another rookie who appears to be on the verge of taking control of the backfield. Modest price tag and great on-paper matchup.

Tight End :: 

• Trey McBride – Legitimately one of the best tight-end plays we will ever see in terms of raw projection and outlook. McBride has been dominant and has an elite matchup in a spot where his team will need to lean on him. 

• Theo Johnson – The Giants turn to Jameis Winston this week and will be without WR Darius Slayton. More pass attempts, more aggressive with those pass attempts, and less target competition.

• Kyle Pitts Sr. – Pitts is facing the 32nd-ranked defense in DVOA against tight ends, with Drake London dealing with a back injury and illness. The Falcons passing game is far more effective at home than on the road as well.

Defense :: 

• Ravens – The three high-priced defenses this week (BAL, HOU, GB) are all in great spots, but Baltimore seems likely to be the lowest owned. It won’t be by a substantial margin, and I do like all three of these defenses, but a talented defense getting to face Dillon Gabriel in bad weather certainly moves the needle for me.

• Titans – Tennessee had an impressive D/ST performance before their bye week and now get their best defensive player (Jeffrey Simmons) back against the Texans’ poor offensive line and backup QB.

• Browns/Giants – Flipping the script, we have two elite defensive fronts in interesting spots. Cleveland is playing in potentially bad weather and the Giants get to face a reeling Packers offense with injuries all over the board. There are a ton of expensive skill players in awesome spots this week, so if any of these uber-cheap defenses have a 12- to 15-point game, it is likely putting rosters on a path to first.

Premium Passing Game Stacks

Los Angeles Rams (SEA)

The Rams offense is just really, really good in terms of both talent and scheme. Seattle’s defense is great, too, but they kind of pick on the weaklings. I simply don’t believe they shut this offense down. Seattle’s run defense is going to lock up the Rams running game, which means Stafford, Puka, and Adams are going to do all the heavy lifting in this one. Having JSN, who is in the midst of one of the best WR seasons of all time, on the other side of this one also makes it an easy spot to target.

Cincinnati Bengals (PIT)

Not hard to figure out, the Bengals’ offense is likely to move the ball and we have a strong idea of who will be moving it for them. It is probably too straightforward to assume Ja’Marr Chase repeats his massive game from the first matchup, but Cincinnati’s high-octane offense and horrible defense should once again help spark fantasy goodness on both sides of the ball.

GPP Game Stack of the Week

San Francisco 49ers // Arizona Cardinals

Everyone is in play here. Well, maybe not everyone, but this is a spot where we have McBride and CMC as two of the best options on the slate with the fewest paths to failure and clear paths to ceiling. After CMC and McBride, Pearsall is the next highest-priced skill player from this game. I won’t be playing him in his first game back, while his salary is at the level that reflects volume he won’t see. Beyond that, everyone involved is $5,100 or less, which is what makes it such an appealing game environment to bet on. If it hits, it can hit in a really big way without restricting the rest of your roster. San Francisco’s offense has the gang back together and their defense is a skeleton crew. All the ingredients are here to make it very difficult for this spot to disappoint and we don’t need a lot for things to really take off.

Unique Combos

Davis Mills + Woody Marks

The Texans are likely to score points in this game, and while receiving production tends to get spread around, Marks seems to have seized control of the backfield. Pairing these two together costs only $9.9k and basically gives you a monopoly on 90% of Houston’s offensive production. If the Texans find a way to score four touchdowns in this spot, this pairing will almost certainly have put up 4.5x to 5x their salary and opened up the rest of your roster to a world of possibilities.

Packers Defense + Theo Johnson

The Jameis Winston experience is something to behold and this pairing gives us access to both sides of it. Green Bay has played at an elite level defensively most of this season and Winston tends to take chances with the ball. Green Bay has clear paths to a big game from its defense, while there is likely to be a big spike in passing volume for the Giants. With Darius Slayton ruled out and Wan’Dale Robinson’s salary being bigger than his role, Johnson seems likely to be a primary option and get peppered with targets. Both of these have clear paths to 20 points and similar game scripts that get them there.