The NFL Week 11 edition of Sunday Night Football features MVP frontrunner Patrick Mahomes and the AFC-leading Chiefs (7-2) against 2020 Rookie of the Year Justin Herbert and the Chargers (5-4). With injuries mounting for both sides and Kansas City favored by five points, this is a tough one to bet. However, it's a great opportunity to make a FanDuel single-game lineup, which we'll do today.
The Chiefs are rolling, with Mahomes proving without a shadow of a doubt that he can put up MVP numbers despite losing stud downfield receiver Tyreek Hill in the offseason. Travis Kelce has been as utilized as ever in Eric Bieniemy's offense, and should continue to see massive target volume this week with injuries sidelining wideouts JuJu Smith-Schuster (concussion) and Mecole Hardman (abdomen).
WEEK 11 DFS LINEUPS: DraftKings | FanDuel
As for the Chargers, they hope to be turning the corner on the injury front. Keenan Allen (hamstring) has played just 45 snaps this season — 22 in Week 1 when he first got injured, and 23 in Week 7 before re-aggravating the hamstring during L.A.'s bye week. Making matters worse, fellow wideout Mike Williams has been nursing a high-ankle sprain since Week 7 and has been feared to miss up to four games. The Bolts have also missed Joey Bosa (groin) since Week 3, and lost stud cornerback J.C. Jackson to a season-ending knee injury in Week 7.
WEEK 11 DFS: Best stacks | Best values
Despite all that injury news, this AFC West showdown should be one for the ages. Both QBs have proven time and again that they can put on a dazzling offensive spectacle when the primetime lights are shining the brightest, and both squads likely view this as a must-win game. The Chiefs need the victory to remain in first place over the surging Dolphins and Titans. The Chargers need a win to stay over .500 and maintain positioning in a packed AFC Wild Card race.
Let's dive right into our Sunday Night Football Showdown lineup, and offer our reasoning for each one of our picks.
Before we get into our picks, here are the key scoring settings for DraftKings Showdown contests: They're full-point PPR and there are three-point bonuses for 300 passing yards, 100 rushing yards, and 100 receiving yards. The Captain pick costs 1.5 times a player's original price, but he also gets his point total multiplied by 1.5.
MORE FD SINGLE GAME: How to win a FanDuel single-game contest
FanDuel Single Game DFS Picks: Chiefs at Chargers Week 11 Sunday Night Football
$60,000 budget, need at least one player from each team.
MVP (1.5x points): QB Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs ($17,000)
We don't overthink things in FanDuel single-game lineups. Since running backs and wide receivers don't get boosts for 100-yard games, and the MVP 1.5x boost spot doesn't drive up players' costs, this is about as easy a decision as my daughter choosing a bagel with Nutella for breakfast over a granola bar. Mahomes has averaged 26.9 FanDuel points this season, well over 10 points greater than opposing QB Herbert (16.8) and seven points better than Chargers top scorer Ekeler (19.8). The banged-up Bolts defense has allowed the fourth-most points in the NFL this season, while the Chiefs sport the No. 1 scoring offense and have the second-most total yards. Mahomes has posted 18 TDs, five interceptions, and 257.8 passing yards per game against L.A. throughout his career, and he's 18-7 in night games with 61 TDs, 16 picks, 297.9 passing yards per game, and a 102.9 QB rating. Who could be more fitting for our top spot? MVP stand up!
AnyFlex RB Austin Ekeler, Chargers ($15,000)
In FanDuel single-game tourneys, we typically like to draft the two highest projected scorers at the top of our lineups and then target sleepers and under-the-radar plays in the remaining spots. Ekeler quite clearly represents the second-best value this Sunday night, as he averages 2.5 FanDuel points more than Chiefs tight end Kelce and over three points more than Herbert. The elite dual-threat RB has 10 all-purpose TDs since Week 4, picking up where he left off in his 20-TD 2021 season. The Chiefs have surrendered the ninth-most FanDuel points to RBs this season (and the third-most catches to RBs), and won't be able to stack the box against Ek if Keenan Allen and/or Mike Williams return to action. Don't overthink the studs.
AnyFlex WR Joshua Palmer, Chargers ($10,000)
While Allen has a chance to suit up this weekend for the first time since Week 7, we don't expect Williams back out there with his high-ankle sprain. That means another busy day for Palmer, who has filled in admirably as the Bolts' interim WR1. With the Chiefs yielding the fifth-most fantasy points per game to wideouts, I love Palmer and think he could be a tournament-winner if Kansas City focuses primarily on Allen. He has plenty of playmaking-ability — he scored 14.9 FanDuel points against Atlanta two weeks ago and had a double-digit performance against a stout Denver defense earlier in the season. And with this game's over/under listed at a massive 52 points, we can expect a healthy amount of downfield targets.
AnyFlex RB Isiah Pacheco, Chargers ($9,000)
Pacheco has basically taken over Kansas City's stating running back role, rendering Clyde Edwards-Helaire all but useless as a fantasy commodity. And a breakout game feels destined to come in the not-so-distant future. The rookie rushed 16 times for 82 yards against Jacksonville last week, but a fumble lowered his final FanDuel score to 6.2 points. Many will just glance at that score and write Pacheco off as a scrub, but we're looking at the upside of his 5.12 yards per carry and heavy touch share. Plus, the Chargers have surrendered the third-most FanDuel points to the RB position this season. This $9,000 investment could pay some sweet dividends if the rookie puts up another 80 yards and finds the end zone.
AnyFlex WR Kadarius Toney, Chiefs ($8,500)
Here's another Chief we expect a breakout game from sometime soon. Toney was low-key one of the more pivotal trade deadline acquisitions this season, giving Mahomes an electric playmaker and constant downfield threat. The former Giant has elite speed, strong hands, and good route-running, so of course he's an immediate favorite of Mahomes, Andy Reid, and Eric Bieniemy. He flashed his skills on the ground and through the air last week, hauling in 4-of-5 targets for 57 yards and a TD and also picking up a 32-yard rush. USA Today Chiefs writer Charles Goldman expects Toney to see even more opportunities with Smith-Schuster and Hardman sidelined this week, and so do we. He should be the cherry on top of a very solid Sunday night FanDuel lineup.
