Examining Cafe Value: NFL Week 11

If you're unfamiliar with Cafe Value, it is our special sauce of sorts. The Cafe Value accounts for things such as strength of opponent, player cost and Vegas odds. It reveals which players project to offer you the most bang for your buck. Below, I'll highlight the players with the five highest Cafe Values at DraftKings and FanDuel for Week 11 at quarterback, running back, wide receiver, tight end and defense.

DraftKings

Quarterback

It's all about bargain arms, as not a single QB highlighted has a salary of $6,000 or more. Of the bargain arms pegged as the top-five Cafe Values, Matthew Stafford is my favorite. The Raiders are surrendering the sixth most DraftKings fantasy points per game and the contest features a small spread and juicy over/under total. I'm not completely enamored with Alex Smith, but the Chargers defense isn't stopping anyone, and a team over/under total of 24 points is solid. Tyrod Taylor didn't play the best reality game in the first meeting with the Patriots, but with 242 yards passing, three touchdowns through the air and 43 yards rushing and another score on the ground, he was certainly useful from a fantasy perspective. The game flow should dictate Taylor will need to throw the ball to play catch up and keep it close with the Patriots.

Running Back

Charcandrick West should be auto-filled in DraftKings rosters. His price is a joke, he's playing at a high level and he's facing the most giving fantasy defense to running backs. If you're not using him, you're doing it wrong. Darren McFadden has touched the ball at least 20 times every game since Week 7, and his ability to make plays as a runner and receiver makes him a well-rounded scorer. The return of Tony Romo should help the offense as a whole. Theo Riddick is a nifty play at nearly the minimum salary on DraftKings. With a full point awarded for receptions, his value gets a bump on DraftKings, and the Raiders are tied for the third most receptions (60) allowed to running backs this season. Danny Woodhead moves up the offensive pecking order with all the injuries the Chargers have suffered, and he, like Riddick, benefits from a full point per reception. Finally, Jonathan Stewart is averaging about 19 carries per game and should best 20 in a game the Panthers are bigger than touchdown favorites in. Hard to argue with that kind of volume at just $4,400.

Wide Receiver

Joining Charcandrick West in the "should be auto-filled in" category is Danny Amendola. With double-digit targets likely headed his way, Amendola should be a lock to provide a positive return on his minimal salary investment. Stevie Johnson is another receiver whose expanded role should allow him to pay off his salary easily, and a matchup with a Chiefs team allowing the most DraftKings fantasy points to wide receivers this year is, obviously, ideal. Dontrelle Inman, at the minimum salary, is, like Johnson, pressed into starting duty against the Chiefs due to the rash of injuries the Chargers have suffered at wide out (Keenan Allen and Malcom Floyd). I don't love Inman, but I love the value if you're looking for a punt. Brandon LaFell is looking more like his 2014 self of late, and he already has a 100+ yard receiving game in just a handful played this year. If you're a starting receiver catching passes from Tom Brady, you're pretty easy to sell to me as a viable fantasy option, and that's the case with LaFell.

Tight End

Weird, you mean an athletic, pass-catching tight end facing the Raiders stands out as a top-five Cafe Value? Seriously, the Raiders have been flat out embarrassed by tight ends this year, an Eric Ebron has made strides in year two in the NFL. Anytime you're relying on Matthew Stafford, though, you do carry some risk. Antonio Gates has a dreadful matchup, the worst for tight ends for DraftKings fantasy points allowed per game, per Pro-Football Reference, but he should receive a hearty number of targets thanks to the absence of other key weapons on the Chargers and their lack of a running game. The San Diego Chargers are allowing the ninth most DraftKings fantasy points per game to tight ends, and Travis Kelce, aka Baby Gronk, has the physical gifts and football skills to torture them. He and Alex Smith make for an enticing and likely low-owned stack.

Defense

The Aldon Smith suspension takes some of the luster off of the Raiders as a sneaky defensive play, but the Lions are turning the ball over more than any other team and they have been stumbling and struggling to pick up yardage and points all year, so they remain in play as a punt. The Chiefs raised hell against Peyton Manning and the Broncos last week, and the Chargers offense is both predictable and missing important pieces, so they do make for a reasonable bargain option. Finally, the Texans shutdown the undefeated Bengals in Week 10, and the Bengals have more playmakers than the Jets can boast. Also, the Texans are returning home after bringing their defense with them on the road at Cincinnati.

FanDuel

Quarterback

At most positions, DraftKings actually offers a bigger salary spread from the top options to the bargain plays, but QB at FanDuel is one of the positions where that's not the case, and that's why a guy like Case Keenum cracks the top-five Cafe Value plays. The bar is oh so low for him to provide value at under $5,000, and he's worth a GPP flier as a result of the things you can do at other positions by using him. Brock Osweiler is making his first NFL start and is a worthy dice roll thanks to the uber-talented pass catchers he has to throw the ball to. Finally, Cam Newton has been the signal caller on the last two FanDuel Million winning teams, and his ability to score points running and passing makes him a high-ceiling option worth using in all game types.

Running Back

Just two fresh faces in this group of backs. Devonta Freeman is priced exceptionally close to the other stud backs at FanDuel, and he's never in danger of being hurt by game flow. If the Falcons lead big, he salts away the game on the ground. If they're trailing, he's a threat as a pass catcher. His floor and ceiling combination is unmatched. The other fresh face is Jeremy Langford, and his value this week is tied to the availability of Matt Forte. If Forte remains out, Langford's recent contributions as a runner and pass catcher make him a steal at $6,700, even against a stout Broncos defense. The Broncos were just torched by a similarly talented back in Charcandrick West, and Langford showed his skills play against a tough defense by barbecuing the Rams last week.

Wide Receiver

Three fresh faces at wide receiver. The first headlines the group, Michael Crabtree. He remains under priced at FanDuel, and he's facing a Lions defense yielding the ninth most FanDuel fantasy points to receivers in 2015. Furthermore, he's playing with a scalding hot quarterback, Derek Carr. The Cincinnati Bengals have been tough as nails on wide receivers this year, but so were the Seahawks before Larry Fitzgerald spanked their behinds for 10 receptions and 130 yards. The near certain future Hall of Famer is playing at the highest level we've ever seen, and that's not hyperbole. Julio Jones is a stud, and he's leading the league in receptions (80) and receiving yards per game (114.3) while also catching six touchdown passes. Even if Vontae Davis shadows him, he's matchup proof and his ceiling is unmatched at the position.

Tight End

Greg Olsen is the only reliable pass catcher for Cam Newton to throw to, and he's lapping the rest of the Panthers in targets, receptions and receiving yards. He brings a high floor and ceiling into every contest as a result of his steady volume of targets. Jason Witten gets a nice boost to his value with the return of Tony Romo. In Romo's two starts this year, Witten has 15 receptions on 17 targets for 116 yards and a pair of scores. Jimmy Graham has been a disappointment for the Seahawks, to say the least, but he's still the team leader in targets (63), receptions (41) and receiving yards (491). Those numbers pale in comparison to his work with Drew Brees and the Saints, but they are by no means terrible. The 49ers rank in the middle of the pack in FanDuel fantasy points per game awarded to tight ends this year, but he's tied to a robust team over/under total of 26.5 points.

Defense

Whoa, the most expensive defense, the Seahawks, is also the top Cafe Value. That's what happens when Blaine Gabbert leads a team into Seattle as a double-digit underdog. Good luck, Gabbert. The other defense I love in this group is the Ravens. The Rams pulled the plug on Nick Foles and they're handing the team over to Case Keenum. Keenum owns a 55.2% completion rate and 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 10 career starts. He's not good, and if the Ravens can keep Gurley in check to some extent, they should pay off their small salary of $4,100.