Week 11 NFL DFS TE Breakdown: Top Cash Game and Tournament Picks

Tight end is one of the most difficult positions to nail down each week. It’s a position where you can spend all the way up, pay all the way down, or look somewhere in between. Tight ends derive a bunch of their value from scoring touchdowns, which can be difficult to predict on a week-to-week basis.

In this piece, I highlight tight ends who stand out in our large suite of analytical fantasy tools, most specifically, our FantasyLabs Player Models. While the models are built for DFS contests, this is an all-purpose fantasy article with actionable information for all formats.

As news breaks throughout the week and we adjust our projections (powered by Sean Koerner), player ratings in our Player Models will change as the projections change. For updates, visit the models directly.

And don’t forget about the tools that FantasyLabs has to offer, like our Lineup Optimizer to effortlessly create up to 300 lineups, or use our Lineup Builder if you like to hand-build your lineups.

Or you can just use our NFL DFS sims to effortlessly create advanced lineups.

Finally, make sure to check out all the projections available for purchase (Chris Raybon’s come included with a FantasyLabs subscription) within the FantasyLabs Models. Subscribers now have the option to purchase Derek Carty’s THE BLITZ from our Marketplace. Projections from One Week Season and Establish the Run are available if you’re a subscriber to those specific sites (our optimizer is a separate add-on feature).

You can also combine them to create your own aggregate projections:

Top NFL DFS Cash Game Options

Trey McBride ($6,300 DraftKings, $7,700 FanDuel)

McBride has become a weekly staple at the top of the tight end rankings. He has the best utilization at the position, leading all tight ends with a 29% target share and 28% air yards share. No other tight end is above a 23% target share, so the gap between him and the rest of the position feels pretty wide. McBride has responded with an average of 17.5 PPR points per game, while Brock Bowers ranks second at the position at 15.1.

McBride’s consistency is his calling card. He’s scored double-digit PPR points in all but one game this season, and he’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in six of his past eight. He’s finished as a top-eight option at the position in seven of his past eight outings, and he’s finished as TE2 or better in three of his past four.

The one knock on McBride in the past has been his lack of touchdown upside. He had just two receiving scores last year, and they came in the final two weeks of the regular season. He followed that up with just one score through his first five games this season.

However, McBride has been a much bigger threat in that department since Jacoby Brissett took over at quarterback. He’s scored five touchdowns in his past four games, and his utilization around the goal line has been vastly improved. He owns a 47% end zone share across his past four contests, compared to a 25% mark in his first five.

McBride has the potential to be even busier than usual this week. The Cardinals are going to be down top receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., and the team doesn’t have a ton of capable fill-ins at the position. Michael Wilson could see a bit more work, but no one outside of McBride and Harrison has a target share above 13% for the year.

Add in a solid matchup vs. the 49ers, who are 30th in pass defense EPA over the past three weeks, and McBride is the clear top option at the position in Week 11. Paying up for him should be a priority.

Theo Johnson ($4,100 DraftKings, $5,900 FanDuel)

If you’re not going to go with McBride this week, Johnson is probably your best pivot. He’s significantly cheaper across the industry, and he has plenty of appeal in his own right.

The Giants have been pretty light on pass-catchers since losing Malik Nabers to injury, and Johnson has posted a respectable 21% target share since Week 4. That’s tied for the fifth-best mark at the position over that time frame.

Johnson is coming off a season-best 26% target share last week, and the Giants will also be without Darius Slayton in Week 11. Slayton ranks third on the team with an 18% target share since Nabers went down, so Johnson could pick up a few extra looks.

The biggest selling point might be the Giants’ QB situation. Rookie Jaxson Dart has been excellent for fantasy purposes, but he’s not exactly lighting it up as a passer. Jameis Winston is a pure gunslinger, so he could represent an upgrade for the team’s remaining pass catchers.

Johnson ultimately ranks third at the position in projected Plus/Minus on DraftKings, where he owns an 89% Bargain Rating. He does face a tough matchup vs. the Packers, but he’s underpriced for his potential workload.

Now available: our NFL DFS SimLabs Lineup Generator that creates advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation.

Top NFL DFS Tournament Options

Orande Gadsden ($4,600 DraftKings, $6,500 FanDuel)

Gadsden has had an excellent rookie season for the Chargers. He missed the first two weeks, but his involvement has steadily ramped up since then.

Gadsden is coming off a disappointing performance in Week 10, finishing with just three catches for 13 yards vs. the Steelers. However, he still managed to earn six targets in that outing, which was good for a 20% target share. Gadsden has had a target share of at least 18% in five straight games, and he’s averaged 15.2 PPR points per game during that stretch. Only McBride, Bowers, and Tucker Kraft averaged more from Weeks 6 through 10, which is pretty elite company.

Gadsden gets a phenomenal matchup to bounce back in Week 11. He’s taking on the Jaguars, who have allowed the second-most PPR points per game to the position this season. Only the Bengals have been worse, and Gadsden gets an elite +5.0 Opponent Plus/Minus in this contest.

He also stands out as an excellent value on DraftKings, where his $4,600 salary comes with a 92% Bargain Rating. Only McBride and Johnson have better optimal lineup rates in Sim Labs.

George Kittle ($5,000 DraftKings, $6,600 FanDuel)

Kittle finally had his breakout performance in Week 10. He had been quiet since returning to the lineup, posting a meager 14% target share in his first three outings. Still, Kittle is known for being an elite player, so it was only a matter of time before he got more involved.

Kittle racked up nine targets and a 24% target share in Week 10, and he responded with 23.4 DraftKings points against an excellent Rams defense.

Now, Kittle gets his starting quarterback back this week. Brock Purdy will suit up for the first time since Week 4, and it will be his first game with Kittle since Week 1. Kittle exited that game early, but he was dominant when the two were on the field together. He was targeted on 31% of his routes run, and he finished with 12.5 DraftKings points in roughly one-third of a game. There’s plenty of reason to be optimistic about him vs. Arizona, who has been roughly league average against the pass and against tight ends.

Contrarian NFL DFS Tournament Options With Upside

Kyle Pitts ($4,000 DraftKings, $5,000 FanDuel)

Pitts isn’t expected to be overly contrarian on FanDuel, where he’s priced at just $5,000. That’s extremely cheap, and Pitts’ 84% Bargain Rating is the second-best mark at the position.

Unfortunately, Pitts is having another standard Pitts season. He entered the league with more fanfare than any tight end in recent memory, and he did manage to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards in his first year. However, he failed to crack 700 in the three subsequent seasons, and he’s on pace for another lackluster campaign in 2025-26.

That said, Pitts is still more involved than most tight ends. He has a 22% target share for the year, and that figure has increased to 26% over his past four games. He’s posted two top-12 finishes at the position over that time frame.

Pitts could be asked to do more than usual in Week 11. Drake London is listed as questionable, and even if he does suit up, he could be slightly limited. London has been a monster with Michael Penix under center, with the two combining for the second-most yards of any duo since Week 16 of last year.

The matchup vs. the Panthers is also favorable. They have an improving pass defense, but they’ve still allowed the seventh-most PPR points per game to opposing tight ends. 

Luke Musgrave ($3,700 DraftKings, $5,200 FanDuel)

Musgrave stands out as one of the most undervalued options at the position in Sim Labs. He’s projected for just 1.4% ownership, but his optimal lineup rate is above 6%. That’s the biggest gap among tight ends.

Musgrave took over as the Packers’ starting TE following the injury to Kraft. He posted a strong 81% route participation last week vs. the Eagles, though he responded with just a 10% target share. Still, the Packers’ offense was pretty dismal in general last week, so there are reasons to believe in improvement moving forward.

The Packers should be able to bounce back with a more impressive showing vs. the Giants. They’re listed as seven-point road favorites, and large favorites with cheap price tags have historically done well at tight end. Players with comparable salaries to Musgrave have historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +1.62 when favored by at least a touchdown (per the Trends tool).

The Giants’ defense has also been dismal this season, ranking 29th in EPA per play. It makes Musgrave a pretty appealing punt play.

Cade Otton ($4,200 DraftKings, $5,500 FanDuel)

The Buccaneers are still dealing with a bunch of key injuries on offense. Mike Evans remains on IR, while Chris Godwin and Bucky Irving will be sidelined once again in Week 11. Jalen McMillan has yet to play this season, and he remains without a timetable for return.

It leaves Otton as one of the top options for Baker Mayfield. Otton posted an 82% route participation last week vs. the Patriots, and he racked up a massive 28% target share. He was at 22% the week prior, so he’s getting far more looks than he did at the beginning of the year. Otton is coming off 17.2 DraftKings points despite failing to score a touchdown, and he’s now posted a positive Plus/Minus in five straight games.

Otton is simply too cheap for the role he’s played for the Bucs of late. He’s another player that stands out as undervalued in Sim Labs, making him a strong option even in a tough matchup vs. the Bills.

Pictured: Theo Johnson
Photo Credit: Imagn