The Thursday 11/05 DraftKings classic slate covers 15 games, from JAX @ BAL to BUF @ MIN, with a $50,000 salary cap. Lock is 8:15 p.m. ET (5:15 p.m. PT), so lineups need to be set before then.
At the top of our model's ranking is Jaxon Smith-Njigba (SEA) at $9,300, with a ceiling of 41.5 and a DraftKings average of 30.1. Jahmyr Gibbs (DET) costs $10,000 and carries a 40.2 ceiling against a 30.0 average. Kenneth Walker III (KC) is $9,000 with a 38.9 ceiling and a 24.6 average.
Among quarterbacks, Josh Allen (BUF) at $7,400 shows a 39.5 ceiling and a 28.5 average, the strongest pairing of the two numbers at the position. Joe Burrow (CIN) at $7,200 has a 38.3 ceiling and a 26.1 average.
Some of the best upside per dollar sits in the middle of the salary range. Bijan Robinson (ATL) at $8,200 has a 40.7 ceiling, though his DraftKings average is only 19.9, so his case rests on the high end of his outcomes. CeeDee Lamb (DAL) at $8,300 has a 39.9 ceiling and a 22.2 average. Drake Maye (NE) at $7,000 is another quarterback with a 38.1 ceiling.
Our model's top lineup uses all $50,000 and leans on cheap quarterback and defense choices to afford its skill players. J.J. McCarthy is the QB at $4,800. D'Andre Swift ($7,000) and Braelon Allen ($6,300) fill the RB spots. Ja'Marr Chase ($7,800), Tee Higgins ($7,100) and Xavier Hutchinson ($4,000) make up the receivers, with Sam LaPorta ($5,100) at TE and Isaiah Likely ($5,000) in the FLEX. The Saints defense at $2,900 rounds it out.
Check the status tags before locking anything in. Amon-Ra St. Brown (DET), Christian McCaffrey (SF), Christian Watson (GB), Malik Nabers (NYG), DeVonta Smith (PHI), Michael Wilson (ARI), Garrett Wilson (NYJ) and Mike Evans (SF) all carry a Q tag. Lineups lock at 8:15 p.m. ET.
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