Week 11 Fantasy Football Advice

By Steve Tsilimos | Posted 1 year ago

Justin Fields' rise to superstardom continued in Week 10 with another top fantasy performance of 40.4 points. Fields’ 746 rushing yards are the sixth most, ahead of RBs Aaron Jones and Dalvin Cook. Fields’ huge day was not enough to hold off the Lions, who won 31-30 on Sunday, snapping a 13-game winless road streak, which was the longest active run in the league.

 

Justin Jeffersons huge day helped the Vikings win the game of the year over the Bills 33-30 in an OT thriller. Jefferson had ten catches for 193 yards and 1 TD, catapulting him to second in receiving yards in the NFL on the season. Jefferson’s unbelievable one-handed catch in a do-or-die fourth-quarter moment will go down as the catch of the year and one of the best catches ever. The dramatic upset victory over the Bills moved the Vikings to 8-1 and put them a half-game back of the Eagles, who played on Monday night. The Commanders ended the Eagles' perfect season with a 31-21 MNF road victory, placing the Vikings and Eagles in a tie for the best record in the NFL. 

 

This week’s trending list features three players on the Chiefs. If you haven’t been paying attention, there have been some changes at running back and receiver in Kansas City. Anyone getting touches in one of the top offenses immediately becomes fantasy relevant because their chances to score are higher than their peers. The Chiefs lead the NFL this season with 34 TDs, and their 423 yards per game is ranked second (one yard behind the Bills). 

 

Teams on a Bye in Week 11

Week 11 features three teams on a bye who are division leaders. The Jacksonville JaguarsMiami DolphinsSeattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers have bye weeks.

 

Notable Injuries from Week 10

• Cardinals TE Zach Ertz (knee) suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 10.
• Broncos WR Jerry Jeudy was ruled out versus the Titans with an ankle injury. Jeudy was diagnosed with a mild ankle sprain and is questionable for Sunday.
• Bears RB Khalil Herbert (hip) was ruled out versus the Lions and placed on the IR after the game because of a hip pointer.
• Chiefs WR JuJu Smith-Schuster has been diagnosed with a concussion and will be in the league's protocol this week. 
• Rams WR Cooper Kupp suffered a high ankle sprain and underwent surgery. Kupp was placed on the IR and will miss at least four weeks.
• Buccaneers RB Leonard Fournette suffered a hip pointer in Week 10. He will likely be ready for Week 12 following Tampa Bay’s bye.

Players Trending Down

Raiders QB Derek Carr @ Denver: Cut

Derek Carr and the 2-7 Raiders have been one of the league's biggest disappointmentsCarr has only surpassed 20 fantasy points once this season and has only finished inside the top-10 at his position twice. On Sunday, Carr and the Raiders are traveling to Denver to take on their division rivals. Denver has been unable to figure things out on offense, but they have the second most formidable defenses against opposing QBs. It’s hard to trust Carr and the Raiders' offense against a weak defense, let alone Denver's stellar defense. Carr’sschedule gets a little easier after this week, but he still has one of the toughest remaining schedules and should be cut in most leagues. 

Chiefs RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire @ Los Angeles Chargers: Sit

Clyde Edwards-Helaire looked like a fantasy steal after the season's first quarter. In Weeks 1-4, CEH averaged 17.2 fantasy points and was ranked fourth among running backs. Between Weeks 4-10, Edwards-Helaire has seen his snap count slowly decrease from 56% to 6%. Over that five-week period, the former first-round pick has averaged less than four fantasy points per game and has practically been phased out of the Chiefs’ offensive game plan. Edwards-Helaire only played four snaps in Week 10 and did not receive a touch in his team's 21-17 win over the Jaguars. Rookie-RB Isiah Pacheco has taken over as Kansas City’s lead rusher, with Jerick McKinnon still serving as the third-down back, leaving CEH third on the depth chart. CEH is still worth a fantasy-roster spot because he could end up back on top of the depth chart due to injury or the slight chance he earns it back.

Chargers WR Joshua Palmer vs. Kansas City: Sit

There was plenty of fantasy-hype surrounding second-year WR Joshua Palmer this offseason. Many people were spot on with their prediction that although he would start the season third on the depth chart, injuries would lead to plenty of opportunities to serve as WR2 in a high-scoring offense. This past Sunday, with both Keenan Allen and Mike Williams out, Palmer got the chance to serve as the de facto WR1 for Los Angeles. He did not make the most of his opportunity, catching three of his eight targets for 44 yards in a 16-22 loss to the 49ers. There is a chance both Allen and Williams may return for Week 11, which would downgrade Palmer back to WR3 duties. Palmer will still have some flex appeal if one or both of his teammates sit out again on Sunday. 

Falcons TE Kyle Pitts vs. Chicago: Sit

Kyle Pitts has been the leading cause of many fantasy managers' biggest frustrations all season, making him the center of many fantasy memes. The 2021 first-round pick has had huge expectations because he is a freak athlete, but his fantasy output has been capped by a run-heavy offense and Marcus Mariotas below-average arm. Pitts has now finished with under 30 receiving yards in all but two of the games this season. As a Pitts-owner, I am fully aware of the internal battle that occurs when you think about benching the freak-TE, especially with him averaging eight targets per game over the last three contests. The Bears' defense has been surprisingly tough on opposing TEs this season, giving up the fifth least points to the position. I know it’s hard to move Pitts to your bench, but if you have another option, it is time to rip off the bandaid and move on. 

 

Players Trending Up

Giants TE Daniel Jones vs. Detroit: Start

Daniel Jones continues to do just enough to pull out victories for the 7-2 Giants. Jones is averaging a measly 17 completions per game, but his rushing ability has kept his fantasy floor relatively high. Jones has not been a consistent fantasy starter, but he has been a great QB2 and streaming option most weeks. Jones is this week's hottest streaming option, with the Lions coming to town. Detroit has given up the most points to opposing QBs this season and is coming off a game where they gave up over 40 fantasy points to Fields. Jones should be starting in most leagues this week because he has a cake matchup with the Lions, and four QBs that rank just ahead of him are on their bye. 

Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco @ Los Angeles Chargers: Start

Isiah Pacheco has finally taken over the Chiefs' RB1 role. Pacheco rushed 16 times for 82 yards in the Chiefs' win on Sunday. The Chiefs' 2022 seventh-round pick has taken the job from their 2020 first-round pick, Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Pacheco is a much more physical runner than CEH, and his downhill style is an excellent compliment to Patrick Mahomes' gun-slinging style of play. Pacheco is the perfect runner for the cold games in late November and December, and he looks like a sneaky league winner. This week, he is in a smash spot against the Chargers' feeble run-stopping defense. 

Chiefs WR Kadarius Toney @ Los Angeles Chargers: Start

The Chiefs traded a third- and a sixth-round pick to the Giants in exchange for NY’s 2021 first-round pick Kadarius Toney. If you have watched Toney play for the Giants or the Florida Gators, you know he is an exceptional talent with the ball in his hands. In his second game with his new team this past Sunday, Toney played 44.4% of the offensive snaps with a 14.2% target share that he turned into 57 receiving yards and a score while adding 33 rushing yards on two carries. Now that he is playing under coach Andy Reid – the master at getting his best athletes the ball with space to operate – I want as much of Toney on my teams as possible and will be targeting him as a player to trade for. 

Raider TE Foster Moreau @ Denver: Add and Start

Foster Moreau is operating as the new TE1 in Las Vegas after they placed TE Darren Waller on the IR. This past Sunday, Moreau played 95% of the snaps, finishing third on the team in routes run. He made the most of his 10.5% target share, with three catches on four targets for 44 yards and a TD in a 25-20 loss to the Colts. His 11.8 fantasy points in Week 10 were good enough for fifth-best at the position. Denver ranks in the middle of the pack against opposing TEs, making Moreau a trustable option in the shallow TE pool. Moreau has some softer matchups in the following weeks, and he should at least be added this week and possibly started from here on out. 

 

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