RADIO
Some big news in the NFL this week. Le'Veon Bell won't be back this season, so you can finally drop him in re-draft leagues if you hadn't already. It's good to have some clarity to that situation, though I know that a lot of people are frustrated because they spent first rounders on him.
In other news, the Rams/Chiefs game won't be played on a potentially dangerous field in Mexico City, which means you don't have to add a lot of extra injury worry to your list of problems as you enter this week, so that is also good! What you do need to worry aboty
Below are 10 lineup busts and avoids for Week 11 of NFL action.
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Top 10 Busts - NFL Week 11
Kirk Cousins (QB, Minnesota Vikings)
I feel better about Kirk Cousins than I expected I would after Matthew Stafford showed some life against the Bears defense last week, but this also feels like one of those games -- on the road against a good defense -- where Cousins has one of those stinkers that he's shown himself capable of. Remember, Cousins is second in the NFL in fumbles this year, and he's playing a Bears team that has the guy tied for first and the guy tied for fifth in forced fumbles. Play Cousins with great trepidation.
Alex Smith (QB, Washington Redskins)
First, there are the injuries. Jamison Crowder and Chris Thompson aren't practicing, Paul Richardson is already on IR, and while they do get Trey Quinn back this week, I'm not sure the final pick in this year's draft is the kind of game-changing player you need.
Second, Washington plays a Houston team that's allowing the fifth-fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks.
And last, Smith has passed for exactly 178 yards in three of the last four weeks. He's thrown zero or one touchdown on six occasions. This isn't 2017 Chiefs Alex Smith. This is every other season Alex Smith, who'll finish outside of the top 20 at his position.
Dalvin Cook (RB, Minnesota Vikings)
Everyone's high on Cook this week because he's a healthy Dalvin Cook, a thing we haven't really seen this season. But let's not forget that until last week, the Bears hadn't allowed a rushing touchdown to a running back, and let's not forget that Cook might not yet have full control of this backfield.
Josh Adams (RB, Philadelphia Eagles)
Everyone wants someone to emerge from this Eagles backfield down the stretch, but here's an idea: no one will. This thing is messy, with Adams, Corey Clement, and Wendell Smallwood all getting touches last week against the Cowboys, and just because Adams looks the part right now doesn't mean that this is his job. It also doesn't help things that the Eagles face a tough run defense in the Saints (yes, really -- they allow the sixth-fewest fantasy points to the position.)
Derrick Henry (RB, Tennessee Titans)
I picked Henry for this column last week and was wrong, but the process was right: the Titans continue to use him less. If you're looking solely at touchdowns, you might want to pick Henry up, but his snap percentage has now dipped down into the 20s and his four touchdowns in three games are sustainable if he's not actually going to be touching the football enough.
Allen Robinson (WR, Chicago Bears)
If we subscribe to the old school notion that defense is important, then we don't want to play Robinson against the Vikings defense, even with how impressive he was in his return to the field last week. And while I definitely see a path for Robinson to end up with a strong day, the Vikings secondary scares me enough that he'll be seeing my bench in at least some of the leagues I have him in.
Golden Tate (WR, Philadelphia Eagles)
This is a really easy one, because until I see the usage in Tate's new home, I'm not playing him. Maybe I miss out on a breakout performance at some point, but I'm currently pretty wary of Tate's Eagles career after his first game produced a season-low four targets. Show me an effective Tate and then we can talk about playing him after that.
Devin Funchess (WR, Carolina Panthers)
Three really sub-par games in a row plus a meeting with a meeting with a fairly good Lions secondary (albeit an injured one) has me fading Funchess this week.
Jack Doyle (TE, Indianapolis Colts)
You could also put Eric Ebron here, but I'm finding it harder and harder to doubt him. No team allows fewer points to opposing tight ends than the Titans and Doyle saw just three targets in Week 10. Could be another rough one for him.
Jordan Thomas (TE, Houston Texans)
Three touchdowns over the last two games, but those came on just five targets. He was only targeted once against Denver. There's reason to think Thomas will be a good NFL tight end, but his low usage and a meeting with a Washington defense that's strong against tight ends doesn't have me betting on a fourth end zone visit.
