RADIO
After eleven weeks of NFL action we’re dangerously close to the fantasy playoffs. By now you’re likely either in it or mathematically eliminated so I would assume that you’re still fighting for a playoff spot if you’re reading this. You’re going to see some playoff analysis sprinkled into the game-by-game breakdowns alongside the usual injury updates and performance analysis. As a rule of thumb I tend to avoid shaky starters come playoff time while also balancing some of the more boom-or-bust plays. We’ll get into the specifics of that in the coming weeks but for now let’s just focus on the Week 11 slate.
Jacksonville Jaguars @ Tennessee Titans
Editor's Note: The FFPC Playoff Challenge #2 is back with a massive $100,000 grand prize and $203,250 total prize pool, paying down to 100th place. Here's the deal: no salary cap, no draft, no pickups, no subs. Choose 8 players, and as NFL teams get knocked out so will your players, so choose your team wisely. The entries will sell out quickly, and registrations will close on Saturday January 17th at 4:30 pm ET . Don't wait - get your team now and end your fantasy football season with a shot at $100,000! Sign Up Now!This Thursday night matchup wasn’t exactly a barnburner on either side of the ball. The Titans predominantly utilized tight end Delanie Walker (10 targets, 109 yards) while quarterback Marcus Mariota broke off a 23-yard touchdown run. It’s been said that Tennessee wants Mariota to use his legs more often so that’s certainly something to consider for his fantasy value moving forward. Other than Delanie Walker, there really isn’t another Titan that warrants weekly usage.
The Jacksonville offense looked surprisingly mediocre here with only Allen Robinson having a big day. He finished with 113 yards while Blake Bortles’ sole touchdown pass went to Julius Thomas. Bortles has legitimate QB1 upside so both Robinson and fellow wide receiver Allen Hurns remain every week starters in most formats. It was nice to see Thomas find the end zone but with so many tight ends able to go off any given week it’s hard to trust Thomas with any sort of consistency in a fantasy playoff matchup.
New York Jets @ Houston Texans
DeAndre Hopkins has turned into an absolute stud at wide receiver. We’re at the point where he belongs in the same class as Antonio Brown and Julio Jones as he’s now both matchup proof and quarterback proof. Running back Alfred Blue also had a decent game here with three receptions for 34 yards and a score to go along with his rushing total. Blue can be a useful flex play in the right circumstances.
Jets running back Chris Ivory had another down game and only saw 17 snaps. A little concerning, but keep in mind the Jets played from behind most of the day. Look for him to get back on track against a poor Miami running defense in Week 12. Even with Ryan Fitzpatrick's struggles this week, both Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker remain top 20 receivers going forward.
Oakland Raiders @ Detroit Lions
This was a rather ugly game that featured several disappointing fantasy starters. Only Latavius Murray (28 yards, TD) salvaged his day with a 1-yard score. That’s a real shame for those who invested in Derek Carr given the enticing matchup. Still, Carr is similar to Blake Bortles in that he has enough upside to warrant a spot on your team and could easily win you a playoff matchup if you’re hurting at QB.
Calvin Johnson is the only Detroit Lion worth starting each week even though his touchdowns have been few and far between. He still managed to reel in five receptions for 88 yards. Not a bad game, just not what you expect from Megatron in a juicy matchup. If he doesn't go off on Thanksgiving versus Byron Maxwell and the Eagles, I'm not sure he ever will.
Dallas Cowboys @ Miami Dolphins
So much for that Darren McFadden groin injury. McFadden had 29 rushes for 129 yards, proving once again that the Cowboys love utilizing a workhouse back, regardless what the injury report says. He should remain as a high-end RB1 for as long as he’s healthy but be sure to handcuff him with Robert Turbin as we get closer to the fantasy playoffs. I’m sure Dez Bryant owners were delighted with the return of Tony Romo after finding Dez in the endzone. Romo did look a little rusty and with a tough matchup against Carolina looming on Thanksgiving you might want to temper your expectations for now.
The Dolphins have come back down to reality after some of their recent offensive surges. There wasn’t any Miami player who had a strong fantasy outing so it’s best to chalk this up as a dud performance across the board and hope things turn around against the Jets. The Jets don’t have as strong of a defense as initially thought so you can expect a better showing out of Lamar Miller. He too is someone you should absolutely handcuff for the fantasy post season as Jay Ajayi looks like a strong backup.
St. Louis Rams @ Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens lost two key starters in this game with Joe Flacco tearing his ACL and Justin Forsett breaking his arm. That basically means there’s not a single fantasy commodity to be had in Baltimore, although new running back Buck Allen warrants picking up on waivers. He’ll receive pretty much all of the work out of the backfield and as the old adage goes a starting running back in the NFL has value. I just wouldn’t be all that enthused about depending on him come playoff time.
Another week, another St. Louis Rams game that was all about Todd Gurley. Gurley had another touchdown here while the rest of the St. Louis offense did nothing. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, this is the Todd Gurley show. No one else is worth owning.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Philadelphia Eagles
The Muscle Hamster. The Douggernaut. Whatever you want to call him, Doug Martin went absolutely bonkers in this game. Martin rushed 27 times for 235 yards yet it was quarterback Jameis Winston who hogged all of the team’s touchdowns. Winston threw five scores to five different receivers, one of which was the returning Vincent Jackson. Martin is a legit RB2 while Jackson is back on the WR3/flex radar now that he’s healthy. Mike Evans is still this team’s top wide receiver and warrants WR1 recognition if Winston can keep this up.
DeMarco Murray couldn’t take advantage of playing without Ryan Mathews, seeing only 17 touches in the contest. The Eagles are extremely frustrating to analyze considering how much they spread the ball around. Chip Kelly might be outsmarting himself although to be fair the Buccaneers do have a solid run defense so maybe this was the plan all along. Things don't get easier versus an improved Lions defense this week, although if you own DeMarco Murray you likely have to use him here.
Denver Broncos @ Chicago Bears
The fighting Brock Osweiler's edged out a victory against a depleted Chicago Bears team that was without their two best offensive weapons. Osweiler looked solid filling in for the hurt/old Peyton Manning, throwing for two scores. Demaryius Thomas had been dealing with a serious touchdown drought so it was nice to see him finally find the endzone. Osweiler can’t really be that much worse than Peyton was before so I wouldn’t be overly concerned about any pass catcher in Denver. Having said that, Emmanuel Sanders is battling a high ankle sprain so we’ll have to see how that shapes up for this week’s game against the New England Patriots. Ronnie Hillman led the Broncos in rushing attempts, finishing with 21 compared to C.J. Anderson’s 12. Hillman is clearly the better back this year but it’s difficult to project just how productive he’ll be any given week. He’s nothing more than a flex play at this point.
The Bears played without both Matt Forte and Alshon Jeffery here which left them with Marques Wilson and Jeremy Langford. Wilson had a big day to the tune of 102 yards so if Jeffery were to miss this Thursday’s game against the Packers you can expect the Bears to continue feeding him. As for Langford, he only had 25 rushing yards on 13 attempts but did manage to score a touchdown. Langford has been extremely productive in the absence of Matt Forte so you can expect him to continue to be involved once Forte returns. I would still have faith in Forte as an RB1 but Langford has played well enough that he should warrant flex consideration once they’re both on the field together.
Washington Redskins @ Carolina Panthers
This was a straight up shellacking. Cam Newton threw for a whopping five touchdowns while running back Jonathan Stewart ran for over 100 yards. Each of Cam’s touchdowns went to a different receiver, which is basically what the Panthers offense has been all season. They’re a team with a weakness at wide receiver so guys like Ted Ginn and Devin Funchess are going to get sprinkled in and out of fantasy relevance. There really isn’t a Carolina wide receiver you can rely on with consistency. Rushing wise, Jonathan Stewart is a high-end RB2 with RB1 upside.
Jordan Reed sprained his knee in this game but did manage to finish the contest. He’s had a plethora of injuries in his career so owners will want to make sure they have a suitable backup in the event he does miss some time. DeSean Jackson finally bounced back into fantasy relevance with 87 receiving yards and a score here. D-Jax is a low-end WR3 with boom or bust potential any given week. Lastly, the Redskins ground game remains an absolute dumpster fire and a situation to avoid at all costs.
Indianapolis Colts @ Atlanta Falcons
This game turned out to be quite the nail biter with the Indianapolis Colts squeaking by with a last minute field goal. Unfortunately for us fantasy folks the Colts didn’t really contribute anything else offensively. The team’s two receiving touchdowns went to Ahmad Bradshaw of all people. The Indy offense includes the likes of Bradshaw, Frank Gore, Andre Johnson, and Matt Hasselbeck…in 2015. That’s not exactly a youthful lineup so you can expect this offense to continue struggling until Andrew Luck returns. Even with that in mind, Luck clearly hasn’t been himself this year so it’ll be interesting to see if there even is a major difference between him and Hasselbeck. You might not have better options than T.Y. Hilton at wide receiver but if you do, I’d suggest leaving him on your bench. Do you really want your fantasy playoff hopes to be tied to Matt Hasselbeck throwing a football at age 40? I didn’t think so.
Running back Devonta Freeman left this game with a concussion, opening the door for Tevin Coleman to return to fantasy relevance. Concussions are always tricky to evaluate this early in the week so it’ll likely be a few days before we know if Freeman is set to miss any games. Either way, Coleman should be one of this week’s top waiver wire adds alongside Buck Allen. If you need a guy for just one game or two, I’d snag Coleman over Allen assuming Freeman sits. Otherwise, Allen is the more long-term pickup. Leonard Hankerson returned to action this week and immediately scored a touchdown. Not only should Hankerson be viewed as a WR3/flex play but his return also negates any fantasy consideration Jacob Tamme was getting. You don't need me to tell you Julio Jones is a monster. Moving on.
Kansas City Chiefs @ San Diego Chargers
Charcandrick West left this game with an injury, leaving the Chiefs to lean on Spencer Ware at running back. With Knile Davis ruled out as a healthy scratch again, it’s clear that the Chiefs don’t view him as their number two back anymore. If West misses any time Ware would step right into RB2 consideration. He belongs in the same category as Tevin Coleman and Buck Allen. He’s a lot closer to Coleman than Allen in the sense that he’s more of a short-term addition than one you can rely on beyond a week or two.
The Chargers couldn’t get anything going offensively so it’s best to throw this game out the window. The team only managed to score three points and no player exceeded Stevie Johnson’s 54 yards. Even Philip Rivers was held to just 178 yards through the air. Johnson, Rivers, and tight end Antonio Gates are all still usable fantasy options and the passing game should rebound versus Jacksonville.
San Francisco 49ers @ Seattle Seahawks
The San Francisco 49ers are still the most fantasy irrelevant team in the NFL. Until Carlos Hyde comes back there isn’t a single Niner even worth talking about. I’m actually not even convinced Hyde is a must start when he gets back but we’ll talk about that when it becomes clear that he actually has a shot at returning.
On the Seattle side of the ball Thomas Rawls exploded for 209 yards and a touchdown while filling in for the injured Marshawn Lynch. Rawls is the perfect example why you should always handcuff your running backs when it’s clear that the backup is a legitimate substitution. It’s been reported that the Seahawks are actually expecting Lynch to miss another game in Week 12 so you should plan on having Rawls locked into your lineup. It’s not a great matchup against an underrated Steelers defense but if Rawls is going to get anywhere close to the 30 rushing attempts he had against San Francisco he’ll be well worth a start in any format. Passing wise this team continues be pretty much useless for fantasy purposes.
Green Bay Packers @ Minnesota Vikings
It would appear as if the Green Bay Packers are finally back on track here with Aaron Rodgers and Eddie Lacy both having solid games. Rodgers threw a touchdown pass to both James Jones and Randall Cobb while Eddie Lacy ran for 100 yards for what feels like the first time in ages. The Packers claim they will continue to utilize the combination of both Lacy and Starks so we’re likely dealing with a committee. Committees are never fun for fantasy purposes so I’d recommend avoiding the situation if you can. If you own both guys I suppose I’m back on board in preferring Lacy but I don’t feel great about it. I’d like to see him string together back-to-back impressive outings before I’m willing to go all in on him over Starks.
Kyle Rudolph was the top player for the Minnesota Vikings here, which helps no one for fantasy purposes. His 106 yards and a score don’t warrant much attention outside of deeper leagues. Stefon Diggs matched Rudolph’s reception total at six so it’s nice to see that Teddy Bridgewater is still looking for him with high volume. His nine targets are enough to keep trotting him out there in your fantasy lineups.
Cincinnati Bengals @ Arizona Cardinals
Call me crazy but I’m starting to think the Bengals are about to collapse in terms of real-life football. They now have two consecutive losses after being undefeated and have had their lead in the AFC North trimmed down to just two games. Fantasy wise, both Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard were effective here with Hill scoring two touchdowns and Bernard being a key contributor in the passing game. Bernard’s eight receptions for 128 yards are enough to prove that this team can utilize both backs in an effective matter. They’re each low-end RB2s with decent upside. Andy Dalton threw another two touchdowns to tight end Tyler Eifert who is having himself a monster season. Eifert has earned his place in the tight end trio behind Rob Gronkowski and Greg Olsen.
Carson Palmer’s four touchdown passes each went to a different wide receiver but none of them were named Larry Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald did lead the team in receptions with eight so it’s tough to really complain about his production. The Cardinals offense is so potent and consistent that it’s actually okay that they spread the ball around as much as they do. You’re bound to get enough volume or a touchdown from any of the team’s wide receivers provided they’re all healthy. In the ground game, Chris Johnson continues to lead the team in rushing attempts with Andre Ellington being pretty much invisible. You can safely drop him if you haven’t done so already. This is CJ2K’s gig.
