Week 11 Fantasy Trends: Sizzle/Fizzle

Before we look back at Week 10, the controversial first game of Week 11 produces plenty of ramifications. The image of Cleveland’s Myles Garrett whacking Pittsburgh’s Mason Rudolph with Rudolph’s helmet will not be forgotten anytime soon. While discipline for Garrett becomes the focus of many, it was not the only notorious moment of the night. Pittsburgh wide receiver Diontae Johnson suffered a concussion on a helmet-to-helmet hit from Cleveland safety Damarious Randall. Randall ended up being ejected.

Earlier, Juju Smith-Schuster also suffered a concussion. And a recurring shoulder injury for James Conner resulted in Jaylen Samuels and Trey Edmunds again leading the Pittsburgh backfield.

Without a doubt, lots to digest on the Steelers side of the equation. Understandably, people have every reason to be sympathetic towards Rudolph. It may be the only time in NFL history where a quarterback throws four interceptions and no one focuses on it. But when you combine his struggles and the question marks at receiver, he would not be a streaming candidate next week even against Cincinnati.

James Washington, the most accomplished receiver if Smith-Schuster and Johnson are unable to play, project to get enough volume to be worth a dice roll. Tight end Vance McDonald may get some extra looks. But if Samuels leads the backfield against the Bengals, he will have a huge role.

As for the Browns, their defense has the potential to take advantage of some great matchups in the coming weeks, but a suspension for Garrett caps their upside. And will there be lingering aftershocks after what happened?

Week 11 Rankings | QB | RB |WR | TE |

Seattle, Tennessee, Green Bay, and the New York Giants are on bye this week. Now we move on with our regularly scheduled report…

Sizzle

Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens – Jackson crushes Cincinnati for the second time this season. He threw for 223 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for an incredible 47-yard touchdown that will played for years to come. Jackson is this year’s Patrick Mahomes, a quarterback who was drafted later and emerges as a superstar. Forward-thinking fantasy owners need to be pondering an important question for 2020. Who will be next year’s Lamar Jackson?

Baker Mayfield, QB, Cleveland Browns – Throughout 2019, Mayfield makes headlines as a fantasy disappointment. But signs point to an encouraging finish for one of the NFL’s most polarizing players. On Sunday, he threw for two touchdowns against Buffalo’s respectable defense. And while he was far from perfect against Pittsburgh, he derailed a defense that had been dominant. Baker finished with a rushing touchdown and two passing scores. With Miami next weekend and Cincinnati and Arizona back-to-back in Weeks 14 and 15, those who sent Mayfield packing may wish they had him back.

Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans – Tennessee often follows a pattern of losing games they should win and winning games they ought to lose. With Henry playing his best game of the season, the Titans upset the Chiefs. Henry cruised through Kansas City’s defense for 188 yards and two touchdowns. Outside of one bad week against Denver, Henry has pretty much delivered all season. Maybe he will not produce as much he did down the stretch last year. However, do not be surprised when “Dependable Derrick” helps many fantasy teams conquer their championship bracket.

Brian Hill, RB, Atlanta Falcons – By default, Hill now leads the Atlanta backfield. Dealing with a foot injury, Devonta Freeman could miss a couple of games. Ito Smith had previously been placed on injured reserve. Hill took over for Freeman on Sunday and rushed for 61 yards. Additionally, Hill caught a touchdown pass. Carolina yields 136.7 rushing yards per game and has given up the most rushing touchdowns in the league. With volume on his side and a great matchup, our ratings team places Hill as an RB2.

Raheem Mostert, RB, San Francisco 49ers – An injury to Matt Breida elevates Mostert back into flex territory. Breida could be out the next couple of weeks. If you have bye issues, Mostert ought to be capable of saving the day. Neither of his next two opponents, Arizona and Green Bay, have strong run defenses. And while Tevin Coleman continues to lead the San Francisco backfield, there’s plenty of room in Kyle Shanahan’s committee for Mostert to make waves.

Christian Kirk, WR, Arizona Cardinals – Going into the season, many are banking on a breakout season from Kirk. At this point, the breakout season has not happened, but the breakout game certainly took place in Tampa. Christian produced a hat trick by scoring three times. He also racked up 138 yards. Not to be a downer, but an angry San Francisco defense could put a quick end to his hot streak. The 49ers limited him to eight yards in Week 9. Nonetheless, Kirk earns the benefit of the doubt and a spot in WR3 terrain.

O.J. Howard, TE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – At long last, Howard finds prosperity. One of fantasy’s biggest disappointments, Howard found the end zone for the first time against Arizona. And those two words, “against Arizona” prevent fantasy owners from fully buying into a Howard revival just yet. The Cardinals make opposing tight ends look like stars. Because of the shootout potential of this week’s duel with New Orleans, with the over/under being 50.5, utilizing Howard as a streamer would not be a terrible gamble.

Kyle Rudolph, TE, Minnesota Vikings – Thanks to a pair of touchdowns against Dallas, Rudolph migrates back into the volatile mix of temporary starters at tight end. One of his touchdowns was an amazing one-handed catch. But Kyle’s vital signs remain shaky. He had just 14 yards overall. Fellow tight end Irv Smith had more targets. And Rudolph’s recent emergence coincides with the absence of Adam Thielen. Thielen should return after Minnesota’s bye next week. In conclusion, Rudolph’s red zone prowess keeps him viable this week. But if you are not getting a touchdown from him, you could be wallowing in despair. He epitomizes short-term over long-term.

Fizzle

Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints – On Tuesday, Evansville shocks Kentucky in Lexington in one of the biggest college basketball upsets in recent memory. The Purple Aces took my mind off the previous biggest shocker of the sports week. And that was Brees failing to throw a single touchdown pass against the Falcons! Expected to shine, the Saints lost their luster. If there was a silver lining, Brees managed to get Jared Cook more involved. And Michael Thomas still produced 152 yards. New Orleans needs to get back on track and they should against Tampa Bay.

Jared Goff, QB, Los Angeles Rams – Goff fails to complete a single pass to Cooper Kupp. That sentence signifies how much the Ram offense is out of sync. He was responsible for three turnovers in a loss to Pittsburgh. Chicago’s defense drops in stature compared to last year’s unit. So we cannot automatically assume Goff will struggle against the Bears because he did last year. He may just struggle because Los Angeles struggling happens to be the new normal, at least temporarily.

Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants – Barkley bombs against the Big Apple’s other team. The superstar produces a stat line worthy of a super scrub, rushing for one yard on 13 carries. Since returning from his ankle injury, Barkley’s primarily produced as a receiver. Unfortunately, that did not happen against the Jets, as Saquon generated just 30 yards. As we all know, Barkley rarely hits rock bottom on a regular basis. In Weeks 15 and 16, Saquon will square off with Miami and Washington. Better times are ahead.

David Johnson, RB, Arizona Cardinals – Back in 2016, Johnson runs like Superman. In 2019, kryptonite in the form of Kenyan Drake and injuries cast doubt on whether he will ever be the same. Against the Buccaneers, Johnson produced 10 total yards. If you want to sabotage your season, start him when he travels to San Francisco on Sunday.

Robby Anderson, WR, New York Jets – Instead of flourishing over the past two weeks against the Dolphins and Giants, Anderson floundered. During this supposedly savory stretch, Anderson caught three passes for 44 yards. Over the next three weeks, Anderson draws Washington, Oakland, and Cincinnati. Then he gets a rematch with Miami before tough matchups with Baltimore and Pittsburgh. If you think Anderson can help you make the Super Bowl, keep the faith. But you will likely be benching him once you get there.

Alshon Jeffery, WR, Philadelphia Eagles – A matchup with an angry New England squad looms for Jeffery, provided he’s able to play. A nagging ankle injury will either limit him to some degree or keep him out of action. If Jeffery sits, the Eagles will lean heavily on their tight end tag team, Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert. Running back Miles Sanders becomes a bigger factor as well, especially if Philadelphia ends up chasing points. Nelson Agholor also becomes more important. Of course, you do not want to play Agholor against the Patriots.

Austin Hooper, TE, Atlanta Falcons – The state of the tight end position takes a big blow with Hooper now sidelined with a sprained MCL. Hooper may miss as many as four weeks. Alternatives will have to be found for the stretch run. If you can hang onto Hooper, do so as he could still be available for your fantasy Super Bowl.