Fantasy Football Week 11: Thursday's Daily Fantasy Market Report

Week 11 of the fantasy football season kicked off with a bang when the Seattle Seahawks released their leading rusher, running back Christine Michael.

While it is surprising, just remember the other 57 times Michael has been released and it won't be all that unbelievable.

In addition to the Michael news, there are multiple injuries to investigate, including those of Chicago Bears running back Jordan Howard and New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski.

There's plenty to get to, so I won't continue to bore you with this introduction slide.

Packers WR/RB Ty Montgomery DNP Wednesday

Matt Ludtke/Associated Press

Since it was revealed that Green Bay Packers wide receiver/running back Ty Montgomery has a health issue related to a sickle-cell trait, his playing time has been reduced. Couple that with fellow running back James Starks returning, and Montgomery's fantasy value is shrinking.

Now this: According to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com, Montgomery did not practice on Wednesday due to an undisclosed reason. My best guess is that it has to do with his illness.

In Week 10, Montgomery played in less than 30 percent of the team's snaps and accumulated just five touches, whereas Starks had double the touches in his first game back since Week 5.

Starks is a much more traditional lead back than Montgomery and the Packers have solid receiving depth.

Montgomery's days of fantasy value might be behind him—I'm definitely not rostering him this week.

Buccaneers RB Jacquizz Rodgers out of Walking Boot

Ben Margot/Associated Press

According to Jenna Laine of ESPN.com, Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Jacquizz Rodgers has shed his walking boot.

This is great news for Rodgers as he should be getting ready to play soon.

That's fine and all, but fellow running back Doug Martin is back too, so it doesn't matter in terms of fantasy value.

I'm absolutely not interested in Rodgers this week.

Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski DNP Wednesday

Winslow Townson/Associated Press

According to Mike Reiss of ESPN, New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski did not practice on Wednesday.

While it's not clear exactly what his "chest injury" is—perhaps a punctured lung—it's a safe bet to assume that Gronk will not play Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers. That makes fellow tight end Martellus Bennett the No. 1 option on the tight end depth chart.

Believe it or not, the 49ers are actually decent against opposing tight ends in terms of fantasy points allowed, ranking toward the middle of the pack.

Going up against the Patriots, it may not matter—New England is just too good.

With wide receiver Julian Edelman getting the targets but posting just one touchdown all season, Bennett is in a nice spot to find the end zone in a game in which the Patriots are almost two-touchdown favorites, according to Odds Shark.

Redskins WR DeSean Jackson Back at Practice

Mark Tenally/Associated Press

After missing Week 10 with a shoulder injury, Washington Redskins wide receiver DeSean Jackson looks poised to make his return in Week 11.

According to JP Finlay of CSN Mid-Atlantic, DJax was back at practice on Wednesday.

Even if he suits up, I'm just not a fan of Jackson. He has only one touchdown this season and has surpassed 55 receiving yards just twice.

The only relevant receivers on the Redskins are Jamison Crowder and tight end Jordan Reed.

Stay away from Jackson, even in a matchup with the Green Bay Packers and their exploitable secondary.

Chiefs WR Jeremy Maclin Still Not Practicing

AJ Mast/Associated Press

After reaggravating a groin injury in Week 9, Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Jeremy Maclin has yet to play, and it's not looking like he will in Week 11, either.

According to BJ Kissel of the Chiefs official site, Maclin did not practice on Wednesday.

Look, Maclin is a great receiver, but he is impossible to roster given the Chiefs passing attack.

For the season, he's on pace for under 700 yards and just under 100 targets.

Maclin would be a fun option to utilize downfield, but Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith is just 6-of-28 on passes sailing 20 or more yards.

Breaking news: That's terrible.

Not only am I not rostering Maclin, but I'm avoiding all the Kansas City receiving options.

Eagles WR Jordan Matthews DNP, Should Play

Matt Rourke/Associated Press

According to Tim McManus of ESPN.com, Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jordan Matthews did not practice Wednesday, but Eagles head coach Doug Pederson suggested that he should be ready for Week 11.

Matthews is a tough fantasy player to peg. While he's getting the targets (double-digit targets in four games this season), he's just the WR28 in PPR leagues.

Matthews was a better fantasy option under former head coach Chip Kelly because of Kelly's run-first approach and use of play action, which created opportunities for Matthews downfield. Now, Matthews is running more routes over the middle and dropping more passes (tied for sixth in the league).

Matthews has a steady floor for cash games, but in big tournaments, he'll leave a lot to be desired.

Vikings WR Stefon Diggs to Be Targeted by Cardinals CB Patrick Peterson?

Alex Brandon/Associated Press

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Stefon Diggs is really good at football.

Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson is really good at football.

In Week 11, the Cardinals and the Vikings will face off, and Diggs is a weapon that Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians needs to contain.

Is there a solution? Maybe.

According to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Arians provided a possible approach: "Put Patrick Peterson on him and hope that works.''

Interesting, but I'm not so sure.

Diggs is mostly an inside receiver, running 57.5 percent of his routes from the slot. But Peterson doesn't often cover that area. In fact, Peterson has played just 36 snaps in the slot all season—6.1 percent of his total snaps.

Diggs' touchdown upside is low, but as we saw in Week 10, double-digit catches for a ton of yards is always in play.

I find it hard to believe Peterson will shadow him in the slot this week.

Either way, I'm a fan of Diggs, especially in DraftKings with its PPR scoring.

Bears RB Jordan Howard Practices

Steve Nesius/Associated Press

First, he was an up-and-coming star at the running back position. Then, he was potentially out for the season. Now, he's fine and well again. Chicago Bears running back Jordan Howard was back at practice Wednesday, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.

In Week 10, Bears head coach John Fox said that Howard might have an ankle or Achilles injury.

Well, that conspiracy was fun while it lasted.

After running for 100 yards in Week 10, Howard will face a New York Giants run defense on the road that has given up less than 100 rushing yards per game to opponents—though the Giants have conceded eight rushing touchdowns.

Howard will get the carries, but with fellow running backs Jeremy Langford and Ka'Deem Carey in the mix, finding receptions could be tough. Also, with wide receiver Alshon Jeffery suspended four games and quarterback Jay Cutler's struggles, Howard could see a tiny uptick in touches.

Either way, Howard is an OK option, but I wouldn't rely on the rookie—the Giants aren't the easiest matchup.

Packers Claim RB Christine Michael off Waivers

Charles Krupa/Associated Press

Well that didn't take long.

According to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, the Green Bay Packers have claimed former Seattle Seahawks running back Christine Michael off waivers.

Following the claim, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com has said that we shouldn't expect Michael to get much run in Week 11 with the Packers.

This makes sense—it will take some time to grasp the offense.

Michael has recorded two double-digit touchdown games, six total rushing touchdowns and four yards per carry on his resume so far this season.

Fellow Packers running back James Starks is the guy to target this week in the Packers' backfield.

Seahawks RB C.J. Prosise Favorite for Carries in Week 11?

Winslow Townson/Associated Press

Although Seattle Seahawks running back Thomas Rawls is back this week, expect fellow running back C.J. Prosise to be the "favorite" to get the majority of the carries, according to Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com.

While Rawls knows the Seahawks offense, this is his first game since Week 2—he needs to be eased in.

Rawls will still get work, but when you factor in Prosise's pass-catching ability plus the carries he'll receive, he makes for a solid GPP play on sites that give points for receptions.

Statistics courtesy of Pro Football Focus and ESPN.com. Betting odds courtesy of Odds Shark.

Follow me on Twitter @RichardJanvrin.