Week 11 Fantasy Football Projections: Early Look at How Surging Stars Will Fare

Week 10 was a strange time for fantasy football owners indeed.

A select few stars performed as expected, but the affair was mostly littered with surprises such as the New Orleans Saints fielding two running backs not named Darren Sproles in the top three at the position in standard leagues.

Sleepers are easier to predict later in the week, so let's take this time to take an early gander at how some hot fantasy studs will continue on their streak or fall off a cliff in Week 11 based on matchups and other trends.

Note: All scoring info based on ESPN standard leagues. Points against info courtesy of Yahoo! Dallas and St. Louis have a bye.

Nick Foles, QB, Philadelphia Eagles

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles was once again a top-five fantasy producer last week, and while he did not throw for seven touchdowns, owners were greatly rewarded for their faith.

That faith must continue in Week 11.

Foles was a bit off against Green Bay, as his receivers bailed him out on a couple of touchdown throws, but he managed 228 yards and three scores, which gives him 16 touchdowns to zero interceptions on the year.

For the third week in a row, Foles is a must-start No. 1 quarterback. He's once again in a favorable matchup, this time against a Washington defense that surrenders the sixth-most fantasy points to the position at 20.35.

Expect similar production here for Foles, who has clearly run away with the job in Philadelphia. He won't always be a surefire No. 1 option, but he is in Week 11 as he continues his positive production.

Projection: 325 passing yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions

Adrian Peterson, RB, Minnesota Vikings

It's about time—the Minnesota Vikings are finally feeding fantasy's No. 1 back:

Wk	OPP	ATT	YDS	TD	PTS
9	@Dal	25	140	1	23
10	Wsh	20	75	2	19

Peterson has received 20 or more carries the past two weeks, which is a great sign considering he and his owners suffered through a three-game stretch before that of 13 carries or fewer.

AP put up 19 more fantasy points last week with his 75 yards and two scores, and on the season he averages more than 87 yards per game.

Now, Seattle only surrenders just over 15 fantasy points to the position per game as one of the NFL's best run defenses, but Peterson is no ordinary running back.

As owners likely know, touches equal production at the position. That's even more so for a guy like Peterson, who is matchup-proof. Expect another solid day that lands Peterson in the top five scorers of the week once again.

Projection: 22 carries, 65 yards, two touchdowns

Demaryius Thomas, WR, Denver Broncos

Kansas City allows only about 20 fantasy points to the wide receiver position per game, but Demaryius Thomas has been on a hot streak of epic proportions in recent weeks.

So what gives?

Unfortunately for Thomas, it will be his productive streak. Thomas lit up San Diego for three scores in Week 10 and was second in scoring behind a fluky output from Tavon Austin in St. Louis, but Kansas City will give the Denver offense fits.

The performance against San Diego broke a seven-game hiatus from the 100-yard mark, but Thomas has remained productive as Peyton Manning's No. 1.

The problem is that Manning presumably does not care about fantasy stats, and Kansas City has a defense that can dictate where the ball goes. It will go away from Thomas to prevent big plays and into the hands of guys like Eric Decker, Wes Welker and Julius Thomas.

With that in mind, the normally reliable Thomas will be contained as the ball is spread around in a battle for AFC West supremacy.

Projection: Five receptions, 55 yards

John Carlson, TE, Minnesota Vikings

Who?

That's right, John Carlson has abruptly entered the "star" fantasy status after an injury has sidelined starter Kyle Rudolph for a month or more.

Carlson stepped right up to the plate last week, was the highest-targeted receiver on the team, caught seven passes for 98 yards and scored his first touchdown since 2010.

Oh, and he was the No. 1 scoring tight end of the week.

Boom.

Look, the tight end position is horrible. It's why guys like Dallas Clark, Brandon Pettigrew, Chris Gragg and Brandon Bostick were able to score in the top 10 in Week 10.

Carlson is at an advantage because he plays in an offense with a run game defenses must respect, which opens him up down the field as a reliable big-bodied target for an iffy quarterback situation.

Seattle gives up just over seven fantasy points per game to tight ends, but Carlson will be motivated against his former team (starter from 2008 to 2010) and is clearly a major option in the offense. He needs to be in most lineups.

Projection: Nine receptions, 114 yards

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