Week 11 Fantasy Football Projections: Stat Predictions for Top 100 Players

Rest assured, my fellow fantasy owners. The bye-week nightmare is almost over.

After enduring six teams on byes the last two weeks, that number drops to four in Week 11. Granted, the absence of the Dallas Cowboys means teams will be without transcendent week-winners like Dez Bryant and DeMarco Murray, but filling out rosters should still be a little easier than the previous two weeks.

That said, with the fantasy playoffs on the horizon and each remaining matchup more vital than the last, your roster decisions become that much more crucial. In an effort to help settle any looming lineup quandaries, let's take a look at the projections for the top 100 individual players in Week 11.

Thursday, Nov. 13	Time (ET)
Sunday, Nov. 16	Time (ET)
Monday, Nov. 17	Time (ET)
Buffalo at Miami	8:25 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Washington	1 p.m.
Minnesota at Chicago	1 p.m.
Houston at Cleveland	1 p.m.
Seattle at Kansas City	1 p.m.
Atlanta at Carolina	1 p.m.
Cincinnati at New Orleans	1 p.m.
Denver at St. Louis	1 p.m.
San Francisco at NY Giants	1 p.m.
Oakland at San Diego	4:05 p.m.
Philadelphia at Green Bay	4:25 p.m.
Detroit at Arizona	4:25 p.m.
New England at Indianapolis	8:30 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Tennessee	8:30 p.m.

Quarterbacks

Rank	Player	Projections
1	Peyton Manning, DEN	280 PAS, 3 TD
2	Aaron Rodgers, GB	325 PAS, 4 TD
3	Andrew Luck, IND	350 PAS, 3 TD, 1 INT
4	Drew Brees, NO	330 PAS, 2 TD, 1 INT
5	Tom Brady, NE	285 PAS, 3 TD
6	Matt Ryan, ATL	245 PAS, 2 TD
7	Ben Roethlisberger, PIT	300 PAS, 2 TD, 1 INT
8	Cam Newton, CAR	220 PAS, 30 RUS, 1 TD, 1 INT
9	Philip Rivers, SD	305 PAS, 3 TD, 1 INT
10	Robert Griffin III, WAS	300 PAS, 30 RUS, 2 TD
11	Russell Wilson, SEA	190 PAS, 45 RUS, 1 TD
12	Matthew Stafford, DET	240 PAS, 2 TD, 1 INT
13	Jay Cutler, CHI	315 PAS, 2 TD, 2 INT
14	Colin Kaepernick, SF	255 PAS, 50 RUS, 1 TD
15	Mark Sanchez, PHI	275 PAS, 2 TD, 1 INT
16	Andy Dalton, CIN	210 PAS, 2 TD
17	Ryan Tannehill, MIA	260 PAS, 30 RUS, 1 TD, 1 INT
18	Brian Hoyer, CLE	215 PAS, 1 TD, 1 INT
19	Josh McCown, TB	240 PAS, 1 TD, 1 INT
20	Eli Manning, NYG	235 PAS, 2 TD

Sleeper: Robert Griffin III, Washington Redskins

It's probably time Jay Gruden starts getting more credit for the effect he has on quarterbacks, especially in the fantasy football realm.

His scheme turned Andy Dalton—you know, the same guy who just had a historically bad performance—into a top-five fantasy QB. It churned out 8.4 yards per attempt from Kirk Cousins (which was, albeit, soured by the onslaught of turnovers) and a whopping 10.2 from Colt McCoy.

Then there's Robert Griffin III. In three games, the polarizing QB has quietly completed 72.1 percent of his throws for 8.2 yards per attempt. If qualified, he would only be bested by Aaron Rodgers, Tony Romo and Peyton Manning in the latter category. And that's despite playing one game under relentless pressure from J.J. Watt and another directly after missing six weeks with a dislocated ankle.

Bleacher Report's Cian Fahey was encouraged with what he saw during Griffin's return against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 9:

"

Although Griffin was an outstanding athlete in college and during his rookie season, he wasn't drafted second overall because of his athleticism.

Griffin was drafted that high because he showed off the ability of an NFL pocket passer with outstanding athleticism. Even if he doesn't have the same level of athleticism now because of his injuries, he is still capable of being a high-quality NFL starter.

This game highlighted the potential, even if the consistency is still somewhat lacking.

"

With a bye week to get healthier, Griffin now has the pleasure of facing a Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense that is 28th in the NFL in yards per pass allowed and 27th in sack percentage.

It has been a disappointing season thus far for various reasons, but the big week is coming.

Running Backs

Rank	Player	Projections
1	Arian Foster, HOU	165 RUS, 20 REC, 2 TD
2	Matt Forte, CHI	80 RUS, 60 REC, 1 TD
3	Le'Veon Bell, PIT	75 RUS, 55 REC
4	Jamaal Charles, KC	85 RUS, 15 REC
5	Marshawn Lynch, SEA	70 RUS, 30 REC, 1 TD
6	Mark Ingram, NO	115 RUS, 1 TD
7	LeSean McCoy, PHI	115 RUS, 20 REC
8	Alfred Morris, WAS	100 RUS, 1 TD
9	Eddie Lacy, GB	85 RUS
10	Andre Ellington, ARI	50 RUS, 45 REC, 1 TD
11	Jeremy Hill, CIN	85 RUS, 25 REC, 1 TD
12	Terrance West, CLE	110 RUS
13	Frank Gore, SF	120 RUS, 1 TD
14	Ahmad Bradshaw, IND	35 RUS, 60 REC, 1 TD
15	Jerick McKinnon, MIN	110 RUS, 15 REC, 1 TD
16	Rashad Jennings, NYG	45 RUS, 30 REC
17	Ryan Mathews, SD	55 RUS, 1 TD
18	Tre Mason, STL	50 RUS
19	Fred Jackson, BUF	15 RUS, 45 REC
20	Steven Jackson, ATL	60 RUS
21	Bishop Sankey, TEN	75 RUS, 1 TD
22	Shane Vereen, NE	30 RUS, 35 REC
23	Lamar Miller, MIA	50 RUS, 20 REC
24	C.J. Anderson, DEN	65 RUS, 25 REC, 1 TD
25	Trent Richardson, IND	40 RUS
26	Charles Sims, TB	45 RUS, 20 REC
27	Darren McFadden, OAK	30 RUS, 25 REC
28	Jonas Gray, NE	85 RUS
29	Joique Bell, DET	35 RUS, 40 REC, 1 TD
30	Isaiah Crowell, CLE	25 RUS

Sleeper: Jerick McKinnon, Minnesota Vikings

Ann Heisenfelt/Associated Press

The Chicago Bears are a mess defensively. They've given up more than 50 points in their last two games, which, according to NFL.com's Gil Brandt, is the first such occurrence in nearly a century:

Could Jerick McKinnon find success against the infamous 1923 Jeffersons?

Probably. The rookie is an athletic specimen who is averaging a silly 5.0 yards per carry and has received at least 17 touches in five of his last six games. As UTHDynasty.com's Chad Parsons noted, however, his fantasy production has been limited by an inability to find the end zone:

Still, even with Matt Asiata receiving the goal-line work, that number is a little flukey considering McKinnon's explosive ability. The tantalizing ability to score from outside the 10 will always be there, and it's a bit surprising it hasn't happened yet.

Against a Chicago defense that looks like it has given up, McKinnon—who has lost a bit of steam after receiving so much hype a month ago—is in line for a major breakout.

Note: This obviously changes if Adrian Peterson is reinstated.

Wide Receivers

Rank	Player	Projections
1	Jordy Nelson, GB	85 REC, 2 TD
2	Antonio Brown, PIT	110 REC
3	Calvin Johnson, DET	130 REC, 1 TD
4	Demaryius Thomas, DEN	125 REC, 2 TD
5	Julio Jones, ATL	125 REC, 1 TD
6	A.J. Green, CIN	95 REC, 2 TD
7	Emmanuel Sanders, DEN	55 REC
8	Jeremy Maclin, PHI	80 REC, 1 TD
9	Randall Cobb, GB	90 REC
10	Brandon Marshall, CHI	65 REC, 1 TD
11	T.Y. Hilton, IND	110 REC
12	Odell Beckham Jr., NYG	100 REC, 1 TD
13	Brandon LaFell, NE	70 REC, 1 TD
14	Kelvin Benjamin, CAR	70 REC
15	Sammy Watkins, BUF	65 REC, 1 TD
16	Anquan Boldin, SF	85 REC, 1 TD
17	Alshon Jeffery, CHI	90 REC, 1 TD
18	Mike Evans, TB	75 REC
19	Julian Edelman, NE	45 REC
20	Golden Tate, DET	55 REC
21	DeSean Jackson, WAS	130 REC, 1 TD
22	DeAndre Hopkins, HOU	100 REC, 1 TD
23	Roddy White, ATL	55 REC
24	Mike Wallace, MIA	70 REC
25	Vincent Jackson, TB	95 REC, 1 TD
26	Reggie Wayne, IND	70 REC
27	Andre Johnson, HOU	45 REC
28	Larry Fitzgerald, ARI	85 REC
29	Martavis Bryant, PIT	55 REC, 1 TD
30	Brandin Cooks, NO	50 REC
31	Keenan Allen, SD	85 REC, 1 TD
32	Dwayne Bowe, KC	55 REC
33	Rueben Randle, NYG	45 REC
34	Kenny Stills, NO	80 REC, 1 TD
35	Mohamed Sanu, CIN	65 REC

Sleeper: Keenan Allen, San Diego Chargers

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

Keenan Allen was drafted, on average, as the 18th wide receiver. Through 10 weeks, he is 53rd in fantasy points at the position.

That's not good value.

Nevertheless, there are reasons to except a turnaround. Most importantly, Allen is still getting plenty of looks. He leads the Chargers in targets and receptions—by far—and in the last three games, he has tallied a whopping 32 targets for 19 catches, 178 yards and a touchdown.

He remains Rivers' clear No. 1 option in the passing game, and on Sunday, he goes up against the Oakland Raiders, who rank 29th in Football Outsiders' pass defense rankings.

If you own Allen, chances are you are probably holding a significant grudge against him. But in Week 11, he'll produce like the WR2 he was drafted as.

Tight Ends

Rank	Player	Projections
1	Rob Gronkowski, NE	110 REC, 2 TD
2	Jimmy Graham, NO	115 REC, 1 TD
3	Julius Thomas, DEN	45 REC, 1 TD
4	Antonio Gates, SD	60 REC, 1 TD
5	Greg Olsen, CAR	65 REC
6	Martellus Bennett, CHI	50 REC
7	Dwayne Allen, IND	55 REC, 1 TD
8	Mychal Rivera, OAK	40 REC
9	Jared Cook, STL	65 REC
10	Delanie Walker, TEN	35 REC
11	Travis Kelce, KC	90 REC, 1 TD
12	Charles Clay, MIA	50 REC
13	Heath Miller, PIT	20 REC
14	Jordan Reed, WAS	55 REC
15	Larry Donnell, NYG	30 REC, 1 TD

Sleeper: Travis Kelce, Kansas Chiefs

Colin E. Braley/Associated Press

Travis Kelce's usage remains maddening, but Week 10 against the Buffalo Bills was at least somewhat encouraging in that regard. Take a look at his snap counts in recent weeks:

Week	Offensive Snaps Played	Pct of Total Off. Snaps
5	29	58.0
7	39	53.0
8	38	58.0
9	30	52.0
10	41	66.0

The only thing holding the second-year stud back at this point is his lack of time on the field. This stat from Pro Football Focus, via Football Perspective, confirms that fact:

It's an appropriate player to trail, as Kelce has consistently drawn comparisons to Rob Gronkowski. The most recent came from the Bills' Aaron Williams, via NFL.com's Albert Breer:

A physical freak, Baby Gronk is just as likely to outrun a defender as he is to run over one. With his usage increasing, Anthony Fasano dealing with a knee contusion and the Seattle Seahawks allowing 10 touchdowns to tight ends already this season, Kelce is going to bring top-five production.