NFL Week 11 Picks: Predictions for Pivotal Games and Potential Fantasy Stars

Contenders and pretenders are being separated with each passing week in the NFL. The Buffalo Bills had their playoff hopes all but dashed on Thursday night with a 22-9 loss to the Miami Dolphins.

More of the same should be expected on Sunday.

Three games stick out as hugely important tilts on the Week 11 NFL schedule. The road teams will rule in the marquee matchups. Here's a look at predictions for the entire schedule and a closer look at the three big games on tap.

Matchup	Prediction
Minnesota at Chicago	Chicago
Houston at Cleveland	Cleveland
Seattle at Kansas City	Seattle
Atlanta at Carolina	Carolina
Cincinnati at New Orleans	New Orleans
Tampa Bay at Washington	Washington
Denver at St. Louis	Denver
San Francisco at NY Giants	NY Giants
Oakland at San Diego	San Diego
Philadelphia at Green Bay	Philadelphia
Detroit at Arizona	Detroit
New England at Indianapolis	New England
Pittsburgh at Tennessee	Pittsburgh

Philadelphia Eagles at Green Bay Packers

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The Philadelphia Eagles visit Lambeau Field to battle the red-hot Green Bay Packers. Both teams are in contention for the best record in the NFC and home-field advantage in the playoffs. Because of that, each game is critical. This one is especially important because it's a head-to-head matchup with a contender and a conference game.

There are potential tiebreakers at stake here, and neither team wants to relinquish its momentum. The Packers are coming off a lopsided win over the rival Chicago Bears on Sunday night. Aaron Rodgers threw six touchdown passes in the first half as the Pack won 55-14.

The Eagles' Mark Sanchez filled in admirably for the injured Nick Foles on Monday night against the Carolina Panthers. In his first start since 2012, Sanchez threw for 332 yards and led the Eagles to the 45-21 win. 

As much as the focus is on the quarterbacks, the key to this game will be the running attacks. The Packers have been among the worst in the NFL against the run this season. They come into Week 11 ranked 30th in rushing yards allowed per game.

The Eagles will look to establish LeSean McCoy early to keep the ball out of Rodgers' hands as much as possible.

The Packers played well last week, but their dominance was as much about how bad the Bears are now as it was about Green Bay's play. The Eagles have not given up, and their effort will be better than Chicago's in every way.

Philly will establish the run game, which will give Sanchez an opportunity to utilize the play-action pass. The Packers have been great at home over the last two seasons when Rodgers has been in the lineup, but the Eagles are better equipped to expose the Packers' deficiencies. 

Philly will win a big game on the road and take a major step toward home-field advantage in the playoffs.

While the Eagles will win, Rodgers and receiver Jordy Nelson are still excellent pickups in fantasy football. Rodgers has averaged 2.77 touchdown passes per game, and he's been picked off just once. He has yet to throw an interception at Lambeau Field this season.

His favorite target is Nelson.

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The 6'3" receiver has had four games with at least 100 yards receiving. He's well on his way to another 1,000-yard receiving season and should be featured prominently against the Eagles.

Detroit Lions at Arizona Cardinals

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With Carson Palmer out for the season, backup quarterback Drew Stanton is tasked with leading the Cardinals to the postseason and further. He hasn't had great statistics, but Arizona is 3-1 in games he's played. 

It hosts a confident and talented bunch on both sides of the ball on Sunday.

The Detroit Lions did more than survive without Calvin Johnson. They went 2-0 in his absence. Now that he has returned to the lineup, Detroit's offense looks capable of keeping pace with it's top-rated defense.

The Lions are currently ranked No. 3 against the pass and second against the run. As effective as Stanton has been in relief of Palmer, Arizona won't score enough points to tame the Lions.

The Cardinals secondary has been lit up for big yardage all season. From a fantasy standpoint, that makes Matthew Stafford a must-start this week. With a healthy Megatron and Golden Tate, Stafford should generate solid numbers.

New England Patriots at Indianapolis Colts

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Tom Brady and Andrew Luck are without a doubt two of the elite quarterbacks in the NFL. Between them, they have 48 touchdown passes on the season and just 12 interceptions. Luck has cut back on the picks since the beginning of the season. After throwing seven in the first six weeks, Luck has thrown just two over the last three games.

In comparison, Brady has been intercepted just three times all year. When you compare the receiver groups, it makes Brady's season look all the more impressive.

The quarterbacks will take center stage in this one as well, and their protection of the football will ultimately decide the winner. To put it simply, if Luck turns the ball over against the Patriots, the Colts can't win.

New England is averaging 31.2 points per game this season. Only the Colts and Broncos have a higher point-per-game average. The defense that can force turnovers will give its offense the extra opportunities it needs to win what figures to be a high-scoring game.

I believe the Pats have the edge here. 

Head coach Bill Belichick has given Luck fits since he came into the league. In two games, including a playoff meeting last season, Luck has thrown four touchdown passes and seven interceptions against the Pats.

The Colts have lost both games, and they will lose on Sunday night. Brady and the Pats will win their sixth straight.