Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 11: Fantasy Football's Top Locks and Flops

This is the week that Cowboy and Fantasy Football fans have been waiting for since mid-September. 

Tony Romo (collarbone) is active once again and will be under center when the Cowboys travel to Miami on Sunday. It may be too late for the Cowboys to get back into the playoff race because they have a 2-7 record, but their offense can certainly turn around now that he is reading defenses and delivering the ball.

Cowboys fans have been lamenting their seven-game losing streak. Even two wins would have left them with a 4-5 record and placed them one-half game behind the New York Giants in the NFC East. But neither of the backup quarterbacks were capable of sustaining leads or leading comeback efforts.

That is not the case with Romo, who is known for his accuracy, and his ability to throw a soft, catchable pass to his receivers. 

Romo had completed 54-of-72 passes for 551 yards in his two games before he went down. When a quarterback completes 75 percent of his passes, that's a pick-me-up for the receiving crew.

Romo should have the same impact on explosive Dez Bryant that Ben Roethlisberger has on Antonio Brown. Instead of running his routes and then throwing up his hands when the ball doesn't come to him or is not delivered well, Bryant will now be catching the ball in stride once again. 

Jason Witten is Romo's security blanket, and it would not be a surprise to see him catch six passes or more, with at least three of those catches coming in the red zone.

Put Romo in your fantasy lineup this week and look for a 275-yard, three-TD effort as the Cowboys end their losing streak.

Position	Player	Team	Opponent	Lock/Flop
QB	Tony Romo	Dallas	Miami	Lock
QB	Jay Cutler	Chicago	Denver	Flop
QB	Carson Palmer	Arizona	Cincinnati	Lock
RB	Chris Ivory	N.Y. Jets	Houston	Lock
RB	Melvin Gordon	San Diego	Kansas City	Flop
RB	Latavius Murray	Oakland	Detroit	Lock
WR	Sammy Watkins	Buffalo	New England	Lock
WR	Randall Cobb	Green Bay	Minnesota	Flop
WR	Brandon LaFell	New England	Buffalo	Lock
TE	Travis Kelce	Kansas City	San Diego	Lock
TE	Jimmy Graham	Seattle	San Francisco	Flop

Top Locks

RB Chris Ivory, New York Jets

There may be a school of thought out on the fantasy horizon that says to keep away from players who are going up against the Houston Texans from this point on in the season.

The Texans were at their best in Week 10 when they shut down the previously undefeated Cincinnati Bengals and picked up a 10-6 victory. Not only did they harass quarterback Andy Dalton, they limited running backs Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard from start to finish.

With players like J.J. Watt and Brian Cushing, it would not be wise to challenge the Houston defense now that it has finally discovered a winning formula.

Count us in the camp that does not agree with that conclusion. While the Texans did play stellar defense against the Bengals, they have been wildly inconsistent all year and they have had far more disappointing performances than they have had good ones.

Look for Chris Ivory of the New York Jets to show how inconsistent the Texans can be. Ivory has run for 643 yards and six touchdowns, and he runs with abandon on every carry. He has been able to sap the will from less-than-committed defenses this season because of his punishing style, and we expect him to do that this Sunday to the Texans.

Make sure Ivory is in your fantasy lineup Sunday and pay no attention to the Houston apologists.

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WR Sammy Watkins, Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills have a very difficult assignment Monday night when they go to Foxborough to take on the New England Patriots.

After being pushed to the limit by the New York Giants in Week 10, the Pats will try to remain undefeated against Rex Ryan and the Bills.

The Bills have picked up back-to-back wins for the first time this season, and they will try to make it three in a row. While nothing would make Ryan happier, it seems unlikely.

But the Patriots have vulnerabilities, and their biggest one may be in the secondary. They have a tough time holding down explosive receivers like Antonio Brown of the Steelers and Odell Beckham Jr. of the Giants, and this week it's Sammy Watkins who should be in the market for two or three big plays.

This game should be high scoring, and look for Tyrod Taylor to find Watkins with at least two TD passes against the Pats.

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TE Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs are going full speed ahead right now.

After a disastrous start to the season, the Chiefs have won three games in a row and have raised their record to 4-5. While it seems unlikely that they will do enough to get back in the AFC West race because the Denver Broncos still own a three-game lead over them, the Chiefs can make a run at a wild-card spot with a good second half.

The Chiefs have made improvements in their offensive game, and it showed last week against Denver and should also make an appearance against the hard-luck San Diego Chargers this week. 

Tight end Travis Kelce has been producing all year, and he has come through with 45 catches on the 62 passes that quarterback Alex Smith has thrown his way. He has 574 receiving yards, six plays of 20 yards or more and three TDs.

He should be forefront in Smith's mind when he is looking to go downfield. Kelce is one of the best tight ends in the league when it comes to bowling over tacklers and picking up yards after the catch.

Make sure Kelce is in your lineup on Sunday.

Fantasy Flops

QB Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears

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We have been impressed with Jay Cutler this season, and he is one of the primary reasons the Chicago Bears are playing respectable football this year.

Cutler is completing nearly 65 percent of his passes while throwing for 2,074 yards with a 13-5 TD-interception ratio.

He has led fourth-quarter comeback victories against the Kansas City Chiefs and San Diego Chargers on the road, and he appears to have picked up coordinator Adam Gase's offense quite well.

Despite those factors, we are putting Cutler right on our fantasy bench this week. The Bears are taking on the Denver Broncos, and that means they will be facing the No. 1 defense in the league.

They are not going to give Cutler much time to throw, and the Broncos secondary will tighten up the coverage on Chicago's receivers.

Additionally, the Broncos are going with backup quarterback Brock Osweiler over Peyton Manning this week, and they want to avoid turnovers at all costs. Instead of asking Osweiler to win the game, they will ask him to hand the ball off to running backs Ronnie Hillman and C.J. Anderson.

This philosophy could help keep Cutler off the field and limit his opportunities. 

Do not play Cutler this week.

RB Melvin Gordon, San Diego Chargers

The San Diego Chargers are in a deep funk, having lost five games in a row and seven of their last eight since beating the Detroit Lions in the season opener.

One of the reasons they struggled is their inability to produce consistently in the running game (29th in rushing yards). That issue falls squarely on the shoulders of rookie Melvin Gordon. The Chargers thought they were getting a game-changing, impact player when they drafted Gordon last spring.

Gordon has been ordinary with 413 rushing yards, a disappointing 3.6 yards per carry average and not one rushing touchdown. 

Gordon does not figure to turn things around this week against the streaking Chiefs. Kansas City had major issues with their pass defense earlier in the year, and they have since picked things up in that area. Their ability to slow down the ground game has been strong all season, and they rank eighth against the run.

Gordon won't reach the 50-yard mark against the Chiefs, and he needs to be on your fantasy bench.

Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

WR Randall Cobb, Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers and the Minnesota Vikings are squaring off in a key NFC North game this Sunday, and this meeting may not go well for the suddenly slumping Packers.

Green Bay has lost three games in a row, and its offense is no longer prolific. The Packers have averaged 18.3 points over the last three weeks, and quarterback Aaron Rodgers has not been able to find open receivers.

The Packers top receivers have had a hard time getting away from coverage, and that's likely to continue against Mike Zimmer's defense in Minnesota.

The Vikings defense ranks ninth overall and eighth against the pass, and slowing down the Green Bay passing game is the key to the Vikings picking up the win and stretching their divisional lead.

Randall Cobb is the Packers' best receiver, and stopping him must be their top priority. Don't expect Cobb to do much here, as the Vikings will pressure Rodgers and blanket Cobb with tight coverage.

Keep him out of your fantasy lineup this week.