Fantasy Football Week 11 Review

Week 11 will be remembered for the carnage that hit the fantasy landscape, as the Cincinnati Bengals might have lost A.J. Green and Giovani Bernard for the season in a loss to the Buffalo Bills.

We cover the fallout of these injuries and detail several other significant updates and revealing performances that help define the week in the NFL in a fantasy context.

Join us in canvassing the results of Week 11 with a specific eye on the fantasy football marketplace. As always, feel free to share your thoughts and questions about fantasy football in the comments below.

Star Signal-Callers

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Big box scores from quarterbacks can heavily influence matchups in fantasy football. We highlight the top quarterback performances of the slate.

Tom Brady, New England Patriots

Brady is once again rewriting the record books, as his 123.3 passer rating is the best of his career, per StatMuse. If he can sustain this rate, it would also qualify as the highest rating of all time over a season, per Pro-Football-Reference.com. Since returning in Week 5 from suspension, Brady is averaging the most fantasy points in the league in ESPN scoring, while this Week 11 performance against the San Francisco 49ers qualifies for the second-highest score at the position. The New York Jets are up next for Brady and the Patriots, while New York’s defense ranks 27th in pass coverage, per Pro Football Focus.

Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

The rookie continues to compile amazing numbers. Facing the Baltimore Ravens in Week 11, Prescott was the 46th rookie quarterback to face the NFL’s No. 1 total defense, but just the first to ever accrue 300 passing yards and three scores in such a matchup, according to ESPN Stats & Info. For some additional historic praise, consider Prescott is the first rookie in NFL history with at least 300 yards, two passing scores and no interceptions in consecutive games, per Elias Sports Bureau, via ESPN Stats & Info. Prescott is seventh in fantasy points per game among quarterbacks, but he more importantly claims an incredibly bankable floor with at least 17 fantasy points in every game since Week 2 in ESPN standard leagues. Prescott posted 292 yards passing and a rushing score against the Washington Redskins in Week 2, while his increased scoring prowess in the air aids a strong matchup in Week 12.

Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks

In beating the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 11, Wilson surged to an NFL-best 31-6 record in November or later since joining the league in 2012, per ESPN Stats & Info. Wilson produced 313 total yards and two scores, one of which included the first receiving touchdown of his career. With Wilson looking his mobile best of late, a Week 12 matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' soft defense is assuredly inviting.

Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers 

The Packers' Rodgers delivered another strong statistical showing in a loss, with over 380 total yards and three scores for the top fantasy score at the position this week. Green Bay's defense has been generous this season, with Rodgers netting heavy passing volume and a high fantasy floor as a result. 

Marcus Mariota, Tennessee Titans

The Oregon product set a team record with at least two touchdowns in seven straight games with yet another solid statistical showing Sunday. Per ESPN’s Tristan H. Cockcroft, Mariota has 165 fantasy points since Week 5, the most among all NFL players over this span. The Chicago Bears are up next, with Mariota poised as a solid QB1 given his awesome and enduring stretch of elite production.

Honorable mention: The San Francisco 49ers’ Colin Kaepernick has produced at least 17 fantasy points in all but one of his five starts and has averaged 52 rushing yards over this stretch. The New York Giants' Eli Manning now has at least 17 fantasy points and multiple passing scores in four of the past five games.

Top Tailbacks

Larry French/Getty Images

A run for glory in fantasy football often involves helpful production from your running backs.

Robert Kelley, Washington Redskins

This bruising back delivered a big second half and rumbled his way to well over 100 yards and three scores in a win over the Packers. We find Kelley atop the fantasy leaderboard among tailbacks in ESPN leagues for the week and consider him a valuable RB2 as Washington’s workhorse.

David Johnson, Arizona Cardinals

An amazing all-purpose talent in an era of committee backfields, Johnson is the third player in the last decade with a 10-game streak of at least 100 scrimmage yards, joining Adrian Peterson and Chris Johnson, per ESPN Stats & Info. Johnson has essentially proven he’s matchup-proof.

Le’Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers 

Bell gained 201 yards from scrimmage in Week 11, his most since 2014 and the fourth-highest tally of his impressive career. With eight receptions on Sunday in Cleveland, Bell is now averaging 7.6 receptions per game. This equates to a season pace of 121 catches, which would set the all-time reception record for tailbacks. With the Indianapolis Colts’ soft front up next, Bell is ideally angled for another big game from scrimmage.

Rashad Jennings, New York Giants

Jennings has turned his season around with a strong stretch of recent production. It’s helpful to see he’s tallied at least 13 touches in every outing this season, setting him up for a great matchup against the Cleveland Browns’ generous front next week.

Honorable mention: The Colts’ Frank Gore has at least 10 fantasy points in all but one game this season after producing 121 yards from scrimmage in Week 11. Gore embodies the concept of a high-floor RB2. The New England Patriots’ LeGarrette Blount rolled on San Francisco for the second-most rushing yards of his already impressive season.

Winning Wideouts

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

In an increasingly pass-happy NFL, it's vital to find difference-making receiving performances. We identify the top receiving mavens of the week.

Dez Bryant, Dallas Cowboys

Prescott is thriving targeting Bryant when blitzed, as he has completed eight of 11 such passes to his star wideout over the past two games for 15.1 yards per attempt with two touchdowns. Bryant’s red-zone rapport with Prescott is proving valuable, while a challenge against Redskins cover corner Josh Norman is up next.

Pierre Garcon, Washington Redskins

Garcon enjoyed his biggest game of the season on the appropriately big stage of Sunday Night Football. The stellar statistical night was fueled by a 70-yard score in the fourth quarter on a perfectly thrown deep strike from Kirk Cousins. We don’t expect this to start a trend of big plays, but it’s worth noting Garcon has six catches in four of the past five games and thus has a respectable and stable floor in points-per-reception leagues.

Steve Smith Sr., Baltimore Ravens

Still putting in quality work in the twilight of his stellar career, Smith hauled in eight of his nine targets and made several difficult grabs in Dallas in Week 11. As the leader in targets per game on the Ravens, we like Smith’s prospects in Week 12 against an exploitable Bengals secondary that ranks 26th in pass coverage, per Pro Football Focus. 

Honorable mention: T.Y. Hilton of the Colts is on pace for over 1,400 yards and is in a valuable spot as the top vertical target of Andrew Luck. The Patriots’ Julian Edelman was peppered with 17 targets in San Francisco on Sunday. He now has a touchdown or 99 yards in three straight. 

The Seahawks’ Doug Baldwin threw a touchdown to Wilson in an impressive showing that included 104 receiving yards. Another rousing outing from the Titans’ Rishard Matthews confirms he’s now a bankable WR2 as the top receiver for Mariota.

Top Tight Ends/Defenses

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Tight end can be a frustrating position given the variance we find in production for a player pool that often blocks in addition to running routes. That said, we should celebrate the top performances each week, given the fickle nature of the position.

Jared Cook, Green Bay Packers 

In what appears to be an aberrational outing fueled by big plays, we must mention Cook leads all tight ends in fantasy points for Week 12. We don’t trust Cook outside of earning streaming status for Week 12—especially as he lost a late fumble in the loss to the Redskins—while the Eagles have been solid against tight ends.

Eric Ebron, Detroit Lions

We know you expected a rushing touchdown from Ebron in Week 12. Even without this rogue rushing success for the tight end, it’s worth noting Ebron has averaged 79.6 yards over his past three starts.

Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs

Kelce has topped 100 yards in two of the past four games and has been a key beneficiary of the absence of Jeremy Maclin’s target-heavy role. The Denver Broncos have been stingy to the position this season, but such stable usage suggests Kelce is still a TE1 for Week 12.

Honorable mention: The Eagles’ Zach Ertz is owned in just over 55 percent of ESPN leagues but merits increased attention from the market given he netted 11 targets in Week 11 and is again a focus of the game script. Jimmy Graham was relatively quiet outside of a broken-play touchdown in Week 11, but the Seahawks’ tight end is a top target of a surging Wilson—a reality that has often proved rewarding in fantasy.

Decisive Defenses

The Steelers defense dominated the Browns, including a season-best eight sacks, two turnovers and a touchdown. Proving how matchup-dependent the position is, we’re fading them for an upcoming trip to face the Colts in Indy. The Minnesota Vikings, however, are an enduring fantasy value given their stingy point allowance pace and turnover prowess.

Notable Injuries

Brett Carlsen/Getty Images

Erosion to injuries is simply part of the process in fantasy football. We detail the fantasy-relevant injury news from the Week 11 slate.

Bengals.com's Geoff Hobson reports the team fears superstar wideout A.J. Green could be lost for the season with a potential hamstring tear. This is obviously a huge blow to fantasy teams and the Bengals offense. We advise waiting for confirmation of Green’s status, but things aren’t looking good given the serious nature of this injury.

The bad new continues for the Bengals, as USA Today’s Tom Pelissero reports Giovani Bernard tore his ACL during the team’s loss to the Bills. What a brutal week for the Bengals and for investors in Bernard. This vaults Jeremy Hill to a more prominent snap and touch share, which could potentially make him a high-floor RB1 in the process.

The Seahawks’ C.J. Prosise broke out with a 72-yard touchdown in the first quarter against the Eagles, but he left the game early with what appears to be a significant shoulder injury. ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes coach Pete Carroll believes this is a long-term recovery scenario, saying “there’s a chance he comes back this year.” It’s more than likely safe to drop Prosise in non-keeper formats. This is a shame given how Prosise was a rising asset, although it’s clear Thomas Rawls is now a must-start back with little competition for meaningful work. 

For a bit of positive injury news, Bills linebacker Preston Brown told WGR 550's Sal Capaccio that wideout Sammy Watkins could return to the field for Week 12. We’ll need to see him activated and return to practice to get excited, but there is clearly optimism brewing on the Bills roster for their playmaker’s return. 

Sticking in Orchard Park, the Bills’ LeSean McCoy suffered a thumb injury that will require surgery, per WKBW’s Joe Buscaglia. Even with this news, McCoy is expected to be able play next week against the Jacksonville Jaguars. It will be an interesting week following the Bills’ injury updates.

Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports tight end Zach Miller suffered a broken bone in the team’s loss to the Giants and is expected to miss the season. One of the league’s worst offenses gets even weaker.  

Waiver Watch: Top Pickups to Consider

Al Bello/Getty Images

The following assets are available in at least 40 percent of ESPN leagues and can provide positive returns going forward. 

Quarterback

The 49ers' Kaepernick has averaged just over 50 rushing yards per game and faces a Miami Dolphins defense that has ceded 15.3 fantasy points per game to opposing signal-callers. On the other side of this matchup, Miami’s Ryan Tannehill hosts a 49ers defense that has surrendered the most points per drive and the most touchdowns per drive since Week 2.

Running Back

Tim Hightower of the New Orleans Saints once again earned a more valuable role in both the rushing and receiving phases than Mark Ingram on Thursday night. With so many injuries and disappointing scenarios at the position, Hightower is now a starting asset in most fantasy leagues.

We don’t trust the Jaguars’ Chris Ivory, but given the shallow nature of the position we must value the fact that he’s netted at least 19 touches in two of the past three games. The Vikings’ Matt Asiata isn’t going to win you a week, but he can offer a high floor with at least seven fantasy points in six of the past seven games in ESPN standard leagues. 

Receiver

Kenny Britt is still on pace for over 1,100 yards in the air and could continue to be the top target for the Los Angeles Rams. With the Saints up next, Britt is a fine streaming option to target for Week 12.

The Bengals likely lost Green and Bernard for the season on Sunday, so rookie Tyler Boyd—owned in just over 5 percent of ESPN leagues as of Sunday night—could assume a valuable uptick in usage. Boyd was a high-volume target at Pitt, so there is some hope he can handle the work.

With the Bears losing tight end Miller for the season, Cam Meredith could see a surge in usage as one of the only downfield targets left on the roster. 

Tight End

The Eagles’ Ertz has 26 targets in his past three games and is available in well over 40 percent of ESPN leagues. With Josh McCown potentially starting for the Browns this week against the Giants, we like his red-zone rapport with Gary Barnidge at a shallow tight end position. 

Data such as targets, fantasy points and defensive allowance rates sourced from an ESPN database.