Week 11 Fantasy Football Upgrades, Downgrades and Sleepers Around the Web

RUNNING BACKS

Each week, we will analyze the matchups and provide our take on which RBs you should start and which should be benched. 

We take all factors into consideration; difficult matchups, injuries, potential weather problems, etc.  

Four offenses (Kansas City, Oakland, NY Giants and NY Jets) are averaging over 145 rushing yards per game. On the flip side, the worst rushing attacks (averaging less than 90 rushing yards per game) can be found in Seattle, Arizona, Detroit, Dallas and Denver.

If your running backs are facing these defenses, you may want to go in a different direction unless you have every week stud starters: Pittsburgh, Chicago, NY Giants, San Diego and the NY Jets. Each of those stout defenses are allowing less than 90 yards on the ground each week. 

Conversely, your running backs could have a field day if they are facing these weak run defenses: Detroit, Carolina, Arizona, Indianapolis, Denver, Tampa and Buffalo.  Those teams are on the bottom rung of run defenses, surrendering over 130 yards per game on the ground.

Darren McFadden (vs PIT), Arian Foster (@NYJ) and LeSean McCoy (vs NYG) could struggle in Week 11. As if Jamaal Charles (vs ARZ) and Frank Gore (vs Tampa) need any additional help, they should carry your teams this week in very favorable matchups. 

BJGE (vs Indy), Cedric Benson (vs BUF) and Mathews/Tolbert (vs DEN) are worth considering this week. If you usual starters are facing a top rush defense, be sure to check out our Week 11 Waiver Wire Running Back Recommendations, as there might be better options available. 

We have data no one else in the world can provide. Our sister site, FantasyFootballCrystalBall.com, aggregates the fantasy football rankings of the top 19 sites and reports on accuracy each week in the USA Today. 

Last week, KFFL.com finished second at the RB position in the Fantasy Football Crystal Ball/FFSpin challenge. We have taken their Week 11 running back rankings and compared them to the aggregate rankings of the other 18 sites for Week 11. 

See the surprising results on how their rankings match up here. 

EXPERT VIEWS

LestersLegends.com are forecasting MJD to continue his hot streak, ranking him third this week as the Jags host a Cleveland defense that ranks 19th against the run (119 yards/game).

FFtoday.com is expecting Houston's Arian Foster to struggle, as they rank him 12th for a difficult matchup with a Jets defense that is allowing only 10 fantasy points/game to opposing RBs.

AOL Fanhouse is very optimistic on Michael Turner as they rank him No. 1 this week despite a difficult matchup with a surprising St. Louis defense that ranks sixth against the run (98 yards/game).

ProFootballWeekly.com has Cedric Benson ranked ninth as the Bengals welcome the league's worst rush defense in the Buffalo Bills (167 yards/game). We expected big things from CB last week against an equally weak Colts defense, and he laid an egg (14 carries for 24 yards)—we are cautiously optimistic that he'll bust out this week.

FANTASY FOOTBALL SPIN

UPGRADE: Frank Gore (vs Tampa Bay)

If Carolina's Mike Goodson can top 100 yards on this defense, Frank Gore might have a shot at 200 this week. 

Tampa ranks 31st against the run, allowing 144 yards per contest, and have yielded an average of 24 fantasy points per game to opposing RBs.

Frank Gore has posted double-digit fantasy points every week since Week 1 and is averaging 16.8 fantasy pts/game. He has 41 catches for 415 yards receiving, making him a top three option in PPR leagues.

This matchup should result in Gore carrying your fantasy team to a win this week, as we expect at least 150 yards and multiple TDs.

DOWNGRADE: LeGarrette Blount (@ San Francisco)

Since taking over the starting gig a month ago, the rookie is averaging 16 carries for 82 yards (5 YPC) with three TDs.  

He has dominated in two soft matchups (ARZ and CAR), but was held to 13 carries for 46 yards against Atlanta's sixth-ranked rush defense in Week 9. He can apparenlty run on the weak defenses as easily as he can sucker-punch unsuspecting teammates and opponents.

But it’s not that easy when someone can defend themselves. 

This week, Tampa faces a 49ers defense which ranks 10th against the run (100 yards per game) and have only surrendered five TDs on the ground through nine games.

Temper your expectations for Blount this week. Patrick Willis and crew should be able to contain the Bucs' rushing attack.

SLEEPER:  Mike Tolbert (vs Denver)

The Broncos run defense ranks 30th, as they allow 143 yards/game and have yielded the most rushing TDs—914—in the league.

As rookie Ryan Mathews continues to disappoint his fantasy owners, Mike Tolbert could be primed for a starter-worthy week. 

Mathews missed Thursday's practice with an ankle injury and could miss the Monday nighter. Mathews (86 carries for 379 yards and 2 TDs) has struggled in pass protection and hasn’t had success in the red zone—a job that has been dominated by the 243-pound Tolbert (scored a TD in five of the past six games).  

The Chargers are lighting the scoreboard up to the tune of 27 points on average, and the WR corps expects to welcome back Malcom Floyd this week.   

The presence of Floyd, along with the other weapons, should result in numerous trips to the red zone. From there, Mike Tolbert will be primed to reward his fantasy owners. 

We expect the third-year Coastal Carolina alum to have a much more productive week than his college QB Tyler Thigpen had on Thursday night.

Check out the full report on Wide Receivers and Quarterbacks.