Week 11 Fantasy Rankings: 11 Players Whose Fantasy Stock Has Improved Most

It happens every year in fantasy football. Late-round picks blossom into superstars and rookies catch fire earlier than expected.

Either way, those players are usually the difference between a winning and losing season for fantasy owners.

Last year, Houston Texans running back Arian Foster went from obscurity to fantasy football MVP. This year, we've seen several players emerge as fantasy superstars.

Here are 11 players whose fantasy stock has improved the most in 2011.

Michael Bush, Running Back, Oakland Raiders

With an injured Darren McFadden on the sidelines, Michael Bush has taken advantage of his opportunity to be an every-down back. Since becoming the Raiders' main ball carrier in Week 7, Bush has 461 yards rushing, 153 yards receiving and three touchdowns (two rushing and one receiving).

During most fantasy drafts, Bush was taken in the late rounds and was projected to be nothing more than McFadden's handcuff. Instead, he's leading the Raiders' rushing attack and rewarding the fantasy owners that stuck with him all season.

Bush's fantasy value will likely improve even more next year as he is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason. Expectations are that Bush will sign elsewhere and become that team's feature back.

Marshawn Lynch, Running Back, Seattle Seahawks

After a sluggish start, Marshawn Lynch has exploded for six touchdowns in his last six games for Seattle. Lynch has become a workhorse for the Seahawks, averaging 17 carries per game including a 32-carry performance in Week 10 against the Baltimore Ravens.

While Lynch did burn many fantasy owners in Week 7 when he injured his back in pregame warm-ups, his consistency is what fantasy owners crave.

His six touchdowns in six games has moved him closer to the top 15 in scoring for running backs this year in fantasy football. That's pretty good for a guy who most fantasy owners projected as a reserve running back.

Ben Tate, Running Back, Houston Texans

So much for being just Arian Foster's handcuff. Ben Tate is on pace to rush for over 1,000 yards this season.

There's no question that Foster is the lead back in Houston, but Tate has shown he can run too. In the two games that Foster missed at the beginning of the season, Tate rushed for a total of 219 yards and one touchdown.

Foster's return has led to reduction in carries for Tate, but he's still averaging 66 yards per game when splitting time. Tate also has two 100-yard rushing games while Foster has been active and he's scored a touchdown in each of the past two weeks.

While Tate was viewed as a late-round handcuff for Foster, he's turned into a player who fantasy owners can start alongside Foster and have success.

DeMarco Murray, Running Back, Dallas Cowboys

DeMarco Murray was a third-round draft pick who nobody expected to have an impact this season. But after rushing for 674 yards in his last five games, it's safe to say his impact has been felt in Dallas and in fantasy leagues.

Murray's rise to fantasy relevance started in Week 7 when he ran for a ridiculous 253 yards, including a 91-yard touchdown, against the St. Louis Rams.

Murray is also emerging as a competent receiver out of the backfield. In the past three games, he has 16 catches for 115 yards.

For a guy who went undrafted in most fantasy leagues, Murray has emerged as a solid every-week starter. And as long as Dallas keeps winning with Murray as the feature back (4-1), there's no reason he shouldn't get 25-30 touches a game.

Carson Palmer, Quarterback, Oakland Raiders

I must admit, it's a little weird putting Carson Palmer on this list only because he was once a top-five fantasy quarterback and a guy who you could count on throwing at least 25-30 touchdowns every year.

However, after it looked like a holdout in Cincinnati would end his 2011 season, he was traded to the Oakland Raiders.

In the three games he's started for the Raiders, Palmer has averaged 265 yards passing and two touchdowns per game (he also has one rushing touchdown). That kind of consistency has endeared him to the desperate fantasy owners who needed a quarterback for a late-season push.

Palmer has brought the big play back to Oakland and has officially returned to fantasy football relevance.     

Cam Newton, Quarterback, Carolina Panthers

Nobody knew what to expect with Cam Newton this year. The rookie quarterback faced plenty of scrutiny before taking his pro first snap, but since then he has silenced a lot of his critics.

Newton's ability to throw and run makes him a very valuable fantasy quarterback. Through 10 games, Newton has 2,885 yards passing, 411 yards rushing, 21 touchdowns (12 passing and nine rushing) and 14 interceptions.

Newton went undrafted in many fantasy drafts and now he's among the top scoring quarterbacks in most leagues.

Jimmy Graham, Tight End, New Orleans Saints

Expectations were high for Jimmy Graham entering the season, but I don't think anyone expected him have the type of season he's having. Graham is on pace to catch 99 passes, which is three shy of Tony Gonzalez's all-time record for catches by a tight end in a season.

He's also on track to have 1,396 yards receiving, which would surpass Kellen Winslow, Sr.'s 1,290 yards as the most receiving yards by a tight end in a single season.

Graham was viewed as a tight end sleeper on fantasy draft day, but is now an every-week starter and tops among NFL tight ends in fantasy points.

Early Doucet, Wide Receiver, Arizona Cardinals

Ever since Anquan Boldin bolted Arizona for Baltimore, the Cardinals have been looking for a receiver who can take pressure off Larry Fitzgerald. Early Doucet has emerged as a nice compliment and is quietly putting together a solid season.

Doucet is in his fourth NFL season with the Cardinals and looks like a guy who could grow into a larger role in Arizona's offense.

On the season, Doucet has 42 catches for 511 yards and four touchdowns, including a 70-yard touchdown in Week 1 against the Carolina Panthers. While Doucet only has one 100-yard receiving game this season, he has scored three touchdowns in the past five games.

After going undrafted in many fantasy leagues, Doucet has turned into a nice WR3 option and bye week fill-in. 

Torrey Smith, Wide Receiver, Baltimore Ravens

Torrey Smith needs to get more consistent in his route running, but his big-play ability has certainly improved his fantasy value.

Many fantasy owners jumped on Smith's bandwagon after his performance in Week 3 when he caught five passes for 152 yards and three touchdowns against the St. Louis Rams.

Since then, Smith has had an up and down rookie season. However, there's a trend happening in Baltimore that tells me his stock will continue to climb.

In the Ravens' last four games, Smith has been targeted 33 times. That's the same number of targets that Anquan Boldin has had over that same stretch.

In the previous six games, Boldin had 25 more targets than Smith. It's clear the Ravens are making an effort to get their young receiver more involved in the game plan.

As a result, Smith has caught a touchdown in two of the previous three weeks.

In most fantasy leagues, Smith went undrafted as owners pegged Lee Evans as the starter in Baltimore. After 10 games, Smith has 48 more catches than Evans, 545 more yards and his five touchdown receptions leads the team.

Not bad for a guy who was plucked off the waiver wire in Week 4.

Jordy Nelson, Wide Receiver, Green Bay Packers

Jordy Nelson has emerged as Aaron Rodgers' favorite target, which is great news for fantasy owners who have him. In the past three games, Nelson has caught 16 passes for 292 yards and five touchdowns.

Nelson has nine touchdowns on the season to lead the Packers.

The wide receiver caught the attention of everyone during Super Bowl XLV when he caught nine passes for 140 yards and a touchdown. However, Nelson was still a late-round pick in most fantasy drafts.

Nelson is currently second in the NFC in touchdown receptions, trailing only Detroit's Calvin Johnson who has 11 touchdown receptions.

Victor Cruz, Wide Receiver, New York Giants

The slot receiver for the New York Giants is always going to be a valuable fantasy football commodity and this year, that role has been occupied by Victor Cruz.

After a slow start to the season, Cruz has exploded onto the fantasy scene with 46 catches for 800 yards and five touchdowns.

Cruz leads the Giants in catches, yards and touchdowns. He also has more fantasy points than Hakeem Nicks, who many considered to be a top-five fantasy receiver entering this year.

Cruz is only in his second NFL season, but already he's a must-start every week in fantasy football. He currently ranks among the top 10 in scoring for wide receivers this year in fantasy football, which is extremely impressive considering he was virtually unknown on fantasy draft day.