Week 11 is upon us and depending on your league, that means playoffs are only a week or two away…theretofore you cannot afford a roster slip up. Don’t be the guy (or gal) who misses the playoffs because you left one of our Studs or Sleepers on your bench this week in favor of one of the Duds!
Studs:
Darren Waller, TE, Oak:
Waller is in a bit of a slump. Over his last three games, Waller has just 7 receptions for 103 yards and one touchdown…but, he gets to face the Bengals this week and that should help him breakout of his three-game slump. The Bengals linebacking corps is terrible and cannot cover average tight ends, let alone talented tight ends like Waller. Last week, the Ravens tight end combo of Nick Boyle and Mark Andrews combined to catch 10 of their 12 targets for 131 yards and two touchdowns. I am confident Waller will have a big game this Sunday.
Michael Thomas, WR, NO:
Thomas leads the NFL with 1,027 yards through nine games and gets a matchup this week against the league’s worst pass defense. The Bucs surrender nearly 300 yards per game in the air and Thomas and Brees should both be looking at big days.
Dak Prescott, QB, Dal:
Prescott is having a career year, ranking second in passing yards (2,777), third in yards per game (308.6) and tied for third with 18 touchdowns….and this week he goes up against a Lions defense which struggles to stop the pass and the run. The Lions surrender 272.4 yards per game in the air (28th), 129.7 yards per game on the ground (26th) and only four teams have allowed more passing touchdowns than the 19 given up by the Lions.
Christian McCaffrey, RB, Car
McCaffrey leads the league in rushing yards per game (109.9), all-purpose yards per game (153.9) and touchdowns (14) and gets to go up against a Falcons defense this week which ranks 4th in points allowed per game (28.8) and is in the bottom half of most defensive categories.
Derek Carr, QB, Oak:
Carr is putting together a solid year and like Waller, gets a friendly matchup this week going up against the Bengals league worst defense. Over the last six games, Carr has 10/1 touchdown to interception ratio.
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Duds:
Any offensive player on the Eagles:
The Patriots have the best defense in the NFL, but are coming off an embarrassing primetime performance against the Ravens. Give Bill Belichick two weeks to prepare for an opponent, and it usually does not go well for the opponent. Give Belichick two weeks to prepare for an opponent after being embarrassed on national television, and I have my money on Belichick and his defense shutting down the Eagles offense this week.
Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, Mia:
Fitzmagic is back and has the Dolphins playing pretty well. They have won two and a row and are starting to actually resemble an NFL football team. That being said, don’t expect big things this week. The Bills bring a top three defense to Miami in terms of passing yards per game (188.7), points per game (16.7) and yards per game (304.2).
Mason Rudolph, QB, Pit:
Rudolph has been filling in pretty well for Ben Roethlisberger and the Browns have been pretty disappointing thus far on offense and defense. However, the Browns have a lot of talent on defense and rank 6th in terms of sacks per game (2.9) and 7th in passing yards per game (221.1). Playing on the road, on a short week is usually not a good situation for any quarterback, especially a young backup like Mason.
Christian Kirk, WR, AZ:
Coming off his best performance of his young career – six catches for 138 yards and three touchdowns – Kirk is going to be in a lot of starting lineups this week. However, if you have other viable options at the wide receiver position, I would recommend you steer away from Kirk this week. Two weeks ago, the 49ers held Kirk to a season low in terms of catches (2) and yards (8). With the Cardinals on the road, facing a really good Niners defense coming off their first lost of the season, I expect a big game from the Niners defense and not much from Kirk.
DeVante Parker, WR, Mia:
Despite the circus going on in Miami and the toggling of quarterbacks, Parker has put together a solid year and is on pace for career highs in terms of catches, yards and touchdowns. That being said, as with Fitzpatrick above, I don’t like the matchup this week against a very good Bills pass defense.
Sleepers:
Devin Singletary, RB, Buf:
The diminutive rookie has been hurt most of the season, but appears to be healthy and producing. Over the last three games, Singletary has 10 catches, 239 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns…and this week gets a Dolphins defense that ranks 30th in terms of rushing yards per game (146.1) and 29th in terms of total yards per game (391.0).
Jimmy Garoppolo, QB, SF:
Despite the Niners 8-1 start, Garoppolo hasn’t exactly been lighting the world on fire, and with his top two targets – George Kittle and Emmanuel Sanders – fighting injuries, he won’t be a hot start this week. However, he will be facing a Cardinals defense this week – the same defense he faced on the road two weeks ago and hung 317 yards and four touchdowns.
Kyle Allen, QB, Car:
After a disappointing loss in the snow in Green Bay, Allen gets a Falcons pass defense which ranks dead last in terms of interceptions (2) and opponents quarterback rating (113.2), 31st in sacks (13), 28th in passing touchdowns surrendered (19), and 25th in terms of passing yards per game (260.8). I am not saying to start Allen if you have a legit QB1, but if you have a middle of the road quarterback or your quarterback is on bye, Allen is worth a start.
Kareem Hunt, RB, Cle:
Nick Chubb is still the starting running back in Cleveland, but last week, against a very good Bills defense and in his first game in nearly a year, Hunt made an impact, putting up 74 yards from scrimmage on four carries and seven catches. On a short week, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a Hunt take a few more touches away from Chubb this week.
O.J. Howard, TE, TB:
Howard is high on the list of 2019 fantasy disappointments, but perhaps he is starting to turn the corner. Howard is coming off his best game of the year in terms of catches (4), targets (7) and found the endzone for the first time. The other thing Howard has going for him is that the Bucs throw the ball a ton and will probably need to again this week if they want to try and keep pace with the Saints.
