Each week there are some obvious starts and sits in fantasy football. Other decisions are not quite so simple. With that in mind, I offer up some not-so-obvious picks with my weekly Studs, Duds & Sleepers. Here are this week’s picks.
STUDS
QB: Lamar Jackson (BAL) vs. CAR: After watching what Joe Burrow and company did to the Panthers’ D first hand two weeks ago, I am all in on the Ravens and Lamar Jackson coming out of their bye week. Carolina has watched three straight fantasy signal callers reach 20+ FP and that looks like the floor this week for Jackson.RB:
David Montgomery (CHI): With the news of Khalil Herbert going on IR, Montgomery is going to soar back up my board on volume alone. Add to it a matchup with a Falcons’ D that has been torched in recent weeks by D’Onta Formean (twice), Austin Ekeler and Joe Mixon and I have Montgomery as a top 10 RB play in Week 11.
WR:Tee Higgins (CIN) at PIT: It looks like it will be at least one more week without Ja’Mar Chase, leaving Higgins as the top dawg in the Bengals’ passing game. He gets a Steelers’ team that he’s eclipsed 6 catches, 110 yards and scored in two of the three contests he’s had vs. them in his career and both games in which Joe Burrow was the quarterback. Expect a similar statline for Higgins here.
TE: Dalton Schultz (DAL) at MIN: There’s no doubt that with Dak Prescott under center and Schultz finally healthy that fantasy managers are starting to see some that promise they envisioned on draft day with the Dallas tight end. Now he gets to face a Vikings’ D that has ceded the eighth most fantasy points to the position. Schultz should be locked in as a mid-range TE1 with some nice volume-based upside.
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DUDS
QB: Derek Carr (LV) at DEN: The Raiders are a mess and Derek Carr’s fantasy value has been impacted by the struggles. He’s thrown for multiple scores in six of nine games, but has yet to throw 3 TD’s in a single contest and hasn’t reached 300 yards passing since Week 3. In fact, he’s only averaging 213 yards per game over his last six.
RB: Kareem Hunt (CLE) at BUF: Hunt is nothing more than a RB3 thus far in the fantasy season, but a closer look at recent trends suggests he might be hard pressed to finish there. Over the last four games he only has been targeted eight times and he isn’t rushing for TD’s at the rate he did a year ago. That leaves him with a fairly low weekly floor and vs. Buffalo you can do better.
WR: Micahel Gallup (DAL) at MIN: Those that held on to Gallup through his early-season injuries and not being rewarded much for their patience. He’s only reached double-digit PPR points once in the five games since his return and has yet to reach 50 yards this season. He’s getting dropped in shallower leagues and should be nowhere near a fantasy starting lineup until further notice.
TE: Robert Tonyan (GB) vs. TEN: There continue to be talk of the Packers working to get Tonyan more involved, but it yet to come to fruition in his stat line. The struggles have lingered most of the past month (8 PPR points or less in four straight) and likely won’t turn around against a solid Titans’ front seven and playing on a short week with a huge winter storm likely playing a part in this game.
SLEEPERS
QB: Daniel Jones (NYG) vs. DET: Jones’ rushing floor always makes him have weekly consideration. He’s rushed for 20 yards or more in eight of his nine games. Add to that the matchup vs. the lowly Lions’ defense and Jones has top 10 upside in Week 11.
RB: Isaiah Pacheco (KC) at LAC: Uh oh don’t look now, but Clyde-edwards Helaire is being phased out of the Chiefs’ offense. Pacheco saw a career-high 16 carries last week and now he gets to face off vs. a Chargers’ D that has allowed 10 runners to reach 13 PPR points over their last eight outings.
WR: Parris Campbell (IND) vs. PHI: With Matt Ryan back at quarterback all of the Cots’ passing weapons have more appeal. Campbell has shown he can put up nice numbers with Ryan recently and expect Indy to have to throw to keep up in this one.
TE: Greg Dulcich (DEN) vs. LV: Some of that early excitement has died down a bit on the Broncos’ rookie tight end, but I will take my chances. The Raiders have given up the sixth most PPR points to the position on the year and I am feeling a bit of a bounce back here.
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