Ten Things We Learned in Week 11 (Fantasy Football)
The holiday season is upon us Footclan. Let us celebrate with family, food, and Thanksgiving Day football. And of course, the MEGALODON show on Wednesday with our favorite footballers. With the end of the year near, the fantasy playoffs inch so close you can almost smell them. Let’s take a look back at the following week of jam-packed NFL action and go over what to expect this week and the rest of the way.
1. Super Sutton
If I asked you which wide receivers lead the league in touchdowns, names like Stefon Diggs, Mike Evans, and Keenan Allen probably come to mind. They are all tied for third on the list, behind Broncos wideout Courtland Sutton (eight TDs). Only Tyreek Hill has more touchdowns than Sutton so far this season. Now the yardage hasn’t been there, he has just a tick under 500 yards receiving, but Sutton is currently the WR18. He was drafted as the WR42. Fantasy managers drafted Sutton as a bench piece, but he’s been a solid WR2 all year. He has one down game where he scored 2.3 PPR points against the Jets, who literally stop all opposing WRs. He’s hit double-digit fantasy points in every other game this season, providing managers with a consistent contributor every week. The Broncos are on a roll as of late, winning their last four games including victories over the Bills, Chiefs, and Vikings, and the fantasy playoff schedule is great for WRs (Lions, Patriots, and Chargers).
2. Devin Singletary‘s Fantasy Future Is Murky
Welcome to the fantasy party, Devin Singletary. The veteran runner has rushed for more than 100 yards in back-to-back weeks and is the RB2 over that span with a combined 41.4 fantasy points. He looks like a great play moving forward, except for two major concerns. First, Dameon Pierce will be back in the fold as early as this week and will likely create a split that will hamper both players’ production. Second, even if Singletary earns the lion’s share of the carries, the Texans face a gauntlet of defenses who excel against the run: The Jaguars next week and the Browns and Titans twice in the fantasy playoffs. If Pierce is back next week it’s probably best to keep Singletary on the bench against Jacksonville and assess the RB situation moving forward.
3. Keep an Eye on Keaton Mitchell
Keaton Mitchell has officially taken over Justice Hill‘s role in Baltimore’s backfield. In Thursday’s matchup against Cincinnati, Mitchell handled eight carries to Hill’s one and played a season-high 37% of snaps. The rookie rushed for just 33 yards but displayed his breakaway speed with a 21-yard run. Gus Edwards is still the starting RB, but the Ravens still give their secondary back a ton of opportunities. With Mitchell’s big-play ability, he needs to be rostered and is a potential flex option as the fantasy playoffs approach.
4. Bye Bye Bengals
Devastating. That’s the only way to describe Joe Burrow‘s season-ending injury. After a slow start to the season, Burrow and the Bengals had turned things around both for their own team’s fortunes and for fantasy. But with Burrow done for the year, every skill player in Cincinnati gets a huge downgrade. Superstar Ja’Marr Chase goes from a top-three WR option to a WR2, at best. When Tee Higgins returns, starting him in the flex spot will feel uncomfortable. Even Joe Mixon, who should see an uptick in work, won’t get as many scoring opportunities, making him a low-end RB2. It’s bad news all around for Bengals players the rest of the way.
5. What to Make of Hollywood
Kyler Murray has been back for two weeks and has immediately stepped into a fantasy-relevant role, throwing and running like the Murray of old. It’s been great news for Trey McBride, James Conner, and even Rondale Moore. But it hasn’t been great for Marquise Brown. Hollywood has 5.5 fantasy points total in those two games to slot him as the WR73. It’s a tricky situation because with Murray playing well, Brown should benefit, but that hasn’t been the case. The best bet is to probably keep Hollywood on the bench for now and see if he can bounce back as a starting fantasy player down the stretch.
6. Charbonnet’s Time Has Arrived
It took 11 weeks and an injury to Kenneth Walker, but Zach Charbonnet‘s time is finally here. Walker got injured in the opening drive against the Rams Sunday and Charbonnet took over the rest of the way. He caught all six of his targets for 22 yards and rushed for 47 yards on 15 carries. The numbers don’t jump off the page, but the combination of a stout Rams defense and offensive penalties put Charbonnet and Seattle’s offense in tough situations. With Walker likely to miss time, Charbonnet jumps into a starter’s role, but be weary, the Seahawks face the 49ers twice and the Cowboys the next three weeks. Follow that up with matchups against the Eagles and Titans and the rookie RB is in for a tough go. The silver lining is his pass-catching ability, so as long as he sees a handful of targets his floor should be relatively safe.
7. Brock Purdy Primed for Fantasy Playoffs
Fantasy managers who punted the QB position during fantasy drafted and ended up with Brock Purdy have to be happy. The second-year quarterback is currently the QB9 for the season and has six games of more than 20 fantasy points. He’s been a viable starter and the 49ers’ fantasy playoff schedule is terrific. The semifinal matchup against the Ravens isn’t the best, but a first-round game against Arizona is a delight and the title game against the Commanders doesn’t get any better. Purdy is going to be a key piece for a ton of fantasy championship teams.
8. Chiefs’ Defense Set Up for Success
Jason Moore has talked about it for a few weeks on the show, but a reminder that the Kansas City Chiefs‘ defense has been fantastic this year and their remaining schedule is delectable. There is a good chance the Chiefs D/ST is on waivers because of the bye and a matchup against Philadelphia on Monday night, but this unit needs to be picked up this week. The Chiefs face the Raiders and Packers in the next two weeks, then take on the Patriots, Raiders, and Burrow-less Bengals in the fantasy championship. The Chiefs are a league-winning defense this year.
9. Polarizing Pollard
I don’t know what to make of Tony Pollard this season. Saying his play has been mediocre this year is being kind. Even in plus matchups he doesn’t seem to get it done the way you’d hoped. In by far his best game since Week 1, he still felt underwhelming with 16 fantasy points. It felt like he should have had more. It’s frustrating because he’s on one of the best offenses in the league and has a great upcoming schedule against Washington and Seattle. Pollard’s obviously in your lineup, but it just doesn’t feel good starting him, even when it should.
10. Fields Back in Action
Justin Fields returned to the lineup on Sunday and promptly rushed for a season-high 104 yards. He finished as the QB8 and has some quality matchups ahead that should equate to a boatload of fantasy points. The Bears take on the Vikings next week before facing the Lions and Browns. But in the fantasy semifinal and championship rounds, Fields should take advantage of a giving Cardinals defense and a middle-of-the-road Falcons defense. It’s been an up-and-down year for Fields, to say the least, but fantasy managers who stood firm with the flashy QB should reap the rewards as the season winds down.