Week 11 Fantasy Football Studs
It’s the week before Thanksgiving and NFL players were getting into the feasting spirit in Week 11. These players treated their owners to a heaping helping of stud muffins, hopefully bringing them one step closer to a playoff berth and a #FootClanTitle. Here are your heroes from the week that was.
Editor’s Note: Get the full breakdown on today’s podcast, and read up on the Week 11 Duds.
Quarterbacks
Ben Roethlisberger vs TEN
299 passing yards, 4 TDs, 10 rushing yards
The key to this performance was the “vs” before “TEN”. If that has been an “@” Ben could’ve been featured in a different article. The Home/Road splits are real for Roethlisberger.
Kirk Cousins @ NO
322 passing yards, 3 TDs, 11 rushing yards
Kirk continues to get it done with a patchwork offense. He will now have an added degree of difficulty going forward with the loss of Chris Thompson to a broken leg.
Tom Brady @ OAK (Mexico City)
339 passing yards, 3 TDs
From Captain Kirk to Captain America. The altitude didn’t bother Tom Brady and the Patriots high-flying offense.
Blaine Gabbert @ HOU
257 passing yards, 3 TDs, 2 INTs, 13 rushing yards
Yeah, that Blaine Gabbert.
Leslie Plaza Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Drew Brees vs WAS
385 passing yards, 2 TDs, INT
Brees didn’t quite match Cousins’ fantasy output, but he got the points that mattered as the Saints escaped with the W. The Saints offense is scary for opposing defenses now that they can run the football as well as pass it. They did both on Sunday.
Andy Dalton @ DEN
154 passing yards, 3 TDs
It wasn’t pretty, but if you were starting Andy Dalton on the road against Denver you had to have been expecting much much worse.
Running Backs
Mark Ingram vs WAS
11 carries, 134 rushing yards, TD, 3 receptions, 21 receiving yards
Ingram has been a monster recently. He gashed Washington repeatedly and yet somehow only earned 14 touches. Please forgive him already, Payton.
Alvin Kamara vs WAS
8 carries, 42 rushing yards, 6 receptions, 75 receiving yards, TD, 2pt conv
Fun Fact: Alvin Kamara possesses the power of intangibility.
LeSean McCoy @ LAC
13 carries, 114 rushing yards, TD, 1 reception, 12 receiving yards, TD
Freddy Krueger couldn’t have dreamed up a more nightmarish game script for McCoy. The Bills were on the road with a rookie QB who committed 5 turnovers, in the first half, and the defense surrendered 54 points. The slippery fish found a way, and fantasy owners rejoiced.
Harry How/Getty Images
Latavius Murray vs LAR
15 carries, 95 rushing yards, 2 TDs, 1 reception, 1 receiving yard
People were quick to forget that Murray is a functional NFL RB when healthy. It appears that he is rounding into form just in time for his owners and the Vikings to make a playoff push.
D’Onta Foreman vs AZ
10 carries, 65 rushing yards, 2 TDs, 3 receptions, 15 receiving yards
Pour one out for my homie, Foreman.
Samaje Perine @ NO
23 carries, 117 rushing yards, TD, 1 reception, 9 receiving yards
When Perine was drafted in the 4th round, this is what the fantasy community was hoping for. Hopefully, those owners held onto him because he will be called on again and again in the absence of Thompson and Kelley.
Dion Lewis @ OAK (Mexico City)
10 carries, 60 rushing yards, 4 receptions, 28 receiving yards, TD
The featured RB in the NFL is an endangered species. It is all but extinct in New England. This is probably the closest we will get in Belichick’s offense.
Jordan Howard vs DET
15 carries, 125 rushing yards, TD
Something tells me Jay Griz was very happy to see this and then very very sad when the clock hit triple zeroes.
Le’Veon Bell vs TEN
12 carries, 46 rushing yards, 9 receptions, 57 receiving yards
18 PPR fantasy points. That’s what “bad Le’Veon Bell” looks like.
Wide Receivers
Antonio Brown vs TEN
10 receptions, 144 receiving yards, 3 TDs, 13 targets
The Steelers are going to need to bring in some interns to help them come up with more TD celebrations. They have to be running out at this rate.
Keenan Allen vs BUF
12 receptions, 159 receiving yards, 2 TDs, 13 targets
As a longtime Chargers and Keenan Allen fan, games like this seem too good to be true. I nervously watch them praying the other shoe doesn’t drop.
Kenny Stills vs TB
7 receptions, 180 receiving yards, TD, 8 targets
Behind Parker and Landry, Stills can sometimes be a forgotten man. It appears the Buccaneers secondary forgot about him too.
Brandin Cooks @ OAK (Mexico City)
6 receptions, 149 receiving yards, TD, 9 targets
It’s official, Rodney Harrison does not understand how speed works.
Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
Danny Amendola @ OAK (Mexico City)
8 receptions, 66 receiving yards, TD, 9 targets
It would appear that Rule 80-11 is international law.
Adam Thielen vs LAR
6 receptions, 123 receiving yards, TD, 9 targets
#Good.
Rishard Matthews @ PIT
5 receptions, 113 receiving yards, TD, 6 targets
#Lucky.
Larry Fitzgerald @ HOU
9 receptions, 91 receiving yards, TD, 10 targets
#VeryGood.
In all seriousness, to accomplish what Fitzgerald has accomplished in his career with the miserable bunch of QBs he has played with is nothing short of heroic.
Davante Adams vs BAL
8 receptions, 126 receiving yards, 10 targets
My Davante Adams Stinks narrative will have to chalk this up to a backup QB locking onto a crummy backup WR, or something. I’ll get back to you.
Marvin Jones Jr. @ CHI
4 receptions, 85 receiving yards, TD, 7 targets
WR 14 in non-PPR. WR 24 in default leagues (PPR).
Jarvis Landry vs TB
6 receptions, 95 receiving yards, TD, 11 targets
Landry’s volume has been incredibly consistent even with inconsistent QB play from a couple different QBs. The TD is just the cherry on top.
Tight Ends
Ricky Seals-Jones @ HOU
3 receptions, 54 receiving yards, 2 TDs, 5 targets
Rookie undrafted free agent TE out of Texas A&M. He signed a 1-year contract with the Arizona Cardinals. There. I saved you the trouble of conducting a Google Search.
Travis Kelce @ NYG
8 receptions, 109 receiving yards, 14 targets
You didn’t need to watch the game, much less read this article to know this is what Kelce was going to do this week.
Defense/Special Teams
Jacksonville Jaguars @ CLE
TD, 2 INTs, 3 fumb rec, 5 sacks, 7 points allowed
The Team Formerly Known As “The San Diego Chargers” vs BUF
2 TDs, 5 INTs, 1 fumb rec, 1 sack, 24 points allowed
Jeff Gross/Getty Images
Baltimore Ravens @ GB
3 INTs, 2 fumb rec, 6 sacks, 0 points allowed
Pittsburgh Steelers vs TEN
4 INTs, 5 sacks, 1 blocked kick, 17 points allowed
Honorable Mentions
Ryan Fitzpatrick @ MIA
275 passing yards, 2 TDs
Matthew Stafford @ CHI
299 passing yards, 2 TDs
Philip Rivers vs BUF
251 passing yards, 2 TDs
Miami Dolphins Team QB vs TB
365 passing yards, 2 TDs, 3 INTs
Lamar Miller vs AZ
22 carries, 61 rushing yards, 4 receptions, 22 receiving yards, TD
Alex Collins @ GB
20 carries, 49 rushing yards, TD, 4 receptions, 22 receiving yards
Orleans Darkwa vs KC
20 carries, 74 rushing yards, TD, 2 receptions, 16 receiving yards
DeAndre Hopkins vs AZ
4 receptions, 76 receiving yards, TD, 9 targets
Demaryius Thomas vs CIN
5 receptions, 64 receiving yards, TD, 9 targets
A.J. Green @ DEN
4 receptions, 50 receiving yards, TD, 9 targets
Robert Woods @ MIN
8 receptions, 81 receiving yards, 11 targets
Delanie Walker @PIT
6 receptions, 92 receiving yards, 9 targets