Sunday Recap: Week 11

Raiders @ Lions

We can start the week 11 death train here. The Raiders were primed for a big game on offense, especially though the air, but it was everything but that. Derek Carr and company did not find the end zone, in fact Latavius Murray was the only one to score for Oakland. Detroit dominated possession, holding the ball for 36 minutes, which really hurt the chances for any sort of fantasy production from the passing game. This high volume passing attack was held, and Detroit has stifled two passing attacks in a row, which has resulted us to hate DFS for two weeks in a row. Derek Carr was a top cash game option this week, and sunk a lot of lineups. Michael Crabtree was the high target, seeing 11 this game, catching six for 50 yards. He had an injury scare, but returned to the game, but he was one of the few to actually return from injury this weekend. Once again we depended on a team like the Raiders, and were let down, what a shocker.

The Lions were in a similar spot, facing a weak secondary, and Matt Prater was the only Detroit player to deliver. Detroit had another lackluster week on offense, and Matthew Stafford seems to continuously forget Calvin Johnson is on his team. He had five catches, for 88 yards, but saw just 9 targets. If you believe Johnson is washed up, just stop, he would be thriving in another offense. Golden Tate saw 11 targets, catching eight, for 73 yards. Theo Riddick was behind him in receiving. If you took a shot on Eric Ebron, which many of us did against the Raiders, he did not record a catch. He also saw just two targets. I was a sucker with some Lions' shares, but we all need to collectively stop believing Detroit players will come through.

Jets @ Texans

This game likely disappointed you, for taking the Jets D/ST, as well as for fading DeAndre Hopkins. T.J. Yates received the start this week for Brian Hoyer, and managed the game very well. He did not turn the ball over, and was able to toss for two touchdowns. While we were looking at all the cheap QB's to start for fun, we should of started Yates. Just kidding, no we shouldn't have. Hopkins posted 5-118-2 line, against Revis, with a backup QB. One of those passes came from Cecil Shorts too. If you took a tournament shot on him, that shot paid off. He saw 12 targets, which just seems to be a guarantee at this point. Houston tried to run the ball with Alfred Blue, and he finished with 58 yards, on 21 carries. Jonathan Grimes, who was newly signed, rushed for 37 yards on six carries. Grimes looked like a much better back, and could start to climb in usage.

After being a friendly DFS offense for the opening weeks, New York has started to stumble, Chris Ivory especially. Ivory was leading the league in yards at one point, and was also seeing 20+ carries a game. Not so much anymore, and he looked hobbled this week. Ivory rushed eight times, for 36 yards, while Bilal Powell and Steven Ridley also had some carries behind him. For a ground-and-pound team, this is far from it right now. Eric Decker and Brandon Marshall both saw double-digit targets this week, and continue to be the dominate targets for Ryan Fitzpatrick. Things were not clicking, but Decker has been one of the more consistent wideouts this season, without much recognition. The Jets were simply outmanned today, which usually is not the case.

Bucs @ Eagles

If you had a Bucs' stack, well done. Jameis Winston thrashed the Philly secondary, throwing for 246 yards, and five touchdowns. He threw touchdowns to five different receivers, and spread the ball out again. Nobody had a dominant game receiving, and Mike Evans was the leading man, with a 4-63-1 line. Winston did not have to move the ball down field, because Doug Martin had that under control. He rushed for 235 yards, on 27 carries, but did not find the end zone. I think teams should start rewarding running backs, but I am not a coach. The Bucs offense really has some fantasy weapons for us, and with Winston's performance improving, guys like Evans are becoming cash game locks. Martin continues his stellar season, now with 706 yards on the ground. He has just three touchdowns, which is the only frustrating part of his game.

If you look up the definition of boom-or-bust, you will find the Philadelphia Eagles listed underneath. Even with Mark Sanchez under center, it was another disappointing game. We are always drawn into the Chip Kelly offense for fantasy, and now even more given how cheap they are. I believe the Eagles' wideouts are better suited for upside under Sanchez, due to his ability to throw the ball more than ten yards. It did not show this week, but at least Sanchez took shots down field. Brent Celek led the team in targets with ten, and Zach Ertz was going to be up there with him, but left the game with an injury. We might have one big Jordan Matthews game before the season ends, but good luck finding it. With Thanksgiving around the corner, quoting Planes, Trains, and Automobiles just seems right. "We would be better off playing pickup sticks with our butt-cheeks," than hitting on the next Matthews game. If you thought Murray would have a monster workload without Ryan Matthews, Kelly managed to put a damper on that. Kenjon Barner saw some carries, and Sproles stepped up for a larger role than usual.

Broncos @ Bears

A game with another backup QB, and Brock Osweiler actually gave us some Demaryius Thomas value. Thomas had a 3-59-1 line, but 90% of it came in the first few minutes, then nothing the rest of the way. Osweiler spread the ball out, hitting eight wide receivers. This game was a fantasy dud, and one we kind of expected. Ronnie Hillman rushed for 102 yards, on 21 carries, but this is still an unreliable situation to target. C.J. Anderson still had 12 carries, and had a few targets in the passing game. This is another one of those guessing game backfields. They both took advantage of a bad Bears' run defense. Denver could rely on the run game while Manning is out, but with just a few remaining weeks, it is hard to monitor the workload.

The Bears did not have much of a chance against this defense, especially when Alshon Jeffrey was announced inactive before the game. We saw Marquees Wilson have a big game in his absence, with a 4-102-1 line. Chicago had 'DGAF" Jay Cutler under center, which led to 15 points. Denver's defense bounced back, after two weeks of being fairly average. Jeremy Langford found the end zone again, but unlike last week, the better matchup one. Langford saw six targets in the passing game, where he continued to be targeted. If Forte continues to sit, in a better matchup, Langford would be one of the featured backs of week 11.

Rams @ Ravens

There is nothing to see here, move on.

This game should of had a big red X through it when researching, outside of maybe Todd Gurley if you took a chance on him. He rushed for 66 yards, and a touchdown, which is not ideal for his price. I guess looking back on week 11, he did outscore the higher priced backs by a wide margin. Case Keenum continues the backup trend, who looked no better than Nick Foles, other than not turning the ball over. St. Louis will rely on the running game when they can. You should know by now to not take chances on the St. Louis passing game.

Baltimore no longer has an active team. Joe Flacco and Justin Forsett both are done for the season. Javorius Allen will get the workload in the backfield for the rest of the season, but I do not know how useful he will be if teams can just focus on him. The NFL is down to 31 teams.

Cowboys @ Dolphins

This one had some weather implications, with heavy winds, and some mixed in showers. Tony Romo looked rusty, but threw two touchdowns, one to Dez Bryant. He finished with a 4-45-1 line, which was not a line ideal for his price. Romo still lifts the upside of everyone on this team, so this was a good week to get Romo's feet back under him before we target against weak NFC East defenses. Darren McFadden had some groin issues, but carried the ball 29 times for 129 yards. He also had three catches, for 20 yards. He didn't find the end zone, which is a trend with McFadden. Works hard, no touchdown. The odds are slim for Dallas winning this division, but the odds are in our favor for solid fantasy points the rest of the way.

The Dolphins are the AFC's version of the Philadelphia Eagles. Tons of playmakers, an inconsistent quarterback, and many-many letdowns. We were looking for Miami to take advantage of the struggling Dallas defense, and they failed to do so. Lamar Miller rushed seven times, for 44 yards, but Miami was chasing the game through the air. Miller did not make up for it in the passing game, just seeing three targets. He remains one of my favorite fantasy options, and produced today when given the opportunity, but touches were not there. Jarvis Landry saw seven targets, for a 4-66-0 line. He led the team in targets, but did not find the end zone. Kenny Stills and Jordan Cameron were the touchdown recipients, so that adds to my Eagles nickname of the AFC.

Redskins @ Panthers

Cash Game Cam is Cam Newton's new nickname. He has been consistently one of the better scoring QB's each week, but this week he took it to another level. Newton threw for 246 yards, and five touchdowns. Devin Funchess emerged in the NFL today, with a 4-64-1 line, on eight targets. Newton was another QB to spread the love, completing all his touchdown passes to different receivers. Jonathan Stewart owners were lucky one of those touchdown passes went to him. He upside is always limited due to his red zone carries, but he had another solid day on the ground. J-Stew had 102 yards on 21 carries. He continuously has been fed 20+ carries, and earns each carry. Continue to target against the Washington secondary, and continue to ride Newton's 2015 season is the biggest takeaways from week 11.

Kirk Cousins faced a real defense this week, which means he received another reality check. He did link up with DeSean Jackson for a long bomb, going for 56 yards, but that was it. Jackson and Jordan Reed each saw eight targets, if you are looking to target the Washington passing game in the future. There were talks of Matt Jones getting more screen passes, but he was only targeted twice. This game was over at half for Washington, as they only scored two points in the final three quarters. This was not a "You Like That" week.

Colts @ Falcons

This was week 11's ballbuster game, where Devonta Freeman left in the first quarter with a concussion. This dampened the week 11 spirits, including my own. If he was to miss any time, Tevin Coleman is the lone back, and would see a full workload. He carried the ball 17 times after Freeman went down, for 48 yards, and lost one fumble. This was the first time Matt Ryan threw for more than two touchdowns this season, but he also threw three interceptions. Julio Jones had a monster day, with a 9-160-0 line. He continues to dominate targets, but that is not news these days. Leonard Hankerson returned, with a 4-36-1 line, and Patrick Dimarco caught two touchdown passes. This leads us to our question of the week, who the hell is Patrick DiMarco?

This was an ugly win for the Colts, as they find themselves in a dogfight for the AFC South. If you are looking for Matt Hasselbeck's favorite target, Donte Moncrief saw eight targets, but for just 41 yards. Hasselbeck spread the ball out, and tossed two touchdowns to Ahmad Bradshaw. This Colts offense has been a mess all season, and there upside is now hindered without Andrew Luck. Indy will be in the mix for a lot of ugly wins, and a lot of easy passes for fantasy options. This team is essentially out of play until Luck returns, and even then I will be hesitant.

Chiefs @ Chargers

This game featured one of the chalkiest picks of the weekend, Charcandrick West. Kansas City rushed for 153 yards, and three touchdowns. West must certainly of had a big day right? Wrong. He was another player to leave the game with injury, while Spencer Ware got his in this juicy matchup. He rushed for 96 yards, and two touchdowns. Kansas City has developed a ground-and-pound style in the last few weeks, as we have seen Jeremy Maclin and Travis Kelce be non-factors in the fantasy world. Depending on West's health, Ware looks to be the next man up, but anyone can look good against the Chargers. This is still one of the least fantasy friendly NFL teams, especially in the passing game. The defense is another story, as they have been a top three defense in the last weeks. They are not the team to target against right now.

So about that defense, the Chargers found out about it, and so did we. I was on board with the San Diego passing game, which failed miserably. Stevie Johnson led the way with seven receptions, for 54 yards, but nobody found the end zone. Antonio Gates, Ladarius Green, and Danny Woodhead were nowhere to be found this week. The Chargers are 2-8, and they are the team nobody is talking about for the top pick. Chargers still possess one of the higher volume passing attacks, and the wide receiving core will have plenty of value the rest of the way. It was just a tough matchup that we overlooked.

Packers @ Vikings

The Packers offense is back, and by back, I mean Aaron Rodgers and James Jones. This really was the duo that clicked at the beginning of the season, not really the entire team. Jones had a 6-109-1 line, on 11 targets. Randall Cobb had nine targets, but only caught two balls, one going for a score. They still did not look in-sync. Eddie Lacy... Wait for it... Lacy went for 100 yards on the ground, on 22 carries. He looked at his best this game, against a good Minnesota defense. Is he back? I have no clue, but we will see him on Thanksgiving for another tryout into our fantasy lineups for the rest of the season. A steady run game would do wonders for this Green Bay offense.

Minnesota was humbled a bit this week, but they still sit with the same record as Green Bay. After a few monster Adrian Peterson weeks, Green Bay made it a priority to stop AP, and make Teddy Bridgwater beat them. Teddy threw for 296 yards, and a score, but not anything more. Kyle Rudolph had a 6-106-1 line, on nine targets. This was the first breakout all season, and likely his only one. Stefon Diggs also had nine targets, catching six balls, for 66 yards. His only value surfaces when Minnesota is forced to throw. Minnesota is a game script offense, so keep an eye on their situations when taking shots on their offense.

49ers @ Seahawks

Marshawn Lynch said he passed the torch to Thomas Rawls today, and we all would say that after Rawls' performance today. He rushed for 209 yards, on 30 carries, and found the end zone twice. He had three catches, for 46 yards, and dominated a bad 49ers defense. It is easy for Seattle to look great on offense against San Francisco, but the run game helped Wilson's efficiency. Wilson completed 24-29, throwing for 260 yards, and three touchdowns. Tyler Lockett was on the end of two of those, with Rawls on the other. The defense was the biggest let down, as many of us figured Seattle would finally hit their upside against the 49ers at home. Seattle forced zero turnovers, and only sacked Blaine Gabbert twice.

San Francisco is a lot like the Baltimore Ravens, where they are trotting out a practice squad. Like I said earlier, let's move on, there is nothing to see here.

Bengals @ Cardinals

This was by far the most exciting game of the weekend, and a game where there were plenty of fantasy points thrown around. The Bengals moved the ball well, but were chasing this game towards the end. Andy Dalton threw for 315 yards, and two scores. Tyler Eifert was on the end of those two scores, who saw just three targets all game. Efiert continues his red zone dominance, and now has 11 touchdowns. Giovani Bernard saw ten targets, catching eight, for 128 yards. With receivers locked up, he was the focal point in the passing game. A.J. Green, and Marvin Jones each hauled in four catches, combining for 139 yards. Jeremy Hill has done this a few times this season, which is find the end zone multiple times. He had two touchdowns, on 13 carries, for 45 yards.

It was Carson Palmer and the Cardinals who found a way to win the game. It took some late drama, but the Cards are 8-2. Palmer finished the night with four touchdowns, and over 300 yards. Michael Floyd sat this game out, and J.J. Nelson had a monster day, with a 4-142-1 line. Larry Fitzgerald continues to post solid lines, with eight catches, for 90 yards. He led the team with 13 targets, while nobody else saw more than six. This high volume passing attack continues to produce, and the former Bengal leads the way. I do believe the absence of Adam Jones helped the Cards in this matchup. Either way, Arizona ranks just behind New England for points per game.