Jameis Winston has been extremely impressive following his shaky start
As we inch even closer to the 2015 fantasy football playoffs, some teams are hoping the playoffs arrive sooner than later. Week 10 brought another wave of injuries that forced the likes of Julian Edelman, Sam Bradford and Peyton Manning to the sidelines. If you have been lucky enough to avoid the injury bug that has decimated most fantasy teams this season, you are likely the owner of an impressive record and are slated for a high seed in the playoffs. Luckily, if you are not one of those teams, there are still a few more weeks left to sneak into one of the final playoff spots in your league. Without further ado, here are five things we learned in Week 11.
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Sunday was rough for top running backs
The injury trend continued in Week 11 as we saw a handful of top fantasy running back hit the sidelines. The most notable was top fantasy RB Devonta Freeman, who was off to a great start but was ultimately forced from the game in the first quarter with a concussion. In San Diego, Charcandrick West also left his game early with a hamstring injury. The third injury was a serious one, as Justin Forsett left the game with a broken arm and is done for the rest of the season. In each of these cases, the backup running backs performed admirably and will be top waiver wire targets this week. So if Tevin Coleman, Spencer Ware or Javorius ‘Buck’ Allen are available in your league, grab them immediately as there is a chance all three could start in Week 12. My top target would be Allen as he’ll get the first shot at being the new starter in Baltimore for the rest of the season.
Thomas Rawls is a must-own RB
Speaking of injuries to star running backs, Marshawn Lynch was mysteriously inactive in Week 11 handing over the carries to Thomas Rawls. The news on Lynch is that he has a sports hernia which would require surgery and likely end his season. If that is the case, Rawls becomes a must-own in all leagues. On Sunday, Rawls showed owners what he can do as the starter, finishing with 30 carries for 209 yards and a touchdown while adding three catches for 46 yards and another touchdown. With Lynch likely out for Week 12 (if not the rest of the year), Rawls becomes the main man in Seattle and a must-own in all leagues. If he is still available, pick him up now.
Jameis Winston is a worthy playoff stash
In my Week 9 article, I wrote how Marcus Mariota looked to be turning the corner and becoming a valid fantasy quarterback. It’s just a few short weeks later and it looks like it’s Winston, not Mariota, who is the rookie QB to own in fantasy. Coming into Week 11, Winston was the 15th ranked QB in fantasy scoring. However, his ranking will likely climb after his impressive performance on Sunday. The Buccaneers’ quarterback went 19-of-29 for 246 yards while throwing five touchdowns. After a slow and turnover-heavy start to the season, Winston has averaged 19.2 fantasy points per game over the past five weeks, showing that he is becoming conformable in the Tampa Bay offense. An additional bonus to owning Winston is that he adds value as a runner and has scored a rushing TD in three of his past five games. If you are looking for a backup QB for the playoffs or are a Peyton Manning or Joe Flacco owner (Flacco is also out for the year with a severe knee injury), Winston may be worth a waiver claim. The Tamp Bay QB is currently owned in only 24% of Yahoo leagues.
Kansas City Chiefs D/ST has been on fire
To me, defenses are always hard to judge as performances and matchups make weekly fluctuations typical. However, Kansas City’s D/ST has been on a tear the last several weeks. Currently in Week 11, the Chiefs are the highest-scoring fantasy defense (tied with Carolina) with 19 points. Over the past four weeks, Kansas City has been among the top scoring defenses in fantasy while averaging 16.26 points per game. Even better news is that the Chiefs have not been playing low-scoring, turnover-prone teams. In Week 10, Kansas City forced five interceptions versus Denver. This week, the Chiefs only allowed three points scored while recording another interception, a fumble recovery and a touchdown against the Chargers. If you are looking for some hidden points to add to your lineup, the Chiefs D/ST is worth a claim. They are currently owned in only 65% of Yahoo leagues and play less-potent offenses in Buffalo, Oakland and San Diego (again) in the next three weeks.
David Cobb is not the waiver wire steal you were looking for
Coming into the Week 11, rookie RB David Cobb was seen as an interesting waiver pickup when he was activated off of the IR/designated to return list. Due to the Titans’ dreadful backfield this year, many believed Cobb would get some work on Thursday night (which he did) and build his way into a starting role by the end of the season, making him a worthy playoff stash. However, judging by his performance on Thursday night, that may no longer be the case. While Antonio Andrews continued to get a bulk of the work (15 carries for 78 yards and two catches for 16 yards), Cobb received only four carries for -3 yards and was not targeted at all in the passing game. While it’s still too early to completely rule Cobb out of a bigger role (especially with the injury to Dexter McCluster), it is likely Andrews will remain the main back in Week 12. Due to that, Cobb is running out of chances to work his way up the depth chart. If he does eventually end up as the starter, it may be too late for him to make an impact on your team in the playoffs.
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Brad Behrens is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Brad, check out his archive or follow him @_BradBehrens.
