As always, in this space, we journey through some Interesting Tidbits to highlight important fantasy football related changes and trends entering the week. This can include notable recent performances, changes in playing time, intriguing matchups, and so on. Let’s see what’s on tap for Week 11 and beyond!
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Alfred Morris and Rod Smith emerge with defined roles in the Cowboys backfield but are in a tough spot against the Eagles
Yes, the good news is we now have a pretty good idea of how the Dallas Cowboys backfield will shake out while Ezekiel Elliott is out. Against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 10, Alfred Morris handled 11-of-15 running back carries with zero targets, while Rod Smith saw six targets to go with three carries of his own. Darren McFadden saw only one touch. This was more or less how we thought this would play out — Morris as the early-down back and Smith as the passing-down back — but it was nice to see it all go as expected. Unfortunately, with the Cowboys getting throttled by the Falcons 27-7, neither one found their way into the end zone, or garnered enough volume to help their fantasy teams much. We could see more of the same in Week 11 with the Philadelphia Eagles coming to town. Not only could the Eagles jump out to a big lead with their high-powered offense, but they also have a defense that ranks seventh against the run in DVOA, and the Cowboys could once again be missing left tackle Tyron Smith. Thus, both Morris and Rod Smith feel more like desperation deep league plays this week. If the Cowboys fall behind, Smith will likely see more snaps — he out-snapped Morris 38-22 against the Falcons — but Morris is still the better bet for a touchdown as the goal line back. On the bright side, things get easier down the road, including appealing spots against the Giants and Raiders in Weeks 14 and 15.
Rex Burkhead sees a season-high 51% of the snaps and 13 touches in Week 10
If you’ve dabbled in the New England Patriots backfield this season, you undoubtedly know what a nightmare it’s been. Among James White, Mike Gillislee, Dion Lewis, and now Rex Burkhead, seemingly every Patriots running back has looked like the top back to own at varying points this season. With that in mind, you should proceed with some trepidation with Burkhead, but in Week 10 he saw more snaps than either White or Lewis (Gillislee wasn’t even active), and his touches have risen in every game since returning healthy in Week 7 (7, 11, 13). He’s exactly the kind of versatile player Bill Belichick likes, meaning his role could continue to grow in the coming weeks. Of course, we still can’t expect him to become a true lead back — Lewis still out-touched him with 14 carries, and White will continue to factor into the passing game — but of the group, Burkhead looks like the best one to bet on going forward. The Patriots get a great matchup against the Raiders this weekend, so feel free to fire him up if you’re in need of a flex option.
Danny Woodhead is set to return to the Ravens soon, but his role remains uncertain
Many a waiver wire article has discussed picking up Danny Woodhead over the last couple weeks, who has a chance to return from the injured reserve in Week 11 against the Green Bay Packers. And while his past success certainly makes him a solid stash — particularly in PPR leagues — he will re-enter a backfield with Alex Collins and Buck Allen, along with Terrance West, who should also be back this week. Collins and West aren’t involved in the passing game, so Woodhead would presumably jump Allen upon his return, but that’s still a lot of potential mouths to feed. Furthermore, given Woodhead’s recent injury history — he’s only played in three games since the start of 2016 — it’s fair to wonder if his snaps will be limited at least initially. He’s worthy of a roster spot, but a wait-and-see approach should be used before deploying him in your starting lineup.
Mike Evans gets a great matchup against the Dolphins, who rank 31st in DVOA against the pass
Mike Evans, like many top wide receivers this season, has been a solid yet underwhelming fantasy asset, and no doubt, his suspension in Week 10 didn’t help appease frustrated fantasy owners. He hasn’t surpassed 100 yards in a game this year, but against a Miami Dolphins team that ranks 31st in DVOA against the pass, and just got lit up for 45 points by the Carolina Panthers, this could finally be the spot he blows up. Evans is one of just six players with at least 1,000 air yards this season, and he’s seen at least eight targets in all but one game. Ryan Fitzpatrick struggled last week against the New York Jets, but with his top wideout back, he’s back on the streaming radar in the plus matchup.
Blake Bortles is a streaming option against the Browns
Yes, that Blake Bortles. He’s hardly exciting, but then again, when is a streaming quarterback? Still, if you’re a Tyrod Taylor owner, or in some other quarterback bind, Bortles actually makes for a reasonable Week 11 consolation prize against the Cleveland Browns. While we know the Jacksonville Jaguars love to run the ball as much as possible to “hide” Bortles, the Browns are actually quite stout against the run, ranking second in DVOA, compared to their poor 27th ranking against the pass. Therefore, it’s actually in the Jaguars’ best interests to let Bortles air it out more in this one, and his floor is safer than you might think, scoring over 16 fantasy points in each of his last three games, and averaging 21.2 rushing yards a game this season. While we probably still shouldn’t expect a big ceiling, it’s worth noting he threw for 330 yards against the Indianapolis Colts, and a surprising four touchdowns against the normally tough Baltimore Ravens in London.
Marcedes Lewis is also a streaming option against the Browns
In addition to Blake Bortles, Marcedes Lewis comes in as another rare streamer. As you’ve likely heard by now, using tight ends against the Browns tends to bare fantasy fruit, as they’ve allowed the third-most fantasy points per game to tight ends this season. Lewis will surely test this theory, considering he’s only averaged 3.4 targets a game, but he’s seen 11 over his last two contests, and the Jaguars weren’t afraid to feature him against the Ravens in Week 3, where he caught three of Bortles’ four touchdowns. With his lack of regular volume, there’s no need to risk going here in shallow leagues, but those with a deep league tight end conundrum can do worse than give Lewis a shot come Sunday.
Tyrod Taylor’s benching gives a boost to the Chargers Defense
In a surprising turn on Wednesday, the Buffalo Bills are going with fifth-round rookie Nathan Peterman over Tyrod Taylor against the Los Angeles Chargers this week. Twitter was ablaze with Taylor hot takes throughout the day, but whether or not you believe in him as a quarterback, it’s rarely a bad idea to start a defense at home against a rookie making his first NFL start — especially one that’s tied for second in the league in sacks (29), and ranks third in adjusted sack rate. Even if your waivers have already gone through, there’s a good chance the Chargers are still sitting there if you’re looking for an upgrade this week.
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Kenyatta Storin is a featured writer with FantasyPros. For more from Kenyatta, check out his archive and follow him @kenyattastorin.
