Welcome to the fantasy recap. Week 11 had game relocations, injury repercussions and surprise resurgences. It was a week with intrigue as deep as the Buffalo snow and results just as surprising. Next week there are only 2 teams on bye (and not particularly good ones at that) so next week should be a good yardstick to measure playoff potential if you haven’t started them yet. Time to grab your shovels, let’s get digging.
NB: Scores based on PPR leagues
Fantasy Stars:
Tony Pollard (DAL) – 15rsh/80yds + 6rec/109yds/2td 37pts
Pollard benefitted from Zeke being eased back into the team and from 2 long TDs with plenty of yards after catch. It was a shocker of a game with Minnesota getting blown out after their great performances so far this season but it appears Dallas and indeed most of their fantasy assets are back on track.
Davante Adams (LV) – 7rec/141yds/2tds 33pts
When he’s not ill or injured Adams is a problem for any defence. The Raiders have struggled this season but the Carr/Adams connection isn’t the problem and Josh Jacobs has looked decent. Adams is the receiving TD leader through 11 weeks on 10 with only Diggs, Hill and Jefferson ahead on points but he could well pass the lot.
Travis Kelce (KC) – 6rec/115yds/3tds 36pts
The Chiefs lost Tyreek Hill, any idea of a reliable running game and acquired Juju and MVS but one thing that doesn’t change is the Mahomes to Kelce connection that can just dominate teams. A 3TD game seems tame after the 4TD game against the Raiders but this was technically his highest score of the season. A season where he has averaged about 22pts per game. Dominant.
Surprise Packages:
Jacobi Brissett (CLE) – 28cmp/324yds/3td/0int + 7rsh/29yds/0td/1fumlost 25pts
Is this perhaps the biggest surprise of all? The week before DeShaun Watson is eligible to return, Brissett puts up 324 yards and 3tds as well
Samaje Perine (CIN) – 11rsh/30yds + 4rec/52yds/3tds 30pts
I had every Cincinatti Bengals player in my DFS team except for Tyler Boyd and Perine… Before Mixon left through injury, Perine was already having a great game but without Mixon he was leant on harder and put up a monster day, albeit mostly in the air.
Josh Palmer (LAC) – 8rec/106yds/2tds 31pts
You have a few weeks without Allen and Williams and Palmer is okay but not special. The chargers get their top 2 receivers back and then Palmer goes absolute ham. Typical. He will be on so many benches this week that you know there will be tears. It would appear he just struggles with double teams but give him space and decoys and he will burn defences.
Disappointments:
Kirk Cousins (MIN) – 12cmp/105yds + 1fumlost 1pt
What happened? The Vikings had looked so good this season but they did not get going against Dallas. I think you just discord this one but remember that Prime Time Kirk Cousins has historically struggled and that may still be a thing.
D’Onta Foreman (CAR) – 11rsh/21yds 2pts
After the departure of Christian McCaffrey, Foreman looked set for a solid workload. He started off very well but it’s somewhat fallen off a cliff since and as soon as you have any kind of expectation, it falls apart. This was the kind of stat-line you’d expect with CMC still there.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling (SF) – 1rec/18yds 3pts
In a team that lost Tyreek Hill but that passes an awful lot, MVS should be much more utilised. Whether he isn’t performing, isn’t being schemed in or is just 4th in line for targets, I think we all expected better than this.
Waiver Wire Pickups:
BYE Weeks: ARI, CAR
QB – Trevor Lawrence (JAX) – Coming off the bye Lawrence may be available in a lot of places and the Jags may be a team to keep an eye on going down the back straight. The Ravens aren’t great against the QB so why not.
Other QB Options – Heinicke vsATL, Mariota @WAS, Garoppolo vsNO.
RB – Latavious Murray (DEN) – Melvin Gordon has been waived, most of the alternatives are injured and he just had a 17 point game. Latavious Murray is the obvious pickup. Isiah Pacheco may be out there but he’s a risky play and the same goes for Elijah Mitchell.
WR – Parris Campbell (IND) – Campbell has been solid for back to back weeks and looks happier with Matt Ryan back at QB. Darius Slayton is also showing consistency for the Giants and Treylon Burks has finally shown something.
TE – Juwan Johnson (NO) – It’s hard to pick a lower owned TE at the moment but Juwan Johnson has been in double digits for 3 weeks running so he’s low key been good.
DST Options – Colts vsPIT, Chiefs vsLAR, Dolphins @HOU.