Our team imparts their surefire predictions for fantasy football heading into the eleventh week, designed to bring clarity and assurance for your forthcoming strategy in the lineup. We foresee potential breakthroughs from Rashee Rice. There’s no better time than post-bye for the Chiefs to fully incorporate their rookie wide receiver into their starter lineup. Despite displaying occasional brilliance in yard-after-catches, Rice hasn’t been representing in more than 70% of game snaps throughout this season and his roles have been chiefly restricted to only in-cutting routes.
We’re bullish on the idea that there would be promising progress during the bye week leading to Rice assuming a more regular role of a receiver during Week 11. While the Chiefs have been gradually extending his involvement across the field, Rice’s routs till this point have largely been from the slot, accounting for 58% of his total this season, as per data from Fantasy Points.
Jayden Reed emerges as a consistent alternative. The rookie has quickly risen through the ranks to become Green Bay’s most productive receiver this year, averaging an impressive 9.3 yards per target. His prior game against Pittsburgh (5-84-1) was arguably his best, managing to produce even with scarce five targets and a 56% route share.
Rational coaching from Matt LaFleur provides us reason to be confident of Reed exploiting gaps in the Chargers’ defensive configuration, which happens to rank among the least effective in football. Reed’s availability in only 30% of Yahoo leagues seem undervalued, something we predict to change rapidly in the upcoming days.
DJ Moore looks set for a promising comeback. Despite still being on Tyson Bagent’s radar, Moore’s fantasy stock took a significant hit recently. He held the No. 4 spot among fantasy receivers in the first five weeks with a healthy Justin Fields at his side average, scoring 106.2 yards per game with five touchdowns to his name.
However, his average dropped to 52.4 yards per game with no touchdowns since Bagent took the reins in Week 6. This week, with Fields’ recovery and an indoor match against the Detroit defense, which is stronger in run defense but ranks among the top 10 most generous against wide receivers in giving away fantasy points, things look upbeat for Moore. We anticipate a bounce back for Moore, finishing as a top-five wide receiver this week.
Javonte Williams emerges as an elite running back. Following Denver’s Week 10 bye, Williams had an impressive display, seizing 25 opportunities. Looking at the last two games, he has averaged 28 opportunities per game, delivering top-10 finish in both. Although his efficiency throughout the season hasn’t been remarkable, he’s faced the fifth-highest stack boxes among running backs.
Opposing defenses didn’t hesitate to leave their receivers one-on-one against Russell Wilson. However, with Wilson’s improved recent performance, we predict wider running lanes for Williams moving forward. Regardless, the amount of volume Williams is getting is hard to overlook, amassing a carry or target on over 40% of Denver’s plays in the last two outings. This week, as a home favorite against the Vikings – a team with average run defense so far – he looks set for another big outing.
David Montgomery might leave his supporters disappointed. Montgomery’s comeback from injury in Week 10 was welcomed with an exhilarating 75-yard touchdown run, much to the happiness of his fantasy managers. Despite witnessing only a minuscule drop in carries, the team’s preference shifted towards Jahmyr Gibbs in the red zone and end zone. When facing a mightier run defense, the outcomes could be different.
Since Week 5, the Bears’ run defense has held strong, limiting running backs to just 2.38 yards per rush attempt and preventing any running backs from rushing 45 or more yards in that period. Considering this shift in workload and improvements within the Bears’ run defense, fantasy managers should brace for Montgomery’s possible underperformance, possibly finishing as an RB3 or worse for his second time this season.
Tony Pollard’s backup entrenched in starting once again. If Rico Dowdle were to take a hefty portion of Pollard’s remaining-season carries off the plate, it would actually be a bit surprising, given his inefficiency alongside other Dallas backs ahead of the clean-up time against the Giants. Yet, Dowdle seems prepared to contribute early on as a rotation runner, similar to his role in Week 10.
The conditions at the upcoming Panthers match echo that from last week’s game against the Giants, with Dallas being the clear favorite by a double-digit margin. Thus, Dowdle may once again be called in to seal the game, a role that he translated into a touchdown in the previous match. Dowdle’s prospects for another week of considerable fantasy contribution seem promising.
Jahan Dotson makes for a valuable lineup addition. Dotson leads the NFL in routes run, standing at a staggering 389. Reflect on that for a bit. Seeing as the Commanders are leading the league in passing attempts, betting on Dotson to bounce back from a game where he was targeted just twice seems like a smart bet. Consider his performance from the three games preceding his last week’s no-show – Dotson made the most of 26 targets, converting them into 17 receptions for 220 yards and two touchdowns.
With a home game against the Giants – not exactly known for their defensive prowess against wide receivers, ranking 30th – it seems like the perfect opportunity for Dotson to get back on track. If Tommy DeVito manages to put up a good fight, Dotson could see an increase in targets, putting him in a position to achieve around 100 yards and a touchdown this game. DeVito’s performance, however, remains a wildcard.