Week 11 QB, RB & WR Rankings

On paper, Week 11 looks like a really tough week at every position.  In fact, this week features 13 of the 14 games with over/under numbers in the 40s, so Vegas is not expecting a ton of offense.  My rankings will definitely reflect the only game with an over/under in the 50s (Washington at Philadelphia), as I am extremely high on the prospects of the weapons in that game.  Let's get to it...in the case of a Sit/Start issue, start the player ranked closest to #1.

RB

1) LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia
2) Marshawn Lynch, Seattle
3) Adrian Peterson, Minnesota
4) Jamaal Charles, Kansas City
5) Reggie Bush, Detroit
6) Matt Forte, Chicago
7) Frank Gore, San Francisco
8) Eddie Lacy, Green Bay
9) Alfred Morris, Washington
10) Knowshon Moreno, Denver
11) Le'Veon Bell, Pittsburgh
12) Giovani Bernard, Cincinnati
13) Andre Ellington, Arizona
14) Danny Woodhead, San Diego
15) Andre Brown, NY Giants
16) Pierre Thomas, New Orleans
17) Stevan Ridley, New England
18) Chris Ivory, NY Jets
19) Ryan Mathews, San Diego
20) Fred Jackson, Buffalo
21) Ben Tate, Houston
22) Darren Sproles, New Orleans
23) Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville
24) Lamar Miller, Miami
25) CJ Spiller, Buffalo
26) Shane Vereen, New England
27) Ray Rice, Baltimore
28) Rashad Jennings, Oakland
29) Steven Jackson, Atlanta
30) Rashard Mendenhall, Arizona
31) DeAngelo Williams, Carolina
32) Brian Leonard, Tampa Bay
33) Bernard Pierce, Baltimore
34) BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Cincinnati
35) Roy Helu, Washington
36) Joique Bell, Detroit
37) Jacquizz Rodgers, Atlanta
38) James Starks, Green Bay
39) Jonathan Stewart, Carolina
40) Bobby Rainey, Tampa Bay

I don't really buy coach-speak, so when Bruce Arians said that Andre Ellington's 13 touches were "plenty", I'm not necessarily a believer.  Arians will learn very quickly that to win consistently in the NFL, you need your best weapons to touch the ball as much as possible.  Even with the possibility of 12-15 touches as it stands, I like Ellington as a strong RB2 this week against a porous Jacksonville Jaguars defense.

Andre Brown got 31 touches in his first week back from a broken leg when he was supposed to be a snap count.  Fire him up if you have him.  Your only fear with Brown rest of season is re-injury.  You can't predict that though, and with the Giants pass game struggling mightily, Brown should settle the game down for Eli Manning.

I really like Chris Ivory this week despite a less than stellar matchup on paper with Buffalo's run defense.

Baltimore Ravens head coach Jim Harbaugh hinted that the hot hand will get backfield touches going forward.  Ray Rice has what looks like a "get-right" matchup against a suddenly bad and injury depleted Chicago defense, but I don't trust that he's healthy.  If Bernard Pierce gets it going early, he could take over duties on a full time basis.  A situation worth monitoring.

Owners struggled with who to add in the Tampa Bay running game with Mike James breaking his ankle last Monday Night.  I suggest that Brian Leonard is the one to own due to a higher floor, but Bobby Rainey possesses the type of upside you look for in a back.  Watch this situation unfold, but if you're missing DeMarco Murray or Zac Stacy this week, Leonard is my recommended plug in.

WR

1) Pierre Garcon, Washington
2) Andre Johnson, Houston
3) DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia
4) Wes Welker, Denver
5) Calvin Johnson, Detroit
6) Josh Gordon, Cleveland
7) Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh
8) Brandon Marshall, Chicago
9) Demaryius Thomas, Denver
10) Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona
11) AJ Green, Cincinnati
12) Golden Tate, Seattle
13) Alshon Jeffery, Chicago
14) Vincent Jackson, Tampa Bay
15) Eric Decker, Denver
16) Keenan Allen, San Diego
17) Victor Cruz, NY Giants
18) Torrey Smith, Baltimore
19) Riley Cooper, Philadelphia
20) Jordy Nelson, Green Bay
21) Danny Amendola, New England
22) Cecil Shorts, Jacksonville
23) Percy Harvin, Seattle
24) Hakeem Nicks, NY Giants
25) Marques Colston, New Orleans
26) Mike Wallace, Miami (Questionable)
27) DeAndre Hopkins, Houston
28) Anquan Boldin, San Francisco
29) Steve Smith, Carolina
30) Emmanuel Sanders, Pittsburgh
31) Roddy White, Atlanta
32) Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City
33) Jarrett Boykin, Green Bay
34) Denarius Moore, Oakland
35) Santonio Holmes, NY Jets
36) Marquise Goodwin, Buffalo
37) Lance Moore, New Orleans
38) Aaron Dobson, New England
39) Rueben Randle, NY Giants
40) Harry Douglas, Atlanta
41) Marvin Jones, Cincinnati
42) Michael Floyd, Arizona (Questionable)
43) James Jones, Green Bay
44) Donnie Avery, Kansas City
45) Doug Baldwin, Seattle
46) Rishard Matthews, Miami
47) Greg Jennings, Minnesota
48) Andre Roberts, Arizona
49) Jerricho Cotchery, Pittsburgh
50) Brian Hartline, Miami

Larry Fitzgerald has widely been a fantasy disappointment again this season, but if you have him, this is the kind of week where you plug him in and deal with it.  The matchup doesn't get much better.

I am once again high on Golden Tate this week.  The return of Percy Harvin, whether on a snap count or not, makes an opposing defense play honestly, and if you're getting single coverage against the Vikings secondary at home in a winnable matchup, you exploit it.  Tate has only put up double digit fantasy points once at home, but the attention forced to Harvin will give Tate a great opportunity to shine.

The Riley Cooper-Nick Foles connection is for real.  Despite a low target count (11 in the last two weeks), Cooper has 5 TDs and two straight 100 yard performances.  Ignore these numbers in what will be the premier shoot out on the NFL this weekend.

I had Mike Wallace at #20 when I initially wrote up my rankings, but his Questionable tag forced me to drop him into the WR3 level.  I was high on the prospects on Wallace breaking out of his slump against a poor San Diego defense at home, but I have calmed down on those prospects.  Start him if you have to, but if I'm starting a Miami WR this weekend, I'd rather have Rishard Matthews coming off a break out performance.

I prefer Jarrett Boykin to James Jones until Aaron Rodgers returns.  Similarly to Cooper-Foles, you can't overlook scout team chemistry.  Jones is also too TD dependent for my liking as it is.

Buffalo is down their top two WRs this weekend, opening up a sliver of hope for rookie speedster Marquise Goodwin.  I knew Robert Woods was going to be out earlier this week and I had Goodwin at #39 when my first draft came out, but with the news of Stevie Johnson sitting it out this weekend, I bumped him up to WR3 play-ability.  I have him ranked under Mike Wallace by 9 spots, but I would almost rather have a lotto shot in Goodwin than a player with a middle of the road floor in Wallace.

QB

1) Robert Griffin III, Washington
2) Russell Wilson, Seattle
3) Peyton Manning, Denver
4) Drew Brees, New Orleans
5) Nick Foles, Philadelphia
6) Case Keenum, Houston
7) Philip Rivers, San Diego
8) Cam Newton, Carolina
9) Tom Brady, New England
10) Carson Palmer, Arizona
11) Matthew Stafford, Detroit
12) Ryan Tannehill, Miami
13) Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh
14) Eli Manning, NY Giants
15) Alex Smith, Kansas City
16) Mike Glennon, Tampa Bay
17) Geno Smith, NY Jets
18) Josh McCown, Chicago
19) Andy Dalton, Cincinnati
20) Colin Kaeprnick, San Francisco
21) Joe Flacco, Baltimore
22) Matt Ryan, Atlanta
23) Chad Henne, Jacksonville
24) Scott Tolzien, Green Bay
25) Jason Campbell, Cleveland

The Washington Redskins find themselves at 3-6, similarly to where they were after 9 games in 2012.  Just as they did last season, Washington gets Philly in game 10, and in that game, Griffin threw for 200 yards, ran for 84 more and threw for 4 TDs.  I don't know about the rushing yardage, but I think a line like this is completely feasible.  You're not sitting Griffin this week.

Nick Foles and Case Keenum have thrown the same amount of INTs as I have this season.  Considering I have yet to see game action this season, I'm excited about their combined prospects this weekend.  Foles has the challenge of being the first Philly QB to win at home since September 30th, 2012.  Keenum has the challenge of winning his first ever start.  Both have winnable fantasy matchups, and that's why they're both ranked highly this week.

Carson Palmer has this shot to be a Top 10 QB and then he probably falls back into the late teens, early twenties for the rest of the season.  Just as is the case with Larry Fitzgerald, the matchup is not going to get better.

I like Matthew Stafford a ton.  As far as he goes this week, I don't like the fact that Pittsburgh, has allowed only 2 passing TDs at home and no passer has thrown for more than 201 yards at Heinz Field.  Stafford could very easily have a good game this weekend.  His offense is probably way better than any offense that has come to Pittsburgh this season.  I do expect this game to be controlled on the ground, however, and Stafford probably gets you an OK fantasy line, but I'm not high on his chances.

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