Kyle Yates’ Week 11 Fantasy Projections (2020 Fantasy Football)

Miami Dolphins vs Denver Broncos

Date/Time: November 22, 4:05pm ET
Spread: Dolphins -3.5
Over/Under: 45 points
Implied Vegas point totals:

Miami Dolphins

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Denver Broncos

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Quarterback

Miami: The Denver defense is middle-of-the-pack in terms of fantasy points allowed to the QB position and Tua’s strung together a couple of solid performances. While Tua’s doing great things on the football field, it’s not equating to top-12 production just yet. Tua’s still in the streaming conversation for week 11, but he can’t be viewed as anything more than that just yet.

Denver: The Dolphins are a fine matchup for opposing QBs and Lock has had some good fantasy outings here recently. If you plug in Lock as a streaming QB option in week 11, it’s probably best to not watch the game and just look at the final boxscore later on. It might not be pretty, but Lock’s throwing the ball too much to not be on the redraft radar.

Running Backs

Miami: With Breida sounding like he’s going to return to the active lineup this week, it muddies this situation for fantasy football. Ahmed should still see the majority of the touches in this backfield, but he loses some of his upside now. Ahmed can be started as a high-end RB3 this week. Breida’s going to see his first game action in quite a while, but it’s going to be hard to trust him his first week back. We simply have no idea what this coaching staff is going to do with the touches here. Breida can be viewed as a low-end RB3 this week that you’re hoping breaks off a big play if you start him.

Denver: Here are Gordon’s fantasy finishes the last three weeks: RB33, RB52, RB39. That’s not great, Bob. This offense isn’t able to settle into running the ball much before they have to start playing catch-up and Gordon’s splitting the little work leftover with Lindsay. This is a backfield to absolutely avoid moving forward and Gordon’s a mid-range RB3 in my rankings this week. For as inefficient as Gordon has been recently, Lindsay’s been even worse. Lindsay has finished as the RB57 and the RB78 the past two weeks, which means that there’s absolutely no way we can trust him anywhere near our starting lineups this week. He can be viewed as a low-end RB3 in week 11.

Wide Receivers

Miami: Parker looked like he was going to be a solid fantasy asset moving forward with Tua under center in week nine, but he fell flat in week ten. Parker still saw seven targets, but he was only able to reel in two of them for 31 yards. Playing Parker this week as anything more than a low-end WR3 is risky. There’s no consistency here to fall back on, so he comes with a wide range of outcomes. I’d look elsewhere if you can, otherwise be prepared to deal with a huge blowup performance or next to nothing. Grant put together a solid performance last week in his first outing in his new and expanded role, but he’s not someone we can trust just yet for fantasy purposes. He can be played if you’re in need of a fill-in option, but I would personally prefer to wait one more week before we confidently plug him into our starting lineups.

Denver: With Lock throwing the ball an average of 45 times the last three games, each of the Broncos WRs are at least worth looking at from a fantasy perspective. Jeudy provides a safe floor each week and he can be started as a solid low-end WR3, but one that doesn’t exactly come with much upside. Patrick isn’t seeing the same target workload as the other receivers here, but he’s consistently getting the job done and bringing a safe floor each week as well. Patrick can be started as a high-end FLEX play. Hamler has seen 20 targets over the past two weeks and he’s doing enough with his opportunity to warrant consideration for fantasy football. While it’s hard to trust him just yet, he can be plugged in as a low-end FLEX option this week that could finish much higher than that if he continues to lead this receiving corps in targets.

Tight Ends

Miami: Gesicki was involved in this offense last week, but he only turned five targets into two receptions for 40 yards. With that being said, that was good enough to finish as the TE17 on the week. This speaks more to the TE landscape right now, but that’s a different conversation for a different day. Gesicki’s a high-end TE2 each week that will need to break away a big play to finish around that range.

Denver: Fant continues to see significant targets in this offense, but he’s not turning them into much here lately. Based on the other options at TE, you need to start Fant each week, but he can’t be viewed as a top-tier option here. Fant should be viewed as a mid-range TE1 that will need to find the end zone to crack the top-5.

FantasyProjection Buster: Ahmed’s projections are a bit lofty with the uncertainty at the RB position. There’s a possibility that the coaching staff utilizes Breida more this week.

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Dallas Cowboys vs Minnesota Vikings

Date/Time: November 22, 4:25pm ET
Spread: Vikings -7
Over/Under: 47.5 points
Implied Vegas point totals:

Dallas Cowboys

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Minnesota Vikings

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Quarterback

Dallas: All indications are that Dalton will be back for this matchup, which is a fairly favorable one for opposing QBs, but there’s no way we can trust him in our fantasy lineups this week. He’s a low-end QB2.

Minnesota: Cousins exceeded expectations in a tough matchup last week against the Bears and was able to finish within the top-12 at the QB position. All signs point to this being an absolute smash spot for him this week against the reeling Cowboys defense, but there’s a possibility that we see Cook take center stage in this matchup. If that’s the case, just like in previous matchups, Cousins could only throw the ball 20 times. That’s not gonna get it done for fantasy football, so Cousins should be viewed more as a mid-range QB2/streaming option this week versus a locked-in QB1. But he absolutely comes with upside in this matchup.

Running Backs

Dallas: Zeke’s going to see a significant workload here again, but the scoring opportunities with Dalton behind center just might not be there. Zeke’s a mid-range RB2 this week on the back of pure volume, but he presents almost no upside whatsoever.

Minnesota: There’s no reason to hesitate plugging Cook into your starting lineup in this matchup. He can easily be viewed as the No. 1 overall RB this week in a matchup that he should go off in.

Wide Receivers

Dallas: The Cowboys receiving corps does get a bit of a boost with Dalton back in the lineup, but it’s still not to the point where we can fully trust them in our starting lineups. Cooper was able to put together a solid performance the last time Dalton played and this is a matchup where he should be able to get open regularly. Cooper can be started as a low-end WR2 this week that should see plenty of targets, but he’ll need to find the end zone to finish within the top-15. Lamb was targeted 11 times in the last full game that Dalton played, which is enticing for fantasy managers that want to plug in the talented rookie wideout in this matchup. Unfortunately, there are too many unknowns with this offense right now to trust Lamb as a top-30 option, but he’s certainly in the high-end FLEX conversation. He comes with a wide range of outcomes, but he should provide a safe enough floor to be played this week. Gallup’s been too hit-or-miss this season to trust in your lineup this week as anything more than a boom-or-bust FLEX play. He certainly can exploit the matchup here against the Vikings secondary, but it’s far from a guarantee.

Minnesota: Thielen’s coming off of a two-touchdown performance and he now gets to take on one of the easiest matchups in all of fantasy football. While there’s always the possibility that the Vikings lean on their run game and only throw the ball 15 times, Thielen’s in too great of a spot to sit here. He can be viewed as a mid-range WR2 this week that has the potential to reel in a couple more scores. Jefferson has emerged as one of the best wideouts in the entire NFL. No, not just one of the best rookie wideouts, but one of the best wideouts in the game. Unfortunately, for fantasy purposes, his production lives and dies with how well Dalvin Cook plays. If Cook is rumbling for multiple scores, Jefferson is not going to be needed very much and the Vikings are going to continue to run the ball. However, he’s worth rolling out as a solid low-end WR2 this week that has ridiculous upside.

Tight Ends

Dallas: Schultz hasn’t been utilized much here recently, but he’s certainly in the streaming conversation with this matchup. Schultz can be viewed as a mid-range TE2.

Minnesota: Smith appears to be trending towards coming back into the lineup this week and this is a matchup that fantasy managers would love to plug him into their lineups in. However, Smith is not seeing enough targets in this offense to be viewed as a reliable option each week. He can be viewed as a touchdown-dependent TE2 this week.

FantasyProjection Buster: The last time we saw Dalton on the field as the Cowboys’ QB, it wasn’t pretty. If he isn’t able to execute this offense in a plus matchup, every single receiving option will fall short of their projections here.

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Green Bay Packers vs Indianapolis Colts

Date/Time: November 22, 4:25pm ET
Spread: Colts -2.5
Over/Under: 51 points
Implied Vegas point totals: Colts 26.75, Packers 24.25

Green Bay Packers

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Indianapolis Colts

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Quarterback

Green Bay: Rodgers is going to have one of his toughest tests of the season here with the Colts pass defense. The Colts are the second toughest matchup in terms of fantasy points allowed to opposing QBs. However, Rodgers is going to have some additional help back in the lineup this week and he’s still worth starting every single week with the way he’s been playing this season. Rodgers does get a bit of a downgrade due to the matchup, but he shouldn’t fall farther than a low-end QB1 in rankings. Start Rodgers this week.

Indianapolis: Rivers was able to produce for fantasy football last week against Tennessee, but he’s not someone that we can rely on week in and week out. Against the 4th most difficult matchup for opposing QBs, Rivers should be avoided for fantasy this week.

Running Backs

Green Bay: With Jamaal Williams back in the lineup and healthy, Jones didn’t see as many touches as fantasy managers were anticipating – and hoping for – in week ten against the Jaguars. Now, Jones gets a tougher matchup here against the Colts defense that is only allowing an average of 15 fantasy points per game to opposing RBs. It’s difficult to see how Jones finishes as a top-5 RB in this one, but he’s still absolutely worth starting as a low-end RB1 given the state of the RB position. Williams saw enough work last week to finish just inside the top-30 at the RB position, but this is now a much more difficult matchup against the Colts. Williams is going to have to be heavily involved out of the backfield as a receiver to finish inside the top-30 again this week. He can be viewed as a mid-range RB3 that gets a slight bump in Full PPR formats.

Indianapolis: At this point, it’s anyone’s guess as to who will be the Colts RB to play in week 11. After seeing 20.5% of the snaps in week eight and 33.8% of the snaps in week nine, Hines jumped up to 55.9% in week 10. If Hines receives that type of opportunity again here in this game, he’s going to absolutely return low-end RB2 value. However, there’s no guarantee that he sees anywhere close to that type of workload and he could give you another dud performance. For this matchup, Hines should be viewed as a high-end RB3 due to the wide range of outcomes he possesses. Wilkins always has the potential to find the end zone any given week, but he’s now finished as the RB45 and the RB51 in back-to-back weeks. Due to the offensive philosophy with rotating in RBs, Wilkins can’t be trusted as anything more than a low-end FLEX play. Taylor may be one of the most disappointing draft picks for fantasy managers in 2020. While he’s shown flashes of his talent here or there, Frank Reich is not allowing him to get into any sort of rhythm before he pulls him out of the game for Hines or Wilkins. Until we see Taylor get the type of workload that he saw in week two again, he can’t be trusted for fantasy football. He can be viewed as a low-end RB3 in this matchup that is very favorable for opposing RBs.

Wide Receivers

Green Bay: After getting in a limited practice on Wednesday, Adams was a non-participant on Thursday. This isn’t a great sign for his availability on Sunday against the Colts. If he is able to suit up, Adams should be viewed as a low-end WR1 due to the unknowns with his injury. However, you’re still playing him. Lazard appears to be set to return to the lineup this weekend. If he has Davante Adams on the field with him, Lazard should have enough room to run to be viewed as a solid FLEX play his first week back. However, if Adams sits, the Colts defense is simply going to be able to double team Lazard and force Rodgers to beat them elsewhere. If that’s the case, Lazard could see enough volume to be a safe FLEX play, but there’s going to be very little upside. MVS has come through with a couple of big games recently, but with Lazard returning to the lineup here, he can’t be trusted as anything more than a boom-or-bust FLEX option.

Indianapolis: As of right now, it appears that there’s only one Colts receiver that you want to play in fantasy football: Michael Pittman Jr. Pittman experienced a true breakout game last week and he has a very bright future in the NFL. With that being said, Jaire Alexander appears to be on track to play in this game and there’s a very good chance that he shadows Pittman. The Packers are fairly stout against the pass anyway, so Pittman’s going to have a tough task ahead of him in this game. He should see the majority of the targets, but there’s not much of a path for upside. If he does succeed in this matchup, it’s wheels up with the rookie wideout. He can be viewed as a low-end WR3 this week.

Tight Ends

Green Bay: Tonyan should only be looked at if Adams misses this contest. In a tough matchup, it’s hard to see a path for Tonyan to finish anywhere close to the top-12 TEs after what we’ve seen recently.

Indianapolis: This TE group is similar to the RB room where it’s difficult to figure out who to start any given week. Burton’s the safer bet, but he should only be viewed as a mid-range TE2. Alie-Cox can’t be trusted in this backfield either, but he’s seeing around the same amount of work as Burton. He can be viewed as a mid-range/low-end TE2.

FantasyProjection Buster: Lazard and MVS are huge question marks for this game. There’s no telling whether or not they’ll be able to reel in a touchdown or two…or finish with 2 targets.

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Kansas City Chiefs vs Las Vegas Raiders

Date/Time: November 22, 8:20pm ET
Spread: Chiefs -8
Over/Under: 56.5 points
Implied Vegas point totals: Chiefs 32.25, Raiders 24.25

Kansas City Chiefs

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Las Vegas Raiders

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Quarterback

Kansas City: Start Mahomes as a top-3 option every single week. Against the defense that he put 31 fantasy points up on earlier this season, Mahomes is a no-brainer start.

Las Vegas: Carr hasn’t been needed much recently, but he’s an intriguing streaming option here this week. Carr’s best performance this season, from a fantasy points perspective, came against the Chiefs in week five. He finished as the QB9 that week and put up 347 passing yards to go with three touchdowns. It’s unlikely that he does that here again, but it’s in the realm of possibilities. He can be viewed as a high-end QB2 this week.

Running Backs

Kansas City: If you really are itching to play a Chiefs RB, CEH is the way you need to go. However, it’s an absolute roll-of-the-dice right now. CEH only has 19 total carries in his last three games, which doesn’t give fantasy managers any sort of safe floor to lean on. This is a great matchup for opposing RBs, but CEH is a boom-or-bust RB2 option. Bell’s not worth playing in this matchup. He can be viewed only as an insurance RB right now, but he’s going to see just enough work to eat into CEH’s workload.

Las Vegas: Jacobs continues to see an absurd workload and he’s cashing in with his opportunity. The Chiefs are pretty stout against receivers, but they’re currently allowing the 13th most fantasy points to opposing RBs, which means that Jacobs should be viewed as a safe mid-range RB1 here. Booker has come on recently and has seen a ridiculous workload alongside Josh Jacobs. It’s impossible to trust Booker as anything more than a RB3 due to the projected game script here, but he can be viewed as a fine fill-in option for fantasy managers whose lineups have been hit with the injury bug.

Wide Receivers

Kansas City: Hill should draw coverage from Nevin Lawson in this one, which really isn’t even fair. The Raiders are going to try to slow down Hill, but it’s unlikely to matter much. Hill can be started as a top-tier WR this week yet again. Watkins appears set to return to the lineup this week and he should step right back into a large opportunity in this offense. Watkins is a huge injury risk and always has the potential to leave the game with an injury, but he should see plenty of targets in this one. Watkins can be plugged in as a high-end FLEX play in his first game back in action.

Las Vegas: Unfortunately, none of the Vegas receivers can be viewed as trustworthy this week. While any of them can reel in a deep pass downfield from Carr, this is a very tough matchup for opposing WRs and there’s been no consistency with these wideouts recently. They can all be viewed as low-end FLEX plays in week 11.

Tight Ends

Kansas City: Kelce’s the best tight end in the NFL right now and it’s not particularly close. Fire him up every single week as the top TE in the rankings.

Las Vegas: Waller’s been a little hot or cold recently, but that doesn’t mean that you’re considering sitting him this week. He should be viewed as a top-3 lock based on the other options at the position.

FantasyProjection Buster: Any of the Vegas receivers can reel in a deep pass for a score and blow my projections for them out of the water.