With Thanksgiving around the corner and the remainder of the holiday season bearing down upon us rapidly, our precious fantasy football season enters the home stretch. Most leagues begin their playoffs in Week 15, meaning securing every remaining win is crucial.
How did you happen to fare this past week?
A return to normalcy was welcomed, and Week 11 had its fair share of blowouts (looking at you, Detroit) and last-second nailbiters (Steelers vs. Ravens and Seahawks vs. 49ers, especially). Scoring rebounded after a major letdown last week, and plenty of stars came through for their managers.
Thankfully, this is the second consecutive week managers dodged any cataclysmic injuries to top-tier talent, especially with the “bye-apocalypses” of Weeks 12 and 14 staring us in the face.
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Which players broke out and led you to victory and which fell flat on their faces? Let’s find out.
8 Fantasy Football Studs & Duds: Week 11
Quarterback
STUD: Jared Goff (QB – DET)
Jared Goff shook off a disappointing five-interception performance against Houston last week by throttling the inept Jacksonville Jaguars, leading the Lions to a 52-6 victory. In a game where he faced little pressure and had the ground game humming, Goff completed 24-of-29 pass attempts for an astounding 412 yards and four touchdowns. This marks the seventh time this season that he has thrown multiple scores and entrenches him as a low-end QB1 moving forward.
Detroit faces Indianapolis’ leaky defense in Week 12, and Goff will pick apart a secondary that has surrendered the fifth-most passing yards so far this season. Tight end Sam LaPorta is expected to return after missing this past week with a shoulder injury, so Goff will be working with his full complement of weapons.
The Lions’ schedule tightens up significantly afterward, with games against playoff-hopeful Chicago, Green Bay and Buffalo. If there is a silver lining, all three of those games are at home, in an environment where Goff has thrived in the past.
DUD: Russell Wilson (QB – PIT)
There is also a solid case for Jayden Daniels, given expectations and rankings, but Russell Wilson’s paltry performance was notable. On the heels of a three-touchdown effort against Washington, Wilson failed to capitalize against a Baltimore Ravens defense that ranked dead-last in passing yards allowed per game.
Finishing with a season-low 6.3 fantasy points, Wilson completed just 23 passes on 36 attempts for only 205 yards, failing to throw any touchdowns and tossing a mind-numbingly lousy interception in the end zone on a ball that should have been thrown away. Pittsburgh managed to come away with a victory thanks to multiple missed field goals by Justin Tucker (words I never thought that I’d type).
The Steelers improved to 4-0 with Wilson under center. The win numbs the pain of his poor outing. He has the opportunity to rebound against two weak divisional foes (Cincinnati and Cleveland).
Running Back
STUD: Saquon Barkley (RB – PHI)
Following a disappointing outing in Week 10 against Dallas, Saquon Barkley reversed course on Thursday Night versus Washington and helped propel the Eagles to a crucial 26-18 victory. Philadelphia committed to the run game throughout the contest, feeding Barkley 26 times as their offensive line pushed back the Commanders’ interior.
Barkley finished with nearly 200 total scrimmage yards on 28 touches, scoring two rushing touchdowns (and almost a third when he was tackled at the 1-yard line). This marks the fourth time in five outings Barkley has broken the century mark. He currently ranks second in the league with 1,137 rushing yards.
The Eagles have to be thrilled with their early returns on this free-agent signing, and New York Giants owner John Mara is having nightmares of facing him multiple times per season. Philadelphia’s upcoming schedule eases up significantly after Week 15 when the fantasy playoffs begin.
DUD: Jonathan Taylor (RB – IND)
Though they are traditionally a stout defense against the run, the New York Jets’ tackling woes and porous secondary make them one of the better matchups for running backs this season. Unfortunately, Jonathan Taylor failed to capitalize on a hefty workload in Week 11, rushing for just 57 yards on 24 carries, with just one reception for three yards.
His seven half-PPR points were a bitter pill to swallow for his managers. Even more concerning was his lack of usage around the goal line with Anthony Richardson back under center for Indianapolis. Taylor will have an uphill battle next week against Detroit in a game where the Colts figure to be playing from behind.
Fantasy managers with shares of Taylor will cross their fingers that increased usage in the passing game will offset the pressure he will face upfront. Things will get easier the following week against New England before the Colts have a reprieve in the form of a bye in Week 14.
Wide Receiver
STUD: Jauan Jennings (WR – SF)
Even though he didn’t finish this week with the most points at the position (the crown currently sits with Amon-Ra St. Brown), I did want to highlight Jauan Jennings in this week’s column. During a back-and-forth game with Seattle, Jennings led all San Francisco receivers with 11 targets, and his chemistry with quarterback Brock Purdy is evident.
During crucial situations and must-have third-downs, Purdy peppered Jennings with passes. The wideout finished with 10 receptions for 91 yards and a touchdown. One can point to the absence of tight end George Kittle as a contributing factor in this strong effort, but I wouldn’t be so quick to dismiss Jennings from the “upside WR2” territory.
Jennings has 22 targets over the last two games, and head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed he is being used in the Brandon Aiyuk role. In the uber-competitive NFC West, where all teams are currently .500 and above, San Francisco needs to win out to have a shot at clinching a Wild Card spot for the playoffs. Expect more heavy usage from Jennings moving forward.
DUD: Garrett Wilson (WR – NYJ)
Lord alive, the Jets’ offense is difficult to watch. For a team with so many talented options in critical roles, it is perplexing how they can struggle this much to get going — it’s like watching a Ferrari that can’t break out of second gear. On the bright side, Garrett Wilson led all New York receivers with eight targets on the afternoon, but he was able to convert that into just four receptions for 18 yards.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers was under constant duress all afternoon thanks to their sieve offensive line, which forced most throws to be at or around the line of scrimmage rather than downfield. This is the second consecutive poor showing for Wilson and New York, and the team will look to find answers this upcoming week on their bye. New York is tied for last place in the AFC East and is all but mathematically eliminated from playoff contention.
Tight End
STUD: Taysom Hill (TE – NO)
I’m listing Taysom Hill as a tight end since most hosts/providers have him eligible within that role, though each differs somewhat. Injured or held in check for most of the season, Hill was the focal point for the New Orleans Saints offense on Sunday, and he responded with his best performance of the year.
Hill led all Saints players with 10 targets and caught eight passes for 50 yards, but the real damage came in the ground game, where he scored three touchdowns and compiled 138 yards on seven carries. Prone to “all or nothing” games like this throughout his career, fantasy owners should significantly temper their expectations for any repeat performance moving forward.
Hill’s utilization is out of necessity, with so many New Orleans receivers currently injured and on the sidelines. The Saints have a Week 12 bye and the team is hopeful rookies Bub Means (high-ankle sprain) and Mason Tipton will be able to contribute down the stretch. Chris Olave‘s status remains up in the air, but if he were to return this season, it would significantly cripple Hill’s ceiling.
The most anticipated game of the week came on Sunday afternoon, with the previously undefeated Kansas City Chiefs squaring off against their heated rival Buffalo, in a game that could determine which team could clinch home-field advantage in the playoffs.
The Bills prioritized shutting down Travis Kelce, removing Patrick Mahomes’ safety net and forcing him to look elsewhere downfield. Finishing with just two catches for eight yards on four targets, this was Kelce’s worst showing since Week 2 and a significant about-face after a fantastic three-game stretch prior.
Better days are indeed ahead for the 35-year-old future Hall of Famer, with the Chiefs having two cupcake matchups in a row against Carolina and Las Vegas. Consider this a blip on the radar, more than anything else.
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