brian-robinson-1400-us.jpg
USATSI

We're getting oh so close to the Fantasy playoffs, with most leagues having just four weeks of regular season left. That means you must start doing some math: If you're two games out of the playoffs, even one loss makes your odds of making it in extremely long. 

The stakes are incredibly high for most of us and getting higher every week, which means you have to make the right calls. That's what the Fantasy Football Today team is here to help you with. Make sure you subscribe to the Fantasy Football Today YouTube channel and join Adam Aizer and me at 2 p.m. ET for our start/sit live stream. We'll be discussing all of the latest news and answering your toughest lineup questions there, and it's your best chance to get direct answers to your questions before tonight's lineup lock. 

In tomorrow's newsletter, I'll have previews of every game on the Week 11 schedule, including the latest injury updates, plus all of the key takeaways from tonight's game. Get ready for Week 11 with all of our preview content here:  

Here's what else today's newsletter will cover:

1️⃣1️⃣Dave Richard's Week 11 Preview

There are the obvious calls, and then there are the ones you need help with. Dave Richard goes through each game to identify the most interesting matchups and biggest lineup dilemmas for Week 11. Here are some of his top picks for this week. You can find the rest of his advice for Week 11 here:

Starts

Kenyan Drake -- "Obviously, if the Ravens fall in love all over again with Edwards, Drake is going to be a drag on Fantasy lineups. But it's likely the Ravens will not let Edwards play a lot of snaps in his Week 11 return, and if Drake is still running hot, he'll be the one picking up good numbers. He's the preferred Ravens running back this week to start, but understand there's a boom/bust scenario in play because of Edwards' return. At a minimum, expect 12 touches for Drake, which should mean another game with around 10 PPR points. I'd start him over Melvin Gordon, Devin Singletary and Gus Edwards."

Brian Robinson & Antonio Gibson -- "Robinson would be beyond a must-start had he shown a sliver of efficiency in his first five games. He should still register as a low-end No. 2 running back in all formats. Gibson is much more appealing in half- and full-PPR leagues because of his passing-downs role. He won't see as much work if the Commanders play with a lead against the Texans, but if it happens to become a competitive game (or even, hear me out, a Texans blowout), then he'll have some very nice numbers. Gibson is preferred to Robinson in PPR, the opposite in half- and non-PPR. This week is a rare instance where starting either Commanders running back over Najee Harris, the Chiefs running backs and the Broncos running backs makes sense." 

Sits

Darnell Mooney -- "This game features two depleted defenses, so it's not hard to make the argument to start almost anyone in the game. The worry for Mooney is that the Bears try to run on Atlanta to take pressure off Justin Fields and leave him in the six-target lurch. There's also the Falcons run game, which should be effective in controlling the clock and putting points on Chicago. Mooney is a flex at best who should be benched for Darius Slayton, Parris Campbell and George Pickens."

Kyle Pitts -- "I'm banking on the Falcons coming off the bus running against Chicago's defense, taking valuable targets away from Pitts. If the Falcons continue to insist on throwing to him deep, his volatility will remain problematic. If you can, start Greg Dulcich and Dawson Knox ahead of Pitts."

Sleeper

Daniel Jones -- "It's always a roller-coaster ride trusting Jones in Fantasy lineups, but the matchup is right for him to have a modest day passing and two touchdowns. If he can run for a decent amount of yards on top of that, he's a cinch for at least 20 Fantasy points. I'm ready to start Jones over Russell Wilson, Marcus Mariota, Jared Goff, Matthew Stafford and Derek Carr."

Bust Candidate

Aaron Rodgers -- "The Packers' slow-paced style, along with the equally slow Titans offense, suggests a low-scoring game without a ton of pass attempts for Rodgers. He'll need another deep bomb fiesta from Watson to deliver a good Fantasy stat line. Given the Titans' improvements of late against the pass and their fierce pass rush, it's tough to count on happening. He is at best a low-end starting option who might be safer than Marcus Mariota, Daniel Jones and Russell Wilson, but Kirk Cousins and Jimmy Garoppolo have a higher ceiling."

🆚TNF Preview: Titans at Packers

All lines from Caesars Sportsbook

  • Line: Packers -3; 41 O/U
  • Implied totals: Packers 22-Titans 19

It feels like the Packers may have unlocked something in their 31-28 win over the Cowboys last week, though it's interesting to note that Aaron Rodgers only threw 20 times in the overtime win. Is that the recipe for success for this team? It'll be interesting to see if they go run-heavy again against a Titans team that is very beat up on defense and is going to lean on the run game as well. This could be a game that flies by with relatively few possessions if that's the case. 

Toughest lineup decision: Christian Watson -- Start. In another week, I might lean toward sitting Watson coming off his breakout game, but with so many starting-caliber wide receivers on bye or dealing with injuries, you may not have much of a choice but to start him. There's risk here, with Watson having dealt with several injuries over the course of the season and with very little track record of success to go off. But he's big, he's fast, and he earned Aaron Rodgers trust despite a couple of early drops last week. He might just be the go-to receiver for this team moving forward, and the Titans allow the third-most points to opposing wide receivers this season, so it's a pretty good matchup. 

Injuries: Ryan Tannehill (ankle) -- Tannehill practiced without limitations Tuesday and Wednesday and is not listed on the injury report for this game. He's good to go. ... Romeo Doubs (ankle) -- Out. Doubs continues to deal with his ankle injury, and he never seemed to have a chance to play in this one. I'd be surprised if he was ready to go for Week 12 either, but Doubs is still worth stashing in deeper leagues. ... Randy Bullock (calf) -- Out. The Titans kicker has been ruled out for this one, with Josh Lambo promoted from the practice squad to replace him. 

🚑Week 11 Injury Watch

The Big News: Keenan Allen (hamstring) and Mike Williams (ankle) are both making progress, and they were back at practice to open up the week Wednesday. Neither was a full participant, of course, as they were both limited to just individual drills, as Chargers coach Brandon Staley said they would. It's a good first sign for Week 11, but hardly a guarantee that they'll be back for a pivotal matchup against the Chiefs. It'll be tough to trust either even if they do play -- Allen, especially, has already tried to play through this injury once before tapping out at halftime -- but they'll probably both be ranked as top-24 options if they play.  

It's also worth noting that you won't see Kyler Murray listed among the injury updates below -- that's because the Cardinals face the 49ers on Monday night this week. The Cardinals haven't officially practiced yet, and Murray's hamstring injury has him very much in doubt for that game. The rub is, Colt McCoy is also day-to-day with a knee injury, so the Cardinals may not know who will start for them until later in the week. That's a tough spot to be in if you plan on relying on Murray, because we may not know if he's playing until Monday. Make sure you have an alternative ready to go just in case. 

I'll have a full breakdown of the injury report in Friday's newsletter along with my previews of each game, but here's a look at the first practice participation reports of the week.

  • FP = Full participation in practice.
  • LP = Limited participation. 
  • DNP = Did not practice. 

Injuries to watch for Week 11

It's not clear what these injuries mean quite yet. 

Ezekiel Elliott (Knee) -- LP. Elliott tried to play last week, but the Cowboys opted to take it easy with him. They'll probably keep doing that as long as Tony Pollard continues to play well because they don't really have any reason to rush Elliott. He's a viable RB2 if he's active. 

Jamaal Williams (Illness) -- DNP. Illnesses, especially this early in the week, tend not to be too much of a concern, but we'll keep an eye on it in the coming days just to make sure. Williams is probably still the lead back here, though it's possible D'Andre Swift's role continues to grow from here. 

Gus Edwards (Hamstring) -- LP. Edwards is aiming to come back from his hamstring injury this week, but he still figures to be part of a timeshare in the Ravens backfield. He'll probably be the lead if he's healthy, but that probably still means a ceiling around 15 touches, so you're hoping for a touchdown for him to be worth starting. He's a fringe RB2.

Jerick McKinnon (Hamstring/Shoulder) -- LP. McKinnon has seen his role increase in recent weeks, and now he's banged up, raising questions about what the Chiefs backfield is going to look like in Week 11. Clyde Edwards-Helaire only played four snaps in Week 10, but if McKinnon is limited or out, CEH figures to see a larger role, with Isiah Pacheco still likely to handle early downs. 

Justin Jefferson (Toe) -- LP. This is a new one for Jefferson, so let's hope it's a non-issue. The concern would be if he suffered the injury during practice, so we'll have to keep an eye on this one heading into Week 11. He's my No. 1 WR if he plays.  

Davante Adams (Abdomen) -- LP. As with Jefferson, this is a new one to watch over the next couple of days. Hopefully it's a non-issue.

A.J. Brown (Ankle) -- LP. Same story as with Jefferson and Adams, so we'll just keep an eye on this one. Brown often gets rest days during practice, so hopefully this was just a de-facto rest day.

Devonta Smith (Knee) -- LP. Ditto for Smith, who hasn't missed practice since he was limited for one day back in Week 4. Hopefully this is similarly a non-issue.

Mecole Hardman (Abdomen/Illness) -- DNP. All three of these Chiefs WR were absent Wednesday, with Hardman and Smith-Schuster seemingly the biggest concerns -- Hardman missed last week's game while Smith-Schuster was forced out due to his concussion. This could be setting up for Kadarius Toney to play a significant role, though it's worth noting he was still behind both Valdes-Scantling and Justin Watson in routes run after Smith-Schuster's injury last week, so he's no guarantee.

JuJu Smith-Schuster (Concussion) -- DNP. 

Marquez Valdes-Scantling (Illness) -- DNP. 

Wan'Dale Robinson (Hamstring) -- LP. Robinson wasn't on the injury report last week, so this is also a new injury for him. He missed time earlier in the year with a knee injury and isn't quite playing full-time snaps yet, so any limitation would make him an even fringier Fantasy option.

Curtis Samuel (Shin) -- LP. This is a new one for Samuel. You know what I'm going to say. We'll watch it Thursday and Friday, but he's a viable WR2/3 if he plays.

Brandin Cooks (Hip/Wrist) -- DNP. The hip is a new injury for Cooks, but he played through the wrist issue last week. He was third among the team's WR in routes and continued his streak of middling production, so even if he plays, he's hard to trust for Fantasy at this point. 

DJ Chark (Ankle) --. Chark was designated to return from IR Wednesday, but he has 21 days before he has to be activated, so there's no guarantee he'll be back this week. The Lions could certainly use him to complement Amon-Ra St. Brown, though Chark would still be just a fringe Fantasy option even if he does play. He's worth stashing in deeper leagues in case he turns into something more than that with T.J. Hockenson out of the picture, though. 

Mark Andrews (Knee/Shoulder) -- LP. Andrews made his return to practice after missing the team's previous game, and though he was limited, it seems like he's lining up to make his return. He's a top-two tight end when active.

Gerald Everett (Groin) -- LP. Everett suffered the injury in Week 10, but the fact that he was able to get on the field Wednesday seems like a positive sign. His value takes a hit if Keenan Allen and Mike WIlliams are both back, but he's still a viable start if at least one of them is out. And he's probably still a low-end TE1 even if both are active, seeing as they could still be somewhat limited.

Cole Kmet (Thigh) -- DNP. Given that Kmet is coming off a couple breakout games, this is bad timing. Hopefully this is just a quasi rest day, because Kmet looks like a must-start TE again. Make sure you have an alternative ready to go just in case. 

Trending up for Week 11

This doesn't mean they will play, but we got good news about them Wednesday. 

Matthew Stafford (Concussion) -- FP. Stafford cleared the concussion protocol and is in line to make his return to the field this week. He'll be doing so, of course, without Cooper Kupp, and given how little the Rams have gotten out of everyone but Kupp this season, it's hard to see how Stafford puts up good enough numbers to be useful for Fantasy. He'll need someone to step up in a big way, and there's no obvious candidate right now.

Najee Harris (Knee) -- FP. Harris is dealing with knee discomfort, and it sounded like there was a chance he might be limited this week when Mike Tomlin talked about him earlier in the week. However, the fact that he was a full participant in practice to open the week seems to indicate he'll play his typical role. That does mean splitting with Jaylen Warren, at this point, but Harris does still figure to be the No. 1 back here if he's good to go. He's a low-end RB2.

DeVante Parker (Knee) -- LP. Parker hasn't played since suffering the injury in Week 8, but it looks like he has a chance to get back out there this week. Even if he is, Parker is best left for deeper leagues at this point, seeing as he's averaging just 40.1 yards per game. 

Trending down for Week 11

This doesn't mean they won't play, but they aren't moving in the right direction yet. 

P.J. Walker (Ankle) -- DNP. Walker has already been ruled out for Week 11, with Baker Mayfield set to get the start. There isn't much difference between the two at this point, and neither should be starting for most Fantasy teams that want to win.

Deon Jackson (Knee) -- DNP. Jackson missed last week's game, but even if he is cleared to return in Week 11, he'll be a clear No. 2 to Jonathan Taylor, who looked healthy and effective in his return from an ankle injury last week. Jackson is just injury insurance at this point. 

J.D. McKissic (Neck) -- DNP. McKissic has missed two games already, and it's not looking good for his chances this week. Antonio Gibson and Brian Robinson have been splitting work pretty evenly without McKissic around, and they should continue to do so in Week 11, with Gibson the better option in PPR scoring, at least. 

Jerry Jeudy (Ankle) -- DNP. Jeudy is being called day-to-day, but this isn't a great sign for his chances of playing this week. Assuming he's out, Courtland Sutton should be in line for a ton of targets and is a viable high-end WR2 even given his disappointing season. 

Ja'Marr Chase (Hip) -- DNP. A few days ago, we got a report that Chase was still walking with crutches, but on Wednesday, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported the Bengals are "hopeful" they'll have Chase back for Week 12. He's still rehabbing, and he's definitely out this week, but hopefully his return is near.

Corey Davis (Knee) -- DNP. Davis hasn't played since suffering the injury in Week 7, and getting a DNP out of the bye isn't a great sign for his chances of returning. Davis is just a fringe starting option even when healthy, with his status more impactful for how it impacts Garrett Wilson -- Wilson has 115 and 92 yards in two games without Davis.

KJ Hamler (Hamstring) -- DNP. Hamler is going to miss a couple of games at least with this injury. With Jeudy also unlikely to play, someone like Kendall Hinton or Montrell Washington is going to see a much bigger role, though you'd have to be pretty desperate to rely on either for Fantasy. 

David Njoku (Ankle) -- DNP. Njoku has missed two games with the injury, and this puts him on pace to miss a third. Hopefully that won't be the case, but this isn't a good start. He's a TE1 when healthy, but you need to have alternate plans at this point.