Check out these starts and sits for fantasy football in Week 11.
As the Week 11 slate of games kicked off Thursday night, the attention now turns to the start/sit decisions managers will face over the weekend as they stare down their fantasy football lineups.
Doing start/sit articles can be a little challenging. The players featured on the list below should not be taken as “must starts” or “must sits.” Instead, these are more suggestions on what we believe managers should do with fringe players heading into the weekend. The choice is ultimately up to the manager.
Just because a player is listed as a “start” doesn’t mean he should be put in the lineup over the secure, bona fide studs. Vice versa for the “sits.” If there’s no better option on the waiver wire or the bench, a manager shouldn’t automatically sit the player. That’s why these can be tricky waters to navigate.
The season is just about two-thirds done on the fantasy calendar, and playoffs are starting to come into view in the distance. Some large contests start in Week 14, and most leagues happen in Weeks 16 and 17, so there is still time to move up the standings. But the waiver in your league is likely bare outside of some bonehead dropping a fantasy starter.
Defenses and kickers still offer worthwhile finds, but only injury will uncover a new starter. The rest of the way is more about making optimal starting decisions and starting to look toward matchups your players will have in your playoffs.
Injuries continue to degrade all positions, and quarterbacks seem to have an unusual number of injuries. Ten have missed at least one game, and that is eleven if Joe Burrow misses time with the wrist injury he suffered last night. That’s one in three quarterbacks that have been injured, and there are eight more games in the season.
The topic for this week is NFL backfields and how they continue to change. After ten games, some teams have soured on their Week 1 starter and others just see more from the No. 2 guy. Here are my Top-6 backfields that are – or may be – in transition for the next few weeks and could heighten the fantasy prospects for one back while decreasing the other.
Tony Pollard / Rico Dowdle(DAL) – The Cowboys rushing offense apparently left with Ezekiel Elliott. What was once a strength is now a weakness. Tony Pollard turned in 1,007 yards on 193 carries (5.2 YPC) last year under a different coach and as the No. 2 back. He’s gaining 3.9 yards per carry, looking like a No. 2 miscast as a No. 1 back. Last week, the Cowboys clobbered the Giants 49-17, and Pollard only had 15 runs for 55 yards. Rico Dowdle had a career-best 79 yards and a score on 12 rushes. Chances are high that neither back is going to shine, but at least Dowdle looks likely to get more work at the expense of Pollard. It was very telling when Pollard couldn’t score from the 1-yard line on a fourth down. Dowdle later scored from the 1-yard line on a first down.
D’Onta Foreman / Khalil Herbert (CHI) – Herbert has been on injured reserve since Oct. 13 with an ankle injury, but he’s entered the 21-day window to be activated and just had a full practice last week. Herbert averaged 5.7 YPC last year and 5.3 YPC through Week 5. But D’Onta Foreman has been very effective and handled 20 carries the last two weeks. At this point, it is most likely to see Foreman remain the primary but cede touches to Herbert and Roschon Johnson. The backfield cannot be truly evaluated until Herbert proves 100% healthy and is no longer being eased back in. The next two weeks should set the stage for expectations for after the Week 13 bye.
De’Von Achane / Raheem Mostert (MIA) – All eyes are on the Miami backfield. Achane is expected to return and add to his ridiculous 12.1 YPC. But Raheem Mostert is there and still healthy, amazingly enough. After his breakout in Week 3, Achane and Mostert split carries 11:10 and 8:7. They faced the visiting Broncos and Giants and did much less at the Bills. More soft matchups await for the next month and we’ll see how long Achane needs to be active and at full strength endurance. Miami will split their workload and doesn’t like a workhorse. Facing the Raiders this week is another soft matchup, so it should be productive. But the key will be the total amount of carries in this pass-first offense.
Dameon Pierce / Devin Singletary (HOU) – It appears that Pierce is no lock to return this week from his ankle injury. And in his absence, Singletary ran for 150 yards and a score on 30 rushes (5.0 YPC). The Texans host the Cardinals and their No. 32 defense versus running backs, so Singletary should really shine again. But the Houston O-line is one of the worst, and Singletary only totaled 62 runs for 209 yards through Week 9 (3.4 YPC). In Week 9, he was alone versus the Bucs and only gained 26 yards on 13 rushes. The passing game is improved in Houston as well. The most that will happen is that these backs start to split 50:50 and negate what minimal fantasy value there was.
Kyren Williams / Darrell Henderson (LAR) – Williams is expected to return in Week 12 when he is eligible to come off injured reserve where he landed with a high-ankle sprain. Henderson and Royce Freeman have filled in, and Henderson logged 18 rushes for 61 yards and a score versus the Steelers, while Freeman totaled 66 yards on 12 runs. Freeman scored in Dallas but that game went sideways early. Williams should return to his same role, and both Henderson and Freeman should take a step back to just relief work. HC Sean McVay is already talking about his excitement in getting Williams back. The backfield should look good this week versus the visiting Seahawks, who are weak versus the run, but whatever happens won’t dampen the switch back to Williams when he is active again.
Jaylen Warren / Najee Harris (PIT) – Last year, the Steelers’ run game took off in the second half of the season, and it appears that it may be repeating. The offensive line is playing better and Jaylen Warren is tearing off as many longer runs as anyone lately. The duo started the year with Harris as the 3:1 lead, but they have morphed into a true committee now with their best game of the year in Week 10 when they split 31 carries for 183 yards and two touchdowns versus the Packers. The last few games were at home and the next two are at the Browns and Bengals. The remaining schedule is better than most, though, and for now, these two swap out regularly. That helps Warren and dings Harris.
About last night…
Credit: Sam Greene-USA TODAY Sports
Bengals 20, Ravens 34
There were more points than most Thursday games, but it is the aftermath of that game that will be more important. Joe Burrow injured his throwing wrist and he’ll be examined on Friday. The outward signs suggested it was a serious enough injury that he could miss a game or more. Mark Andrews had his ankle rolled up on a tackle and left the game after two catches. He’s expected to be out for the rest of the season with a high-ankle sprain “plus more.” Losing Anderson puts a ding in the Ravens’ offense, but one that the rest of the receivers can try to compensate for. Losing Burrow for any time sinks the fantasy value of the entire Bengals’ offense and signals that the 5-5 Bengals likely face the reality that the postseason is out of reach.
The Bengals had enough trouble moving the ball with Burrow, and after he left, Jake Browning took over with minimal success. Tight end Tanner Hudson led the Bengals’ receivers with four catches for 49 yards – the second-best performance of his four-year career. But Tyler Boyd (3-22) and Ja’Marr Chase (2-12, TD) were little used, and Chase’s score was with one minute left in the already-decided game. Joe Mixon was the only Bengal that met expectations when he ran for 69 yards on 16 rushes and caught a team-high five passes for 31 yards and a touchdown. The 5-5 Bengals host the Steelers in Week 12.
Lamar Jackson turned in a standard performance. He ran for 54 yards and threw for 264 yards and two touchdowns. Nelson Agholor (1-37, TD) and Rashod Bateman (1-10, TD) caught those, while Odell Beckham (4-116) led all receivers before leaving with a shoulder injury. Zay Flowers (3-43) was quieter than expected. The win boost the Ravens to 8-3 still atop the AFC North and they head to Los Angeles to face the Chargers.
Here are the top waiver wire targets for fantasy football in Week 9.
Week 8 of the fantasy football season offered plenty of fireworks with a full slate of games, and now we’re back to sifting through the waiver wire amid bye weeks.
Entering Week 9, there will be four teams on a bye, and all four teams have some serious star power who will be sitting on the bench.
We’ll be taking a look at the top available players rostered in Yahoo leagues, using the 75% rostered mark as the threshold. If you have any questions about prioritizing a certain player over another, don’t be afraid to hit me up on X, formerly Twitter, (@KevinHickey11). Your questions and comments are always welcome!
We also will be taking a look at some deeper players to stash and the top streaming options for the upcoming week.
We look across the league at players fantasy managers should look to add off the waiver wire this week to help secure a playoff spot.
It was an exciting and interesting Week 7, where we saw the some new names enter into our collective fantasy football minds. Injuries and breakout stars are going to send fantasy managers scrambling to waivers this week, and we can full you in on who to target before waivers clear.
Rams running back Darrell Henderson is among the top fantasy football waiver wire targets of the week.
Another weekend of NFL action means another slew of injuries.
On the running back front, the Los Angeles Rams had to find a replacement for Kyren Williams after placing the fantasy gem on injured reserve. On Sunday, Darrell Henderson was L.A.’s top back, although Royce Freeman was also mixed in.
Henderson and Freeman are both worth claiming, but Henderson seems like the better option while Williams is sidelined.
In related RB injury news, Cleveland Browns running back Jerome Ford suffered an ankle injury in Week 7, creating more snaps for Pierre Strong. Kareem Hunt might see an uptick in his workload as well, but Strong should be a priority target this week.
We’ve put together a list of 10 of our favorite waiver wire targets to claim ahead of Week 8, whith options at running back, wide receiver, quarterback and tight end.
Each player’s rostered percentage in ESPN fantasy football leagues is listed in parentheses. Ready? Let’s get to the list!
Here are the top waiver wire targets for fantasy football in Week 8.
Nearing the halfway point of the 2023 season, the fantasy football campaign rages on. Regardless of whether managers are leading in the standings or playing spoiler, the waiver wire continues to be a vital asset as we enter the second half of the season.
With the first bye-pocalypse behind us (Week 13 is the second part of that), there won’t be any teams on a bye in Week 8, and six teams will be returning to the mix after getting the week off.
We’ll be taking a look at the top available players rostered in Yahoo leagues, using the 75% rostered mark as the threshold. If you have any questions about prioritizing a certain player over another, don’t be afraid to hit me up on X, formerly Twitter, (@KevinHickey11). Your questions and comments are always welcome!
We also will be taking a look at some deeper players to stash and the top streaming options for the upcoming week.
Darrell Henderson Jr. scored a touchdown Sunday just days after being signed by the Rams
Darrell Henderson Jr. had been waiting a long time for another opportunity in the NFL since being cut by the Rams and Jaguars last season, and he got the call last week from his former team in Los Angeles.
In his first game back with the Rams, Henderson was given the starting job and he’s turned in a fantastic performance so far. In the second half against the Steelers, Henderson scored his first touchdown of the season, a 1-yard run up the middle with 8:57 left in the third quarter.
That gave him 55 yards on 14 carries for the game, leading the team in rushing at the time.
Darrell Henderson Jr. back in LA and back in the end zone 🙌 @DarrellH8
Sean McVay won’t name a starting RB for the Rams yet in Week 7 despite Zach Evans being No. 3 on the depth chart.
The Los Angeles Rams will be without Kyren Williams and Ronnie Rivers for multiple weeks, so Sean McVay will have to figure out how the backfield shakes out until they can return. Ahead of Sunday’s matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers, McVay was non-committal on naming Zach Evans the starting running back for the Rams.
“I wouldn’t say that,” McVay said. “We’ve got the week to be able to evaluate and I would say all four of those guys are possibilities and we’re truly navigating through that. But I was pleased with what Zach did towards the latter part of the game.”
Both Williams and Rivers suffered injuries in the Week 6 win over the Arizona Cardinals. Evans would finish the game by receiving his first four rushing attempts in the NFL, turning them into 10 yards.
The rookie sixth-round pick was the only running back left on the active roster at the beginning of the week. But since then, the Rams have activated Royce Freeman from their practice squad, signed Darrell Henderson off of the street, and signed Myles Gaskin off of the Minnesota Vikings’ practice squad.
Given that Evans and Freeman have been with the team the longest this season, they could share touches in Sunday’s game. There’s a chance Henderson or Gaskin are involved in the game plan, but it’s tough to expect much from them on short notice.
McVay is going to use this week of practice to determine how the backfield workload will be divvied up. While Evans seems like the obvious choice to see the majority of the touches, his ability to understand the offense and be trusted in pass protection is crucial.
With all of the moving parts, we may not know who will draw the start at running back for the Rams until Sunday’s showdown with the Steelers kicks off.
The list includes a couple of wide receivers, a pair of running backs and a quarterback.
The Seattle Seahawks hosted several free agents for workouts yesterday, according to the NFL’s transactions report. The list includes a couple of wide receivers, a pair of running backs and a quarterback.
The Colts worked out free-agent RB Darrell Henderson on Tuesday.
The Indianapolis Colts held a workout for free-agent running back Darrell Henderson, according to the league’s transaction wire Tuesday.
Henderson, 26, was a former third-round pick with the Los Angeles Rams during the 2019 NFL draft out of Memphis. He spent three and a half seasons with the Rams working mostly in a timeshare before he was waived during the 2023 season.
He was claimed off waivers by the Jacksonville Jaguars but was waived again a few weeks later in 2023.
In 50 career games (28 starts), Henderson has recorded 396 carries for 1,742 rushing yards (4.4 YPC) and 13 rushing touchdowns. He’s also recorded 66 receptions on 92 targets for 474 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns.
The Colts have some major depth issues running back entering Week 2. Star Jonathan Taylor is currently on the PUP list for at least three more games while rookie Evan Hull was placed on the injured reserve list this week due to a knee injury he suffered in the season opener.
Meanwhile, the Colts are hoping to get Zack Moss back from his forearm injury after he was inactive in Week 1. Deon Jackson got the start against the Jaguars, taking 13 carries for 14 rushing yards.
We’ll see if anything comes of this workout, but Henderson would be an interesting addition to the backfield considering his experience and mild success since entering the league.
