Good Morning! Week 11 of the fantasy football season is upon us. I can tell by the injury report alone as the teams return to practice and prepare for this weekends games. I go over 26 players in today’s post, all guys who did not practice at all yesterday. I identify who takes their place if they can’t play this weekend and how to view each situation from a fantasy perspective.
QB: Lamar Jackson, Aaron Rodgers, Baker Mayfield, Jared Goff
RB: Nick Chubb, Aaron Jones, James Robinson, Cordarrelle Patterson, Elijah Mitchell, Jeremy McNichols, Brandon Bolden, JaMycal Hasty, Jermar Jefferson
WR: DeAndre Hopkins, DK Metcalf, Marquise Brown, Cole Beasley, Allen Robinson, Jarvis Landry, Allen Lazard, Anthony Schwartz
TE: Dallas Goedert, Gerald Everett, Jonnu Smith, Hayden Hurst, Ricky Seals-Jones
Arizona Cardinals: DeAndre Hopkins (WR) - The star wideout was the only player that was not at practice on Wednesday of those that were on the injury report the last week in the desert. I believe at one-point last week there were six players on the list, and now it is only Hopkins who is outright absent. If Hopkins cannot play, the team will go with AJ Green, Christian Kirk and Rondale Moore in their three wide receiver sets. They are on: Kirk - 80/1025/7, Green – 60/875/5, Moore – 60/725/2 paces this season when their stats are prorated over the full schedule.
Atlanta Falcons: Cordarrelle Patterson (RB)/Hayden Hurst (TE) - Arguably the best player on the team this season, Patterson really has established himself as a true RB with the Falcons in 2021. The issue however is that he’s appeared on this list this week. Cordarrelle could not get through practice in a full capacity this week at any point, making him a game time decision tonight. If he cannot go, Mike Davis and Wayne Gallman will split the touches. Davis is on pace for just over 750 total yards this season, and his rushing numbers are pretty subpar at a 3.3 ypc. Hurst is ruled out for tonight’s game, giving way to Lee Smith to back up Kyle Pitts.
Baltimore Ravens: Lamar Jackson (QB)/Marquise Brown (WR) - Both studs on the Ravens were absent from practice on Wednesday for very different reasons. Jackson missed the session due to a non-COVID related illness, and Tyler Huntley took the wheel on offense for the day. Huntley has appeared in five career games, totaling 54 passing yards while going 8/16 through the air. He actually has more rushing yards, with 65. Brown was out with a thigh injury, trying to nurse it back to 100%. Brown’s game is speed and without that he will struggle. Rashod Bateman and Sammy Watkins would start on the outside if Brown is out. Bateman is on a 75/1025 pace if he had played in all the games so far this season. Watkins is on a 55/850 pace if he beat the odds and finally was healthy for a full season.
Buffalo Bills: Cole Beasley (WR) - If you are a fantasy owner of Beasley in a PPR league, I would monitor him going forward. He did not practice today and only was given 7 snaps this past week against the Jets. He is struggling through a rib injury and he could continue to gut it out for a while. Gabriel Davis saw an increase in looks as a third option on the team in Week 10, going for over 100 yards. Davis is on a 30/500/4 pace for this season.
Chicago Bears: Allen Robinson (WR) - The top WR on the squad going into the year, Robinson has played second fiddle to Darnell Mooney often this season. Allen just hasn’t been able to hook up with Fields yet and it seems like that will take even more time. Robinson was absent from practice on Wednesday with a hamstring injury. Marquise Goodwin would start opposite Mooney if Robinson cannot go, the speedster is on a 25/325 pace. Mooney is on a 70/900 pace this season in his own right, breaking out.
Cleveland Browns: Nick Chubb (RB)/Baker Mayfield (QB)/Jarvis Landry (WR)/Anthony Schwartz (WR) - These four players were not practicing with the main club on Wednesday, really putting a damper on their offensive potential going into Week 11. Chubb is still on the COVID list, and hopefully he is asymptomatic throughout this process. D’Ernest Johnson has run the offense the two weeks without Chubb in the lineup, totaling 325 yards on 50 touches. Without Mayfield in the lineup though, due to three different injuries at the moment, I could imagine the opposition taking Johnson away. Case Keenum would start in that instance and as it stands right now, he would have Rashard Higgins and Donovan Peoples-Jones on the outside. DPJ is on a 40/800/7 pace if he was healthy all season.
Detroit Lions: Jared Goff (QB)/Jermar Jefferson (RB) - Two key components to their tie from this past week to prevent an 0-17 season were not at practice on Wednesday due to injuries suffered in Week 10. Goff has an oblique injury, and Jefferson is dealing with an ankle. The backup on the squad is Tim Boyle, a career 2nd stringer/practice squad quarterback. Boyle has thrown four career passes, completing three of them in 2019 with the Packers. Jamaal Williams returned to practice on Wednesday and he will sufficiently replace Jefferson going into Week 11. Williams is on pace for 1000 total yards this season, averaging 4.4 ypc to his credit.
Green Bay Packers: Aaron Rodgers (QB)/Aaron Jones (RB)/Allen Lazard (WR) - The trio of players were not at practice on Wednesday dealing with their respective injuries. I don’t anticipate Rodgers to miss any time with his toe injury, something that he was half joking about in an interview earlier in the week. Jones on the other hand will not be playing this week due to a knee sprain. AJ Dillon is a bowling ball and will be the lead guy going into the week. Dillon is on pace for 1,050 yards despite playing backup to Jones throughout the season thus far. If Lazard cannot play opposite Davante Adams, then Marquez Valdes-Scantling will start on the outside with Randall Cobb in the slot. MVS is on a 30/450 pace this season if he was healthy.
Jacksonville Jaguars: James Robinson (RB) - The lead back was banged up once more this past week as he added a knee issue to his heel injury from earlier in the month. Robinson was not at practice in any capacity yesterday with the pair of injuries. Carlos Hyde isn’t much better off, working at practice in a limited fashion. Hyde totaled 145 yards on 37 touches in Weeks 9 and 10 with Robinson banged up.
New England Patriots: Jonnu Smith (TE)/Brandon Bolden (RB) - Neither player was able to push for a full practice at any point this past week, limited in each session. Hunter Henry was dominant last week with Smith out, the former Charger taking the role that he once held with ease. Henry is on pace for 55/600 and 12 touchdowns this season. Upon the return of Damien Harris to the backfield tonight, Bolden could take a back seat to the offense outright. He is a pass catching back for the most part and Rhamondre Stevenson has shown glimpses of being able to hang onto that role if necessary. Stevenson has totaled 220 yards on 36 touches the last two weeks.
Philadelphia Eagles: Dallas Goedert (TE) - Arguably the best receiving threat the Eagles have to offer, Goedert was absent from practice yesterday with a concussion. The team doesn’t have much behind him in the stable between Jack Stoll and Tyree Jackson. Stoll is a lowly touted rookie who has only a few receptions in his career, and Tyree is a converted QB.
Seattle Seahawks: DK Metcalf (WR)/Gerald Everett (TE) - All season long Metcalf has been missing a practice a week with this foot injury that has hampered him. But it isn’t common for him to miss the first practice of the week with the injury, a possible indication that it is worsening. Freddie Swain would start opposite Tyler Lockett if Metcalf cannot go in Week 11. Swain is on pace for 30/375/3 this season. Everett is coming off of his best game of the season with eight receptions against the Packers in Week 10. If he cannot play this week due to his injury, Will Dissly is a former starter and could take his place. Dissly put up nearly 25/250 last season as TE1.
San Francisco 49ers: Elijah Mitchell (RB)/JaMycal Hasty (RB) - The pair of backs missed practice on Wednesday with their injuries, Mitchell a finger and Hasty has an ankle issue. I do believe Jeff Wilson will take the bulk of the load if these two are out, but the coaching staff ensures that Mitchell will play this week. If that does become the case, it will be likely Kyle Juszczyk with the pass catching duties opposite Mitchell. The fullback is the most prominently used across the league from his position, on pace for 40/350 this season.
Tennessee Titans: Jeremy McNichols (RB) - The pas catching back was not at practice on Wednesday as he deals with concussion protocol. He is hard to replace on the offense given his out of the backfield role. Adrian Peterson nor D’Onta Foreman really strike me as out of the backfield threats. Both backs have two receptions since coming to the team two weeks ago, so either could gain the looks.
Washington Football Team: Ricky Seals-Jones (TE) - The tight end position is becoming a problem for Washington as RSJ joins Logan Thomas on the outside looking in due to injury. Neither practiced and it’s believed that Thomas will not play this week in a return from the IR list. This will give rookie John Bates the ability to start at the position. Bates made three receptions last week on his three targets.