Welcome to Week 11 as the crazy train continues! Last week saw a team trade away their top two defenders and then proceed to score 20 points as a DST unit in fantasy while putting on a defensive clinic in the aftermath of that trade. Seattle put up 44 points, and yet somehow their kicker outscored the quarterback. The Panthers came home off their upset win in Green Bay only to lose to a team that was tied for last place in the entire league. The Bills went into Miami with a 14-1 record against their division rival, only to come out of it 14-2 with their head coach trolling the other team’s fans. We also learned there is a real possibility that Joe Burrow could return before Bucky Irving or Ricky Pearsall do. And to cap it all off, I learned to put some respect on the new (as of this week) odds-on favorite to win league MVP as the Buccaneers opened up all rushing lanes for the current AFC East leaders. Fantasy is wild, but it’s a new week, so let’s get back up and take a look at the options available as we focus on some road teams this week, as the drop-off for streaming comes quickly this week.
Please note that there’s a decent chance that better teams above this 50 percent threshold are available in your league, but we can’t assume they’re available to everyone. We have to draw the proverbial line somewhere, so stay active and monitor the league home page; someone might drop a desirable defense after waivers clear.
Baltimore Ravens
Opponent: @ Cleveland Browns
ESPN % Rostered: 50%
Yahoo % Rostered: 56%
What a difference having your star quarterback makes. It’s one thing when you struggle to keep your offense on the field and thus, the opponent’s offense off the field; it’s another when three of those four opposing offenses are league leaders in offensive production. But now the Ravens are on the better side of their bye week and have a winning streak to show for it as they wrap up their three-game road trip against their division rivals this week. The Ravens have generated six turnovers in their past two games while on a four-game streak of holding opponents to under 20 points in those games. Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel ranks near the bottom of the league in both completion percentage (58.6) and yards per attempt (5.0). I look for this trend to continue as Baltimore is in the top ten teams with the highest blitzes called; meanwhile, Gabriel has only thrown for over 200 yards once in his career this season.
Kansas City Chiefs
Opponent: @ Denver Broncos
ESPN % Rostered: 26%
Yahoo % Rostered: 44%
Kansas City is coming off their bye week, and if there’s anyone to lean on with an extra week to prepare, it’s head coach Andy Reid, who is 22-4 lifetime off a bye week. The Chiefs are averaging allowing 13 points per game on defense in their last four games, and that’s including the road loss in Buffalo before their bye. Denver quarterback Bo Nix is now on a three-game streak of interceptions thrown, with two against the Raiders last week in a game where he threw for just 150 yards on 28 attempts. The Broncos’ offense has largely been held in check for their past two games, being held in each to under 200 yards passing and under 100 yards rushing. Broncos running back JK Dobbins had his ankle rolled up on last week and started this week’s practice report questionable while seeking a second opinion, which usually means they did not like the first one they got. Kansas City will try to turn that into a three-game trend with its sixth-highest blitz rating and second-fewest air yards allowed, and having the second-shortest average depth of target in the league.
Dallas Cowboys
Opponent: @ Las Vegas Raiders
ESPN % Rostered: 4%
Yahoo % Rostered: 8%
With a bit of a record scratch, coming in at the third recommendation here is the third-worst DST in fantasy so far. However, Dallas is trending upward, despite the obvious joke that there is only one way to go from the bottom. They have two touchdowns and nine sacks over their past three games on defense, and are getting some key pieces inserted into the lineup for the first time this season that could be a game-changer. Most people are aware of the trade deadline addition of some linebacker depth, in addition to the big name of defensive tackle Quinnen Williams coming over, looking to make an immediate impact. In addition to that is also the return of linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, who was a rising star in his first season on this defense last season before going out with ligament tears in his knee against the Bengals last year. The main reason why I look to the Cowboys this week is more of a product of who they are playing against, with Las Vegas being the third-best offense to stream a defense against this year. With eight sacks in their last two games since their bye week, and only one game this season where they did not turn the ball over. Basically, all this is to say you have the (surprising) league-leader defense in both quarterback hurries and pressure rating going against Geno Smith.
After the Cut
New England Patriots (E:70% Y!:58%) – New England travels to the Jets to play against their fantasy-friendly offense for the first time this season.
Green Bay Packers (E:60% Y!:58%) – For leagues that count yards allowed (ESPN, for example), the Packers have been putting together a streak of good performances and now face the Giants, who lost Jaxson Dart to a concussion last week.
Los Angeles Chargers (E:47% Y!:61%) – The Chargers have put together four turnovers and 12 sacks over their past three games and now face Trevor Lawrence.
Atlanta Falcons (E:21% Y!:12%) – Deeper leagues who made a sour face at reading the Cowboys recommendation could alternatively consider the Falcons, who are hosting the Panthers this week. They had a sack and a turnover in their first meeting earlier this season.
If you see something I don’t, leave a comment or hit me up with feedback @MikeoftheFF on Twitter or find me on Reddit!
Feature image by Michael Packard (@CollectingPack on Twitter) / Photography by William Purnell / Icon Sportswire & Steve Johnson / Unsplash