We’re firmly in the double-digit weeks, as week eleven brings us four more teams on bye. This week, we aren’t missing a ton of impact players, but we are missing enough that you might have to plug and play someone. Every week, we take a look at three players at every position available in at least 50% of leagues, with one player available in at least 90%. Let’s dive in!
Quarterbacks
Matthew Stafford versus Seattle Seahawks (46% rostered)
Matthew Stafford threw for 334 yards in week one against the Seahawks but failed to notch a touchdown in the game. With Kyren Williams set to return this week, Stafford will have his offensive weaponry at full capacity for this NFC West tilt. The Seahawks are sixteenth in fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks, but much of that comes from shutting down rushing. They’ve played four pass-only quarterbacks this season (Stafford, Jared Goff, Andy Dalton, and Sam Howell), and those four averaged 21.5 fantasy points per game.
Jordan Love versus Los Angeles Chargers (45% rostered)
The Chargers are the second-best matchup for opposing fantasy quarterbacks, and if you hung on to Jordan Love this season, you did it for this game. He’s been Trevor Lawrence levels of not great, but not terrible since his bye, posting two QB12 finishes, a QB14 finish, and a QB18 finish. Love’s been throwing in incredible volume lately, passing at least 40 times in two of the last three games. The Chargers are a sieve, with every non-rookie and non-Zach Wilson quarterback posting at least 21 fantasy points against them this year, including the now-benched Ryan Tannehill.
TOMMY DEVITO AT WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (3% rostered)
With a scary night away from mom’s chicken parm and a freshly made bed, Tommy DeVito gets an actual good matchup to go up against. We saw last week that when the Cowboys stopped caring and DeVito suddenly had a good matchup to go up against. The Commanders allow the most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks, with only Mac Jones failing to top 19 fantasy points in week two. He’s not a good player, but if you’re desperate, he’s a good play.
Wide Receivers
Jayden Reed versus Los Angeles Chargers (33% rostered)
Reed’s had at least five targets in two of the last three games, averaging 4 catches for 62 yards and scoring two touchdowns in those three games. He’s been playing well lately, and more importantly… he’s the most talented wide receiver on the Packers. The Chargers allow the sixth-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers, and they’ve allowed the fifth-most yards and touchdowns to receivers on the season, despite already having had their bye week.
Rondale Moore at Houston (11% rostered)
Moore saw eight targets in Kyler Murray’s first game back last week, which led the Cardinals’ receivers, and was a very sustainable 25% target share. The Texans and Cardinals are set to have a shootout, mostly because the last two Texans’ games have had 133 total points, and the one game with Kyler Murray this season saw 48 combined points for the Cardinals and Falcons last week.
Kyle Philips at Jacksonville (1% rostered) (run it back)
Philips finished last week with the most receiving yards on the Titans. Granted, it’s the Titans, but it was also his second week in a row with at least 60 receiving yards for Tennessee without Treylon Burks. With Burks already ruled out with a concussion, he looks to make it three in a row against a soft Jaguars’ pass defense.
Running Backs
Ty Chandler at Denver Broncos (48% rostered)
Chandler feels like the free space this week, with Alexander likely to miss the game due to a concussion suffered last weekend. Chandler, in Mattison’s stead, ran the ball 15 times, scoring a touchdown. He rushed for only 45 yards, but that came against a stingy Saints defense that allows the fourth-fewest fantasy points to running backs. This week, Chandler gets a Broncos team that allows the most fantasy points to opposing running backs. You last saw them on Monday Night Football allowing Latavius Murray to finish with 14.9 PPR points and James Cook with 12 PPR points. Every running back to get at least 15 carries against the Broncos this year has a double-digit PPR fantasy day.
Rico Dowdle at Carolina Panthers (17% rostered)
At this point, it seems like the Cowboys are moving to a two-running back system, with Rico Dowdle getting 12 carries last week (for 79 yards and a touchdown). This week, Dowdle and Tony Pollard get the Carolina Panthers and their league-worst rushing defense. The Panthers are the team to pick on when it comes to finding running backs worth streaming, and Dowdle is a name on the rise. It’s a perfect pairing to squeeze out some fantasy value.
Royce Freeman versus Seattle Seahawks (10% rostered)
Royce Freeman is the clear 1B to Darrell Henderson’s 1A in Los Angeles, but the pair get to take on the Seahawks this week following the Rams’ bye. The Rams cast Freeman right into the fire, giving him 12, 9, and 12 carries in his first three games with L.A. It hasn’t been much to write home about, with a league-average 4.3 yards per carry and only one score. But, that volume is there, and that’s what we are chasing down here in the depths. The Seahawks allow the sixth-most fantasy points to running backs on the season, including at least 16.5 PPR points to four different running backs in the last two games. They tricked folks into thinking that Keaton Mitchell was worth a ton of FAB, and it seems as though they’re primed to do the same with Royce Freeman.
Tight Ends
Luke Musgrave versus Los Angeles Chargers (44% rostered)
Musgrave has led the Packers in receptions since week five and is third on the team in yards per reception in that same span. He’s sitting just below the 4-catch, 40-yard threshold we look for in a streaming tight end, but the matchup offsets that. The Chargers allow the third-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends, and they do it without giving up a ton of scores (they’ve allowed just three on the season to tight ends). Five tight ends in the last four games have at least 8 PPR points against the Chargers.
Tyler Conklin at Buffalo Bills (19% rostered)
Conklin is quietly one of the more consistently targeted tight ends this season. Zach Wilson has nine starts on the season, and Conklin has at least five targets in six of them. He’s turned it up in the last couple of games, notching 13 catches for 136 yards across the two contests. The Bills aren’t a great matchup, but this is more about Ty Conkowski making waves recently than the opponent.
Donald Parham at Green Bay (4% rostered)
Sub-10% rostered tight ends are a minefield right now. Parham is big, Parham will probably catch a touchdown. The fantasy manager is happy at Parham.
