Week 11 Start or Sit (11/17 Fantasy Football Podcast)

Summary

Fantasy Football Today: Week 11 Start or Sit (11/17 Fantasy Football Podcast) Summary

Release Date: November 17, 2024

Hosts and Analysts:

• Mike (Host)
• Chris (Analyst)

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Introduction to Week 11 Lineup Decisions

The episode kicks off with Mike welcoming listeners and diving straight into the crucial lineup decisions for Week 11. Following last week's uncertainties surrounding players like Nico Collins and Tyreek Hill, the team feels more confident about their statuses this week, albeit with some lingering injuries.

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Key Player Evaluations

Nico Collins (Dallas Cowboys)

• Status: Cleared to play
• Analysis: Chris emphasizes Collins' importance, stating, “He is a top five wide receiver. I must start him all right.” Given his recent clearance, Collins remains a must-start for most fantasy managers.

CD Lamb (Dallas Cowboys)

• Status: Back issue, expected to play
• Analysis: While concerned about his back, Chris maintains confidence in Lamb, predicting around 15 fantasy points: “I think he's going to probably be somewhere in the 15 fantasy point range.” Backup options like Jalen Tolbert or John Mechi are suggested but with hope that Lamb remains active.

T. Higgins (Cincinnati Bengals)

• Status: Expected to play
• Analysis: Mike expresses skepticism about Higgins based on his injury history: “This guy has an absolutely dreadful history.” However, Chris counters by asserting Higgins' value, “He's a top 12 wide receiver. I like the fact that... they’re acting as if he's 100% healthy.” Ultimately, Higgins is recommended as a starter over alternatives like Cedric Tillman.

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Player Matchups and Strategic Starts

Juju Smith-Schuster (Chiefs) vs. Amari Cooper (Bills)

• Status: Juju optimistic with cast; Amari dealing with a cast
• Analysis: Chris advises against starting Cooper due to his performance decline and injury: “Cooper is not a top 48 wide receiver for me this week.” Instead, focus is placed on Hopkins as the primary receiver, leaving Juju on the bench until more clarity emerges.

Dawson Knox (Bills)

• Status: Slight ranking increase but uncertain due to Chiefs' defensive struggles against TEs
• Analysis: Chris isn't particularly excited about starting Knox despite a slight ranking boost, citing the unpredictable snap distribution between Hopkins and Juju Smith-Schuster.

Amari Cooper Decision:

• Chris: “Amari Cooper is not a top 48 wide receiver for me this week.” Recommends prioritizing other receivers with higher potential output.

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Injury Updates and Impact on Lineups

George Kittle (49ers)

• Status: Unlikely to play due to hamstring injury
• Analysis: Chris provides alternatives, highlighting available tight ends like Will Disley and AJ Barner: “The nice thing is that there are some tight ends who are playing, widely available, who are amongst the guys I would choose anyway...” These options ensure managers can fill TE slots without significant drops in production.

Sam LaPorta and Tank Bigsby

• Status: Out
• Analysis: Mike discusses the implications of these injuries, particularly how they affect player matchups and availability for upcoming weeks.

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Listener Questions and Expert Recommendations

Jameson Williams vs. Travis Etienne (Half PPR)

• Recommendation: Chris opts for Etienne over Williams, citing a better floor despite Williams’ higher ceiling: “I'm going to start ETN over Williams.”

Najee Harris vs. Cordarrelle Patterson

• Recommendation: Chris favors Patterson, especially with Jalen Warren’s questionable status: “Najee Harris is a high end flex or a bad number two running back, but it's a terrible matchup and he hasn't been super involved in the passing game, so I still don't want to start him.”

Nick Chubb, Drake London, or Jaden Reed (Half PPR)

• Recommendation: Chris sticks with Drake London: “I am sticking with Drake London.”

Additional Q&A Highlights:

• Tank Dell vs. Quentin Johnston: Chris chooses Dell, though acknowledges the decision is close.
• ETN vs. Jacoby Myers (Half PPR): Chooses Jacoby Myers as a top 12 wide receiver.
• JSN vs. Khalil Shakir (PPR): Recommends Shakir.
• Juwan Jennings vs. Khalil Shakir vs. Others: Leans towards Chase Brown as a reliable number two running back.
• Gasicki vs. Javante Williams: Chris prefers Javante Williams for a higher projected score despite Gasicki’s higher ceiling.

Notable Quote:

Chris: “Jacoby Myers, a top 12 wide receiver.” [10:27]

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Future Week Considerations

Mike and Chris discuss the importance of planning ahead, especially with challenging matchups looming in Week 12. Chris advises managers to monitor player statuses and consider pickups like Will Disley and Jatavian Sanders early to secure advantageous positions.

Notable Insight:

Chris: “I'm going to assume he's 100% healthy. I'm starting to.” [04:32]

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Final Thoughts and Wrap-Up

As the episode concludes, Mike reminds listeners to join the ongoing live stream for further discussions and real-time advice. The team emphasizes staying proactive with lineup adjustments and leveraging available resources to maintain a competitive edge in their fantasy leagues.

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Conclusion

This Week 11 episode of Fantasy Football Today provides comprehensive analysis on key player decisions, injury impacts, and strategic lineup adjustments. With expert insights from Chris and the host Mike, fantasy managers are well-equipped to navigate their teams through the complexities of Week 11, ensuring optimal performance and a strong position heading into the subsequent weeks.

Join the next live stream at 11:30 AM Eastern on YouTube.com/fantasyfootballtoday for more expert advice and to have your questions answered in real-time.

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For more tips and updates, stay tuned to Fantasy Football Today – the only podcast you'll need to win your league!

Transcript

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[Mike]

Good morning, everybody. Let's get those lineups ready for week 11 right now on fantasy football Today Express now last week we were wondering about Nico Collins on Sunday night. We were wondering about Tyreek Hill on Monday night. I don't think we have those same concerns, although we do have some Sunday night and Monday night injuries, but we feel a little bit more secure about them. So let's get started here with Nico Collins. He says he's going to play. Any hesitation at all to start him at Dallas on Monday night, they took.

[Chris]

Him off of the injury reports. We heard a week and a half ago that he was fully cleared. He is a top five wide receiver. I must start. I'm starting him all right.

[Mike]

But CD Lamb is on the injury report with a back issue that they say he, they expect him to play. They're not too concerned. Are you concerned about starting CD Lamb?

[Chris]

I don't like this potential of him not playing, but I, I still would put him as a a near must start wide receiver if he's active. I think he's going to probably be somewhere in the 15 fantasy point range.

[Mike]

Okay, that's CD Lamb. And you could I guess get Jalen Tolbert or something like that if you need a backup plan or I don't know, maybe John Mechi. But let's just hope CD Lamb plays. T. Higgins is going to play. I mentioned this on the mailbag.

[John]

This guy has an absolutely dreadful history.

[Mike]

Coming back from injury. He has done it seven times in his career, I believe, and has never had 50 yards in a game, first game back from injury or being inactive. So I don't know if that matters to you. And again, it looks on paper like a tough matchup. Although we don't know fully what this matchup is like with the Chargers. How are you feeling about T. Higgins? I decide I have him in a few leagues and I'm playing it safe. I'm not starting him in every league. I'm starting Cedric Tillman over him in a league just to just. I feel safer with Tillman. How do you feel about Higgins?

[Chris]

I. I don't think I. There are enough healthy wide receivers who have been good this year for me to sit T. Higgins. I would not sit him for Cedric Tillman. He's a top 12 wide receiver. I like the fact that he like again. Earlier in the week we heard that T. Higgins was going to be okay. It's not a game time decision. They're acting as if he's 100 healthy. I'm going to assume he's 100 healthy. I'm starting to.

[Mike]

Okay, go to the Chiefs game. The Chiefs Bills game. Juju Smith Schuster could play Amari Cooper. They're optimistic that he's going to play with a cast on his arm. Dalton Kincaid is out. Any, you know, big rankings movers for you with the news?

[Chris]

I mean, I did move Dawson Knox up a little bit, but I just. It's so. It's really. Even though the Chiefs have been terrible against tight ends, the Bills tight ends have been terrible this season and Knox is the backup. And so I'm not particularly excited about starting Dawson Knox. I don't. I'm very interested to see what the snap distribution between Hopkins and juju is and if they're actually going to play both of those guys and if they do, then whose role is changing, who's going downfield? But I'm mostly just starting Hopkins as the number three wide receiver and leaving JuJu on the bench until we see something from him. You people forget, like the one good game he has this season wasn't the first time he was active with the Chiefs. He was active several weeks before that, but Raji Rice was okay. And so juju just didn't play very much or do very much. So I don't. I don't want to start juju and.

[Mike]

I have been the optimist on Amari Cooper, but I'm pumping the brakes there. I'm gonna start Jackson Smith and Jigba over him in a league. How are you feeling about Cooper?

[Chris]

Cooper is not a top 48 wide receiver for me this week.

[Mike]

Okay.

[Chris]

I like he's been one of the worst wide receivers in the NFL and he's playing with a cast on his hand.

[Mike]

Right. And he says he has to get used to catching with it. George Kittle unlikely to play. I guess that was the big news from overnight. And he's got this hamstring injury. He's facing Seattle. Tight ends don't grow on trees. So how we feeling about your thoughts, I guess, on. On this Kittle situation in the 49ers.

[Chris]

It stinks if you want. The nice thing is, if there is a nice thing is that there are some tight ends who are playing later who are widely available, who are amongst the guys I would choose anyway if I wanted to replace them. So Will Disley is. Is playing after George Kittle. You can add him and then you can just wait and make sure that Kittle's out and I'm okay. Starting Will Disley, AJ Barner is playing against Kittle's 49ers and he's filling in for Noah Fant, who is out today. And we've seen Barner have a couple of decent fantasy games already. So go pick up one of those guys and you should be okay.

[Mike]

By the way, Will Disley has the Ravens next week. Go look at your lineups. Look at week 12. There are some really good teams on. By week 12, you could have trouble filling out a roster. Will Disley, Jatavian Sanders plays the Chiefs next week. These are guys you might need to pick up now to get ahead of the game. Let's take a quick break, finish up with some more news and we'll talk about. Oh, before we do that, sorry. Does this make Ricky Pierce all more interesting? Does this just, does this downgrade Brock Purdy significantly? What's the rest of the impact on the Kiddle injury?

[Chris]

Brock Purdy was already ranked so high. Like, I think there's a possibility I'm going to move him down to like six. But I'm still starting Brock Purdy. I am going to move Ricky Pearsall up just a little bit. It's a target boost for Debo, a target boost for Jennings, and you're probably just starting both of those guys. And Piersol, who I had kind of was putting in that prove it category. Do it one more week before I rank you as a starter. Now looks like a decent flex.

[Mike]

Yeah. And honestly, Trent Williams might not play their left tackle too, and I would care more about that. I just don't know that Seattle is the team that you, that you run away from if you're a little injured offensively. All right, now we're going to take a break, come back and talk about Sam Laporta being out, Jalen Warren update and Tank Bigsby being out. And then we'll answer your questions on Fantasy Football Today Express.

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[Mike]

Okay, yes, Sam Laporta out. This is not unexpected. So this isn't really changing anything for you. But here's a question that relates to two topics here. Jameson Williams or Travis ETN in half ppr, they're facing each other. No Laporta, no Tank Bigsby. What's your answer? Jameson or ETN and half ppr.

[Chris]

It's so frustrating because like the, the right answer is that ETN's floor is much better than Jameson Williams and Williams might have a better ceiling. I'm going to start ETN over Williams. I don't know how much of an impact Laporta not playing is going to have on Williams.

[Mike]

Yeah, I don't either. The target per out run rate is, is almost double for Jameson Williams when LaPorta's off the field. But I don't really know what that means because it's not like Laporte has missed a game. It's just, you know, snaps within a game. So I don't know if you could take much out of that. And then Jalen Warren is questionable. Najee Harris will play. I know we didn't like Naji going into the week against the Ravens, but with Warren beat up and don't even know if he's going to play. What do you think about Naji now?

[Chris]

Yeah, I think the reports this morning were that they were expecting Jalen Warren to play and cordial Patterson's back anyway. So even if Jalen Warren didn't play, I think Patterson might take some of the pass catching downs. I Harris is a high end flex or a bad number two running back, but it's a, it's a terrible matchup and he hasn't been super involved in the passing game, so I still don't want to start him.

[Mike]

All right, let's read some questions here. Nick Chubb, Drake London or Jaden Reed? Half ppr.

[Chris]

I am sticking with Drake London and.

[Mike]

We expect Mooney to play right? Moody's good.

[Chris]

Yes.

[Mike]

Okay. Jaden Reed or Quentin Johnston?

[Chris]

Oh, I will go with Jaden Reed, but that one is very close.

[Mike]

Tank Dell or Quentin Johnston?

[Chris]

I will go with Tank Dell but that one is very close.

[Mike]

ETN or Jacoby Myers, half PPR.

[Chris]

I've got Jacoby Myers, a top 12 wide receiver.

[Mike]

JS I'm sorry. JSN or Khalil Shakir. PPR.

[Chris]

Shakir.

[Mike]

Pick one and half PPR. Juwan Jennings, Khalil Shakir, Jaden Reed, Josh Downs, Shakir Hunt or Brown? Chase Brown, I guess Hunter. Chase Brown. Half ppr.

[Chris]

I would go with Chase Brown. They're both number two running backs.

[Mike]

Should I flex Gasicki or Javante Williams?

[Chris]

Well and see I think like I do have this situation in a league and it stinks because you don't really want to play Estimate or Javante. But if he's already got Estimate in the starting lineup, I'd probably I'm playing Javante over Kosiki it with because of.

[Mike]

The estimate being in your lineup or just independently.

[Chris]

I mean, obviously what this does is if you play Javante, then your floor is better and if you play Gasiki, then your ceiling's better.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Chris]

So you can make the decision based on that if you want to. And kind of looking at the matchup. But I also just have Javonte projected higher than Gasicki, who has done almost nothing with Tea against.

[Mike]

All right, a couple more here. Naji Harris or Tony Pollard?

[Chris]

Pollard.

[Mike]

And how about Tyreek Hill or Cedric Tillman?

[Chris]

Tillman if.

[Mike]

Oh, wow. So Tyreek Hill is pretty low. Wait, I came in late. All right, we'll get it. We'll get it going during the 11:30 stream. All right? Yeah. So listen, if you can get your question answered, join us at 11:30am where does Tyree kill free, by the way?

[Chris]

20.

[Mike]

Okay, 21, 1:30am Eastern. YouTube.com fantasy football Today we're answering questions for nearly an hour and a half. We'll see you then. Thanks a lot for watching Fantasy Football today. Express.

[Sarah]

Paramount Podcasts.