Week 11 will be an interesting week for sure as Ronnie Brown is out for the rest of the year, Dwayne Bowe will be out until week 15, Larry Johnson found a new home in Cincinnati, and Oakland benches JaMarcus Russell permanently in favor of Bruce Gradkowski. Since the fantasy playoffs are at hand, let’s take a look at some guys you will want to sell high on before your deadline hits.
Sell high
Brett Favre: Minnesota is in command of the NFC North division, so as the season wears down the teams will have less to play for and sit their stars for an NFL playoff run. Favre is in the top 10 for QBs in standard fantasy formats, so he should net you a slumping QB and a solid RB/WR.
Pierre Thomas: I think Thomas is too sporadic to count on anyway, what with Reggie Bush and Mike Bell in the backfield. Too many RBs kill fantasy value and that is just what is happening to Thomas.
Reggie Wayne: The Colts and Peyton Manning are on a roll, and that success trickles down to Wayne. The problem is that Indianapolis is 9-0 right now and the team doesn’t want to take a risk in injuring anyone with a Super Bowl well within their grasp. I see Wayne sitting more than he plays right when you need him most.
Miles Austin: Roy E. Williams has complained and complained until the Cowboys had no choice but to make him their #1 WR again. Defenses are also treating Austin as a true #1 by double-teaming him most of the game, so he is someone I am selling high on.
Start ‘em
Kurt Warner: Going up against his old team (St. Louis) will certainly light a fire in Warner, for sure. I’m not a big fan of Steve Breaston or Tim Hightower in fantasy terms, but Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin are top-tier WRs and Chris Wells is going to be pretty good if Arizona ever commits to the run.
Carson Palmer: For those who own someone like Kyle Orton, Matt Ryan, or even Joe Flacco, you’ll want to give Palmer a definite look. The new-look Bengals travel to Oakland to face the Raiders, so this is as close to a scrimmage as you will get in-season.
Jason Snelling: With Michael Turner almost a lock to sit out week 11, I am going to give Snelling a start and see if he can hit that 100+ yard mark with a TD against the Giants. They are ranked 13th against the run and Matt Ryan really needs a running game for his WRs to see daylight in this one.
Ricky Williams: With Ronnie Brown out for the rest of this season, Williams becomes an elite fantasy RB in that Miami offense. Add to that the Carolina Panthers’ 25th ranked run defense, and you have a recipe for success.
Steve Smith (CAR): This is one of the only weeks I will put either Smith to start because Miami is 27th against the pass and Smith is coming off a two-TD performance in which he only yielded 34 yards. If he can just get some more targets, he could turn in a 100-yard game for the first time since week 2.
Brandon Marshall: Since the Chargers are likely to stop Denver from moving the ball in this one, someone has to come out a winner and I think Marshall catches Orton’s eye again this week. I mean, when you really look at it, the Broncos are Marshall and “the other guys.”
Vernon Davis: Now, after last week’s abysmal performance (3 catches for 16 yards), many people are going to let Davis ride the bench this week. I, personally, will give him another shot against Green Bay because Alex Smith needs to bounce back and Davis is his only real weapon.
Cincinnati Bengals defense: The Bengals defense is ranked within the top five in most standard formats, and that is a shock to people outside of Cincinnati. This week the Bengals face the Oakland Raiders and their newly-anointed starting QB. Just when you think things can’t get any worse in Oakland, the Bengals come to town.
Sit ‘em
Kyle Orton: Speaking of the devil, Orton has reverted back to his old self as of late. He hasn’t throw for more than 229 yards since week 6 and in that same span he has 4 TDs to 3 INTs. I’ve never been a fan of Orton and you shouldn’t be playing him against the Chargers’ suddenly-hot defense.
Jason Campbell: People are talking about Campbell because he has thrown a touchdown in each of his last three games. Campbell faces off in a huge division rivalry game against Dallas, and even though they are ranked 18th against the pass, I don’t see Campbell finishing the week as a QB1 play.
Marion Barber: It came out this week that the Dallas coaching staff wants to “feature” Felix Jones more in the offense, so where does that leave Marion the Barbarian? At best I think he will be a low-end flex play against the Redskins and I won’t play him until I know exactly what they were talking about with Jones.
Knowshon Moreno: Moreno hasn’t really been the starting fantasy RB that we all wanted in the preseason. He is averaging just 3.9 YPC and has scored just two TDs all season long. This week the Broncos match up with the Chargers and like Orton, I would just say no.
Lee Evans: As the QB carousel goes round-n-round in Buffalo, this week it stopped on Ryan Fitzpatrick’s name. And, anyone who knows about Fitzpatrick (Bengals fans and Chad Ochocinco), that is not a good thing for Evans and Terrell Owens. Look elsewhere or expect only WR3 type of numbers.
Chris Chambers: I’ve had more than just a few emails asking if Chambers is worth starting with Bowe out until week 15. The answer is maybe in week 14 against the Bills, but not until then as they face the Steelers, Chargers, and Broncos. Kansas City was bad before Bowe was suspended and they are even worse after the suspension.
Jason Witten: Witten has to be on the fantasy bust list for this season and I don’t think it will get any better this week. Washington has the #1-ranked pass defense and Tony Romo only has eyes for Roy Williams these days.
Baltimore Ravens defense: The Ravens are perpetually at the top of everyone’s fantasy defense list. But this week they face Peyton Manning and his offensive circus and I wouldn’t play the Ravens for any reason this week. I’d pick up the Titans or 49ers off the waiver wire before I played the Ravens defense this week.
Question of the week
Q: What is the win/loss record of teams playing games after the head coach has been fired in-season. Or, is this Dick Jauron firing a good thing or a bad thing for the Jaguars? (Bill from Hamilton)
A: Usually teams will try and rally around the adversity. I don't see how this helps or hurts the Jaguars since the Bills aren't in the same division and they are 3-6 to Jacksonville's 5-4.
I mean seriously... the Bills were 3-6 with Jauron and they have no QB, no TE, no run defense, and a new offensive coordinator after he fired his guy right after the season started. I don't think it helps nor hurts the Jaguars... apples and oranges.
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