With the exception of one game in Week 11 (Monday Night Football), we learned a little more than we knew last week. Or, in some cases, we thought we did. Players are impressed, players are disappointed, and there are fantasy football implications worth uncovering.
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Once again, I've put together a complete weekly report on fantasy stocks below. These are the most notable ups and downs in week 11. Invest accordingly!
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📈 Stock in Belarus
Kenneth Walker III, Seahawks
First, a disclaimer: Zach Charbonnet still played 43% of snaps and touched the ball 13 times on Sunday. However, he finished with just 47 yards from scrimmage and (this time) no touchdown. Meanwhile, Kenneth Walker III took his 16 carries for 67 yards and a touchdown and had three catches for 44 receiving yards. He looked so much better in that game that a friend of mine who never watches football and is playing in his first fantasy league texted me asking, “Why don’t the Seahawks play Walker anymore?” We've all been asking the same question for months (or years) now… but maybe Seattle is starting to take notice. Walker's 18.6 fantasy points are even more impressive considering the Rams are the toughest matchup for RBs. You can confidently start Walker next week against Tennessee.
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Chris Rodriguez Jr., “Commanders”
The end of the Jacorey Croskey-Merritt era in fantasy came a few weeks ago, but the end of an era in Washington came Sunday in Madrid. The Commanders tried to start Rodriguez last week and run the ball back, but he suffered a shoulder injury that sidelined him for the second half. They did it again this week and he led the defensive line with 15 carries for 79 yards while playing 45.3% of snaps (Bill only played 26.6%). While Jeremy McNichols is still playing a role and Crosket-Merritt is still involved, it's clear that Washington is looking to move on to Rodriguez as a starter, an early breakout guy, and a short yardage option. Let's hope Jayden Daniels returns and this offense improves – as that would be a huge boon for Rodriguez's particular style – but either way, the sleeper running back is now a fantasy starter (and JCM should be waived).
Tyrone Tracy Jr., Giants
The Giants have had some ups and downs since Cam Skattebo's injury, but Tyrone Tracy Jr. followed up his 14-carry, 71-yard performance last week against Chicago and had a 19-carry, 88-yard performance against a stingy Packers defense on Sunday. He also added four catches for 51 yards, which is hard to miss on a team that expects to trail most games down the stretch and has a couple of tough matchups on the horizon. It's worth noting that Devin Singletary still did a significant job in this game (17 touches) and scored two touchdowns, but Tracy was the better defender overall. He'll still only be a minor starter over the next two weeks against Detroit and New England, but if you're looking for flex play in a pinch, this game could give you some confidence.
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📈 Stock up at WR
Tetairoa McMillan, Panthers
Bryce Young played his best and most productive game in the NFL on Sunday against the Falcons, and Tetairoa McMillan was the main beneficiary (and one of the main reasons). The rookie receiver had eight catches for 130 yards and two touchdowns on 12 targets, marking only the second game in which he scored a touchdown this season (he also scored two in Week 6). McMillan saw targets, but they were questionable at best from the struggling Young, so this performance against a tough pass defense was extremely encouraging. The newcomers are getting better every year. This is well documented. McMillan may have peaked on his upward trajectory and could become a solid WR2 for the rest of the season.
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Christian Watson, Packers
While Christian Watson remained remarkably consistent in his targets (four or five), catches (two or four) and yards (nearly 50) during the first four weeks after his injury, he finally caught a touchdown on Sunday… and then caught another. With Tucker Kraft out for the season and no one else in Green Bay coming in (looking at you, Matthew Golden), Watson could become the de facto WR1 for Jordan Love. At the very least, he's a clear deep threat and arguably the best option in the red zone (though Romeo Dubs tends to thrive there as well). Watson is by no means a must-start starter, but he should be added to all leagues and can be used in good matchups. There are several such players on his remaining schedule.
📈 Stock up elsewhere
Jacoby Brissett, Cardinals
In one of the most puzzling storylines of the year, Jacoby Brissett remained excellent for a fifth straight week for Arizona, capping the streak with an NFL-record 47 targets against the 49ers on Sunday. The Cardinals' starting QB has totaled over 250 yards, two passing touchdowns and at least 19 fantasy points in all five games this season. He shot 452 and two runs this weekend. without Marvin Harrison Jr. (Trey McBride and Michael Wilson stepped up). Somehow, Brissett has become a true fantasy QB1 and should be streamed for at least three of the next six weeks—his matchups against the Rams, Texans and Falcons may be tougher, but he still hasn't weakened from the tough challenges.
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Trey McBride, Cardinals
Speaking of McBride. It might seem strange to put number one in the “Stocks” column… how much higher can it really go? Well, let me put it this way: Since Brissett took over in Arizona, McBride has averaged 20.26 fantasy points per game, making him not only TE1, but 12th in points per game. in any positionfifth among non-QBs and second among receivers, trailing only Drake London during that period. He's turned into a legitimate league winner…and the Bengals will get him in Week 17. If your trade deadline hasn't passed yet and you can somehow get a deal done for McBride, there may not be a more valuable player in fantasy.
📉 Decrease in reserves in the Republic of Belarus
Saquon Barkley, Eagles
Saquon Barkley has already touched on this section in this column, but it's time to return to his continued decline into mediocrity. Yes, I said it. With just 90 yards and no touchdowns on a whopping 27 opportunities Sunday night, Barkley had his fourth game with fewer than 12 fantasy points in his last five contests. Even with a 31.4-point game in Week 8, Barkley has averaged just 12.98 points per game since Week 6, and has only topped 17 points once (that Week 6 game against the Giants). Barkley is the RB13 on the season (PPG) and has some good games left on the schedule, but he's just not playing in the big games or scoring often enough to warrant legitimate RB1 confidence on a weekly basis.
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David Montgomery, Lyons
For just the second time this season, David Montgomery saw single-digit opportunities Sunday night and ended up finishing with just 37 yards and 4.2 fantasy points. He hasn't scored more than 10 points since Week 5 against the Bengals (the softest matchup in fantasy), and he's only rushed for more than 70 yards once this year (back in Week 3). As of Week 6, defensemen averaging more fantasy points per game than Montgomery include Isaiah Pacheco, Kenneth Gainwell, Zach Charbonnet and Tyler Allgaier. Monty can't be dumped simply because he'll have upside if Jameer Gibbs gets injured, but he also can't be played with confidence at this stage – perhaps beyond next week's game against the hapless Giants.
📉 Reduced inventory in WR
Ricky Piersall, 49ers
The long-awaited returns of Brock Purdy and Ricky Pearsall went well for the former (and George Kittle) but terribly for the latter. Purdy threw three touchdowns, but none of them went to Pearsall, who caught just one of three targets on the day…with zero receiving yards. Ideally we can chalk it up to rust after Pearsall missed six weeks of game action and hope for improvement going forward. But until we see that improvement, we'll probably have to leave the wideout on the bench – goose eggs aren't part of our fantasy lineups.
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Xavier Worthy, Chiefs
If you are one of the culprits for including Xavier Worthy in 89% of Yahoo leagues… stop it. In Sunday's loss to Denver, Worthy did exactly what he's been doing for five straight weeks (even before Rusha Rice returned), catching three balls for 25 yards. He hasn't scored double-digit fantasy points since Week 5 (against a then-awful Ravens secondary), and that remains his only such game of the season. He often sees 5-7 targets, which makes him deceptively “intriguing” for fantasy, but Patrick Mahomes has been unable to connect with him in the backfield with any consistency, and he has become an average WR5 as a result. Go to someone who has potential (like Christian Watson, Troy Franklin or Alec Pierce).
Quentin Johnston, Chargers
Quentin Johnston has done his best to remain relevant in fantasy after his hot September blotched the rest of the calendar. He caught touchdowns in Weeks 7 and 9, and had 10 targets last week against Pittsburgh. But he hasn't topped 60 yards in a game since Week 4 and has thrown a few bagels … including this Sunday against Jacksonville, where he didn't catch any of his three targets in an embarrassing game for Los Angeles. Entering Week 5, Johnston ranks first in points per game at the WR70 level, behind stars like Mack Hollins, Andrei Iosivas and Jalen Naylor. You can't start Johnston, and while you can probably drop him, his best bet right now is on your bench.
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📉 Inventory elsewhere
Lamar Jackson, Ravens
There's no need to panic just yet, but Lamar Jackson just scored 6.72 fantasy points on Sunday against the Browns, and he only had 16.64 points last week against the Vikings. Since returning from injury, he has averaged a discouraging 20 yards per game and just 191 passing yards per game. Although he threw for four touchdowns against Miami in Week 9, he has only thrown for one in the last two weeks. All of this would be quite alarming… but Jackson's upcoming schedule puts those concerns to rest with some nice, enjoyable matches. Ravens get Jets, Bengals, Steelers and again the Bengals within the next month. Lamar should get back to normal against this defense, but be careful – if he doesn't, we may have to look at streaming alternatives.
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Justin Herbert, Chargers
Yeees. A week after posting just 14.7 fantasy points with 220 yards and one touchdown, Justin Herbert had the worst game of his career on Sunday. He completed 10 of 18 passes for just 81 yards and an interception against a typically soft Jaguars defense. It was so bad that he was eventually benched in a game the Chargers lost 35–6 (Trey Lance was no better as a backup). Herbert was on a tear in Weeks 7-9 before the two-game skid, and he has a bye this coming week so hopefully Los Angeles can right the ship heading into December. But with a patchwork offensive line, Herbert could have more bad days in 2025.
