Fantasy Football 2018: Start or sit for Week 11

Start

Phillip Lindsay at Los Angeles Chargers- The beauty in starting a guy like Phillip Lindsay is the volume that comes with him. Over the past three games before hitting a bye week, Lindsay has averaged just over 18 touches per game in Denver’s offense. According to FantasyPros.com, Lindsay has led all running backs in snaps since week six, and that trend should continue as the Broncos travel to LA with fellow back Royce Freeman sitting as questionable due to an ankle injury.

Despite only allowing three scores on the ground thus far, it is noteworthy the Chargers defense allows just over 112 rushing yards per game to go along with 4.5 yards per carry. With Lindsay’s consistency (only once since Week 4 has he received less than double-digit touches or scored less than double-digit fantasy points) added to his volume (49 rushing attempts the last three weeks), there’s a lot to like going into Week 11.

Alex Collins vs. Cincinnati- The Bengals come into this contest allowing over five yards per carry, paving way for Alex Collins to (hopefully) run rampant on what is a simply a beaten down Bengals defensive unit. Collins is somewhat touchdown dependent, as only one game this season scored over 10 points without having a score to his name. However, Collins has scored in his last 3-of-4 contests, and will look to continue that trend against a Cincy defense with 11 touchdowns allowed on the ground thus far.

Another factor that could potentially work in Collins’ favor: The possibility of Joe Flacco not suiting up due to injury. Jamison Hensley, Ravens beat reporter for ESPN, said Lamar Jackson is “Very prepared to start”, signaling Jackson may have the green light to replace Flacco, even if the latter is deemed healthy. With Jackson not particularly honed on his passing precision, this may tempt the Ravens to keep things moving on the ground, which bodes well for Collins in an already favorable matchup.

Sit

Jordan Howard vs. Minnesota- This NFC North battle figures to be a defensive slug-fest, fending off fantasy football eye-candy despite the big names in this matchup. Jordan Howard has slowly but surely watched Tarik Cohen gain favorable touches over the course of the season, limiting Howard to an almost strictly rushing role (only two catches since Week 4).

However, Howard still registers the rushing attempts to remain fantasy relevant. Yet in a matchup against a Vikings front allowing a mere 3.6 yards per carry along with 88 yards allowed per game (top three in both categories), Howard’s fantasy value in Week 11 takes a decent hit. Game-flow will say Cohen takes over the game from a running back standpoint thanks to his pass-catching abilities, leaving Howard minimal opportunity to have a great statistical day.

Marlon Mack vs Tennessee- Marlon Mack’s lesser-appeal mirrors that of Howard’s. A halfback used primarily on rushing downs that doesn’t get favorable pass-catching attention due to a specialized running back splitting snaps with him. It’s as if you could swap the running back corps for the Bears and Colts. Mack has seen greater success than Howard in 2018, yet has been limited when facing tough defensive fronts such as the Redskins (four points), Jets (nine points) and Jaguars (six points).

On deck is a Titans front seven that allows just 3.9 yards per carry with only four rushing touchdowns allowed through Week 10. This divisional matchup appears to be more tailored to quarterback play, and thus favors those dreaded pass-catching backs (in this case, Nyheim Hines is the culprit). Fantasy football is about minimizing risk for bad showings, and Mack simply doesn’t offer much against his match-up in week eleven.