Week 10 was fairly uneventful as far as shifting of playing time and injuries that are relevant to fantasy football, compared to recent weeks. There were, however a handful of things that could change how your teams look heading into week 11. For starters, Mike Vick, Alex Smith, and Jay Cutler all went down with "significant" concussions, and should be out at least week 11. Smith is the only QB here with a chance to start. Ben Roethlisberger has a rare shoulder/rib problem, and could be out a while. And with Eli Manning and free agent backup QB's Ponder, Locker, and Wilson on byes this week, you may have a problem heading into the week if you own any of these quarterbacks. It's shaping up as if DMC/Goodson will be out another week, Ahmad Bradshaw owners hope he gets back to 100% during the bye, and the hopes of DeMarco Murray and Mendenhall coming back continue to remain dim. Let's check out a few players who should be available to plug into lineups this week.
1 - Nick Foles QB PHI - Hopefully, you had a backup plan for annually injured Mike Vick going into the season, if you took him as your starter. If Cutler, Big Ben, or Smith was that plan, you could be scrambling right about now. Nick Foles will look to lead the Eagles to their first win in 7 weeks, and Washington could be the right place to look for that win. Foles has been described by coach Reid as a guy with smarts, a big arm, and excellent vision down-field. All things that Vick has been lacking of late. Foles is owned in just 12% of leagues, and is coming off of a week 10 emergency play, where he completed nearly 70% of his passes with a score (albeit with two turnovers) against a tough Dallas D. Foles might be the best available quarterback this week, and has a fantastic matchup. You may want to wait and see which QB2's are dropped (managers who had recent QB byes), but add Foles if you have to and keep your hopes up.
2 - Danario Alexander WR SD - At this point, you shouldn't be needing a bye week WR, but if you do - or if you are having some depth issues, take a gander at the 14% owned Alexander. Danario is coming off of a 5-134-1 week in which he cemented his status as WR2 in San Diego. Castoff Robert Meachem has worked his way into a reserve role, and Alexander is gaining momentum as he builds rapport with Phillip Rivers. Deep leaguers should feel confident in starting Alexander as a WR3 or FLEX play until he proves otherwise - his knee is reportedly better than it's ever been - and as the Chargers look to keep games close, they will lean on Super Danario and Malcolm Floyd.
3 - Daniel Thomas RB MIA - Thomas may be the most mentioned player on PFS, but that's with good reason. We have been a fan of Thomas' game for quite some time now, and the opportunities for him appear to be growing with each game. Reggie Bush has just 32 touches with just one score and two fumbles over his past three games. Thomas has 34 touches, no fumbles and a score over that same time frame. Coach Joe Philbin has been concerned with Bush's play, and has moved the Dolphin running back situation into a full-on time share. Thomas stands to benefit most, and can almost be trusted as a deep league FLEX play. Take a look and see if the 32% owned Thomas is available in your league.
4 - Sam Bradford QB STL - Bradford could prove to be your last hope at QB heading into the week. And there may not be much reason to worry - Sam is coming off of a week 10 game vs. San Fransisco where he put up 275 yards and two scores with 0 turnovers. The return of Danny Amendola can be attributed to Sam's success last week, and they should continue to post some nice fantasy points for desperate owners this week vs. the Jets. San Fransisco has a much better defense than the Jets, and with weapons like Amendola, Givens, and Gibson, and Steven Jackson turning into a beast over the last couple of weeks, Bradford could certainly help your team should you need him this week. You could certainly do worse than 16 points or so in a desperation play at your QB position.
5 - Emmanuel Sanders WR PIT - The Steelers fantasy stars were posting some tasty numbers early on, but injuries have left this team decimated. Big Ben Roethlisberger is probably out for a couple of weeks, and reports that Antonio Brown and Rashard Mendenhall will also be out at least this week. That pretty much leaves Heath Miller, Mike Wallace, and Sanders as relief valves for backup QB Charlie Batch. Sanders can play inside and outside, and should have no problem racking up a handful of catches across the middle Sunday night vs. the Ravens. Grab Sanders should you need him, and expect a line to the tune of 5 or 6 catches for 60-70 yards and hopefully a score. Sanders is owned in just 23% of Y! leagues, and Jerricho Cotchery is an afterthought. Remember that Sanders had 7 targets in a very, very nasty-weather game last week with Batch at the helm.
1 - Nick Foles QB PHI - Hopefully, you had a backup plan for annually injured Mike Vick going into the season, if you took him as your starter. If Cutler, Big Ben, or Smith was that plan, you could be scrambling right about now. Nick Foles will look to lead the Eagles to their first win in 7 weeks, and Washington could be the right place to look for that win. Foles has been described by coach Reid as a guy with smarts, a big arm, and excellent vision down-field. All things that Vick has been lacking of late. Foles is owned in just 12% of leagues, and is coming off of a week 10 emergency play, where he completed nearly 70% of his passes with a score (albeit with two turnovers) against a tough Dallas D. Foles might be the best available quarterback this week, and has a fantastic matchup. You may want to wait and see which QB2's are dropped (managers who had recent QB byes), but add Foles if you have to and keep your hopes up.
2 - Danario Alexander WR SD - At this point, you shouldn't be needing a bye week WR, but if you do - or if you are having some depth issues, take a gander at the 14% owned Alexander. Danario is coming off of a 5-134-1 week in which he cemented his status as WR2 in San Diego. Castoff Robert Meachem has worked his way into a reserve role, and Alexander is gaining momentum as he builds rapport with Phillip Rivers. Deep leaguers should feel confident in starting Alexander as a WR3 or FLEX play until he proves otherwise - his knee is reportedly better than it's ever been - and as the Chargers look to keep games close, they will lean on Super Danario and Malcolm Floyd.
3 - Daniel Thomas RB MIA - Thomas may be the most mentioned player on PFS, but that's with good reason. We have been a fan of Thomas' game for quite some time now, and the opportunities for him appear to be growing with each game. Reggie Bush has just 32 touches with just one score and two fumbles over his past three games. Thomas has 34 touches, no fumbles and a score over that same time frame. Coach Joe Philbin has been concerned with Bush's play, and has moved the Dolphin running back situation into a full-on time share. Thomas stands to benefit most, and can almost be trusted as a deep league FLEX play. Take a look and see if the 32% owned Thomas is available in your league.
4 - Sam Bradford QB STL - Bradford could prove to be your last hope at QB heading into the week. And there may not be much reason to worry - Sam is coming off of a week 10 game vs. San Fransisco where he put up 275 yards and two scores with 0 turnovers. The return of Danny Amendola can be attributed to Sam's success last week, and they should continue to post some nice fantasy points for desperate owners this week vs. the Jets. San Fransisco has a much better defense than the Jets, and with weapons like Amendola, Givens, and Gibson, and Steven Jackson turning into a beast over the last couple of weeks, Bradford could certainly help your team should you need him this week. You could certainly do worse than 16 points or so in a desperation play at your QB position.
5 - Emmanuel Sanders WR PIT - The Steelers fantasy stars were posting some tasty numbers early on, but injuries have left this team decimated. Big Ben Roethlisberger is probably out for a couple of weeks, and reports that Antonio Brown and Rashard Mendenhall will also be out at least this week. That pretty much leaves Heath Miller, Mike Wallace, and Sanders as relief valves for backup QB Charlie Batch. Sanders can play inside and outside, and should have no problem racking up a handful of catches across the middle Sunday night vs. the Ravens. Grab Sanders should you need him, and expect a line to the tune of 5 or 6 catches for 60-70 yards and hopefully a score. Sanders is owned in just 23% of Y! leagues, and Jerricho Cotchery is an afterthought. Remember that Sanders had 7 targets in a very, very nasty-weather game last week with Batch at the helm.
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