NFL Week 11 Fantasy Notes

NOTE: Our advice, as it does on our FANTASYDRAFTHELP.COM INSIDER weekly program (Thursdays, 9-11 PM EDT on SportsTalkNetwork.com), is based on helping you determine which of your marginal starters are worth a play this week. Hopefully, your initial draft/auction efforts were successful, because frankly, “playing the matchups” is far from an exact science regardless of what you will be told by other advisory services claiming to possess a crystal ball. But our weekly game notes are designed to try to help you maximize the potential of your situation. We will post this preface to the notes every week to remind you of the context of our advice.

Sunday, Nov. 18
Arizona at Cincinnati 1:00 pm An all-in air show!
Carolina at Green Bay 1:00 pm Grant and Jennings should be able to put up good production against a reeling Panther team. The Foster/Williams tandem should be sitting.
Cleveland at Baltimore 1:00 pm Notwithstanding the horrible Browns’ defense, Mason is the only marginal player in the Baltimore passing game to merit starting here. Lewis doesn’t have a good matchup here, a punch-in at the goal line looks like the best-case scenario.
Kansas City at Indianapolis 1:00 pm The Croyle mistake will set back the KC O even further, starting here. WR Thorpe will get many footballs coming his way from Manning.
Miami at Philadelphia 1:00 pm Since the Miami pass defense is far better than their runstoppers, this is a surprising all-out game for marginal starters (Miami doesn’t merit any starters at all until further notice).
New Orleans at Houston 1:00 pm The Katrina Relocation Bowl features a few occasional starters worth a look: WRs Patten and Walter and TE Daniels). Andre Johnson owners will be happy for the first time in quite awhile.
Oakland at Minnesota 1:00 pm So much has gone downhill for both teams since Super Bowl XI! While both defenses are vulnerable, this is an all-out game considering the putrid state of the offenses.
San Diego at Jacksonville 1:00 pm RB Taylor will get enough use in the rotation with Jones-Drew to give the Jags two fantasy starters in the backfield. Rivers is not a good start, but Chambers will be.
Tampa Bay at Atlanta 1:00 pm Don’t read too much into Atlanta’s recent success. All of the marginal Bucs should be going here, though.
N.Y. Giants at Detroit 1:00 pm Johnson should be matched against nickel and dime backs, not the strength of the Giant D, so he should go off big-time. No RBs appear poised for a big game based on matchups.
Pittsburgh at N.Y. Jets 4:05 pm Inasmuch as we don’t consider any element of the Steeler passing game as an optional start, this is another all-out game.
Washington at Dallas 4:15 pm The Skins should be playing from behind and therefore passing a great deal, so all-in!
St. Louis at San Francisco 4:15 pm Ike Bruce is the only non slam-dunk starter in this game. The 49’er offense is radioactive right now, but still not to the point of benching Gore. Never panic and sit the players you need the most, no matter how disappointing they have been.
Chicago at Seattle 4:15 pm Hasselbeck is back to every-week status, as the passing game is the dominant component of the offense. Look for Engram to keep finding a way to be productive and monitor the health of Alexander.
New England at Buffalo 8:15 pm Just as the Skins will be struggling to keep up in their game, so will the Bills – so Losman is worth a look for once, if only for garbage time. Watson should be back and in your lineup as well.

Monday, Nov. 19
Tennessee at Denver, 8:30 pm Our forecast about the demise of the Titan passing game was right – more talent is needed at WR. Beware of RB Henry against this defense even if he’s healthy. RB White will run rampant, however.