Washington is a great matchup for WRs over the past month. Photo via Texans/Facebook
Week 11 is already here and I’m back to give out more sleeper plays. My standard for a good fantasy game is around 100 total yards and/or a TD, and this is for PPR scoring. A game with a lot of catches helps too, obviously. Of course, the bar is a little lower for TEs.
I went 7-6 last week, and you can check out that article here. Not my best work, but certainly not terrible either. I will continue to look for players that can help you with the bye week blues. These players are in no particular order.
QB
Dak Prescott (DAL): The Falcons have allowed 9TDs in their last 4 games and Prescott is playing better with the addition of Amari Cooper. Count on a lot of points getting scored in this game, and the Falcons are giving up over 27FPTS/G to QBs over their last 4 games. Plus, Prescott can get some yards with his legs.
Matthew Stafford (DET): It’s hard to get excited about Stafford, but he’s playing at home with a terrific matchup. The Panthers have given up 15 passing TDs in their last 5 games. He’s worth a flyer if you really need a QB this week.
RB
Alex Collins (BAL): I’m not sure what to expect at QB for the Ravens this week, but I like Collins to score some points. The Bengals are allowing over 5.5 yards per carry to RBs in their last 4 games, and the defense is banged up. Over their last 4 games, Cincinnati has allowed almost 40FPTS/G to RBs.
Mark Ingram (NO): I put him in this article last week, and he came through BIG TIME. The Eagles are a Top 5 matchup for RBs over their last 4 games and allowing 6.6 yards per carry.
David Johnson (ARI): He’s playing the Raiders. That is all.
Phillip Lindsay (DEN): The Chargers give up almost 27FPTS/G to the position over their last 4, and dude is fast.
WR
Demaryius Thomas (HOU): Thomas has a great opportunity against a Washington defense that’s giving up almost 45FPTS/G to WRs. I know he's still learning the offense, but I think Thomas and Hopkins go off here.
TY Hilton (IND): The Titans are a Top 5 matchup for WRs over the last month, Hilton is at home for this game, and Luck hasn’t been sacked in his last 4 games.
Amari Cooper (DAL): I like Dak this week, so it makes a lot of sense that I think Cooper comes through as well. I’ve been on the Cooper train since he was traded, and I don’t see that changing in this potential shootout with the Falcons. The Falcons are allowing over 41FPTS/G to WRs over their last 4 games.
Corey Davis (TEN): The matchup isn’t great, but Davis should continue to get a ton of volume.
Sammy Watkins (KC): If he practices all week with no setbacks, he's a great play.
TE
Austin Hooper (ATL): Hooper was in this article last week and he had a HUGE game. I like his matchup against the Cowboys this week with them allowing 23 catches to TEs in their last 4 games. Dallas gives up almost 17FPTS/G to TEs over the last month.
O.J. Howard (TB): The Giants have given up 29 catches to TEs over the last month. You could certainly do worse at the wasteland that is TE this year.
That’s all I have for this week. For more fantasy info, make sure you check out my show Moneyline on ESPN 97.5 every Sunday from 10-noon. Jerry Bo and I will get you ready for kickoff and answer any questions you may have. Also, follow us on Twitter.
Good luck in Week 11!
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The Texans make just their third ever visit to Lambeau Field Sunday. It’s a dandy matchup as the Texans try to run their record to 6-1 at the expense of the 4-2 Green Bay Packers. The Texans have one win and one loss in Wisconsin. In 2008 the gameday high temperature was 13 degrees. Kris Brown kicked a 40 yard field goal as time expired to give the Texans a 24-21 win over a Packers team that struggled to a 6-10 record under first-year starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The Texans posted their second consecutive 8-8 finish that year. In 2016 the mercury reached a balmy high of 34 degrees as the Texans fell 21-13 at Lambeau. Inexplicably, Rodgers somehow managed to win the quarterback matchup with Brock Osweiler. The Texans and Packers each won their division that year. Both Texans’ trips to “America’s Dairyland” occurred in December. No risk of frozen tundra this time around. The forecast for Green Bay Sunday calls for a high of 75 degrees! That’s almost 20 degrees warmer than normal there for October 20.
It’s a dynamic QB matchup with C.J. Stroud and Jordan Love sharing the field. Love broke out in a huge way in 2023 after serving a two-year apprenticeship under Rodgers. After a stumbling 3-6 start to their season the Packers went 6-2 the rest of the way to snag a playoff spot. They obliterated the Cowboys in a Wild Card game in Arlington (before everyone obliterated the Cowboys in Arlington...) then led at the 49ers with under 90 seconds to go before San Francisco scored to win 24-21. The Packers made crystal clear their belief in Love by signing him to a four-year 220 million dollar contract extension in July. That’s 55 mil per season. Stroud becomes extension-eligible after next season. Anyone think he won’t be in position to command at least 65 mil per season?
Stroud sure looks to be the guy to finally give the Texans the long-term stability and excellence they have never had at the most important position in the sport. The Pack is all in on Love continuing its unreal long-term QB stability and excellence. Love took the reins after Rodgers helmed the offense for 15 seasons. Rodgers took the reins after Brett Favre’s 16-year tenure. So if Love makes it for nine years as the starter, that’s three primary QBs in 40 years. Absolutely amazing.
After missing two games because of a sprained knee ligament suffered in the final seconds of the Packers’ season opening loss to the Eagles in Brazil, Love has thrown 10 touchdown passes in three games. But he has only completed 59 percent of his passes, and has thrown at least one interception per game.
The Texans’ first trip to the NFC North this season went brutally badly, the 34-7 beatdown from Minnesota. The Vikings beat the Packers 31-29 in week four of the season. That was Love’s first game back, he threw four touchdown passes and three picks. One defensive weapon the Texans will have against the Pack they did not have against the Vikes is Denico Autry. The 34-year-old Autry returns from his six-game banned substance suspension. That happens as one of the fill-ins for him, Mario Edwards, starts his own four-game substance abuse suspension. That should be a net improvement for the Texans.
X-factors
The single biggest variable in swinging the outcome of football games is turnovers. So far this season the Packers have been a takeaway machine. Last season the Packers generated just 18 turnovers over their 17 regular season games, only six teams took the ball away less often. Through just six games this season the Packers already have 17 takeaways. No other NFL team has more than 13, the Texans have just seven. The Packers have produced exactly three turnovers in five of their six games, and got two in the other. Every defense preaches turnovers, so it’s not as if first-year Green Bay defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley has introduced radical concepts that are yielding magical results. But the results are what they are.
If the Texans take care of the ball, they have a terrific chance to win. Having Joe Mixon back aids the cause on two fronts. One, Mixon is obviously the Texans’ best running back. Two, Mixon last fumbled in 2021. The Texans probably best plan to score 25 or more points to win this one because the Packers figure to score a bit. In Love’s four starts the Pack has lit the scoreboard for 29, 29, 24, and 34 points. On the other hand, the Texans’ D has been pretty stout, allowing the third-fewest yards per game (Green Bay rates 18th). It’s a strength vs. strength battle. The Texans have allowed no opponent more than 313 yards in total offense. The Packers have amassed at least 378 yards in five of their six games, and managed 328 in their worst performance.
For Texans’ conversation, catch Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and me on our Texans On Tap podcasts. Thursdays feature a preview of the upcoming game, and then we go live (then available on demand) after the final gun of the game: Texans on Tap - YouTube
The Astros are always in season for discussion. Our Stone Cold ‘Stros podcasts drop Mondays: Click here to watch!