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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Astros keep doing this, and it’s getting hard to ignore
Jun 25, 2025, 10:01 pm
While the rolling Astros have a week of possible World Series preview matchups against the Phillies and Cubs, it’s the Rockets who made the biggest local sports headline with their acquisition of Kevin Durant. What a move! Of course there is risk involved in trading for a guy soon to turn 37 years old and who carries an injury history, but balancing risk vs. reward is a part of the game. This is a fabulous move for the Rockets. It’s understood that there are dissenters to this view. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, including people with the wrong opinion! Let’s dig in.
The Rockets had a wonderful season in winning 52 games before their disappointing first-round playoff loss to the Warriors, but like everyone else in the Western Conference, they were nowhere close to Oklahoma City’s caliber. While they finished second in the West, the Rockets only finished four games ahead of the play-in. That letting the stew simmer with further growth among their young players would yield true championship contention was no given for 2025-26 or beyond.
Kevin Durant is one of the 10 greatest offensive players the NBA has ever seen. Among his current contemporaries only Stephen Curry and Nikola Jokic make that list. For instance, Durant offensively has clearly been better than the late and legendary Kobe Bryant. To view it from a Houston perspective, Durant has been an indisputably greater offensive force than the amazing Hakeem Olajuwon. But this is not a nostalgia trip in which the Rockets are trading for a guy based on what he used to be. While Durant could hit the wall at any point, living in fear that it’s about to happen is no way to live because KD, approaching his 18th NBA season, is still an elite offensive player.
As to the durability concern, Durant played more games (62) this past season than did Fred VanVleet, Jabari Smith, and Tari Eason. The season before he played more games (75) than did VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, and Alperen Sengun. In each of the last two seasons Durant averaged more minutes per game (36.9) than any Rocket. That was stupid and/or desperate of the Suns, the Rockets will be smarter. Not that the workload eroded Durant’s production or efficiency. Over the two seasons he averaged almost 27 points per game while shooting 52 percent from the floor, 42 percent from behind the three-point line, and 85 percent from the free throw line. Awesomeness. The Rockets made the leap to being a very good team despite a frankly crummy half-court offense. The Rockets ranked 21st among the 30 NBA teams in three-point percentage, and dead last in free throw percentage. Amen Thompson has an array of skills and looks poised to be a unique star. Alas, Thompson has no credible jump shot. VanVleet is not a creator, Smith has limited handle. Adding Durant directly addresses the Rockets’ most glaring weakness.
The price the Rockets paid was in the big picture, minimal, unless you think Jalen Green is going to become a bonafide star. Green is still just 23 years old and spectacular athletically, but nothing he has done over four pro seasons suggests he’s on the cusp of greatness. In no season has Green even shot the league average from the floor or from three. His defense has never been as good as it should be given his athleticism. Compared to some other two-guards who made the NBA move one year removed from high school, four seasons into his career Green is waaaaaay behind where Shae Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards, and Devin Booker were four seasons in, and now well behind his draft classmate Cade Cunningham. Dillon Brooks was a solid pro in two seasons here and shot a career-best from three in 2024-2025, but he’s being replaced by Kevin Durant! In terms of the draft pick capital sent to Phoenix, five second round picks are essentially meaningless. The Rockets have multiple extra first round picks in the coming years. As for the sole first-rounder dealt away, whichever player the Rockets would have taken 10th Wednesday night would have been rather unlikely to crack the playing rotation.
VanVleet signs extension
Re-signing Fred VanVleet to a two-year, 50 million dollar guarantee is sensible. In a vacuum, VanVleet was substantially overpaid at the over 40 mil he made per season the last two. He’s a middle-of-the-pack starting point guard. But his professionalism and headiness brought major value to the Rockets’ kiddie corps while their payroll was otherwise very low. Ideally, Reed Sheppard makes a leap to look like an NBA lead guard in his second season, after a pretty much zippo of a rookie campaign. Sheppard is supposed to be a lights-out shooter. For the Rockets to max out, they need two sharpshooters on the court to balance Thompson’s presence.
For Astro-centric conversation, join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and me for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday. Click here to catch!
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