The fantasy football playoffs are closing in and a number of top guys continue to show up on the injury reports. A lot of fantasy owners will make moves the next few weeks that will decide their championships. Are you ready? My NFL Week 11 rankings include injury replacement tips and some guys who should be on your team the rest of the way.
Teams on bye: Houston, Indianapolis, New Orleans, Pittsburgh
Quarterbacks
Could Impress: Carson Palmer. Two straight starts with more than 15 fantasy points and an easy matchup against the Vikings squad that just got torched on Monday night and is ranked 30th in pass defense. There’s really not much to hate about this matchup.
Could Disappoint: Phillip Rivers. Rivers owners are torn between depression and rage, but all of them now know that you can’t trust #17. Chicago’s defense is playing as well as it has all year, picking off Matthew Stafford four times. Rivers has thrown eight of those in the last four weeks and will likely add to that total Sunday.
Keep an eye on: Matt Hasselbeck. Consistent as they come this year with double digit fantasy points in all but one game this season. Hasselbeck faces Indianapolis and Jacksonville in weeks 15 & 16, which just happen to be the time you need your fantasy guys to step up. Just saying.
Injury Replacement: Alex Smith. There’s nothing sexy about what Smith does, but he gets the job done. If you’re looking to replace one of the plethora of injured quarterbacks this week, you can count on double-digit points against the Cardinals.
QB Rankings
1. Aaron Rodgers GB (vs. Tampa Bay)
2. Tom Brady NE (vs. Kansas City)
3. Tony Romo DAL (@ Washington)
4. Matthew Stafford DET (vs. Carolina)
5. Cam Newton CAR (@ Detroit)
6. Matt Ryan ATL (vs. Tennessee)
7. Eli Manning NYG (vs. Philadelphia)
8. Jay Cutler CHI (vs. San Diego)
9. Philip Rivers SD (@ Chicago)
10. Michael Vick PHI (@ New York Giants)
11. Carson Palmer OAK (@ Oakland)
12. Mark Sanchez NYJ (@ Denver) ** Thursday game
13. Ryan Fitzpatrick BUF (@ Miami)
14. Joe Flacco BAL (vs. Cincinnati)
15. Matt Hasselbeck TEN (@ Atlanta)
16. Josh Freeman TB (@ Green Bay)
17. Tim Tebow DEN (vs. New York Jets) ** Thursday game
18. Alex Smith SF (vs. Arizona)
19. Andy Dalton CIN (@ Baltimore)
20. Sam Bradford STL (vs. Seattle)
21. Vince Young PHI (@ New York Giants)
22. Tarvaris Jackson SEA (@ St. Louis)
23. John Skelton AZ (@ San Francisco)
24. Matt Moore MIA (vs. Buffalo)
25. Christian Ponder MIN (vs. Oakland)
Running Backs
Could Impress: Marshawn Lynch. It appears Lynch has once again found his beast mode, putting up 244 yards and a pair of scores the last two weeks. The Rams are among the league’s worst at defending the run, so expect beast mode to continue at least one more week.
Could Disappoint: Beanie Wells. Wells had trouble getting going against the Eagles’ terrible run defense and it won’t get easier against the 49ers. His numbers have been plummeting since the bye week and the Cardinals will have to throw this Sunday to beat San Francisco.
Keep an eye on: Kendall Hunter. The 49ers have all but locked up a playoff berth, and John Harbaugh knows he’ll need a heavy dose of Frank Gore in the playoffs. Hunter will start getting a bigger bulk of the carries, likely starting this week. This is the type of waiver wire pickup that pays huge dividends during the fantasy playoffs.
Injury Replacement: Lance Ball. The Broncos ineffective pass offense led to John Fox calling 55 running plays, with Ball getting 30 of those carries. With Willis McGahee dinged up and Knowshon Moreno out of the year, Ball’s role should increase this week and down the stretch.
RB Rankings
1. Adrian Peterson MIN (vs. Oakland)
2. Matt Forte CHI (vs. San Diego)
3. LeSean McCoy PHI (@ New York Giants)
4. Maurice Jones-Drew JAX (@ Cleveland)
5. Fred Jackson BUF (@ Miami)
6. Ray Rice BAL (vs. Cincinnati)
7. Michael Turner ATL (vs. Tennessee)
8. DeMarco Murray DAL (@ Washington)
9. Michael Bush OAK (@ Minnesota)
10. Chris Johnson TEN (@ Atlanta)
11. Frank Gore SF (vs. Arizona)
12. Steven Jackson STL (vs. Seattle)
13. Shonn Greene NYJ (@ Denver) ** Thursday game
14. Ryan Mathews SD (@ Chicago)
15. Marshawn Lynch SEA (@ St. Louis)
16. Reggie Bush MIA (vs. Buffalo)
17. Brandon Jacobs NYG (vs. Philadelphia)
18. Beanie Wells AZ (@ San Francisco)
19. Jonathan Stewart CAR (@ Detroit)
20. Willis McGahee DEN (vs. New York Jets) ** Thursday game
21. James Starks GB (vs. Tampa Bay)
22. Cedric Benson CIN (@ Baltimore)
23. LeGarrette Blount TB (@ Green Bay)
24. Mike Tolbert SD (@ Chicago)
25. BenJarvus Green-Ellis NE (vs. Kansas City)
26. Chris Ogbonnaya CLE (vs. Jacksonville)
27. Jackie Battle KC (@ New England)
28. Maurice Morris DET (vs. Carolina)
29. Kendall Hunter SF (vs. Arizona)
30. DeAngelo Williams CAR (@ Detroit)
31. Ryan Torain WAS (vs. Dallas)
32. Roy Helu WAS (vs. Dallas)
33. Felix Jones DAL (@ Washington)
34. Lance Ball DEN (vs. New York Jets) ** Thursday game
35. Daniel Thomas MIA (vs. Buffalo)
36. Marion Barber CHI (vs. San Diego)
37. Dexter McCluster KC (@ New England)
38. Danny Woodhead NE (vs. Kansas City)
39. D.J. Ware NYG (vs. Philadelphia)
40. Ryan Grant GB (vs. Tampa Bay)
41. Bernard Scott CIN (@ Baltimore)
42. Kregg Lumpkin TB (@ Green Bay)
43. Kevin Smith DET (vs. Carolina)
44. Joe McKnight NYJ (@ Denver) ** Thursday game
45. Stevan Ridley NE (vs. Kansas City)
46. Javon Ringer TEN (@ Atlanta)
47. Ricky Williams BAL (vs. Cincinnati)
48. Jacquizz Rodgers ATL (vs. Tennessee)
49. Tashard Choice WAS (vs. Dallas)
50. John Kuhn GB (vs. Tampa Bay)
Stephen Kelley is a contributor at The Sports Bank where he covers Fantasy Sports and Pro Drafts. You can follow him on Twitter @stephen_tsb.