Christian McCaffrey (Achilles) was limited in practice Wednesday, and Kyle Shanahan said McCaffrey experienced no pain from his workout Monday. He's trending in the right direction to make his 2024 debut in Week 10 at Tampa Bay.
Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell said Wednesday that running back Aaron Jones (ribs) is "doing well," and hopefully he'll be able to play in Week 11 at Tennessee. He's not expected to practice much this week, and we'll continue to monitor his progress heading into Sunday.
If Jones plays then he's a must-start running back in all leagues. He hasn't scored a touchdown in three games in a row, and he's been held to 12.2 PPR points or less in each game over that span against the Rams, Colts and Jaguars.
But Jones has at least 19 total touches in each of those outings, and hopefully this injury doesn't limit his workload against the Titans. And this is a favorable matchup.
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Tennessee has allowed eight total touchdowns to running backs in the past four games against Buffalo, Detroit, New England and the Chargers, and Jahmyr Gibbs and Rhamondre Stevenson have scored at least 22.4 PPR points against the Titans over that span. That bodes well for Jones finally getting back in the end zone and having a big game.
Now, if Jones can't play against Tennessee then Cam Akers would likely start, and I like him as a flex against the Titans. Akers has 19 carries for 84 yards and three catches for 16 yards on three targets in his past two games for the Vikings.
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But we want to see Jones play in Week 11. And hopefully he's healthy to dominate the Titans in this matchup.
RBs to Start
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Brown doesn't have an easy matchup in Week 11 at the Chargers, who are No. 3 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs, but I don't care. You're starting Brown in all leagues based on what he's done the past two games. He scored at least 22.4 PPR points in each of his past two outings against the Raiders and Ravens, and I love that he has 14 catches for 89 yards and a touchdown over that span on 16 targets. Brown has top-10 upside in Week 11.
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The offensive line has let down everyone in Chicago due to injuries, and Swift suffered in Week 10 against New England with 16 carries for 59 yards and one catch for 6 yards on one target. It was his worst game since Week 3, but I expect him to rebound in Week 11 against the Packers. Shane Waldron was fired Tuesday as the offensive coordinator, and he was replaced by passing game coordinator Thomas Brown. Based on Brown's track record, Swift should become the focal point of the offense, and I hope he's more involved in the passing game. The Packers have allowed four of the past six opposing running backs to score at least 14.6 PPR points, and I like Swift as a No. 2 running back in all leagues in Week 11.
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Hunt will remain the starting running back for the Chiefs in Week 11 against Buffalo since Isiah Pacheco (leg) isn't ready to return yet from injured reserve. And this is a good matchup for him against the Bills, who are No. 2 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs. Hunt has scored at least 13.3 PPR points in five games in a row, including four outings with at least 17 PPR points. And I love that he had seven catches for 65 yards on 14 targets against Denver in Week 10. Hunt is a solid No. 2 Fantasy running back in all leagues.
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Chubb scored a touchdown in his 2024 debut in Week 7 against Cincinnati and finished that game with 10.2 PPR points. In two games after that against Baltimore and the Chargers, Chubb combined for 9.7 PPR points, so he's due for a big game. It should happen this week against the Saints, who are No. 4 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs. Seven running backs in the past six games have scored at least 16.8 PPR points against New Orleans, and Chubb should be considered a solid No. 2 running back in all leagues in Week 11.
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Stevenson comes into Week 11 against the Rams with three games in a row with at least 15 total touches, and he scored at least 22.4 PPR points in two of those outings. He struggled in Week 10 at Chicago with 20 carries for 74 yards and one catch for 3 yards on one target, but I love his workload as the lead running back for the Patriots. The Rams haven't allowed a running back to score a touchdown in their past four games against the Raiders, Vikings, Seahawks and Dolphins, but Alexander Mattison and Kenneth Walker III both scored at least 13.7 PPR points during that stretch. I trust Stevenson as a low-end No. 2 running back in all leagues in Week 11.
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Sleepers (Start/Sit)
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Brian Robinson Jr. (hamstring) is expected to play Thursday night against the Eagles, but I still like Ekeler as a flex option in all leagues. He has scored at least 10.2 PPR points in seven of nine games this year. And in the past two weeks without Robinson, Ekeler scored at least 17.3 PPR points in each outing. This is a tough matchup against the Eagles, who are No. 2 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs, but I'm expecting Ekeler to make plays in the passing game. As for Robinson, I would try to sit him in most leagues. Given the matchup and coming off the two-game layoff, I don't expect Robinson to have a huge outing on Thursday night.
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The Raiders have a new offensive coordinator coming off their bye in Week 10 with Scott Turner, and we'll see if he leans more on Mattison or Zamir White moving forward for the Raiders. Mattison will still be a flex option even if White starts, and Mattison has scored at least 15.3 PPR points in two of his past four starts. The Dolphins are No. 11 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs, and Mattison should have the chance to help plenty of Fantasy managers in Week 11 in all leagues.
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It's hard to run on the Ravens, and this could be a tough game for Najee Harris. But Baltimore struggles with pass-catching running backs, and the Ravens are one of six teams who have allowed at least 51 receptions to running backs this year. Warren has three catches or less in every game he's played this season, but hopefully the Steelers use him in the passing game. And he's coming off his best outing of the season in Week 10 at Washington with 14 carries for 66 yards and two catches for 29 yards on two targets, which hopefully is a sign of things to come. He's a solid flex option in Week 11.
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RBs to Sit
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Harris is dealing with an ankle injury heading into Week 11 against the Ravens, but he's expected to play. And we'll see if he can keep up his recent level of production since he's run for at least 100 yards or scored a touchdown in four games in a row. But this is a tough matchup for Harris since the Ravens are No. 9 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs. Baltimore has yet to allow a running back to gain more than 52 yards on the ground this season, and only two running backs have scored a touchdown against the Ravens since Week 4. Harris could be in trouble this week if he doesn't score, and I don't expect him to have a huge role in the passing game because of Jaylen Warren. I would only use Harris as a flex option in most leagues.
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Tank Bigsby (ankle) could be out for the Jaguars in Week 11 at Detroit, which is a positive for Etienne. But this matchup is tough against the Lions, who are No. 6 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs. And with Mac Jones under center for the Jaguars with Trevor Lawrence (shoulder) out, this offense could be brutal as we saw in Week 10 against Minnesota. Etienne has combined for 10.3 PPR points in his past two games, and I don't expect him to perform well against Detroit. He's only worth using as a flex option in most leagues.
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Dowdle was OK in Week 10 against the Eagles given that the offense was putrid in the first start for Cooper Rush in place of Dak Prescott (hamstring). Dowdle had 12 carries for 53 yards and three catches for 3 yards on three targets. This is another tough matchup for Dowdle since the Texans are No. 5 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs, and I would only consider using Dowdle as a flex option in the majority of leagues.
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We'll see what the Broncos decide to do with Williams, Audric Estime and Jaleel McLaughlin in Week 11 against the Falcons, but Williams is tough to trust after what happened in Week 10 at Kansas City. He had one carry for 1 yard and caught two passes for 6 yards on two targets. Estime took over as the lead rusher with 14 carries for 53 yards, and Sean Payton seems intent on leaning on the rookie moving forward. That could leave Williams as the main pass catcher out of the backfield, but it makes him tough to trust in the majority of leagues. At best, Williams can be a flex option in Week 11.
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Bust Alert (Start/Sit)
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Tyjae Spears returned from his three-game absence with a hamstring injury in Week 10 at the Chargers, and Pollard had his fewest touches (13) since Week 3 against Green Bay (nine). Spears will continue to share work with Pollard, who hasn't scored a touchdown since Week 6. And this is a tough matchup against the Vikings, who are No. 4 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs. Only four running backs have scored more than 10.0 PPR points against Minnesota this season, and Pollard should be considered a low-end No. 2 running back or flex option at best in Week 11.
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