NFL Fantasy Matchups - Week 11

The 2005 fantasy football season is already facing week 11, with only three or four more weeks until the start of FFL playoffs. Every fantasy win is now critical to make or better seed teams for the the playoffs. We have analyzed each game with a fantasy perspective to give our owners an edge.

Arizona Cardinals (2-7) @ St. Louis Rams (4-5) 1:00

Arizona often plays the Rams tough, but the Rams have all of their weapons back and will roll in this one. Marc Bulger and Steven Jackson will have huge games here. Bulger will key his passes to Torry Holt, who should be good for 100+ and at least one score. Isaac Bruce will play and split receptions with Kevin Curtis, but it becomes a dice roll as to who has the better fantasy stats. Similar to the last two weeks, Cardinal QB Kurt Warner will get his 300+ yards and a TD or two with a nice matchup against the Rams. WR Larry Fitzgerald is a top five receiving stud, leads the league in receptions, and should be started in all formats. Anquan Boldin is planning to play in this game and will be a factor, but remains somewhat of a risky start until he proves fully healthy. The Arizona rushing game has been abysmal this season and needs to be avoided.

Carolina Panthers (7-2) @ Chicago Bears (6-3) 1:00

This game is the "show us" game for the Bears. Chicago comes in with the league's best defense against a formidable Panthers team, but needs this game to prove to doubters that the Bears are for real (esp. after starting the season 1-3 with a rookie QB). For the Bears on offense, Thomas Jones is off the injury report and should be started with confidence as a nice fantasy play. WR Muhsin Muhammad is facing his old team and will have motivation here, but won't do anything huge. The Panthers have the top WR in the NFL with Steve Smith. Stephen Davis has been a TD machine this season, but is banged up and will be held in check against the Bears defense. Smith is always a must start, but I'd hesitate to use too many Panthers with this poor matchup.

Detroit Lions (4-5) @ Dallas Cowboys (6-3) 1:00

Despite looking meek on Monday night up until the game's final four minutes, Drew Bledsoe and the Dallas Cowboys should be able to get it done at home this week against the Lions. Bledsoe has thrown 14 TDs to date and is the top rated passer in the NFC. I like him to again find his favorite wide receiver (Terry Glenn) for big yards and at least one score. The Cowboys' backfield is a bit of a question...but Julius Jones now rested enough to get his share of the carries this weekend (but expect him to still lose several to Marian Barber). Detroit looked impressive on offense last weekend largely due to the return of stud WR Roy Williams and his three TDs. Joey Harrington should start again this week, but Jeff Garcia and the QB status should be watched closely prior to gametime. Either way, the Lions' quarterback should only be played this week if desperate at the position. RB Kevin Jones will start to have better games down the stretch with Williams back in the lineup and should show more this week against Dallas.

Jacksonville Jaguars (6-3) @ Tennessee Titans (2-7) 1:00

The Jags will more than likely do to the Titans what they did to the Jets this past weekend. Jax is for real and has a solid team. I again like Greg Jones to have a nice game and would play QB Byron Leftwich against the Titans defense. I also like WRs Matt   Jones and Ernest Wilford here, but believe Greg Jones will get the bulk of the fantasy stats. The Jaguars play only one team (Colts) with a winning record the rest of the season, so it's a good idea to get the Jags on your roster if you can. The tough Jacksonville defense make it tough to recommend any Titans as solid fantasy starters.

Miami Dolphins (3-6) @ Cleveland Browns (3-6) 1:00

Miami's Gus Frerotte is dinged, but is practicing and should still play in this game. I like Ronnie Brown here, but he is starting to lose carries to Ricky Williams. WR Chris Chambers may have a monster game against Cleveland's pass defense and Marty Booker is an adequate fill-in this week. I also like TE Randy McMichael for fantasy teams that require tight ends...he is a top five tight end and has a nice matchup here. For the Browns, play Reuben Droughns. Miami will play the run in this game and force Cleveland to throw, but Droughns is the bread and butter of the Browns and will get the bulk of the load.

New Orleans Saints (2-7) @ New England Patriots (5-4) 1:00

Aaron Brooks and Joe Horn are decent plays against the Patriots and their lowly secondary. For New England, I like Tom Brady, Deion Branch, and TE Ben Watson. The Pats' running back will have room to run, but at this writing Corey Dillon is questionable. If Dillon plays, then he should have a nice game.

Oakland Raiders (3-6) @ Washington Redskins (5-4) 1:00

I actually like both teams to put up some significant fantasy points in this game. Oakland likes to air it out, and the motivation of coach Norv Turner (who was canned by the Skins) should help. Play QB Kerry Collins and WRs Randy Moss / Jerry Porter. RB LaMont Jordan has found a home in Oakland and is also a nice play here. The Redskins will also put up points here. Veteran Mark Brunell will again look to Santana Moss (who is near the top of all WRs this season) early and often. I also like TE Chris Cooley who is catching 5-6 balls per game. Clinton Portis should be started if on your roster, but he has been losing some critical carries to Mike Sellers near the end zone.

Philadelphia Eagles (4-5) @ New York Giants (6-3) 1:00

No Donovan McNabb and no Terrell Owens, and there are seven more weeks of the regular season to play. Philly is hurting. We've come full circle on the Eagles this year from "play 'em all" to a situation now where Brian Westbrook and L.J. Smith become the only viable options until the Eagles prove they can play without their top two stars. On the other hand, the Giants are ready to rebound from last weeks pathetic showing. Yes, the defense did their job by allowing only 130+ total yards, but the special teams and the offense gave away 21 points. If the Giant offense can hold the Eagles' defense, the Giants should be able to win on Sunday. Actually, I like Eli Manning to have a big game and hook up routinely with Plaxico Burress and Jeremy Shockey for several big strikes (although Shockey is a bit dinged). Also look for Tiki Barber to continue his versatility with a very nice game (he had 200+ from scrimmage last week against the Vikes).

Pittsburgh Steelers (7-2) @ Baltimore Ravens (2-7) 1:00

Willie Parker is back and he will start. Parker will run and run some more. Play him with confidence. It is unclear at this point who will backup "Fast Willie". Tommy Maddox will be the QB for Pittsburgh and is not a recommended fantasy start, but go ahead and play Hines Ward if you have him...somehow he'll still end up with the ball and some decent stats, even if Antwaan Randle El has to throw it to him. For the Ravens, I don't like anyone right now and would stay away from their line-up until they get things straightened out (including Jamal Lewis).

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-2) @ Atlanta Falcons (6-3) 1:00

Chris Simms is rising to the challenge in Tampa Bay...and Joey Galloway is continuing his rebirth this season. Galloway is a must start in all formats to continue his big play success against the Falcons. For Atlanta, expect Michael Vick to mix it up with runs and throws (which is why I like him here). Warrick Dunn's versatility will serve him well against Tampa's stout run defense as he catches some short passes out of the backfield. Vick will look for TE Alge Crumpler in critical situations making him a recommended fantasy starter against the Falcons.

Seattle Seahawks (7-2) @ San Francisco 49ers (2-7) 4:05

Seattle is loving their division. With teams like St. Louis, Arizona, and San Francisco, their offense is shining and making their fantasy owners beam. QB Matt Hasselbeck will rock and RB Shaun Alexander will roll over the Niners. WRs Joe Jurevicius and Bobby Engram have great match-ups and should be considered here. Play K Josh Brown if you can get him and hold on to him for your fantasy playoffs...Seattle will continue to have some great fantasy matchups as the season progresses. For San Fran, I can't recommend any fantasy starters.

Buffalo Bills (4-5) @ San Diego Chargers (5-4) 4:15

The Chargers are a much better team than indicated by their 5-4 record and match up extremely well against the Bills. The Charger defense is 1st against the run and 30th against the pass...which is perfect for defending Buffalo. The Bills are at another disadvantage on the road (where they have struggled of late). Even though it looks like a mismatch on paper, still go with Willis McGahee at RB if you have him. I also like WR Eric Moulds against the Charger secondary. For San Diego, I like QB Drew Brees, WR Eric Parker, TE Antonio Gates, and RB LaDainian Tomlinson (who should never be benched for any reason).

Indianapolis Colts (9-0) @ Cincinnati Bengals (7-2) 4:15

This match-up is truly the game of the week. Some are already talking about the Colts undefeated chances this season, but most want to see what Indy does on the road against the 7-2 Bengals. Interestingly, the Bengals are very similar to the Colts, but are lacking in experience and are a couple of years behind the Colts. I believe this game will be a shootout and a fantasy heaven for owners. Both QBs (Peyton Manning and Carson Palmer) should have nice games. Plan on your Bengal and Colt wide receivers to have nice games (Colts-Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne//Bengals-Chad Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh). I also like Edgerrin James to roll over the Bengals' weak rushing defense. For the Cincy running game, the carry split between RBs make Rudi Johnson and Chris Perry less favorable plays. But the combination of the two should yield at least one TD and 100+ yards.

New York Jets (2-7) @ Denver Broncos (7-2) 4:15

Will the Jets even score? They are 13 point underdogs against the Broncos and most are giving away the points. The Broncos' fantasy owners will benefit with a wealth of points this week. Play QB Jake Plummer with WRs Rod Smith / Ashley Lelie and TE Jeb Putzier. There should be enough touches for both Denver running backs (Mike Anderson and Tatum Bell) to have quality games.

Kansas City Chiefs (5-4) @ Houston Texans (1-8) 8:30

This game will be closer than most people think. The Chiefs gameplan is to pound the Texans with Larry Johnson (who will be somewhat successful). TE Tony Gonzalez will be a nice supplement to Johnson and will be good for several catches. For the Texans, I like David Carr's matchup and believe he will have his best game of the season. Andre Johnson is a stud and his health may finally allow him to show off his wares against the Chiefs. I also like RB Domanick Davis if he plays...if not, Jonathan Wells is a nice fantasy play this week.

Minnesota Vikings (4-5) @ Green Bay Packers (2-7) 9:00 MNF

Believe it or not, this game could be a fun fantasy game. Brett Favre and Sam Gado have great match-ups and will do well here. Favre still has his gun and Gado has his youth, enthusiasm, and luck. Play either with confidence against the Vikings (and there is no way the Vikes' defense has the same success against the Green Bay passing game that they had against the Giants). For Minnesota, I'd go with RB Mewelde Moore in a pinch...but don't expect him to do much. The Vikings actually have a fair amount of talented wide receivers, but the lack of consistency make any of the lot poor fantasy starters.

BYE WEEKS - None