Aaron and Bennett’s Booms and Busts: Week 11

Aaron and Bennett’s Booms and Busts is an ongoing Fantasy Football Column. Our predictions are to help answer any of your difficult questions regarding who to start or sit each week.

Booms

Marquise Brown (WR) – Baltimore Ravens (vs. Houston Texans)

With an ankle injury that placed him on the sidelines for three weeks and several tough matchups against

top ten pass defenses this season, we’ve yet to see the full potential of Marquise Brown. Aside from a breakout week one against the Dolphins when Brown amassed 147 yards and two touchdowns, Brown has averaged only 45 receiving yards per game. However, with a favorable matchup against the Texans in Week 11, a team that has given up the sixth-most receiving yards and the second-most fantasy points to wideouts this season, expect Brown to see seven to ten targets with 70-90 receiving yards. Because of Brown’s explosiveness off the line and his high target share, when faced with a mid to low tier defense such as the Texans, Brown is bound to yield success. 

PPR Scoring Format Projection: 15.8 Pts.

Josh Allen (QB) – Buffalo Bills (vs. Miami Dolphins)

Any matchup against the 2019 Miami Dolphins, quite possibly one of the worst NFL defenses in the past ten years, is a favorable matchup. Josh Allen, a threat in the air and on the ground, is expected to see a day

filled with long touchdown passes and frequent quarterback runs. Considering the Dolphins have given up the second-most rushing yards to opposing teams this season and Allen has averaged 31 rushing yards per game, expect Allen to exceed his average against the Dolphins rushing for around 45-55 yards. Only four weeks ago, Allen faced the Dolphins and passed for 202 yards and two touchdowns with 32 rushing yards, ultimately achieving 21.3 points, Allen’s third-highest fantasy outing this season. With a combination of a weak defense and a team that Allen has succeeded against in the past, Allen should score among the top five of fantasy quarterbacks this week.

PPR Scoring Format Projection: 24.1 Pts.

Ross Dwelley (TE) – San Francisco 49ers (vs. Arizona Cardinals)

With George Kittle officially ruled out, Ross Dwelley, the backup tight end now fills in for Kittle. In week 11,

Dwelley will most likely showcase that talent against the Arizona Cardinals. Because of San Francisco’s powerful defense, their offense is bound to have plenty of time on the field, resulting in a larger target share for Dwelley. On top of that, Arizona has allowed the most fantasy points to tight ends this season (20.9 points per game). With the recent injury, Kittle has been seeing less offensive time and as a result, Dwelley’s offensive production has increased. Last week, Dwelley had three receptions for 24 yards against a very good Seattle defense. Look for Dwelley’s role to increase as he now faces a weak Arizona defense.

PPR Scoring Format Projection: 12.4 Pts.

Busts

Odell Beckham Jr. (WR) – Cleveland Browns (vs. Pittsburgh Steelers)

The Browns have been unable to find their groove this entire season despite their obvious talent on the offensive end, highlighted by star receiver Odell Beckham Jr. The lack of connection between Beckham and

quarterback Baker Mayfield has shown in Beckham’s receptions this year. The Browns are trying to give Beckham more targets, which was clear in last week’s game against the Bills. Beckham had 12 targets but was only able to hall in five of them for 57 yards. The Browns have a quick turnaround from their loss to the Bills and have to play the Steelers on Thursday night. The Steelers shut down the Rams’ passing game last week, holding them to only 243 passing yards. Look for the Steelers defense to maintain this dominance against the Browns, making Beckham’s chances to perform well unlikely for week 11.

PPR Scoring Format Projection: 7.6 Pts.

Kenny Golladay (WR) – Detroit Lions (vs. Dallas Cowboys)

The loss of starting quarterback Mathew Stafford clearly affected the Lions’ offense in week ten. The Lions,

led by backup quarterback Jeff Driskel, tied their season-low of 13 points. Kenny Golladay had 3 receptions for 57 yards and a touchdown. Compared to how the rest of Golladay’s season has gone, this was a disappointment. The potential for another game without Stafford s makes Golladay’s outlook gloomy. The Lions face the Dallas Cowboys who, in last week’s game against the Vikings, held top receiver Stefon Diggs to only 49 receiving yards. The Cowboys’ inability to stop the run game against the Vikings will incentivize the Lions to take the load off of either a hobbled Stafford or overwhelmed Driskel and rely on their running backs to propel them to victory.

PPR Scoring Format Projection: 5.7 Pts.

Ezekiel Elliot (RB) – Dallas Cowboys (vs. Detroit Lions)

Ezekiel Elliot had his worst performance of the season last week against the Minnesota Vikings, rushing for

47 yards on 20 attempts. Elliot is consistently getting 20 carries a game but his actual production in the running game has been unpredictable. This is a result of the one-dimensional role Elliot has for the Cowboys. They tried to spice up the offense with a few trick plays in the game against the Vikings but have rarely done so otherwise. The Lions are more than likely to plan for a strategy to limit the run game and force quarterback Dak Prescott to throw the ball in their week 11 matchup. Unless the Cowboys mix up Elliot’s role, temper your expectations for the star running back.

PPR Scoring Format Projection: 14.6 Pts.