Well, here we are…Week 11 of the NFL season, and the final stretch of our fantasy regular seasons. It’s do or die time here in the fantasy landscape. Much like the real NFL, at this point the only thing that matters is making it to the playoffs. Once you are in the playoffs, anything can happen. That being said, I’m here to help you make quality lineup decisions by sifting through the practice and injury reports for the week. I am going to call this “Welcome Back Week”, because we are potentially getting a lot of players back from both bye and injury to help us out this week. Let’s jump right into it!

Quarterback

Unfortunately, I am going to start welcome back week off with a bit of bad (if not totally unexpected) news. Deshaun “Chick-Fil-A” Watson has been officially shut down for the year with a shoulder and ankle injury. The hope is that he gets it taken care of quickly so that he is fully back next year. I really do hope I am wrong, but I have a sinking feeling that we will never see the best of Deshaun Watson again. For this week, the Browns announced Dorian Thompson-Robinson as the starter. Unless you are in a deep SuperFlex or 2 QB league, I do not see how he is usable. This also downgrades all the receiving options in that offense as well. I don’t expect to see much difference in the running game. I think you will be able to use both Jerome Ford and Kareem Hunt as you have been. 

Now, some positive news! Kyler Murray returned to action last week, and looked like…well, Kyler Murray! He was still dynamic as a runner evading the rush, and this was my biggest concern with rolling him out last week. I feel like he could be a top 12 QB option for us going forward. This, in turn, elevates his receiving options as well. I think we could see both Trey McBride and Rondale Moore be the biggest risers from Kyler’s return.

Another member of the welcome back squad appears to be Justin Fields. Based on practice reports this week, he seems to be ready to return this week. And, say what you want, I believe this is a significant upgrade for the Bears offense. His ability as a runner opens up passing lanes, and he has shown flashes this year of beginning to be able to take advantage of them. I think they still focus on the running game, but the biggest beneficiary of Fields’ return will be DJ Moore. He should expect to see more targets down the field.

Welcome back Matt Stafford! After a potentially scary thumb injury, it appears as if Stafford is going to be back under center this week for the Rams. He may not be 100%, but he is still a solid option from a fantasy perspective. At the very least, he will be able to get the ball to Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua.

Running Back

Let’s start in Miami where Devon Achane has been activated off of injured reserve. He has been able to get in limited practices on both Wednesday and Thursday, and should be ready to go for Sunday. If he plays on Sunday he is a must-start for fantasy.

In Chicago, it appears as if Khalil Herbert will be returning to the lineup this week for the bears. He got in a limited practice on Wednesday, but was upgraded to a full participant on Thursday. This makes this backfield a full committee, and will likely be much more effective for the Bears than it will be for our fantasy rosters. I’m not sure I could start any of the Bears running backs with confidence.

In Washington, Antonio Gibson was a DNP on Wednesday with a toe injury. This is a situation worth monitoring as he has seen a bit more usage of the past couple of weeks and has looked pretty good.

In Houston, Dameon Pierce has been a DNP in practice on both Wednesday and Thursday as he continues to work his way back from an ankle injury. This once again opens the door for Devin Singletary to operate as the clear lead back in an offense that has been surprisingly good over the past several weeks.

In Minnesota, Alexander Mattison continues to work through the concussion protocol and may not be cleared to play on Sunday. If he cannot go, it looks like Ty Chandler will finally get his shot at the lead back role for the Vikings. On a personal note, I would like to see the Vikings give the rookie Dewayne McBride some run to see what they have in him, but I have not expectations of this.

Wide Receiver

Staying with the Vikings, Justin Jefferson has been a limited participant in practice on both Wednesday and Thursday. He has said that he will not return to game action unless he is 100%, so if he plays this week he immediately becomes a top WR option, but he doesn’t play until the Sunday night game so be prepared to pivot if you put him into your lineups.

KJ Osborn, however, has been a full participant in practice on both Wednesday and Thursday, so it appears as if he will be back from concussion protocol this week.

For the Jets, Garrett Wilson has been a limited participant in practice with an elbow injury, but it is not something that I expect to limit him on gameday.

For Tampa Bay, Mike Evans has been limited this week with a quad injury, but much like Wilson, it is not something that I expect to impact him on Sunday.

In Houston, recent standout Noah Brown has been a DNP on Wednesday and Thursday with a knee injury and it looks like he might miss this week. But, there is some good news as well, Nico Collins has been a limited practice participant this week and could be back for Sunday, but Robert Woods was upgraded to a full practice participant on Thursday, and barring a setback looks like he will be ready to go on Sunday. As good as CJ Stroud has been recently, I would feel fine starting both of these guys if they play.

For the Titans, Treylon Burks continues to be a DNP as he attempts to work his way through concussion protocol.

In Jacksonville, Zay Jones has been a limited participant in practice this week with the knee injury that has had him sidelined for a while now. He is also dealing with some off-field issues so I’m not sure that I would expect him to play this week.

For the Chargers, Keenan Allen was a DNP on Wednesday with the shoulder injury he suffered last week, but was able to get in a limited practice on Thursday. I fully expect him to be a full go on Sunday.

Tight End

In Pittsburgh, the practice window has been opened for Pat Freiermuth to return from injured reserve. He was a limited participant on Wednesday, but was upgraded to full on Thursday and he may be ready to return to action this week.

In Carolina, Hayden Hurst continues to work his way through concussion protocol and he may not be ready to go for Sunday. This is bad news for an already struggling Panthers offense.

In LA, Gerald Everett has been a DNP on both Wednesday and Thursday with a chest/back injury (I’ve seen conflicting reports as to what it is). With the position being as thin as it is, this is a situation worth monitoring through the week.

In Minnesota, TJ Hockenson has been a limited participant in practice with a variety of injuries. But, as banged up as he is, I do not expect him to show any ill-effects on Sunday. He is one of the few elite tight ends we have this year, so if he plays we are starting him.

That’s going to do it for this week’s practice round-up. I hope the information here helps you make the right lineup decisions to give you the edge! As always, if I can offer any advice to you on roster or lineup decisions, please reach out to me on X(Twitter) @2fatguysff