Eleven weeks into the NFL season, we still get surprised every week in fantasy. This week, many of the biggest busts come from the top teams in the NFL. Maybe it’s indicator of talent, as their teams won without their help. The other big busts of the week come from two teams in downward spirals with both teams on the outside of the playoffs looking in. Hopefully, you avoided starting all these players, or you may now find yourself on the outside of the playoffs looking in. Here are the biggest busts for Week 11 of the NFL season.
Quarterback– Dak Prescott
143 Passing Yards, 10 Rushing Yards, 0 TD, 3 INTs, 1 Lost Fumble
Life has not been easy for the Dallas Cowboys without Ezekiel Elliot, most notably for Dak Prescott who faltered against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night. Prescott turned the ball over a career-worst four times on Sunday and failed to score a touchdown for the second time in four weeks. Prescott did not add much value with his legs, picking up just ten yards on the ground, which is a season low. As long as Elliott is out, it is hard to trust Prescott.
Running Back– James White
13 Rushing Yards, 0 Receptions, 0 Receiving Yards, 0 TDs
With Dion Lewis taking over primary running back duties for the New England Patriots, James White’s role in the offense is declining – especially in the passing game where White does most of his damage. White was held without a catch for the first time this season and added just 13 yards rushing, which equated to a season-worst total in yards from scrimmage. There are some risks going forward with White, but if any other back in New England gets injured, he could return to being an RB2 in PPR leagues. It seems like Mike Gilislee and White have been phased out and Rex Burkhead and Dion Lewis are the guys to own going forward.
Wide Receiver– Emmanuel Sanders
2 Receptions, 15 Receiving Yards, 0 TDs
After a season-best 137 receiving yards in Week 10, Sanders proceeded to have a season-low 15 yards in a home game against Cincinnati. Sanders has managed to remain productive, even with the mess that is the quarterback situation in Denver, but failed to do much against the Bengals. The good news is that it was Denver’s most competitive game in over a month. Sanders is a fine third receiving option in fantasy, but with just two touchdowns (coming in the same game), he is not much more than that going forward.
Tight End– Rob Gronkowski
3 Reception, 36 Receiving Yards, 0 TDs
For how great the Patriots played on offense on Sunday, it is surprising to see two of their players on this list. However, with a good matchup against the Oakland Raiders, Gronkowski only catching three passes for 36 yards and no touchdowns is disappointing. The Patriots really didn’t need much from him as the Raiders imploded. Gronk is due for an underwhelming game here and there, and he remains a must-start every week no matter the opponent.
Defense –New Orleans Saints
31 Points Allowed, 456 Yards Allowed, 2 Sacks, 0 Turnovers
After reeling off a string of stellar defensive performances, the New Orleans Saints had their worst defensive performance since Week 2 of the season. Finishing with only a single fantasy point in standard defensive scoring, the Saints defense did little until the fourth quarter, when the unit made a few clutch stops to help the Saints comeback from 15 points down to force overtime. Washington can be a great offense, so it will take more than one mediocre game against Washington to move on from the Saints defence.
Kicker– Jake Elliott
1 PAT
After making a big tackle to stop a touchdown, Jake Elliot soon found himself in concussion protocol and, after kicking just one extra-point, he did not return to the game. Elliott’s been one of the best kickers in fantasy this season and his lousy fantasy stat line in Week 11 is due to a fluke incident, not an indication of rookie jitters or struggles going forward. If he is healthy enough to play next week, Elliott should start in the majority of fantasy leagues.
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