Week 11 of the NFL season kicks off on Thursday as the Packers travel to Seattle to take on the Seahawks. As we come closer to the end of the fantasy football regular season and the start of playoffs, the pressure mounts for every owner to be able to not only identify those players who are consistent point scorers on your fantasy roster, but to be able to find those diamonds that are still in the waiver wire rough that could give you that much needed boost Here are some guys that you may not be starting or may see on the waiver wire that could help your team this week, based on their match up.
Mitchell Trubiski – Quarterback – Chicago Bears
What a difference a year makes, last season with the pick of QB Mitchell Trubiski out of North Carolina, many thought that the Bears traded too much to move up in the draft for a QB that did not have that smell of top 5 elite QB status. In his first season Trubiski struggled; completing only 59.4% of his passes, throwing 7 touchdowns, matched with 7 interceptions in his 12 games played. Flash forward to this year, under new head coach Matt Nagy, Trubiski looks to have found that spark and is nowone of the most productive quarterbacks in the game. From afantasy perspective, he is the 6th highest scoring QB in the NFL averaging just over 22 points per game. Since his ridiculous Week 4 game against Tampa Bay where he threw for 354 yards and 6 touchdowns, he has remained remarkably consistent.averaging 272 yards passing, 2 touchdowns and just under 25 fantasy points per game in those 5 games. Another thing to consider is that Trubiski is not a statue in the pocket either, he is averaging 35 yards rushing per game and has found the end zonethree times this season on the ground. He has moved himself into a position where he is an every week starter and would only be benched for matchup reasons, if I had another QB that reached is among the elites of the game at the QB position.
Mike Davis – Running Back – Seattle Seahawks
It is interesting to look at the Seahawks roster and see that they are building a legitimate stable of running backs. Between Chris Carson, Mike Davis and Rashaad Penny the Seahawks currently sit as the #2 rushing offense in the NFL, only trailing the LA Rams. For Davis, he has stepped into the role of lead back in the games where Carson has been hurt and has filled that role admirably. While he has only one 100-yard rushing game this season, he has been the Seahawks dual threat running back, averaging just under 3 receptions per game, all while also averaging 4.4 yards per rush. If Chris Carson is still injured which he tends to be, and even with the potential emergence of Penny, who had his first 100-yard game this past Sunday, Davis is still a legitimate choice to be an RB2 or flex running back on your fantasy team.
Adam Humphries – Wide Receiver – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Among the plethora of Wide receivers that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throw at teams, Adam Humphries may be that sneaky WR who no one saw coming and could put up just the right amount of points that could push his fantasy owner over the top on any given week where they may be thin at the wide receiver position. In the Bucs last five games, Humphries is averaging 11.9 fantasy points per game; now you do have to throw in the fact that in two of those games he scored 12 and 25 points, somewhat skewing the average. However, he still is a guy that is going to get some targets (averaging seven per game over the last five) which is going to give him the opportunity to rack up not only a good stat line as it pertains to yards, but also, for those in PPR leagues, more targets mean more points for receptions. This week, the Bucs face a Giants passing defense that ranks fourth in the NFL in least amount of points given up to opposing wide receivers, but with the focus on Mike Evans, Deshawn Jackson and potentially Chris Godwin, this looks like a good opportunity for a guy like Humphries to have a pretty good game. He is a flex position choice at best, but if you are struggling with bye weeks and you need someone who is available (owned in only 24% of ESPN leagues) for a spot start, Humphries could be your guy.
Anthony Miller – Wide Receiver – Chicago Bears
As previously noted in my discussion of Mitchell Trubiski, the Bears offense is starting to have the feel of an offense that is going to be one that is feared throughout the NFL. Matt Nagy, the Bears first year head coach has been widely credited with being one of the architects (along with Andy Reid) of the Kansas City Chiefs offense that is destroying teams around the league this year. Nagy looks to be bringing that same magic to the Bears this year. One of the guys that looks to be emerging as a potential weapon in the Bears offense is rookie Anthony Miller. After a slow start, Miller is starting to show that he is worthy of a look on your fantasy roster as a potential flex option. Over his last four games he is averaging 4 receptions and 6.5 targets per game, translation, when he is thrown the ball, there is a good chance he is going to catch it. Coming off a career high 122 yards and one touchdown last week against the Lions last week, Miller and the Bears are going up against a tough Vikings defense. One of the deficiencies in the Vikings defense is that they have not been particularly strong defending slot receivers this season. Miller fits right into the slot position and as such could be poised to have another big game this week. He is still below 50% in ownership in most fantasy leagues, so if you are looking for a wide receiver that may be on the waiver wire for you to pick up and get some points out of, Miller is a legitimate candidate.