Week 11 Top Performers At Each Position: Handcuff Your Backs

Not one of the highest scoring weeks we have seen so far this year. While there were some top heavy options, after the first player or two, the scoring dropped more than usual. These are the weeks you have to hope you grind out that victory, and then move on to the next week. Not only was it lower scoring, but we saw some major injuries again this week. First Devonta Freeman, as he left the game in the first quarter with a concussion. Monitor his status going into the next week, but this is a good reminder to make sure you own the handcuff to your stud RB's. The other injuries I will talk about relate to the Ravens. The Ravens can't seem to catch a break this year, as the top QB, RB, and WR are now out for the entire season. I will talk more about the RB situation below, but for now the WR's are hardly worth owning with Matt Schaub presumably taking the helm for the rest of the season.

After going over my thoughts on the top performers at each position, I will also select a few other players who either performed above expectations, or maybe have you questioning whether you should continue starting him or not.

The goal of this article is to highlight those top guys, and if you can expect some similar performances in the future from them or if it was a flash-in-the-pan, and also whether you should be worried about top picks in drafts that put up less than stellar performances.  So without rambling on longer in this intro, let's take a look at those who performed well in week 10.

QB - Cam Newton 246 Passing Yards, 5 TD's, 4 Rushes for 16 Yards, 30 Fantasy Points

This now marks his second 30 plus point game in the past three weeks. I have written about him before, so I don't have much to say about this. The fact he is doing this with some barely average receivers is amazing. He is only behind Tom Brady at this point in QB rankings for the rest of the season.

QB - Jameis Winston 246 Passing Yards, 5 TD's, 29 Fantasy Points

Winston had been a consistently mediocre option up till this point in the year. Not to say that his first 9 games were bad, but during that span he never topped 20 fantasy points. Granted he also never had a week with less than 12 fantasy points either. Ever since the first four weeks of the season, Winston has had 9 TD's to only 2 INT's. He is a deep league starter for the rest of the season, and looks like he could end up being a breakout QB going into next season, so keep him on your radar in the offseason.

QB - Russell Wilson 260 Passing Yards, 3 TD's, 9 Rushes for 30 Yards, 25 Fantasy Points

Wilson has underwhelmed this year. Just like Winston, he has been consistent, but has only had one week of over 20 fantasy points until this week. With Wilson you are not going for high upside, but for the relatively high floor he brings you. He is about as good as the guys you can find on your waiver wire, so if you need to find upside plays, you may want to look elsewhere most weeks. If you like consistency and knowing what you get, then Wilson is your guy.

RB - Thomas Rawls 30 Carries for 209 Yards and 1 TD, 3 Receptions for 46 Yards and 1 TD, 36 Fantasy Points

This is the reason you handcuff your stud RB's. Lynch was a no go for the game, which meant Rawls was going to be the starter. If you owned both, you were allowed the luxury of waiting till Seattle made the announcement, and was able to switch Lynch out for Rawls in a juicy matchup. Rawls has now had 4 games of a starter's workload, and in three of those games he has gone for over 100 yards. He is a top 10 back when Lynch is out, which means always pay close attention to the status of Lynch each week.

RB - Doug Martin 27 Carries for 235 Yards, 23 Fantasy Points

So how does one breakoff a run of 84 yards and not score? I mean I doubt Martin owners are complaining, but come on Doug. Martin has been getting touches each and every week, but his output has been mixed. He hasn't even been a matchup guy, as he torched the Jaguars, but floundered against the Giants. Because of how bad and hurt the RB position is, he is a top 12 back the rest of the way.

RB - Spencer Ware 11 Carries for 96 Yards and 2 TD's, 1 Reception for 5 Yards, 21 Fantasy Points

In what was supposed to be another Charcandrick West spot, he had to join those who got hurt. West left the game on Sunday with a hamstring injury, and is considered day-to-day right now. This is a guy that all West owners need to add immediately. Ware looked good running the ball, and appears like he could be a decent play in weeks where West isn't playing. Even if you don't own West, he makes for a nice pickup, as it is probably slim picking out on the waiver wire for RB's who you can actually feel comfortable starting in a given week.

WR - DeAndre Hopkins 12 Targets, 5 Receptions for 118 Yards and 2 TD's, 23 Fantasy Points

It doesn't matter who his QB is, or who is guarding him. Hopkins is just a stud, and there is no other way to put it. He has been listed here numerous times, so again like Cam, there isn't much to say. It will be an interesting four player race to see who finishes as the top receiver. My guess for the final standing will be Antonio Brown, Hopkins, Julio Jones, and then Beckham Jr.

WR - J.J. Nelson 6 Targets, 4 Receptions for 142 Yards and 1 TD, 20 Fantasy Points

Why Carson Palmer? Why do you do this to us? Just when we think we have you figured out, you go out there and decide to throw the ball to someone we wouldn't expect. I get Nelson is a big deep threat, and has track star speed, but nobody owns Nelson. This is not a guy you want to pick up, as he won't have another game like this. All this game did was show us that we know nothing about the receivers outside of Larry Fitzgerald.

WR - James Jones 11 Targets, 6 Receptions for 109 Yards and 1 TD and 1 Two Point Conversion, 18 Fantasy Points

Oh hello James Jones, you have been missing for quite some time. This was his first good game since week 5, proving you can't trust him week to week. Aaron Rodgers has looked off this season, and if Randall Cobb and Rodgers ever get back on the same page, say goodbye to Jones's value. I can't see any week going forward where I will say I am confident starting Jones, but he will be starter worthy again. He is best saved as a WR3 for WR desperate teams, or FLEX options for those looking for some upside.

TE - Kyle Rudolph 9 Targets, 6 Receptions for 106 Yards and 1 TD, 16 Fantasy Points

In a week where the TE position barely did anything, Rudolph was the best of the pack. Unlike last week, he actually caught the ball when it was thrown to him. The sad state of the TE position means that Rudolph is a member of that 12ish player tier you stream from each and every week. This will be his best game of the season. Going forward you are just hoping for him to get a TD, and if there are some yards, all the better.

Now a look at a couple of other performances that stood out to me from Sunday's games:

QB - Tony Romo 227 Passing Yards, 2 TD's and 2 INT's, 13 Fantasy Points

Not a good game back for Romo, but not a disaster either. Some of his passes were bad, but that can be expected here. I don't think it will take much longer for Romo to return to being a top 10 QB. Next week will be a tough test for him as he plays against the Panthers on Thanksgiving, but after that he gets to play the Redskins, and that is where he will announce to the world he is back.

RB - Javorius Allen 22 Carries for 67 Yards, 5 Catches for 48 Yards, 10 Fantasy Points

Well Justin Forsett's season is over. He broke his arm during the game on Sunday, leaving Buck Allen as the lead back for the Ravens. This game was one where they played against a great defensive front, so his yards per carry being just over 3 isn't all that surprising. Unlike Spencer Ware, we know that Allen will be the starter for the rest of the season, which means he is a must add in all leagues, but make sure expectations are tempered here, as Joe Flacco is out for the season as well. I think that those injuries bode well for the workload, but maybe not so much of the effectiveness with those touches. Sadly with how bad the RB's currently are, Allen would immediately fall into my top 20.

WR - Jordan Matthews 4 Targets, 4 Receptions for 13 Yards, 1 Fantasy Points

So it turns out I was wrong about Sanchez. He didn't look for Matthews the most, and really didn't look for him at all in the game. This is troubling for Matthews's owners, and he can't be used as even a WR3 at this point, unless you are desperate. On a short week next week, which means that the game won't be pretty, and tough for Matthews to do anything in. Consider all of your other options each week, and even check the waiver wire, as you will probably find someone better to play each week over him.

Want thoughts on a specific player?  Leave a comment on who it is, and I will respond with my thoughts on that guy's performance and where he stands going forward.