Depth Chart Watch: Fallout From Week 11

Well, no one filed any complaints with me last week, so I congratulate you all on suffering the injustices of fantasy in stoic silence. Will you be able to do so this week after watching even more of your best players get hurt? Let's find out.

Arizona WR: The question all of us (okay, some of us) are asking is, "Who in the name of Sam Hill is J.J. Nelson?" The ultra-fast, but also rather tiny, fifth-round rookie is even smaller than his natural comp, DeSean Jackson, but he broke out Sunday with four catches for 142 yards and a touchdown, finishing second in targets (six) only to Larry Fitzgerald (13). John Brown (hamstring) still caught a touchdown of his own despite limited work, while Michael Floyd (hamstring) didn't go. Floyd's imminent return will leave Nelson as the No. 4 receiver (above Jaron Brown), so while there's no need to run out and use up your FAAB dollars or waiver priority on him, he's very much a person of interest.

Atlanta RB: Devonta Freeman has been running tough all year long, and he paid for it Sunday on a head-to-head collision that knocked him out of the game with a concussion after just three carries (which he'd turned into 43 yards). That brought Tevin Coleman back into a prominent role, but he struggled mightily, rushing 17 times for only 48 yards, losing a fumble, and failing to corral either of his pass targets. Still, Coleman rather than Terron Ward is the overwhelmingly likely beneficiary if Freeman misses next week's game.

Atlanta WR: Roddy White asked for more involvement, and he got it Sunday, with nine targets sent his way. Unfortunately, he caught just four of them for 24 yards. Leonard Hankerson, meanwhile, returned from his hamstring issue, and though he managed only 36 yards via four catches on seven targets, he did score a touchdown. And of course, Julio Jones did his Julio Jones thing.

Baltimore QB: Joe Flacco tore his ACL on Sunday, ending his 2015 campaign and leaving veteran washout Matt Schaub, who couldn't hold onto a job in Houston and Oakland, as the Ravens' starting quarterback for the remainder of the season. Be very afraid.

Baltimore RB: Ravens and running backs alike were dropping like flies Sunday, and Justin Forsett couldn't avoid the bug. He broke his arm against the Rams and will likely miss the remainder of the season. Javorius Allen saw a heavy workload in his place, rushing 22 times for a modest 67 yards and adding five catches for 48, giving him a nice fantasy day despite his ground-game inefficiency. Allen's in line for starter's touches now, with Raheem Mostert and Terrance West kicking around the depth chart behind him.

Carolina WR: Cam Newton shredded the Redskins on Sunday, but only two of his five touchdowns went to wide receivers, with Devin Funchess (who also led the team in receiving yards with 64) snagging one and Ted Ginn Jr. the other. Appropriately, Funchess tied Ginn for the team lead in targets (eight) – a season high for the hulking rookie receiver, who's caught TDs in two of the last three games. Meanwhile, the Panthers are a perfect 9-1.

Chicago RB: Jeremy Langford lost a nice chunk of the good will he'd previously accumulated after averaging 1.9 YPC and losing a fumble Sunday, but he did save his day to some degree with a late touchdown plunge. Ka'Deem Carey outgained him despite not being efficient himself, carrying nine times for 32 yards, though we have to cut both a bit of a break against that Denver defense. In my estimation, Matt Forte (knee) returns next week against the Packers, but there are no assurances there.

Chicago WR: With neither Alshon Jeffery (groin) nor Eddie Royal (knee) available Sunday, the Bears rolled out the B team at receiver but Marquess Wilson took advantage of the No. 1 role, reeling in four passes on a team-high seven targets for 102 yards. I've said it before and I'll say it again: that guy's pretty decent. (Now that's a ringing endorsement!) Josh Bellamy was the only other receiver to see meaningful action, but he was quieter, catching four of five targets for 57 yards.

Cincinnati RB: Week 11 presented something like a best-case scenario for the Bengals' two-headed rushing attack. Jeremy Hill rushed 13 times, and though he wasn't efficient, he punched in two touchdowns. Giovani Bernard also didn't do much with his eight carries, but blew up in the passing game, racking up eight catches for 128 yards. There's room for both to contribute when the Bengals have big offensive games, but those can be tough to predict.

Cleveland QB: Johnny Manziel is slated to start here for the duration of this season. For those of you who like to stream defenses against turnover-prone offenses, the Browns play the Ravens, Bengals, Niners, Seahawks and Chiefs the rest of the way (excluding Week 17; just don't talk to me about Week 17).

Dallas QB: Tony Romo came back and restored the Cowboys' hope Sunday; though he wasn't perfect (he tossed a pair of interceptions), he restored stability at quarterback and led Dallas back into the win column with 227 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He looked like vintage Romo at times, and should only get stronger over the remainder of the season.

Dallas RB: The Cowboys let Christine Michael go after Week 10, and he went off to join the Redskins' practice squad. Darren McFadden, meanwhile: still in charge. He rushed 29 times for 129 yards and tacked on an additional 20 through the air Sunday, with Robert Turbin serving efficiently in a backup role (seven carries for 35 yards).

Denver QB: Brock Osweiler's first start in place of Peyton Manning went… really well. The 6-foot-7 rookie completed 20 of 27 passes for 250 yards and two touchdowns against the Bears, including an excellent fourth-quarter drive for a key insurance score. It's actually amazing that this offense managed to put up 389 total yards with no turnovers while only scoring 17 points. Anyway, Manning will likely sit another game or two at least with his foot and rib injuries.

Denver RB: Ronnie Hillman and C.J. Anderson both averaged 4.9 YPC on Sunday, but the former rushed 21 times to the latter's 12, leading to 102 yards for Hillman vs. 59 for the massively disappointing Anderson. Neither scored a touchdown, but it's encouraging that they both ran well, right? (Anderson owners: "No.")

Denver WR: Emmanuel Sanders (finger/toe) wasn't able to go Sunday, but that's alright, as there weren't a whole ton of targets to go around. Demaryius Thomas saw his team-leading eight, but the next two objects of Osweiler's attention were his tight ends. Cody Latimer finished second among wideouts with only three looks, though he did score a touchdown to go with his quiet 22 yards.

Denver TE: I guess I'm obliged to mention that Vernon Davis caught all six of his targets Sunday while Owen Daniels took in four of five, with Daniels slightly edging out Davis in yardage, 69-68. The split makes both big guys hard to rely on even though Osweiler will likely lean on his tight ends regularly.

Detroit RB: It's pretty telling that Matthew Stafford put up the best fantasy rushing effort among Lions on Sunday, scoring their only touchdown on the ground to go with six carries for 31 yards. Ameer Abdullah had twice as many rushes, but gained only 13 more yards, while Joique Bell had six of his own, for nine fewer yards than Stafford. Theo Riddick gained only 14 yards on his six carries (yeah, you can find the number of the devil in this box score) got it done in the passing game, reeling in five balls for 72 yards.

Green Bay RB: Eddie Lacy came back in Week 11 and looked… well, kind of like himself again. The previously disappointing/injured rusher rolled up 100 yards on 22 carries, marginalizing James Starks (eight carries for just 14 yards, plus a 30-yard catch) in the process. Surprising! Let's see if he can keep it up next week.

Green Bay WR: This time around, James Jones was the target monster for Aaron Rodgers, who looked his way a season-high 11 times, completing six balls for 109 yards and a score. Davante Adams went from 21 targets the previous week to just four Sunday, while Randall Cobb caught only two out of nine balls, though he did manage to score a touchdown. His six scores aside, Cobb's been a highly inconsistent disappointment.

Houston QB: T.J. Yates got his first start under center Sunday with Brian Hoyer (concussion) unable to go, but a 16-for-34 day through the air – even in a win, even with two touchdowns, even against a tough Jets defense – won't create a QB controversy for the Texans. Hoyer's expected to start in Week 12.

Indianapolis QB: With Andrew Luck (abdomen) out for a period of weeks, Matt Hasselbeck got back under center in Week 11, completing 23 of 32 passes for 213 yards and two scores. He did, however, also throw a pair of interceptions, but hey, that's all part of the package here.

Indianapolis RB: Frank Gore had the ultimate mixed bag of a game Sunday. Sure, he rushed just 14 times for 34 yards and lost a fumble, but hey, he led the team in receiving with 46 yards on five catches! Oh, but he also suffered a knee injury. Of course, Gore's knees at this point are mostly made of duct tape anyway, so this just counts as "the usual." Ahmad Bradshaw got himself noticed Sunday, though, thanks to a pair of receiving touchdowns. He also added nine carries for 32 yards. I'm not going to be first in line to pick up Bradshaw, I'll tell you that.

Kansas City RB: Charcandrick West rushed for only 16 yards on 11 carries (with a couple catches for another 48) before leaving with a hamstring injury Sunday, and Spencer Ware came out of nowhere to clean up in his place, rushing 11 times for 96 yards and two scores. West's currently considered day-to-day, so don't rush out to pick up Ware thinking you're getting a newly-minted starter. Knile Davis, meanwhile, was a healthy scratch for the second consecutive game in Week 11.

Miami RB: The Dolphins made noises about increasing Jay Ajayi's reps prior to this week, but they simply didn't get to run a lot of offensive plays Sunday, so the rookie was limited to four rushes for 13 yards and his first two NFL catches for 23 more. Lamar Miller carried only seven times himself, but efficiently turned them into 44 yards. The volume was so low, it's hard to project moving forward, but that's something like a 60-40 timeshare.

New England RB: James White is still looking for a bigger role in the offense in the post-Dion Lewis era, and we'll see if LeGarrette Blount leaves room for him to enjoy more work in Monday's game.

New England WR: It'll be interesting to see how the looks break down here with Julian Edelman out. Will we consistently see Danny Amendola targeted? How long until he gets hurt again? Will Brandon LaFell be the No. 1 receiver? Will Aaron Dobson wake up and do something? These questions and more will be answered Monday night.

New Orleans WR: I'll be looking for Willie Snead to work his way back into a prime role in Week 12, with the bye hopefully having given his knee some time to get better.

New York Jets RB: With the Jets playing from behind in much of their Week 11 game, Chris Ivory ended up seeing less playing time than Bilal Powell, who returned from his ankle injury to run four times for 22 yards and catch five of seven pass targets for another 67. Ivory saw just eight carries, which he turned into 36 yards, and one pass target, which he caught for nine yards. It looks like the now-healthy Powell may consistently split off third-down work from the inconsistently healthy Ivory.

Oakland WR: Michael Crabtree was back in a featured role Sunday after a quiet effort the week before, but his 11 targets resulted in a not-amazing six catches for 50 yards. Seth Roberts outgained him (54 yards) on just two catches, while Amari Cooper had by far his worst game of the year (one catch for four yards on four targets). Look for a big bounce-back from Cooper next week.

Philadelphia QB: Mark Sanchez kept things nice and depressing in Philly, accompanying 261 yards and two touchdowns with three interceptions en route to a 45-17 shellacking at the hands of Tampa Bay. That's pretty much what you can expect out of Sanchez while Sam Bradford (shoulder/concussion) remains on the sidelines, and it seems unlikely that he'll be ready to return in time for Thursday's game.

Philadelphia RB: With Ryan Mathews (concussion) not around to steal carries from DeMarco Murray, Chip Kelly found a way to limit his big-ticket rusher's workload anyway. Murray carried only 13 times for 64 yards, adding four catches for 27 yards, but also lost a fumble. Kenjon Barner got seven carries in, running consistently well en route to 37 yards, while Darren Sproles had six rushes for 21 yards and also caught three passes for 38 and a score. Mathews could very well miss additional time, in which case Sproles and Barner would stay involved to some degree.

Philadelphia TE: Zach Ertz got concussed in Week 11, leaving plenty of work for Brent Celek, who went on to lead the Eagles in catches (seven), targets (10) and receiving yards (79). With Ertz already ruled out for Week 12, Celek makes for an appetizing pickup for Thursday's game in Detroit, as he's kind of defaulted into being one of the Eagles' top pass-catching options.

Pittsburgh QB: Having had a bye week to rest up, Ben Roethlisberger's foot should be feeling much better come Week 12, but he'll be facing tough sledding in Seattle.

San Francisco RB: Shaun Draughn was an asset for PPR owners in Week 11, as he led the Niners in targets (11) and catches (eight), though he rolled up just 40 receiving yards to go with 37 rushing yards on 12 carries. Carlos Hyde (foot) remains out of action indefinitely. He didn't practice last week.

Seattle RB: Marshawn Lynch (abdomen) was a rather surprising late inactive Sunday, leaving Thomas Rawls at the head of the Seahawks' backfield, and the rookie went off. He got handed the ball 30 times, which he turned into 209 yards and a score, and Rawls added three catches for 46 yards and a second touchdown because, y'know, why not. Rawls has clearly become a must-start when Lynch, who's being evaluated by a hernia specialist, isn't able to go.

Seattle WR: Doug Baldwin hurt his ankle Sunday, while Tyler Lockett impressed with a pair of touchdowns. Lockett and perhaps Jermaine Kearse would stand to benefit if Baldwin has to miss time.

St. Louis QB: The Rams had enough of Nick Foles, so they turned to Case Keenum not long after I wrote my last issue of this column. Keenum's first start of the year did not go awfully well, though, as he went just 12-for-26 for 136 yards and a touchdown. He also appeared to suffer a concussion, but didn't miss a single play. His availability for Week 12 is now in question, with a return to Foles not impossible. Big-bodied third-round rookie Sean Mannion is around too.

Tampa Bay RB: Doug Martin blew up against the Eagles on Sunday, running 27 times for 235 yards, but the only Tampa running back to score a touchdown was Charles Sims, who notched one through the air to accompany a 69-total-yard day in his backup role.

Tampa Bay WR: Vincent Jackson (knee) got back Sunday, tying Mike Evans and notable no-name Adam Humphries for the team lead in receptions with four against the Eagles. Evans and Jackson both caught touchdowns, as did Russell Shepard on just his second catch of the season.

Tennessee RB: Antonio Andrews remained at the head of the table Thursday, rolling up 94 total yards against the Jags – hey, not bad, even if the opponent isn't any good. David Cobb finally made his debut, but lost three yards on four carries, so that wasn't very exciting. They'll need him now, though, as Dexter McCluster hurt his knee and will miss a couple weeks at least.

Washington RB: From a Week 9 disaster to a Week 10 breakout to a Week 11 disaster, the Matt Jones roller coaster is the league leader in twists and turns. He rushed five times for no yards, caught two passes for 12 yards and lost a fumble Sunday, which put him squarely on the bench for most of the rest of the game. Jones has now lost four footballs this year, not a good way to secure consistent reps. Alfred Morris also rushed for zero yards (on two carries) in this one before leaving with a rib injury. The 'Skins then mostly threw the ball while way behind, but the Panthers' D made sure that Chris Thompson (four rushes for 10 yards, three catches for seven yards) couldn't do anything either. Things will probably come easier against the Giants next week, but this whole crew is awfully hard to trust.

Washington WR: After DeSean Jackson got nearly none of Kirk Cousins' five-touchdown action the prior week, he was the only Redskins rusher or receiver to find paydirt in Week 11, with a 56-yard touchdown grab opening a five-catch, 87-yard day. Jackson's eight targets tied him with Jordan Reed for tops on the team; meanwhile, Pierre Garcon (three catches for 43 yards) and Jamison Crowder (one target, caught for five yards) went nearly unused.

Washington TE: The aforementioned Reed sprained his MCL against the Panthers. Prior experience says that he's likely to miss two or three weeks, but that hasn't been confirmed, especially considering that he somehow made his way back onto the field in Sunday's game. Derek Carrier will see extra work, assuming that Reed does indeed miss time.