play1:04Is Joe Burrow worth a fantasy waiver wire pickup?Stephania Bell explains why Joe Burrow could be a valuable addition to your fantasy roster when he returns from injury.
play2:43Kurt Warner loves Dan Campbell taking over playcalling for the LionsKurt Warner tells Rich Eisen why he likes how Dan Campbell has handled taking over playcalling duties for the Lions’ offense.
Why Graziano believes Seahawks-Rams winner could be Super Bowl favorite (2:14)Dan Graziano and Bart Scott analyze whether Sam Darnold can elevate the Seahawks to the top of the NFC West with a crucial Week 11 matchup against the Rams. (2:14)
Is Joe Burrow worth a fantasy waiver wire pickup?Stephania Bell explains why Joe Burrow could be a valuable addition to your fantasy roster when he returns from injury.
Stephania Bell explains why Joe Burrow could be a valuable addition to your fantasy roster when he returns from injury.
Kurt Warner loves Dan Campbell taking over playcalling for the LionsKurt Warner tells Rich Eisen why he likes how Dan Campbell has handled taking over playcalling duties for the Lions’ offense.
Kurt Warner tells Rich Eisen why he likes how Dan Campbell has handled taking over playcalling duties for the Lions’ offense.
Walder: Three key stat trends that could determine Week 11 winners
Moody: Five fantasy sleepers you need to pick up — and can start this week
Week 11 of the 2025 NFL season is underway after the Patriots beat the Jets on Thursday night. To get ready for the rest of the action, our NFL analysts have you covered on last-minute prep.
How can the Rams slow down the Seahawks’ offense? Which two Buccaneers skill players have fantasy upside this week? Could Bears quarterback Caleb Williams dominate in Minnesota? Will the Raiders’ offense stay quiet against the Cowboys on “Monday Night Football”? And what’s the latest on whether Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers will play next season?
Jump to: Stat trends | Fantasy sleepers Potential surprises | Key matchup Bet of the week | QB questions
When the Seahawks have deployed 12 or 21 personnel this season, opponents have matched that with base 81% of the time, per NFL Next Gen Stats. But when the Rams’ defense has faced 12 or 21 personnel, it has run base only 55% of the time — and it has even used dime 21% of the time. That is a part of the reason the Rams have a minus-5% pass rate over expectation against them, the third-most run-heavy split for any defense.
The Seahawks could be forced into a tough choice: run the ball against those run-friendly looks (unideal, given their weakness in that area) or pass against more difficult passing personnel (which also could reduce efficiency).
Sixty-five percent of the Steelers’ passing yards this season have come after the catch, the highest percentage in the league. For Pittsburgh’s YAC-heavy approach — which gets those extra yards from the likes of DK Metcalf, to the running backs, to the tight ends — the Bengals might be their easiest opponent this season. That’s because the Bengals are allowing a league-worst 1.7 YAC over expectation per reception, per NFL Next Gen Stats. Things could get ugly for Cincinnati in Pittsburgh.
Can the Texans’ Will Anderson Jr. vault himself in the Defensive Player of the Year race with a big game against the Titans?
I think he could! Anderson has been pretty exceptional this season, with a 25% pass rush win rate that ranks second at edge. But his seven sacks puts him four behind the Browns’ Myles Garrett and the Giants’ Brian Burns, the league leaders at 11.
I’m not saying he can make up the entire gap in one game, but racking up two or three sacks Sunday is within reason. That’s because Titans rookie quarterback Cam Ward is sporting a league-high 11.1% sack rate. Combine one of the best pass rushers in the league with a sack-prone quarterback, and the numbers could be huge.
Tucker has an elite matchup against a Cowboys secondary that has been eviscerated all season. Dallas has allowed the second-most fantasy points and the most touchdowns per game to wide receivers. Tucker is now the Raiders’ No. 1 wideout after Jakobi Meyers was traded to the Jaguars. Las Vegas’ passing offense will run through tight end Brock Bowers, but Tucker should see plenty of looks.
Otton is an excellent option this week despite facing a Bills defense that has allowed the second-fewest fantasy points per game to tight ends. Tampa Bay’s receiver room has been decimated by injuries, pushing Otton into a larger role with 26 targets over his past three games. He has also posted at least four receptions and 50 receiving yards in four of his past five outings. Otton could be the top playmaker for Baker Mayfield against Buffalo.
Rodgers is a viable starter because the matchup does all the heavy lifting. Cincinnati has allowed the second-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. Rodgers hasn’t been sharp lately, scoring just 18.5 total fantasy points over his past two games with a dismal 5.5 yards per attempt. However, the Bengals’ defense has allowed the fourth-most yards per attempt and the most touchdown passes this season. Rodgers is well positioned for a bounce-back game.
Flacco has had a career renaissance since arriving in Cincinnati, averaging 24.9 fantasy points per game in four starts. He has thrown at least two touchdown passes in every Bengals appearance and has attempted at least 45 passes in three of four games. This week, he faces a Steelers defense that is allowing the most passing yards per game in the NFL (269.4). And, of course, Flacco is well-positioned for success with wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins as his top targets.
Johnson is a strong start thanks to his target volume, touchdown production and matchup. He has seen 20 targets and scored three touchdowns over his past three games. The Bills’ defense has been eviscerated over the past month, allowing the fourth-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers.
Both 7-2 teams could be 9-0 (go back and look at those losses — all close, and in some cases very silly). But the Rams haven’t played a defense near Seattle’s caliber since Week 1 (only 14 points scored against the Texans), and the Seahawks’ offense hasn’t been forced to play from behind much. Both of these teams are excellent, and they should provide a great game. But there are holes for each that might get exposed early and often by their elite opponent.
The Eagles went zone-heavy versus Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love in their Monday night win, playing zone coverage on 69.2% of dropbacks. Plus, the Eagles were in two-high coverage at a 66.7% rate. Will we see the same versus Goff and the Lions passing game Sunday night?
Potentially, as Fangio can use his boundary safety to cut or rob on inside breaking routes. And that’s key when matching up to Goff, who has a completion rate of 78.6% on throws inside the numbers. The Eagles need answers to take away the crossers, overs and dig routes that Goff will toss to wide receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, among others.
Kurt Warner loves Dan Campbell taking over playcalling for the Lions
How is Matthew Stafford putting together his best season at age 37? What else could be unlocked with this Rams offense?
The Rams’ offense — especially Stafford — has been healthy. Despite missing most of training camp with a back injury, Stafford has not missed a practice this season. And while the offensive line and wide receiver Puka Nacua have dealt with some injuries, it’s nothing compared to the time Nacua or offensive linemen missed last season. Stafford, who is in his 17th season, has been sacked just 14 times this year.
As for the Rams’ offense as a whole, coach Sean McVay said this offseason that the Rams couldn’t use injuries as an excuse for inconsistency and that he wanted to build a more versatile offense. After years of primarily relying on 11 personnel (three receivers) under McVay, Los Angeles currently leads the league in 13 personnel (three tight ends). — Sarah Barshop, Rams reporter
“I used to say five, six, seven years ago I was on the back nine,” Rodgers said. “I’m teeing off on 18 right now.”
Prior to Sunday’s loss to the Chargers, Rodgers had played steady, solid football. While the Steelers’ passing attack lacked consistent deep balls, Rodgers was effective with short, quick throws and extended plays with more mobility than he has had in recent years. Against the Chargers, however, Rodgers looked every bit of his near 42-year-old age, making it seem even less realistic that he could extend his stay in Pittsburgh.
How has Joe Burrow looked since returning to practice this week … and is it realistic to believe he will return by Thanksgiving?
It’s hard to gauge since Burrow was limited in his first week back. Cincinnati wants to make sure it eases Burrow back into team activity at the start of his 21-day window. His biggest focus at this stage of the process is making sure he can run and cut without any issues. Until then, Joe Flacco will remain the starter. But don’t downplay Burrow’s tenacity to get back.
“The way he approaches the game makes him crazy,” Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase said. “How much he loves the game makes him crazy. That’s how much passion he has behind it, and nothing’s wrong with that. He just wants to win and you need people around you like that.” — Ben Baby, Bengals reporter
That’s operating under the premise that they’re concerned at all, and coach Matt LaFleur sounds the opposite of concerned. Until the past two games, Love had some of the best numbers in the league. Through seven games, he had completed 70.9% of his passes with 13 touchdown throws and only two interceptions. In the past two games — low-scoring losses to the Panthers (16-13) and Eagles (10-7) — Love’s completion rate was 63% with no touchdowns and one interception.
“I know that we’ve hit a rough spell in regards to scoring these last two weeks, but I think he’s done an outstanding job,” LaFleur said. “We got to make sure that he stays confident. I think that is paramount for every player, and I think he is confident and we’re just looking forward to the opportunity to again, have a great week of practice, putting that prep in and then we ultimately got to go do it on game day.” — Rob Demovsky, Packers reporter
