Four Monster Games From Backups Headline The Week 11 Fantasy Slate

In today's Fantasy Life Newsletter, presented by Vanicream:

Yesterday was one of those classic “just like we all predicted” kind of days where the starters scored like backups and the backups scored like superstars.

Take, for instance, Sean Tucker, the Bucs third-string RB, who popped up for his annual surprise 30-point game. The Bills got the W, but Tucker absolutely plastered them on the ground (19-106-2) and through the air (2-34-1).

Or how about Steelers second-stringer Kenneth Gainwell, who exploded for 105 total yards and two receiving TDs vs. the Bengals right when the fantasy community was getting comfortable with the idea of Jaylen Warren as a bellcow back. Another L for us, another W for ‘ol Arthur Smith.

And then there’s Cardinals WR Michael Wilson, who delivered a game—15 catches for 185 yards—that generational prospect Marvin Harrison could only dream of. No need to look it up, that is indeed the most receiving yards by any player in a game this season.

Throwing him the ball was the backup final boss himself, Jacoby Brissett, who set an NFL record for most completed passes (47) in a single game.

On the flip side, Ja’Marr Chase spit in the face of both his fantasy managers (four points) and in the face of Jalen Ramsey (you’ll need to find a replacement for Week 12; he’s going to get a suspension).

Speaking of guys who you shouldn’t count on next week, there was a laundry list of injuries from yesterday, including:

Josh Jacobs (knee)
Drake London (knee)
Michael Penix Jr. (knee)

For early ideas on who to grab on Week 12 waivers, check out Kendall’s piece here.

RECAPPING EVERY SINGLE GAME FROM YESTERDAY

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What We Learned From Every Week 11 Game …

Pete mentioned him at the top, but the signs were there last week that Sean Tucker was going to play a bigger role in the Buccaneers backfield. Rachaad White had 10 carries and Tucker nine, but White played the majority of the snaps with the Buccaneers playing from behind. This week, it was mainly Tucker, and those who started him were rewarded with a breakout game.

Tucker rushed for 106 yards on 19 carries with two TDs and caught two passes for 34 yards with a TD in a 44-32 loss to the Bills. White had 10 carries for 51 yards and caught two passes for 11 yards. Bucky Irving returned to practice this past week and hasn’t played since Week 4 due to a shoulder injury. If Irving is out next week, Tucker is the preferred back to start for Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers could also ease Irving back into giving Tucker a role.

Even with the blow-up game from their backup RB, the Buccaneers couldn’t win due to an insane performance from Josh Allen. He struggled early in the game with two interceptions before passing for 317 yards with three TDs and rushing for 40 yards with three additional TDs.

Let’s go game by game with Adam Ronis to recap everything we learned on the Week 11 Sunday slate …

MORE FANTASY TAKEAWAYS FROM SUNDAY’S SLATE

Looking Ahead to Week 12 with Kendall …

What the hell was happening in the early slate of games on Sunday?? It's like every time you looked away, another player was going down with an injury.

The backup running backs highlighted the early games, with Kenneth Gainwell, Bhayshul Tuten and Sean Tucker all finding the end zone. We'll have to wait for all the injury updates throughout the week, but this is a prime example of why handcuffs are so important in the NFL. If Josh Jacobs isn't good to play in Week 12, for instance, we will see a big shift to Emanuel Wilson. We saw RJ Harvey and Jaleel McLaughlin step up in the absence of J.K. Dobbins. We never want injuries, but we always have to try and stay one step ahead of the game.

In Week 12 we have four teams on a bye—the Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Chargers, Miami Dolphins and Washington Commanders. We are three weeks away from the start of the fantasy playoffs. Keep your foot on the gas and let's go get these championships!

Emanuel Wilson, RB, Packers (7% rostered)

Jacobs left Sunday's game with a knee injury in the first half and was unable to return, but his backup, Emanuel Wilson, stepped up in his absence.

In the four games leading up to Week 11, Wilson was the clear RB2 — he outsnapped Chris Brooks 31% to 11%, and averaged 5.8 attempts and 1.8 targets. Now, without Jacobs, Wilson finished with 11 carries for 40 yards and one touchdown, along with one reception for nine yards. This is exactly why handcuffs are so important in fantasy football—Wilson is about to get a huge workload if Jacobs cannot return for their Week 12 matchup against the Vikings. He is the top priority on the waiver wire this week.

For a little more on Wilson, check out Jake Trowbridge's "players to stash" column from ... THREE weeks ago. LISTEN TO JAKE, PEOPLE!!!

Kenneth Gainwell, RB, Steelers (32% rostered)

The Steelers could not stay healthy on Sunday. They not only lost quarterback Aaron Rodgers at the end of the first half, but they also had to finish things out without Jaylen Warren. Kenneth Gainwell was the next man up in the running back room and he finished the day with nine carries for 24 yards, along with seven receptions for 81 yards and two touchdowns. This was all good for 29.5 fantasy points and was more than enough to put him on the waiver wire radar.

I know this was against the Bengals defense, but as Dwain McFarland pointed out in last week's Utilization Report, the Steelers running backs have a manageable schedule through the fantasy playoffs:

Week 12: Bears (0.7 fantasy boost)
Week 13: Bills (1.7)
Week 14: Ravens (2.6)
Week 15: Dolphins (1.8)
Week 16: Lions (-3.6)
Week 17: Browns (-5.6)

Hopefully, Warren is able to return for Week 12, but if he can't, then Gainwell is the guy to target.

MORE WEEK 12 WAIVER WIRE TARGETS