Empty the Bench

Plugging in your studs at RB, QB, and WR is easy. Filling in the extremities of your roster every week is not. We agonize over these decisions until 5 minutes before kickoff, then kick ourselves about the guys we started 10 minutes after kickoff. We’re talking about the WR/TE Flex and WR/RB Flex plays, and they’re a bitch.

Our Position Rankings now include more running backs and wide receivers, so you can now refer to those ranks for your WR3 and RB2 options. From here on out, ETB’s Cheat Sheet only focuses on those crucial flex-spot ranks.

It’s time to get wild and ka-ra-zee with ETB’s Week Eleven Fantasy Cheat Sheet.

Week 11 Cheat Sheet Rankings

Week 11 Wide Receiver/Tight End Flex Plays

1. DJ Hackett, Seattle vs. CHI
2. Donald Lee, Green Bay vs. CAR
3. Derrick Mason, Baltimore vs. CLE
4. Deion Branch, Seattle vs. CHI
5. Greg Olsen, Chicago @ SEA
6. Owen Daniels, Houston vs. NO
7. Bernard Berrian, Chicago @ SEA
8. Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City @ IND
9. Chris Henry, Cincinnati vs. ARZ
10. Alge Crumpler, Atlanta vs. TB

Fortune Cookies: After missing six games, D.J. Hackett has returned with a bang, totaling 14 catches, 159 yards, and 2 TDs in the last two weeks… If it’s consistency you’re after from your W/T flex spot, Donald Lee has not caught less than 3 passes in any given week this season… The Baltimore Ravens’ passing game is a joke, but it’d be an absolute insult to the game of football if Derrick Mason wasn’t around to average 7.3 receptions and about 66 yards/per… He’s missed more games than he’s played in this year, but Deion Branch should be good to and the Seahawks have no running game to speak of… Greg Olsen laid a goose egg last week, but he should bounce back strong and be a primary option for the Bears over the middle. Keep an eye on his rapport with Rex Grossman, as the two haven’t played together much this season… With Matt Schaub back behind center, Owen Daniels should post strong numbers against the weak New Orleans defense… About the only good thing about Rex Grossman is how he boosts Bernard Berrian’s fantasy value, which we saw immediately last week when they hooked up on a long TD strike… For a second it looked like Dwayne Bowe had hit the rookie wall, but he put up 9 receptions for 105 yards last week against Champ Bailey and the Broncos. He’s clearly the WR1 for Kansas City… Chris Henry looked strong last week, and the Cincinnati passing game has been desperate for another option, especially in the red zone. He’s always a threat to score, and should put up yards against the Cards’ nickel back… We’re not huge Alge Crumpler fans here at ETB, but this is a game where Tampa will take away the deep ball and the Falcons should be looking for Crumpler often underneath, assuming he’s healthy…

Week 11 Wideout/Running Back Flex Plays

1. Jesse Chatman, Miami @ PHI
2. Calvin ‘Megatron’ Johnson, Detroit vs. NYG
3. Kenny Watson, Cincinnati vs. ARZ
4. Jerricho Cotchery, New York Jets vs. PIT
5. Derrick Mason, Baltimore vs. CLE
6. Justin Fargas, Oakland @ MIN
7. Deion Branch, Seattle vs. CHI
8. Julius Jones, Dallas vs. WSH
9. Bernard Berrian, Chicago @ SEA
10. Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City @ IND

Fortune Cookies: Jesse Chatman has two straight quality starts going and he’s been running very hard. It’s not an ideal matchup in Philly, but we like his chances to put up 90+ total yards with a potential score… Calvin Johnson should be too big and too fast for the Giants secondary, and we think he could have a very nice day—something like 5 receptions for 70 yards and a score. That back injury sure has lingered though… The hope here is that HC Marvin Lewis finally comes to his senses and realizes that Rudi Johnson is donezo and Kenny Watson has been running strong all season. The Cards don’t field a terrible defense, but if he gets the touches Watson will rack up yards… Despite just 1 TD on the season, Jerricho Cotchery has been extremely consistent and has at least 5 receptions in all but one game this season. He’s a great source of receptions and yards every week, even in this tough matchup… Speaking of receptions, Derrick Mason is second in the NFL with 66 of ‘em. Inconsistent QB play has caused him to have two down weeks in a row, but playing at home against Cleveland should get Mason healthy again… We ordinarily wouldn’t recommend a RB facing the Vikes, but Ryan Grant had a strong game against Minnesota last week and Justin Fargas has been reasonably effective all season… Deion Branch is set to return to full action this week, and we think he could have an immediate impact against a shaky and hurt-up Chicago secondary. Playing at home, 6 catches and 80 yards seems reasonable if Branch is at full strength… The Redskins are dealing with some injuries on defense and shouldn’t present an especially difficult matchup for Dallas this weekend. Julius Jones should be good for his usual yardage, but with a very slim chance to score… Rex Grossman’s return is good news for Bernard Berrian’s chances of scoring on big plays. He’s a reasonable gamble here, because we think the Bears will be playing from behind in the second half and Grossman looks for Berrian deep… This is just a terrible matchup for Dwayne Bowe, but he rebounded nicely in another tough situation against the Broncos last week. He could be one of Croyle’s favorite targets this week playing from behind…

More Week Eleven Fantasy Goodness:

ETB’s Week Eleven Position Rankings

ETB’s Week Eleven Matchups

ETB’s Week Eleven Stock Report