Now we're getting towards being two-thirds of the way through the fantasy football season and there's still plenty of movement among numerous players' stocks. While we'd all like to think we have a grasp on player and team trends, each week of football serves to remind us that "any given Sunday" is a real thing. We have upsets, expectations that are exceeded, injuries, and so on. A lot of leagues have seen their trade deadlines come and go after this week, but some of you can still swing deals, and for the rest there are still internal decisions to be made about who earns a starting spot, who is benched, and respective confidence levels in each player.
Let's look at players who are on the rise heading into Week 11.
Week 11 Fantasy Football Risers
Eli Manning - QB, NYG
Manning and the Giants came very close to beating the New England Patriots on Sunday, and even though they lost, Eli Manning gets to go into the bye week on a personal high note. Or at least his fantasy football stock gets to. Manning finished the game with 361 yards, two touchdowns, and zero turnovers. Most projected Manning and the Giants' passing game to have a good day in a game where the points would be flying, but to be fair, most projected the same versus the Tampa Bay secondary in Week 9 . So to see Manning do well in this opportunity is encouraging, as two underwhelming performances leading into the Giants' bye week may have left Manning owners debating cutting him loose during the break. Stocks are about performance, but also about timing. The Giants will face the Redskins, Jets, Dolphins, Panthers, Vikings, and Eagles to close out the 2015 season. If you're an Eli-owner cruising towards the playoffs, now may be a good time to start researching Week 15 options to avoid Carolina.
LeSean McCoy - RB, BUF
In Thursday night's game against the Jets both LeSean McCoy and Karlos Williams turned in great lines, but it was especially encouraging to see the momentum build for Shady. He had turned in a great game in Week 9 but a shoulder ailment led to some question marks going into Week 10's game. He promptly shook those off as he racked up 112 yards on 19 carries and added five catches for 47 yards against a good Jets defensive front. Rex Ryan has been known to go through the running game in the past, and it looks as though Buffalo has found an effective one-two punch with McCoy and Williams. The Bills get the Patriots, Chiefs, Texans, Eagles, Redskins, and Cowboys down the stretch (with a Week 17 rematch against the Jets as well). None of those matchups are "cupcakes" and Shady will always carry some risk, but as an owner you have to be confident heading into the stretch run.
Charcandrick West – RB, KC
Charcandrick West and the Chiefs offense went toe to toe with the Broncos' league leading defense and came out on top, and not just by a hair either. West ran for 69 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries, as well as three catches for 92 yards including an 80-yard catch-and-run. While he may not be Jamaal Charles, it is clear that the Chiefs' offense is still going to operate how it did with Charles, and that is through the running back. Next week brings a matchup against the horrible San Diego defense. Then two tougher draws against the Bills and Raiders, however Weeks 14-16 go like this: Chargers, Ravens, Browns. Ooh la la.
Michael Floyd – WR, ARI
Floyd and the Cardinals almost looked like they were going to blow it against Seattle, but they held on to pull out the victory on Seattle's home field. Floyd finished with nine targets, catching seven of them for 113 yards and two touchdowns. Floyd has regained his starting spot for the Cardinals with John Brown recording zero catches on three targets, although Floyd is considered "day to day" with a hamstring ailment as of Tuesday. The Cardinals get the Bengals, 49ers, Rams, Vikings, Eagles, Packers, and Seahawks the rest of the way. Here's how those pass defenses rank according to Football Outsiders: 11, 31, 4, 3, 10, 9. Not exactly fantasy-friendly, but Carson Palmer and company are entering matchup-proof territory after dismantling Seattle. Buy in on Floyd.
Gary Barnidge- TE, CLE
There were a lot of questions going into this week of how successful Barnidge would be with Johnny Manziel at the helm. Barnidge has had most of his success with McCown under center, as has most of the Browns' offense in general. Well this past weekend showed that Manziel was capable of getting the job done, so much so that now Mike Pettine has tabbed Manziel as the starter from here on out. Barnidge saw eight targets on Sunday, catching six of them for 65 yards and a touchdown. For anyone that may have accepted Barnidge as "matchup proof", he is now entrenched in a rather "quarterback proof" position as well. As a heads up, after the bye he will face the Ravens, Bengals, 49ers, Seahawks, and Chiefs.
Other Risers to Note: Jay Cutler (QB, CHI), Jeremy Langford (RB, CHI), Andre Ellington (RB, ARI), Brandin Cooks (WR, NO), Martavis Bryant (WR, PIT).
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