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Fantasy Football: 10 biggest reactions to NFL Week 11

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris (22) breaks away on a run for a touchdown in the second quarter of of the NFL Week 11 game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh on Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022. The Steelers led 20-17 at halftime. Cincinnati Bengals At Pittsburgh Steelers Week 11

• The Rams’ mysterious backfield: Darrell Henderson started for L.A. However, he played four snaps early in the first quarter and never returned.

• Slow returns: Several players — including Browns TE David Njoku and Chargers WR Keenan Allen — returned from injury in Week 11 only to be put on a pitch count.

• RB Najee Harris’ comeback continues: After Jaylen Warren’s injury, Harris stepped into the role he played last year, which allowed him to put up 90-plus yards for the second straight game.

Estimated Reading Time: 7 mins

PFF's fantasy football recap focuses on player usage and stats, breaking down all the vital information you need to achieve fantasy success in 2022. Here, we touch on players who are only relevant in fantasy football leagues.

These are my 10 biggest reactions to the games from the Sunday slate. To get a more in-depth breakdown, check out my full Sunday recap.

The Rams’ confusing backfield

Darrell Henderson started for the Rams. However, he played just four snaps and didn’t return to the game.

  • Henderson played all three snaps on the Rams' first drive, running the ball twice for 9 yards.
  • Kyren Williams took the first snap on the second drive before making way for Cam Akers for the next three snaps. Henderson then took the third-down snap and ran a route out of the backfield. That was his last play of the game.
  • It’s unclear why Henderson would start and then get taken out of the game. He didn’t do anything in those four plays to lose his job, and he didn’t appear to get injured.
  • Akers was the clear rushing back over the rest of the game, while Williams was the clear receiving back.
  • Williams still ran the ball seven times in this role, averaging over 5.0 yards per carry.
  • Akers is probably the top waiver wire target of the group — he ran the ball the most — but his scarce workload in short-yardage situations might keep him from finding the end zone. His playing time might also decline, depending on what happened with Henderson.
  • Williams can also be a waiver target in deeper leagues, as his playing time increased and he played well with the ball in his hands.

Monitor Jaylen Warren‘s health

Warren suffered a hamstring injury in the first quarter of Week 11 and didn’t return.

  • Warren had slowly been earning more playing time. He caught his only target for 9 yards against the Bengals.
  • Najee Harris took the vast majority of snaps over the rest of the game, with Benny Snell taking a few snaps to give the former first-rounder a rest.
  • Harris is a must-start if Warren's injury is serious. Few teams are willing to give a running back as much of the playing time as the Steelers are willing to give Harris when Warren is out.
  • Harris has run 20 times for 90 or more yards in back-to-back weeks. He was averaging 45 rushing yards per game before Week 10.
  • The Steelers have one of the easiest schedules for running backs over the rest of the season.

Ezekiel Elliott‘s return

Elliott returned to the Cowboys after missing the last three weeks with a knee injury.

  • There were reports before the game that Elliott would still be limited.
  • Tony Pollard was the lead back on early downs, but the backfield was split in more specialized situations.
  • Pollard could be considered a sell-high candidate, as Elliott will likely take a higher percentage of the team’s carries once he’s closer to 100%.
  • The Cowboys face the Titans during fantasy championships. Tennessee has allowed the fourth-fewest fantasy points to running backs this season.
  • The week before, they face the Eagles, who have been average against the run but just added two former All-Pro defensive tackles. 

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