Week 11 of the 2021 fantasy football season is here. It’s time to identify the best streamers at the quarterback, tight end and defense/special teams positions.
There aren’t many options at quarterback, but Carolina Panthers QB Cam Newton has the upside and floor necessary to become a season-long hold and potential league-winner.
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Quarterback
Mac Jones, New England Patriots | 28% rostered
The NFL is rife with options at the quarterback spot, but this week presents some risky options. Jones is the least risky of the names listed here, though his ceiling is also lower than the remaining names. The rookie has only scored over 20 fantasy points once this season, though he has also put up double-digit points in eight of 10 games.
There is good news on the horizon with the Atlanta Falcons next on the schedule. The Falcons rank 29th in passing touchdowns and 27th in explosive pass percentage allowed and EPA per play against. Jones’ history suggests he’ll have a tough time reaching 20-plus points, but he's still a strong QB2 with a high floor this week.
Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers | 16% rostered
Well, it took all of a few days for Newton to reacclimatize to his former home. It seems like he’s trending toward the starting quarterback job in Week 11.
#Panthers HC Matt Rhule says Cam Newton will get most of the first-team reps this week and if he’s up to speed and ready, he could start against Washington.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) November 15, 2021
This is good news for anyone looking to roster a quarterback moving forward. Newton isn’t the MVP-caliber player he once was, but his talent and fantasy ability should never be understated. This is the same guy who scored 11.7 points in just eight snaps by way of a rushing and a passing touchdown this past week. Newton also has the history to prove he’s a legit borderline QB1/high-end QB2: He has four QB17 or better seasons since 2016. The veteran quarterback is a genuine cheat code near the red zone.
Tyrod Taylor, Houston Texans | 5% rostered
Starting the man known as “TyGod” is a risky proposition, no doubt about it. He’s played just three games so far, though he scored 16-plus points in two of those three games. The final — and most recent — contest was a 5.9-point stinker against the Miami Dolphins. The good news is that Tyrod gets an inconsistent opponent in the Tennessee Titans this week. They rank 20th in rushing yards allowed and are tied for 14th in rushing touchdowns allowed to opposing quarterbacks. They’ve been susceptible to good performances by the position this season.
Titans defense vs. QBs | 2021
| Week | Fantasy points allowed (Rank) |
| Week 1 | 33.5 (32nd) |
| Week 2 | 23.3 (24th) |
| Week 3 | 7.7 (4th) |
| Week 4 | 17.6 (12th) |
| Week 5 | 21.7 (23rd) |
| Week 6 | 28.7 (28th) |
| Week 7 | 11.4 (7th) |
| Week 8 | 18.3 (19th) |
| Week 9 | 13.1 (12th) |
| Week 10 | 25.1 (25th) |
For the most part, they’ve played much better in recent weeks, but Tyrod does have a much higher floor than most quarterbacks, and his rushing ability offers borderline QB1 status in most matchups.
Tight End
Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers | 60% rostered
The starting tight end job in Pittsburgh now belongs to Freiermuth. The rookie’s 50 snaps in Week 10 dwarfed Eric Ebron’s 27, though he had just a 61.7% snap share. This past contest is a tough barometer to trust because Ben Roethlisberger missed the game due to COVID, but Freiermuth’s development has been rapid. He ranks as TE 4 in scoring with 54.6 points since Week 6, and his 19.0% target share also ranks second on the team.
This week, the rookie opposes a Los Angeles Chargers defense that has conceded the second-most touchdowns, third-highest passing YPA and ranks 31st in EPA per play allowed to the position. This is big news for a player like Freiermuth, who ranks fourth in red zone targets among tight ends since Week 6.
Dan Arnold, Jacksonville Jaguars | 26% rostered
An early-season trade unlocked Arnold in a major way. His 58.5 fantasy points rank just inside TE1 territory (TE12) since joining the Jaguars in Week 4. It’s clear Arnold is a weapon the lackluster Jags offense likes to utilize, as evidenced by his team-high 18.8% target share. Arnold is nearing must-start territory until proven otherwise.
He has a tough matchup this week against a San Francisco 49ers defense allowing the eighth-fewest points to opposing tight ends and ranking near the top in passing yards, touchdowns and explosive pass percentage allowed. But volume is king in fantasy football, and Arnold has produced in recent weeks.
C.J. Uzomah, Cincinnati Bengals | 21% rostered
Uzomah and the Bengals are coming off a bye week but have significant upside entering Week 11. The tight end position is a guessing game, but Uzomah has found his footing in the Bengals offense, scoring 86.3 fantasy points and ranking as the TE12 this season. He has one of the best matchups of the week against the Las Vegas Raiders. Their performances against tight ends have been awful this season.
Raiders defense vs. TEs | 2021
| Week | Fantasy points allowed (Rank) |
| Week 1 | 5.0 (5th) |
| Week 2 | 7.6 (12th) |
| Week 3 | 18.6 (27th) |
| Week 4 | 33.1 (32nd) |
| Week 5 | 11.4 (17th) |
| Week 6 | 30.0 (26th) |
| Week 7 | 12.0 (12th) |
| Week 9 | 18.8 (24th) |
| Week 10 | 27.3 (27th) |
This defense also happens to rank dead last in EPA per play allowed to the position. PFF’s strength of schedule metric ranks Uzomah’s matchup as the seventh-easiest this week.
Defense/Special Teams
Cleveland Browns D/ST | 61% rostered
The Browns are much more talented than their current ranking as the DST18 on the season, and they have a pristine opportunity to climb the ranks against a bad Detroit Lions team in Week 11. The Lions make too many mistakes on offense and are incapable of creating big plays. They rank 21st in sacks allowed, ninth in interceptions and 30th in EPA per play. The Lions don’t have the talent to stack up right now — they’re PFF’s 30th-ranked offense in our grading system.
San Francisco 49ers D/ST | 46% rostered
When it comes to defenses, matchups are priority No. 1. Like the Browns, the 49ers have a great one against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 11. The Jags have only scored 20-plus points once in the past five games. They’re also mistake-prone, having thrown nine interceptions while also being tied for losing the third-most fumbles in the league. This is a dreamy matchup, even for a 49ers defense coming into the game averaging just 4.4 fantasy points per game.
Miami Dolphins D/ST | 25% rostered
The quarterback position may be light on streamers, but defenses are available at every turn this week. The Dolphins have a tasty matchup against the New York Jets, who have managed to cross the 30-point threshold twice in the past three weeks despite backup quarterback Mike White helming the offense. But this is a team that crashed back down to earth in Week 10, scoring just 17 points.
The Dolphins are trending in a positive direction, having allowed just 10, 9 and 26 points to the Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans and Buffalo Bills over the last three weeks.
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