NFL Player News

The Giants have ruled the following players inactive for Week 11 against the Packers: quarterback Ryan Nassib, defensive back Corey Webster, running back Peyton Hillis, running back Allen Bradford, guard Dallas Reynolds, defensive lineman Markus Kuhn and tight end Adrien Robinson.

With the report Dolphins center Mike Pouncey won't play Week 11 at San Diego due to an illness, his absence could have an impact on quarterback Ryan Tannehill and running back Lamar Miller. With this news, you might consider using other alternatives in Fantasy Week 11.

The news could really impact the Dolphins' run game since Pouncey will be the third starting offensive lineman sidelined, joining Jonathan Martin and Richie Incognito. Running backs are already averaging just 13.7 Fantasy points per week against San Diego, which is the eighth-lowest average.

Bills quarterback Jeff Tuel, cornerback Justin Rogers, running back Ronnie Wingo, cornerback Brandon Smith and offensive lineman Antoine McClain were among the team's inactives Week 11 vs. N.Y. Jets.

The Raiders officially ruled out quarterback Terrelle Pryor for Week 11 Saturday, after listing him as questionable for the game on Friday's injury report. Pryor will be replaced in the starting lineup by rookie Matthew McGloin, who took the majority of the first-team reps at practice during the week.

McGloin appeared in one game this season, completing 7 of 15 passes for 87 yards. 

Raiders quarterback Matt McGloin may get his first NFL start this Sunday in place of an injured Terrelle Pryor, but the 23-year-old will have a tough task ahead of him -- his opponent, the Houston Texans, have allowed the fewest passing yards per game (167) in the NFL. 

The tiny sliver of hope here is that the Texans, despite the low yardage total, have given up 15 passing touchdowns this season. And while the Texans have allowed 17.8 Fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this season, they've allowed an average of 21 over the last four, driven by nine quarterback touchdowns in that span. 

McGloin, a former walk-on at Penn State, holds the school record for career touchdown passes, single-season passing yards, and single-season completions. So while he has considerable skill, his Week 11 matchup is tough enough to keep him on the waiver wire in most formats. 

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been ruled out Week 11.

Rodgers was not expected to play due to a broken collarbone. He has not been able to practice yet since sustaining the injury.

Texans quarterback Case Keenum has 59 Fantasy points over his last two games. He's thrown three touchdowns in each of the games and hasn't been intercepted.

Week 11 brings a matchup against the Raiders, who have allowed 22.1 Fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks -- the seventh-most in the NFL. However, the Raiders have been uneven all year, giving up more than 20 points in four games, and 20 or fewer in five. A good amount of the damage to the QB average against the Raiders came in two games (Week 3 against the Broncos and Week 9 against the Eagles). 

This Jekyll and Hyde-type Raiders conundrum leaves Keenum owners with what is essentially a neutral matchup. So just going on what he's been able to do the last two games, Keenum makes for a solid start. He's gotten Andre Johnson five touchdowns, he's not afraid to spread the ball to Garrett Graham and DeAndre Hopkins, and the run game should still be very good with Ben Tate in the lead.

Keenum has shown he can succeed as an NFL quarterback and can be started in most formats. 

Word of warning to Fantasy owners: Don't get any bright ideas about picking up and playing the Chargers DST based on the performance of the Miami offense Monday night against Tampa Bay.

Yes, the Dolphins rushed for a grand total of two yards. But that was against a far superior run defense than that of San Diego, which ranks a lowly 29th in the NFL in average yards per attempt at 4.8. And Miami quarterback Ryan Tannehill has actually performed well despite the loss of two of his starting offensive line to the bullying scandal. He completed 71 percent of his passes against the Bucs.

The Chargers are a bad defense no matter the opponent that is a worse unit in Fantasy because teams throw the ball often to keep up with their prolific offense. They even rank dead last in the NFL with six turnovers. The Dolphins are still averaging about 22 points a game, so it's not as if their offense is a mess. Bottom line: Don't get cute and stick the Chargers in your lineups.

Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford could be in for a rough time Week 11 against the Steelers.

Pittsburgh has been effective against opposing quarterbacks, holding them to 15.22 Fantasy points per game. The team has allowed 10 passing touchdowns through nine games. Pittsburgh has been far more vulnerable on the ground, where they've allowed 12 rushing touchdowns, so Stafford could turn to Reggie Bush more often than usual. 

At the same time, Stafford has been pretty solid this season, scoring at least two touchdowns in all but one game. He has not, however, faced a passing defense as strong as the Steelers. On top of that, Calvin Johnson missed the first two days of practice with a knee injury, and could be more hurt than he's let on. Johnson will play, but Stafford would be limited if Johnson is clearly slowed by the injury. Stafford remains a strong Fantasy play, but he's going up against the toughest defense he's faced all year.

Bengals tight end Andy Dalton's season has been an up-and-down affair, and he is currently in the midst of a downward trend, with six interceptions and two touchdowns over the last two games. Will he be able to break out in Week 11 against the Browns?

Dalton had little trouble dealing with the Browns in these team's previous game, as he passed for two touchdowns and racked up 22 Fantasy points in Week 4. In fact, in five career games against the Browns, Dalton is averaging 251.2 yards with eight total touchdowns and five interceptions in his career.  

The Browns have been a roughly middle-of-the-road unit against opposing quarterbacks, allowing 18.4 Fantasy points per game against them. Dalton might be a difficult choice to rely on for Fantasy purposes this week, but his track record against the Browns makes him a worthy starting option this week.