Fantasy Football Week 11 RB Rankings and Picks feat. Joe Mixon, Breece Hall, and more
Finding two viable running backs every week can be challenging for even the most experienced fantasy football managers. Playing the right matchups is critical to maximizing your scoring in your fantasy leagues.
It doesn't help that our streaming strategy has two prime defenses to target on bye this week - Carolina and the New York Giants. Let's rank the running back landscape into RB1s, RB2s and RB3s and highlight the best matchups to help you make those tough lineup decisions for Week 11.
Fantasy Football RB Rankings: Week 11
Fantasy Football RB Picks: Best Matchups of the Week
1] Joe Mixon vs Dallas Cowboys
Incredibly, Joe Mixon is 12th in the league in rushing yards (655) despite only playing in seven games this fantasy season. He gets one of the best matchups for running backs this week against a Dallas team that has given up the sixth-most rushing yards (1,369).
The Cowboys have allowed the second-most rushing touchdowns (15), while Mixon is tied for third in the league with seven scores this season. As a heavy road favorite, Mixon should have a rock-solid floor, as he leads all running backs in attempts per game (21.6) and faces a Cowboys unit that has averaged the third-most rushing attempts per game (32.6).
Schematically, Houston's rush offense isn't an ideal matchup for the Dallas' defensive front. The Texans prefer to get Mixon on the edges, as it runs the sixth-most outside zone this year (29.9%), while the league attacks the Cowboys the most on outside zone runs (32.1%).
With a league-worst stuff rate (14.3%), Dallas has allowed the ninth-most yards per carry at 4.7. Mixon is known for his explosiveness during his career and comes into this matchup with the 10th most runs of 10-plus yards (19), while the Cowboys have allowed the sixth-most explosives at 38 this season.
The Houston offense will get a significant boost with the return of fantasy star Nico Collins, but look for Mixon to challenge for the top overall spot against a rapidly fading Cowboys team.
2) Breece Hall vs. Indianapolis Colts
With Carolina taking the week off, the Indianapolis rush defense is the premier unit to attack in Week 11. Despite some disappointing results for Breece Hall and the New York offense the previous three weeks, the Pro Bowler is in line for a bounce-back game with a Colts defense allowing the second-most rushing yards at 1,483.
Hall has finished RB31, RB29 and RB22 since Week 8, which may cause fantasy managers to keep their expectations low, but he should settle in as a backend RB1 upgrade this weekend.
The Colts have also allowed the most explosive runs of 10-plus yards, with 46, and the most explosive touchdown runs with five this year. Even in a challenging year, Hall has retained his reputation as one of the most explosive running backs in the game, with 16 this season — seventh in the NFL.
We're banking on Hall's usage to spike in Week 11, as the Colts lead the league in touches to running backs (560), and the second most rush attempts per game at 33.4. Hall is 11th in the league in touches, with 172, and should see a jump in his 13.6 attempts per game and 17.2 touches per game averages.
3) Kareem Hunt vs Buffalo Bills
Kareem Hunt's run as the Kansas City feature back is coming to an end but at least we can use him for one more week. Hunt has played admirably filling in for injured fantasy star Isiah Pacheco has turned in three RB1 finishes in the previous four games.
Since making his debut in Week 4 for the Chiefs, Hunt has been 13th in rushing yards (449), third in rushing touchdowns (5) and 16th in fantasy points per game at 19.0.
The Bills rush defense will come into this matchup as the No. 2 in most fantasy points allowed (25.2), third in yards per carry (4.9), and second in yards before contact (2.5).
Buffalo has allowed the sixth-most explosive runs of 10-plus yards (38) and the ninth-most touches to running backs (487). Veteran linebackers Matt Milano and Baylon Spector have missed significant time on injured reserve, which has left the defense vulnerable to fantasy backs this year.
We're hoping for a shootout, as this is one of the weekend's best matchups between two perennial contenders. Try to get any pieces of the game in your fantasy lineups, and enjoy.