Week 11 Thursday Night Fantasy Football Starting Options: Start Washington's Austin Ekeler and Philadelphia's Dallas Goedert with their Teammates Injured?

Week 11 of the NFL regular season opens with a fun matchup between the Washington Commanders and Philadelphia Eagles.

Let’s look over the best starting options for the contest.

Looking for start/sit help? Be sure to check out the FantasySP Who Should I Start tool.

Quarterbacks

Jalen Hurts and Jayden Daniels have been two of the better fantasy quarterbacks this season.

Hurts has 1,976 passing yards, 12 touchdowns and five interceptions. He’s completed 69.8% of his passes and rushed for 378 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Since the team’s week 5 bye, Hurts has scored at least 20 fantasy points in every game, including in three straight.

Daniels has completed 68.7% of his passes for 2,147 yards, nine touchdowns and two interceptions. He’s also got 464 rushing yards and four scores.

Daniels is coming off his worst fantasy performance of the season, but that was more so because he didn’t find the end zone, not because he didn’t put up yards or had a bunch of turnovers.

Hurts has the more favorable matchup. Washington is an average matchup, allowing 16 fantasy points per week. The Eagles are one of the tougher matchups, giving up just 13 points per game.

Hurts is projected for the most fantasy points (21) of any quarterback this week. Daniels is projected for 16 points.

I also like Hurts the most in Thursday’s game - he’s back to being a must-start QB, and in the average matchup, I expect Hurts to go off again. Daniels is a good starting option despite the tougher matchup, and I’d feel confident that he can deliver a good fantasy score.

Running Backs

Saquon Barkley is the top Philly back, while Kenneth Gainwell and Will Shipley are other options.

Brian Robinson Jr., Austin Ekeler, Jeremy McNichols and Chris Rodriguez are the options for Washington, with Robinson dealing with an injury.

Barkley has been one of the best fantasy backs in the NFL this season, and serves as the workhorse unless Philly is up by a bunch. He’s rushed for 991 yards and six scores on 171 attempts, while adding 158 receiving yards and two scores on 21 receptions and 26 targets.

Gainwell has gotten 19 touches over the past three games. He has 154 yards on 38 rushing attempts and 43 receiving yards on six grabs and 10 targets this season. Shipley got nine of his 19 touches in week 10. He has 46 rushing yards on 19 attempts this season, with no targets in the passing game.

Robinson has missed two straight games and has been limited in practice this week. He’s got 461 rushing yards and six scores on 101 attempts, while adding 79 yards on nine catches and 12 targets.

If Robinson cannot go, Ekeler will likely lead the way, like he did in week 10. Ekeler has 326 yards and four scores on 63 attempts, while adding 255 receiving yards on 23 catches and 27 targets.

McNichols has 12 touches over the past two weeks, while Rodriguez has 13 (but just two last week). McNichols has 190 yards and four touchdowns on 38 rushing attempts, along with a six-yard catch across two targets. Rodriguez has all 13 touches on the ground, rushing for 56 yards.

It’s a below-average matchup for all the backs in this game. Washington gives up 21 points per week, while Philly surrenders only 17. 

In the week 11 projections, Barkley is projected for 20 PPR fantasy points. Robinson is at 12 points, while Ekeler sits at 11. Nobody else makes the top 55 at this point.

I also like Barkley the best in this contest, and it’s not all that close. He should be in store for another big workload and fantasy day.

I like Ekeler as the top Washington back, regardless if Robinson plays or not. If Robinson is out, Ekeler becomes a safer starting option, but still a risky one in the tougher matchup - I think I’d still start him because of his pass-catching ability.

If Robinson is out, McNichols becomes a deep-league option, but one I’d try to stay away from in the tough matchup. After that, I’d take Gainwell, but again, he’s just a deep-league option who I wouldn’t want to start. Rodriguez and Shipley are only options in the deepest of leagues, and I’d do whatever I could to avoid playing both.

Wide Receivers

Terry McLaurin is easily the best wideout for Washington. Noah Brown, Olamide Zaccheaus, Dyami Brown and Luke McCaffrey are some other options.

A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith lead the Eagles into action. Jahan Dotson has played a bunch of snaps, but not produced much, while Ainias Smith and Johnny Wilson played a bit last week, but haven’t done much this season.

McLaurin has 711 yards and six touchdowns on 47 receptions and 66 targets this season. He has scored in double figures for fantasy points in the past eight weeks.

Brown has 351 yards and a score on 25 catches and 38 targets. He’s been a decent fantasy asset over the past five weeks, with three weeks in double figures and then two weeks combining for just nine points.

Zaccheaus is up to 232 yards, but no scores, on 22 catches and 32 targets. He’s scored in double figures just once this season. Brown has 145 yards and a touchdown on 13 grabs and 18 targets. He also has been in double figures just once.

McCaffrey has 134 yards and no scores on 13 catches and 16 targets. He’s failed to top 10 fantasy points in every game of his young career.

Smith has 487 yards and four touchdowns on 37 receptions and 50 targets this season. He struggled last week and is now dealing with a hamstring injury, so watch his status as the game approaches.

Brown has 553 yards and three touchdowns on 28 grabs and 41 targets. He has scored in double figures in four of the past five games.

Dotson has only 98 yards and no scores on eight catches and 15 targets. He’s failed to top five fantasy points in a game.

Wilson has 14 yards and a score on two catches and seven targets. His touchdown came last week, so it’ll be interesting to see if he overtakes Dotson at some point. Smith has six yards on three grabs and targets. He returned from the injured reserve list in week 10, so he’s another candidate to overtake Dotson.

It’s an average or slightly worse matchup for all the wideouts in this game. Washington allows 33 fantasy points per week, while Philly gives up 30.

Brown is projected for 17 PPR points in this game. McLaurin and Smith are set for 13 points each. Brown checks in at nine points.

I’d take McLaurin as the top fantasy wideout for this game as long as Smith plays. If Smith is out, then I’d take Brown first. Smith ranks third if he’s available and is a good starting option, unless he’s going to be on a snap count.

Brown is a flex-level option in standard leagues, but in a tougher matchup, I’d prefer to only start him in deeper leagues.

Everyone else are players I’d avoid in all formats. If Smith doesn’t play, I’d still just want to play Brown from the Eagles’ wideout room.

Tight Ends

Zach Ertz has been the top tight end for the Commanders. John Bates and Ben Sinnott also have played a good bit. Dallas Goedert leads the Eagles, while Grant Calcaterra and Jack Stoll also play a decent amount.

Ertz has 381 yards and a score on 37 receptions and 54 targets this season. After getting just one target two weeks ago, he got back on track with an eight-target game in week 10.

Bates has just five targets on the season, while Sinnot is at just three. Sinnot has scored at least, but neither are fantasy options outside the deepest of leagues.

Goedert returned from an injury last week and got three targets and scored once. He has 326 yards and a touchdown on 26 grabs and 32 targets this season.

Calcaterra has 216 yards and no scores on 17 catches and 19 targets this season. He had just one target last week with Goedert back in the picture.

Stoll only has three targets this season, so he’s another fantasy non factor.

Both defenses have slowed fantasy tight ends pretty well this season. Washington gives up 11 fantasy points per week, while Philly surrenders just eight.

In the week 11 projections, Goedert is projected for 10 PPR points, while Ertz is at nine.

I also like Goedert more on Thursday, especially if Smith doesn’t play. Both TEs are standard league starting options though. I’d avoid everyone else in all formats.

Kickers

Austin Seibert kicks for Washington. He’s 25-of-27 on his field goals and has made all 22 of his extra points this season. Seibert hasn’t practiced this week with an injury, so practice squad kicker Zane Gonzalez might end up kicking.

Jake Elliott kicks for Philly. He’s 12-of-15 on his field goals and perfect on his 23 extra points.

Elliott is projected for nine fantasy points, while Seibert is at eight. Elliott is my preferred fantasy kicker, whether Seibert is out there or not. The kickers for both teams should be good fantasy options, whether that be in a high-scoring game, or lower-scoring contest where field goals are plentiful.

Defenses/Special Teams

Philly’s defense allows just 274.1 yards and 17.9 points per game. The Eagles have 12 takeaways and 11 giveaways.

Washington gives up 324.9 yards and 21.7 points. The Commanders have 10 takeaways and only four giveaways.

Both defenses are projected for six fantasy points. I prefer Philly’s D/ST, but I also wouldn't be surprised if Washington scored more fantasy points. Both are D/STs that I’d try to avoid in standard leagues.