Week 11 Late Game Fantasy Football Takeaways: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Justin Herbert and the Denver Backfield

After looking at some fantasy football takeaways from the early games on Sunday, it’s time to look at some fantasy takeaways for the afternoon and night games.

Check back soon for an IDP recap.

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Broncos’ Backfield

In week 10, it looked like Audric Estime had emerged as the Broncos’ lead running back. Week 11 was another story.

Javonte Williams led the Denver backfield with nine carries, going for 59 yards and a score. He also had 28 receiving yards on four catches and five targets to post a pretty good fantasy score, especially in PPR leagues.

Estime only had 16 rushing yards on six carries. He did get involved in the passing game, catching all three of his targets, but for just nine yards.

Jaleel McLaughlin rushed four times for 19 yards and was not targeted in the passing game.

Williams looked like the clear lead back again, playing 32 of the team’s 62 offensive snaps. Estime was on the field for just 14 snaps 23% of the team total), while McLaughlin was at nine snaps.

The lopsided nature of the game is something to note, but there was really no Denver back that had a monster game. Week 11 really didn’t shed any light on the backfield situation, and it’s just as murky now going into week 12.

If you picked up Estime on the waiver wire before this week, I wouldn’t drop him yet (unless there’s a can’t-miss player on waivers now). The Denver backfield looks like a fluid situation, and things could look good for Estime after week 12 again. I’d at least wait one more game to see if Estime is going to factor in more for the Broncos.

JSN’s Breakout Continues

The Seahawks earned a surprising 20-17 win over the 49ers on Sunday. Seattle had 221 passing yards, and it was Jaxon Smith-Njigba, not DK Metcalf or Tyler Lockett, who was the top wideout.

JSN finished with 110 yards on 10 catches and 11 targets. He also had an eight-yard rush on the day.

This isn’t just a one-game fluke for Smith-Njigba, as he’s gone for over 65 yards in three straight games now. He’s still going to be the second option behind Metcalf most weeks, but it’s hard to ignore what the young wideout has done of late.

There’s room in the Seattle offense for JSN to be involved consistently, and there’s enough favorable matchups ahead to be confident that he can keep things rolling.

According to FSP data, JSN was started in just 53% of leagues in week 11. That number should increase going into week 12, and will only continue to rise if the wideout keeps delivering.

Being the second option at best in the passing game, and with some inconsistent performances throughout the season, you might be able to land JSN in a trade for less than you think. So if you are in need of a flex-level player who can start more often than not, see what it might cost to land Smith-Njigba.

Herbert Continues Hot Streak

Justin Herbert started the season a bit slow as he got familiarized with a new offense and coaching staff. He’s been trending up of late and turned in a masterful showing on Sunday afternoon.

Herbert was just 17-of-36 passing, but for 297 yards, two touchdowns and no picks. He did lose a fumble, but he also rushed for 65 yards on five attempts.

It was his fourth multi-touchdown performance of the season, but third in the past four games. Herbert has thrown for over 235 yards in five of the past six contests.

Herbert is looking more and more comfortable in this offense by the week, and is starting to turn into that good/great fantasy quarterback we all expected a few years ago. 

He’s got favorable matchups ahead and is definitely in the weekly starting conversation now. Herbert is still available to about 10% of you, but only started in 58% of leagues this week. That number should continue to rise as the season progresses and Herbert continues to put up good fantasy outings.

Unless you have one of the elite fantasy QBs, I’d check in to see the asking price of Herbert in a trade. Quarterbacks usually don’t cost a lot, and you should be able to start him most weeks going forward. At least see what it would take, and maybe you wouldn’t have to worry about that position for the remainder of the season.