In the NFC, the Eagles, Seahawks, Lions, and Buccaneers are the current division leaders after Week 10.
The Colts, Broncos, Patriots, and Steelers lead their respective divisions in the AFC playoff picture.
Several teams with strong records, like the 7-2 Los Angeles Rams, are currently in wild card positions.

Every week for the duration of the 2025 NFL regular season, USA TODAY Sports will provide timely updates to the league’s ever-evolving playoff picture − typically starting after Sunday afternoon’s late games and then moving forward for the remainder of the week (through Monday’s and Thursday’s games or Saturday’s, if applicable. And, when the holidays roll around, we’ll be watching then, too.)

What just happened? What does it mean? What are the pertinent factors (and, perhaps, tiebreakers) prominently in play as each conference’s seven-team bracket begins to crystallize? All will be explained and analyzed up to the point when the postseason field is finalized on Sunday, Jan. 4.

Here’s where things stand with Week 10 of the 2025 season complete:

NFC playoff picture

1. Philadelphia Eagles (7-2), NFC East leaders: Something catastrophic (not uncommon in Philly) would have to occur for the defending champs not to be the first back-to-back winners of this division since they last did it … 21 years ago. A superior record (6-1) in NFC games allowed the Eagles to move ahead of the Seahawks and atop the conference following Monday night’s escape at Lambeau Field. Remaining schedule: vs. Lions, at Cowboys, vs. Bears, at Chargers, vs. Raiders, at Commanders, at Bills, vs. Commanders

2. Seattle Seahawks (7-2), NFC West leaders: Winners of four in a row, they currently have a better record in NFC West games than the Rams, who are also 7-2. But those clubs will meet in LA in Week 11. Remaining schedule: at Rams, at Titans, vs. Vikings, at Falcons, vs. Colts, vs. Rams, at Panthers, at 49ers

3. Detroit Lions (6-3), NFC North leaders: The offense responded Sunday as Dan Campbell assumed the offensive play-calling. Green Bay’s loss Monday night moved Detroit atop the division. Remaining schedule: at Eagles, vs. Giants, vs. Packers, vs. Cowboys, at Rams, vs. Steelers, at Vikings, at Bears.

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-3), NFC South leaders: You can afford to drop two of three if you’re in a division the Bucs have ruled since 2021. Remaining schedule: at Bills, at Rams, vs. Cardinals, vs. Saints, vs. Falcons, at Panthers, at Dolphins, vs. Panthers

5. Los Angeles Rams (7-2), wild card No. 1: Winners of four straight, all in dominant fashion, they have a strong case as the league’s best team at the moment. Yet a Week 3 loss at Lincoln Financial Field could come back to haunt them when the NFC playoff field is seeded. Remaining schedule: vs. Seahawks, vs. Buccaneers, at Panthers, at Cardinals, vs. Lions, at Seahawks, at Falcons, vs. Cardinals

6. Chicago Bears (6-3), wild card No. 2: They’ve won six of seven since an 0-2 start but have struggled to beat seemingly weaker teams − as happened Sunday against the Giants. Remaining schedule: at Vikings, vs. Steelers, at Eagles, at Packers, vs. Browns, vs. Packers, at 49ers, vs. Lions

7. Green Bay Packers (5-3-1), wild card No. 3: Costly loss to Philly on Monday, dropping the Pack out of the NFC North lead and nearly out of the projected playoff field altogether. They head to Week 11 just percentage points ahead of the 49ers (6-4). Remaining schedule: at Giants, vs. Vikings, at Lions, vs. Bears, at Broncos, at Bears, vs. Ravens, at Vikings

AFC playoff picture

1. Indianapolis Colts (8-2), AFC South leaders: The schedule’s been soft, but you can’t control whom you play − though the second-half lineup seems much less forgiving. A 6-1 record in conference games currently gives Indy the advantage over Denver and New England. Remaining schedule: BYE, at Chiefs, vs. Texans, at Jaguars, at Seahawks, vs. 49ers, vs. Jaguars, at Texans

2. Denver Broncos (8-2), AFC West leaders: They’re also winning a lot of ugly games − as they did Thursday night against Las Vegas. But wins are wins − and the Broncos have one more in AFC play than the Patriots do right now. Remaining schedule: vs. Chiefs, BYE, at Commanders, at Raiders, vs. Packers, vs. Jaguars, at Chiefs, vs. Chargers

3. New England Patriots (8-2), AFC East leaders: They’re in position to win the division for the first time since Tom Brady led them to first place in 2019 and maybe their first No. 1 seed since 2017. Not a whole lot of seemingly tough matchups from here on out. Remaining schedule: vs. Jets, at Bengals, vs. Giants, BYE, vs. Bills, at Ravens, at Jets, vs. Dolphins

4. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-4), AFC North leaders: Don’t look now, fellas, but you’re only one game up on Baltimore for the division lead. Remaining schedule: vs. Bengals, at Bears, vs. Bills, at Ravens, vs. Dolphins, at Lions, at Browns, vs. Ravens

5. Los Angeles Chargers (7-3), wild card No. 1: They manhandled Pittsburgh in prime time, offering fresh evidence that maybe they can overcome their litany of injuries. Remaining schedule: at Jaguars, BYE, vs. Raiders, vs. Eagles, at Chiefs, at Cowboys, vs. Texans, at Broncos

6. Buffalo Bills (6-3), wild card No. 2: They’re starting to lose sight of the Patriots atop the AFC East after a pathetic performance at Miami on Sunday. Remaining schedule: vs. Buccaneers, at Texans, at Steelers, vs. Bengals, at Patriots, at Browns, vs. Eagles, vs. Jets

7. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-4), wild card No. 3: Tough loss at Houston on Sunday. But their Week 5 defeat of the Chiefs, who are also 5-4, could eventually loom large for both teams. Remaining schedule: vs. Chargers, at Cardinals, at Titans, vs. Colts, vs. Jets, at Broncos, vs. Colts, at Titans

SEC, Big Ten can’t agree on expanded playoff format as deadline nears.
If two super conferences can’t agree on expanded CFP bracket, the 12-team format could continue in 2026.
The 12-team playoff is working well. Maybe just leave it alone.

Deadlines become most influential and effective when something threatening lurks on the other side of the date.

Forget to file your taxes on time? That comes with an IRS fine.

Miss the open enrollment deadline? That torpedoes your chance to make insurance changes.

And what if the SEC and Big Ten miss the Dec. 1 deadline to modify and expand the College Football Playoff for the 2026 season? Well, nothing bad happens. A 12-team playoff format that’s working just fine would continue next season.

Sounds pretty good. Certainly, it’s not a threat. Let the deadline come and go with no action.

The 12-team playoff isn’t broken. It doesn’t require a fix.

SEC, Big Ten can’t agree on expanded playoff format

The playoff definitely doesn’t need Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti doing the fixing. In the offseason, Petitti became transfixed with the idea of a 16-team playoff with play-in games and multiple automatic bids for each Power Four conference.

As Petitti’s obsession with play-in games deepened, I thought he must either be an unserious person, or he’s conducting a psyop. Or, he’s an unserious person conducting a psyop.

Because, if there’s one thing college football needs, it’s a play-in game involving the Big Ten’s sixth-place team. (I typed that in my sarcastic voice, can you tell?)

We just had that play-in game. We called it Oregon 18, Iowa 16, on Nov. 8. The regular season supplies the play-in games.

But, wait. Maybe, there’s hope for sixth-place Iowa yet. Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger recently reported Big Ten stakeholders have mulled a mega playoff with 20-plus teams and littered with auto bids.

That dog won’t hunt in the South.

“I’m not a big fan of automatic qualifiers,” Mississippi State President Mark Keenum said recently on “The Paul Finebaum Show.”

TOPP THOUGHTS: LSU search got even weirder, and Heisman race is far from over

Keenum, giving voice to the SEC’s position, favors a 16-team playoff, but with 11 at-large bids selected by the playoff committee.

If you’re wondering why I’m quoting Mississippi State’s president, he’s the chairman of the CFP’s board of managers, and he’s the SEC’s representative to the group. That makes him a notable voice on playoff expansion talks.

“I think the best teams ought to play in (the playoff) … and not have automatic bids,” Keenum told Finebaum. “That’s the position of the Southeastern Conference presidents and chancellors (and) our commissioner.”

To review, the Big Ten would like a bigger playoff with a bevy of automatic bids. The SEC doesn’t like automatic bids, nor does it benefit from them. Three weeks from the deadline, the conferences are miles apart. Playoff expansion cannot occur unless the Big Ten and SEC agree on a new format.

“I’ll be honest, I’m not very optimistic that we’ll” reach an agreement on CFP expansion before the deadline, “but we’ll keep working on it,” Keenum said.

Don’t bother. Let’s pretend the deadline was Nov. 1, and, with no consensus reached, continue with this 12-team format in perpetuity.

12-team College Football Playoff strikes right balance

By my count, 30 teams remain in playoff contention entering this third Saturday in November. That includes nearly two dozen teams from power conferences.

That’s enough contenders to keep the schedule full of impactful games each weekend, without devaluing results.

The Oregon-Iowa result mattered greatly. In the Petitti plan, that game would have been a glorified exhibition before the teams meet again in a December play-in game.

This weekend, Texas and Oklahoma will play SEC road games with their playoff fates hanging in the balance. Southern California will try to keep its hopes alive against Iowa. Notre Dame must sidestep surging Pittsburgh.

Playoff stakeholders tweaked the seeding structure for the 12-team format this past offseason. No longer are first-round byes exclusive to conference champions. Instead, teams ranked Nos. 1 through 4 will receive byes, no matter whether they won their conference.

Initially, I thought that seeding adjustment might be a premature reaction, but with the ACC caving in on itself, I’ll admit it was a worthy change to stop having byes exclusive to conference champions.

With that seeding kink ironed out, this fine-tuned 12-team structure can really shine.

The committee will have to make a difficult decision or two come selection Sunday, but the season results will sort most of it out. If the playoff expands, the field would become messier. That’s not necessary.

I count six teams as serious national championship contenders. No team that could win it all will be snubbed from a 12-team bracket.

At 12, the playoff remains exclusive, but accessible.

This playoff format works. Let the CFP expansion deadline pass. Ride with 12.

Blake Toppmeyer is USA TODAY’s senior national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.

When are the College Football Playoff rankings released?

This week’s top 25 comes out 7 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 10 on ESPN.

Two spectators at the ATP Finals in Turin, Italy, died from cardiac arrest during the second day of the tournament, officials said.

‘The Italian Tennis and Padel Federation (FITP) and the ATP express their deepest condolences following the tragic passing of two spectators yesterday during the ATP Finals in Turin,’ a joint statement from the two organizations said.

‘On-site medical and emergency personnel responded immediately, providing all possible assistance. Despite prompt intervention and subsequent transfer to hospital, unfortunately, both sadly passed away.’

Officials stated that incidents involving the two individuals, aged 70 and 78, occurred at different times during the matches on Monday.

The singles match between Lorenzo Musetti and Taylor Fritz was delayed when the 78-year-old man collapsed in the stands, with announcements made at the Inalpi Arena to alert fans to the medical emergency. The 70-year-old man collapsed in the Fan Village in Piazza d’Armi near the arena.

The ATP Finals have been held in Turin since 2021, and will continue in the city for next year’s season-ending tournament. The ATP Finals will remain in Italy until 2030.

How to watch: Duke at Army, 7 p.m., Tuesday; CBS Sports Network

The architect of modern Duke basketball is a West Point man, and the fourth-ranked Blue Devils will pay homage to him and other cadets by playing at Army on Tuesday, Nov. 11 — Veterans Day.

Mike Krzyzewski played at Army and coached five seasons there (73-59 record) prior to his 42 seasons as Duke coach (1,438-309).

‘To honor all the veterans on Veterans Day, that’s a special thing to be playing at West Point for that reason,’ Duke coach Jon Scheyer said, per the Fayetteville Observer.

Coach K will make the trip with the team to upstate New York, where he played from 1966-69.

‘It’ll be strange being on a flight with him, I don’t know if he’s going to be watching film or not,’ Scheyer said after Duke’s win over Western Carolina on Nov. 8. ‘Maybe my first time on a flight with him where he’s not watching film. Or he probably will be watching film, who knows?’

Maybe he’ll feel nostalgic and put on film from the last time the Blue Devils played at West Point, the 1997 season opener. Duke won, 78-45, as fans were introduced to freshmen Elton Brand and Shane Battier, who were making their college debuts. Battier led with 15 points (6-of-9 shooting), Brand had 12 (5-of-6) and Steve Wojciechowski and Trajan Langdon started in the backcourt.

Only five Army-Navy games had a bigger crowd (5,055) for a game in Christl Arena history.

The teams have played nine times previously, including last season’s 100-58 Duke win. The Blue Devils have won all nine games, with an average margin of victory of 39.3 points.

‘When you combine the opportunity to host a program with the stature of Duke basketball on Veterans Day in Christl with the connection to a legend in our program’s history it is a tremendous thrill for the young men in our program,’ Army coach Kevin Kuwik said in a statement announcing the game. ‘We are grateful to Coach Scheyer for this opportunity and look forward to a memorable experience not just for our team, but for the entire West Point community and alumni.’

Duke guard Caleb Foster says the team will have a USA flag on their shoes for the game.

‘I think it’s going to be a really cool experience.’

What channel is Duke basketball vs Army on?

The game starts at 7 p.m. and will air on the CBS Sports Network.

Duke reporter Anna Snyder of Fayetteville Observer, part of USA TODAY Co., contributed to this story.

A defensive battle at Lambeau Field ended with the Philadelphia Eagles holding on for a 10-7 victory over the Green Bay Packers on Nov. 10.

Monday night was a defensive slugfest through three quarters in Green Bay. It wasn’t until the fourth quarter when both offenses woke up a little.

After a scoreless first half, the Eagles managed a field goal in the third quarter. In the final period, a big play from star running back Saquon Barkley and a touchdown catch from wide receiver DeVonta Smith got the Eagles just enough points.

The Packers answered with a fourth quarter touchdown of their own, but kicker Brandon McManus missed a potential game-tying 64-yard field goal attempt as time expired as the Eagles were able to hang on to win.

USA TODAY Sports explores winners and losers from the ‘Monday Night Football’ NFC matchup:

WINNERS

Stingy defense

Both defenses stood tall in the first half.

Packers linebacker Edgerrin Cooper forced a Jalen Hurts fumble when the Eagles were in the red zone.

The Eagles returned the favor when Nakobe Dean had a strip sack on Jordan Love that shut the door on a scoring opportunity for Green Bay.

Standout running backs Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs didn’t have much room to operate in the first half. Barkley gained 33 yards rushing and Jacobs tallied 38 yards on the ground. Both running backs averaged under four yards a carry in a scoreless first half.

The defenses continued to control the game after halftime. The Eagles managed to connect on a field goal after a 10-play, 50-yard drive. It wasn’t until the final quarter when both teams found the end zone.

Green Bay gained 261 yards of total offense. Love and company averaged four yards a play. The Eagles weren’t much better as they produced 294 yards of total offense, with an average of 4.9 yards per play.

It was fitting Green Bay’s best opportunity to tie the game was stopped by a great defensive play in the fourth quarter. Jalen Carter and Jaelan Phillips blew up a Josh Jacobs run on fourth-and-1 from Green Bay’s 44-yard line with under two minutes remaining. Jacobs fumbled on the play.

Saquon Barkley, DeVonta Smith spark Eagles offense in fourth quarter

It was an offensive struggle on both sides through three quarters until Barkley and Smith ignited the Eagles offense on successive plays.

On third-and-7 from Philadelphia’s 23-yard line, Jalen Hurts tossed a short pass to Barkley out on the flats. Barkley caught the football, put a wicked spin move on Packers CB Carrington Valentine and raced down the field for a 41-yard catch and run.

On the ensuing play, Smith caught a 36-yard touchdown pass to lift the Eagles to a 10-0 lead with 10:36 left in the fourth quarter.

Barkley produced 25 touches for 101 yards from scrimmage. Smith finished with four catches, a game-high 69 receiving yards and a touchdown.

Jaelan Phillips

Phillips was productive in his Eagles debut. The edge rusher tallied six tackles, one tackle for loss and two QB hits in the win.

LOSERS

First half offense

Both offenses were frozen in Green Bay in the first half.

Jalen Hurts fumbled the football on Philadelphia’s opening series, ending a promising drive. The fumble stopped all the Eagles’ momentum. Philadelphia punted on three straight possessions after the opening drive turnover. They only gained 125 yards of total offense.

Hurts only managed 48 yards passing.

The Packers were worse offensively. Green Bay punted on its first four drives and went 0-5 on third downs.

Jordan Love and the Packers offense managed just 85 total yards. Love had a meager 39 yards passing and was sacked three times.

The first half featured seven punts and a two fumbles. Both fumbles occurred inside field goal range. It was the first scoreless half on ‘Monday Night Football’ since 2009, according to the ESPN broadcast.

Questionable decision by Nick Sirianni

Up 10-7, the Eagles coach made a head-scratching choice when he elected to go for it on fourth-and-6 from Green Bay’s 35-yard line with 33 seconds left. Jalen Hurts’ long pass to A.J. Brown fell incomplete and the turnover on downs gave the Packers life for a game-tying field goal.

Luckily for Sirianni, Packers kicker Brandon McManus’ attempt on a game-tying 64-yard field goal attempt wasn’t even close.

NFC East

The Eagles (7-2) have a commanding lead in the NFC East. No other team in the division has a winning record. The Dallas Cowboys (3-5-1), who had a Week 10 bye, are second in the division. The Washington Commanders (3-7) and New York Giants (2-8) both lost in Week 10.

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.

The SEC and Big Ten are expected to dominate the seven at-large spots.
The ACC’s chances for multiple bids decreased after losses by Louisville and Virginia.
Texas, Oklahoma, and Vanderbilt are competing for the final SEC spot in the playoff field.

Perhaps this College Football Playoff picture that seemed so murky is surprisingly finding some clarity with three weeks still to go in the season.

It’s a matter of match with the results of Week 11 helping. There’s seven at-large spots and it’s hard to see more than one spot going to leagues outside the SEC and Big Ten.

The ACC is a beautiful mess but it’s likelihood of getting two teams in the field was significantly diminished by Louisville and Virginia falling Saturday. Georgia Tech is a possibility if it winning its last three games, including a defeat of Georgia, and then misses out on the conference title.

The Big 12 could get a second team in should Texas Tech and Brigham Young win out to set up a rematch in Arlington, Texas. The Cougars do remain in the projected field for now with a game at Cincinnati looming but we will keep them in the field for now.

This is where the math comes in. There’s still six at-large spots to award. Oregon and either Ohio State and Indiana will likely be in from the Big Ten. It’s hard to see either Southern California or Michigan having a chance unless they were to beat the Ducks or Buckeyes, respectively.

That leaves four spots for the SEC and there’s a host of worthy candidates. You can pretty much write Texas A&M, Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi in the field barring a major surprise with one of the quartet being conference champion.

That leaves Vanderbilt, Oklahoma and Texas fighting for one spot. The Longhorns own wins against both of the other two, giving them the inside track as long as they split games against Georgia and Texas A&M. The Sooners could upset that scenario but it would require them to win out against Alabama, Missouri and LSU.

So for now, we are moving Texas into the field and will cross out fingers that not much changes to alter our cleared-up picture.

Bowl projections after college football Week 11

Notes: Legacy Pac-12 schools in other conferences will fulfill existing Pac-12 bowl agreements through the 2025 season. Not all conferences will fulfill their bowl allotment. An asterisk represents a replacement pick.

Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur isn’t worrying about his job security following his team’s 10-7 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on ‘Monday Night Football’ in Week 10.

LaFleur commented on the matter when asked whether he believed he was coaching for his job over the rest of the 2025 NFL season.

‘l’ll leave that for everybody else to decide,’ LaFleur said. ‘I’ll just focus on the day to day.’

‘I feel like you’re always coaching for everything in this league,’ the 46-year-old added. ‘That’s just my mindset. It’s always been that way. You can’t ever exhale. You gotta always be pushing. That’s just my mindset, and that will be my mindset until they tell me not to coach anymore.’

LaFleur’s comments come after the Packers dropped their second consecutive home game and fell to third in the NFC North race, behind the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears (both 6-3).

They also come as LaFleur faces long-term uncertainty about his future. His contract only runs through the 2026 NFL season, per reports, and Green Bay opted not to extend him ahead of the 2025 campaign.

The Packers still have plenty of time to extend LaFleur if they so desire. That said, the team could be using the 2025 season to evaluate LaFleur – who has a 72-36-1 regular-season record since taking Green Bay’s reins in 2019 but has never won multiple playoff games in a single season.

Thus far, the 2025 Packers have a winning record at 5-3-1 but have been inconsistent. They have also struggled offensively in their losses. The Packers are averaging just 10 points per game in those three contests, a problem LaFleur acknowledged during his postgame news conference on Nov. 10.

‘You score seven points in this league, you’re probably not gonna win many games,’ LaFleur said after the team’s loss to the Eagles.

LaFleur will see a reminder of the pressure he’s facing in Week 11, when the Packers look to end their two-game losing skid against the New York Giants. The Giants just fired coach Brian Daboll after a 2-8 start to his fourth season with the club.

All the NFL news on and off the field. Sign up for USA TODAY’s 4th and Monday newsletter. Check out the latest edition: Best and worst of unpredictable Week 10.

The good news for fantasy football managers? Only two teams are on bye in Week 11. The bad news? One of them is the Indianapolis Colts.

The Colts have been one of the best offenses in the NFL this season, and Jonathan Taylor has been the clear-cut No. 1 fantasy running back. Without him and other contributors like Daniel Jones, Michael Pittman Jr., Tyler Warren and Alec Pierce, fantasy managers will face some difficult start ’em, sit ’em decisions.

This week, the crop of streamers to pick from is a little better. That’s because three of the NFL’s most porous defenses – the Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys and Tennessee Titans – are all set to return from bye.

But will these streamers end up being better options than some of the higher-end fantasy assets in tough matchups? Those will be the decisions fantasy footballers grapple with as the push to the playoffs reaches its peak.

Who can you start and sit in fantasy football for Week 11 of the NFL season? USA TODAY Sports outlines eight players to start and eight to sit.

Fantasy football players to start in Week 11

Quarterbacks

Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins (vs. Washington Commanders)

The Commanders have allowed at least 250 passing yards and three passing touchdowns in each of their last four games. The team has also lost starting cornerbacks Marshon Lattimore (torn ACL) and Trey Amos (broken fibula) in back-to-back weeks and may struggle to contain Jaylen Waddle. Tagovailoa has accounted for multiple touchdowns in six of his last nine starts, so he has a solid floor and a high ceiling in this matchup.

Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. Cincinnati Bengals)

Is Rodgers going to throw four touchdowns against the Bengals again? Maybe not, but Cincinnati is one of five teams to have surrendered at least 20 passing touchdowns to quarterbacks this season. The Bengals also figure to be without Trey Hendrickson (hip) for this game, so they won’t be able to generate consistent pressure against Rodgers. That should allow the 41-year-old veteran to put together a solid performance, especially if the game turns into another shootout.

Running backs

Woody Marks, Houston Texans (at Tennessee Titans)

Marks has had an up-and-down rookie season, but he has averaged 73 scrimmage yards per game over his last two outings. He should have a chance to do some damage against a Titans defense that has allowed 12 rushing touchdowns to running backs this season – tied for the most in the NFL – and the second-most fantasy points per game (FPPG) to the position.

Sean Tucker, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (at Buffalo Bills)

Could Tucker end up taking on the lead role in Tampa Bay’s backfield? He was more efficient than Rachaad White against the Patriots, becoming the first running back to total more than 53 rushing yards against New England (he had 53 on nine carries). Bucky Irving still hasn’t practiced since suffering a shoulder injury in Week 4 against the Eagles, so that could line Tucker up for a solid workload against a Bills defense that has surrendered 12 rushing touchdowns to running backs this season.

Wide receivers

Marvin Harrison Jr., Arizona Cardinals (vs. San Francisco 49ers)

The Cardinals have made a concerted effort to get Harrison Jr. the ball coming out of their bye. Over the last two weeks, the second-year wide-out has averaged 11 targets per game and has posted 10 catches for 129 yards and two touchdowns. Now, he faces a 49ers team that has allowed 126 receptions to wide receivers this season, fifth-most in the NFL, making him a quality PPR threat.

Tyler Lockett, Las Vegas Raiders (vs. Dallas Cowboys)

Lockett has only been with the Raiders for a couple of weeks, but the Jakobi Meyers trade allowed him to step into a larger role. The 33-year-old veteran had a team-high six targets against the Broncos and turned them into five catches for 44 yards in a tough matchup. The Cowboys are considerably weaker, having allowed a league-high 16 touchdowns to receivers this season, so Lockett’s long-term chemistry with Geno Smith could make him a viable flex in this spot.

Tight end

Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. Cincinnati Bengals)

The Bengals have allowed far and away the most receiving touchdowns to tight ends this season at 12. No other team has allowed more than seven. Last time they played the Steelers, Freiermuth, Jonnu Smith and Darnell Washington all scored. All could be viable again, but Freiermuth has the highest ceiling of the bunch.

Defense/special teams

Los Angeles Chargers (at Jacksonville Jaguars)

The Chargers are coming off a strong defensive effort against the Steelers, limiting Pittsburgh to 10 total points and forcing Rodgers into two interceptions. The Jaguars are thin at receiver thanks to injuries to Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter, so they could have trouble moving the ball against Jesse Minter’s stingy defense.

Fantasy football players to sit in Week 11

Quarterbacks

Bo Nix, Denver Broncos (vs. Kansas City Chiefs)

The Chiefs are coming off a bye and are one of just six NFL teams to allow fewer than 10 passing touchdowns to opposing quarterbacks this season. Nix could still do some damage against a Kansas City defense that has allowed a league-high five rushing touchdowns to quarterbacks this season, but it’s hard to recommend trusting the second-year starter after his Week 10 struggles against a weaker Raiders defense.

Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks (vs. Los Angeles Rams)

The Rams have surrendered the eighth-fewest FPPG to quarterbacks this season. More importantly, the team ranks ninth in the NFL in pressures, per the NFL’s Next Gen Stats. Darnold’s passer rating drops from 128.6 when kept clean to 83.8 when under pressure, per Pro Football Focus, so this could end up being a tougher matchup for him.

Running backs

Tyrone Tracy Jr., New York Giants (vs. Green Bay Packers)

Tracy should continue to get a high volume of touches as he splits the Giants’ workload with Devin Singletary, but the Packers have been good against the run this season. Add in the possibility of Russell Wilson starting for an injured Jaxson Dart (concussion) and Tracy doesn’t seem likely to find many running lanes.

Kenneth Walker, Seattle Seahawks (vs. Los Angeles Rams)

Walker has not scored a touchdown since his team’s Week 3 game against the Saints. That doesn’t seem likely to change against a Rams team that has allowed a league-low one rushing touchdown to running backs this season.

Wide receivers

Xavier Worthy, Kansas City Chiefs (at Denver Broncos)

The Broncos have allowed the fewest FPPG to wide receivers this season. Rashee Rice can still be trusted against them, but Worthy – who has averaged just 3.7 catches and 37 receiving yards per game since Rice’s return with no touchdowns – is too risky to start.

Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos (vs. Kansas City Chiefs)

It’s also going to be hard to trust the Broncos receivers against a Chiefs defense that has allowed a league-low 955 receiving yards to wide-outs this season. Sutton has cooled after a strong start to the season, averaging just three catches for 45 yards over his last five games with just one touchdown. Nix seems more comfortable throwing to his former college teammate Troy Franklin, so it may be time to fade Sutton.

Tight end

Cade Otton, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (at Buffalo Bills)

Otton has seen an uptick in production over his last five games, but he has a tough matchup against the Bills in Week 11. Buffalo has allowed the fewest receptions (23) and receiving yards (242) to tight ends this season, so Otton has a low floor in this matchup.

Defense/special teams

Seattle Seahawks (at Los Angeles Rams)

The Seahawks have been stellar defensively this season, but Matthew Stafford has thrown a whopping 13 touchdowns over his last three games. Maybe Seattle will put the MVP front-runner’s hot streak to an end, but there is potential for disappointment from the Seahawks stop unit this week.

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