There are so many twists and turns to an NFL Sunday that it's hard for fantasy football managers to keep up with everything. This column is designed to help, providing you with all of the storylines you need to know from Sunday's action in order to kick-start your research for the Week 11 games that lie ahead.
Of course, this week, the No. 1 story is far and away the sprained MCL suffered by Green Bay Packers RB Aaron Jones against the Seahawks. After sustaining a knee injury in the third quarter, Jones was forced to leave the game, and as he left the blue medical tent, you could see tears in his eyes.
If Jones misses time, AJ Dillon will benefit immediately. Running backs have played a significant role for the Packers not only as runners, but also as receivers. Green Bay's running backs have averaged 29.7 opportunities (rushing attempts plus targets) and 141.2 total yards per game through Weeks 1-9. Dillon would inherit a high percentage of this workload behind an offensive line ranked eighth in run block win rate.
Dillon ended up running 21 times for 66 yards and two touchdowns against the Seahawks. He also caught two passes for 62 yards. Assuming that Jones doesn't play in Week 11, Dillon will definitely be on the RB1 radar against the Vikings.
All stats are courtesy of ESPN Stats & Information, except where noted.
Here's a quick look at some of the standout stats from Sunday's action:
Dallas Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb caught 6 of 7 targets for 94 yards and two touchdowns against the Falcons. Lamb had 71 receiving yards in the first quarter, the most in any quarter of his career. Lamb should be a WR1 against the Chiefs in Week 11.
Carolina Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey rushed 13 times for 95 yards and caught all 10 of his targets for 66 yards vs. the Cardinals. McCaffrey had his 21st career game with 50 rushing and 50 receiving yards, tied for the fourth most in NFL history. The best news? Despite the fact that he had to visit the medical tent in the fourth quarter, the Panthers have made no injury announcements.
The Arizona Cardinals were without both Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins for the second straight game and ended up amassing only 169 total yards -- the fewest ever in coach Kliff Kingsbury's reign. TE Zach Ertz was one of the few bright spots. Catching 4 of 6 targets for 46 yards, Ertz will be a TE1 for Week 11.
Minnesota Vikings RB Dalvin Cook rushed 24 times for 94 yards and a touchdown against the Chargers. He also caught 3 of 5 targets for 24 additional yards. Cook's performance was underwhelming considering the Chargers defense has been torched all season, but he can still be viewed as an RB1 in Week 11.
On the Los Angeles Chargers side of things, WR Keenan Allen caught 8 of 11 targets against Minnesota for 98 yards. Through Week 6, the target volumes for Allen (57) and Mike Williams (56) were surprisingly similar. Since then, though Williams has seen just 16 targets, compared to Allen's 35. Feel free to use Allen as a high-end WR2.
With Alvin Kamara out, New Orleans Saints RB Mark Ingram II rushed 14 times for 47 yards and a touchdown, while catching 4 of 7 targets for 61 yards against the Titans. He also set a franchise record for career rushing yards. If Kamara returns in Week 11 against the Eagles, Ingram is still a solid flex. If not, he's a decent RB2.
Tennessee Titans WR Marcus Johnson thrived with Julio Jones on IR and A.J. Brown facing double-teams all afternoon, catching 5 of 6 targets for 100 yards. Johnson's 22.2% target share was higher than Jones had managed to see in any game this season. Johnson is going to be a popular waiver-wire addition -- and with good reason.
Indianapolis Colts RB Jonathan Taylor gained 116 yards on 21 carries and scored a touchdown, while catching 6 of 8 targets for 10 yards against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Taylor is now the fourth player in NFL history with 100 scrimmage yards and a rushing touchdown in seven consecutive games. However, a tough matchup with the Bills next week makes eight in a row unlikely.
After missing last week's game due to a heel injury, Jacksonville Jaguars RB James Robinson gained 57 yards on 12 carries and scored a touchdown. While playing on 59% of offensive snaps, Robinson also caught 4 of 5 targets for 27 yards. He'll next face a 49ers defense that has allowed the 10th-most RB fantasy points per game. Expect him to gain momentum.
Due to a concussion, the New England Patriots were without RB Damien Harris against the Browns and Rhamondre Stevenson took full advantage of the opportunity. Stevenson rushed 20 times for 100 yards and two touchdowns. Under Bill Belichick, he is just the third Patriots rookie to score multiple rushing touchdowns in a game.
With Jonnu Smith out due to a shoulder injury, Patriots TE Hunter Henry caught all four of his targets for 37 yards and two touchdowns against the Browns. It was his second career multi-TD game (2019 against the Pittsburgh Steelers). But again, this success came with Smith out. Don't overreact.
In a win over the Jets, Buffalo Bills WR Stefon Diggs finally went boom, catching 8 of 13 targets for a whopping 162 yards and a touchdown. Diggs could well repeat this performance in Week 11 against the Colts who allow the sixth-most WR fantasy points per game.
New York Jets RB Michael Carter ran the ball 16 times for 39 yards and a touchdown and added four receptions for another 43 yards. Even though Tevin Coleman returned to the Jets backfield, Carter was still actively involved. It looks like he's a "matchup proof" flex.
Detroit Lions RB D'Andre Swift rushed 33 times for 130 yards against the Steelers, catching 3 of 5 passes for another five yards. With Jamaal Williams out, Swift received all the touches he could handle. Yes, both of Detroit's rushing scores came on long scampers by other backs, but there's no reason for concern here.
Pittsburgh Steelers RB Najee Harris (26 carries, 105 yards) is averaging 24.4 touches per game. This consistent volume positions him for a great fantasy performance against the Chargers in Week 11.
Washington RB Antonio Gibson has been dealing with a shin injury for most of the season, but he surprised everyone by rushing 24 times for 64 yards and two touchdowns against Tampa Bay's tough run defense. Gibson's regular red zone work keeps him as a weekly RB2.
It seems inconceivable that Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans would only have three targets in a game where the Buccaneers were trailing, but here we are. Even so, he still finished with two catches for 62 yards and a touchdown. Expect Evans to shine against the Giants in Week 11.
Yes, Philadelphia Eagles WR DeVonta Smith caught 4 of 6 targets for 66 yards and two touchdowns against the Broncos. However, he had just two receiving touchdowns over his first nine career games. Next up is a meeting with Saints CB Marshon Lattimore. If he can post WR2 numbers in Week 11, then we'll be fully on board.
Denver Broncos WR Courtland Sutton averaged 9.1 targets in the six games he played without Jerry Jeudy. In four games with Jeudy, Sutton has averaged only 3.0 targets. Let's see if things are any different after Denver's bye.
Russell Wilson's 43.7 passer rating against the Packers marked the fourth-worst game of his career. He completed only 20 of 40 passing attempts for 161 yards and two interceptions. In Week 11, we have to seriously consider benching him.
Who was worried? Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes displayed much better decision-making against the Raiders, completing 35 of 50 passes for 406 yards and five touchdowns. This was his third career game with 400-plus passing yards and five touchdowns, which ties him with some guys named Peyton Manning, Dan Marino and Joe Montana.