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All World League Est. 2003
FFL: Week 10 | NFL: Week 10

WR Strength of Schedule

Fri May 31 10:52am ET
By JEFF PAUR
Sr Fantasy Writer

Related photo caption below

Lamb could top last season


Using our rules for our money leagues, we came up with a schedule strength ranking for the receiver position. We are using our fantasy defenses report to calculate the rankings. This report can be found in all of our leagues under the "reports" heading. We took the schedule of each team and entered the average number of fantasy points allowed to receivers last season from all of their opponents to get our fantasy points allowed number. This is a good indication of the receivers with the most favorable schedules for fantasy scoring for the coming season. Defenses obviously change from year to year, but knowing the receivers that might have the easiest schedule for fantasy is always a good idea when formulating your rankings and draft strategy.

  WR SOS  
1. Denver Broncos 531.34
2. Los Angeles Chargers 536.08
3. Miami Dolphins 537.31
4. Kansas City Chiefs 549.96
5. Las Vegas Raiders 552.89
6. Pittsburgh Steelers 554.85
7. New England Patriots 555.93
8. Buffalo Bills 556.13
9. Houston Texans 561.75
10. San Francisco 49ers 565.73
11. New Orleans Saints 566.06
12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 566.19
13. Cincinnati Bengals 566.32
14. Jacksonville Jaguars 570.07
15. Baltimore Ravens 571.77
16. Seattle Seahawks 573.41
17. Minnesota Vikings 573.91
18. Philadelphia Eagles 574.46
19. Carolina Panthers 575.49
20. Los Angeles Rams 575.79
21. Washington Commanders 575.91
22. Detroit Lions 576.36
23. Atlanta Falcons 577.76
24. New York Jets 577.99
25. Tennessee Titans 578.06
26. Indianapolis Colts 578.18
27. Cleveland Browns 583.5
28. Arizona Cardinals 586.09
29. New York Giants 586.93
30. Chicago Bears 601.21
31. Dallas Cowboys 608.4
32. Green Bay Packers 610.22

 

The Packers have the easiest fantasy schedule for receivers. Jayden Reed and Christian Watson could be setup for career best seasons with this schedule. These are guys you can get a little later come draft day and mid-round options that could be difference makers for fantasy owners.

CeeDee Lamb is considered the No. 1 overall fantasy receiver for many and his schedule helps make that claim even stronger. Lamb has the second most favorable schedule for receivers. Lamb was huge last year and could improve on that even more, especially since the Cowboys could struggle to run the ball with their current options.

The Bears, Giants and Cardinals also round out the top-five most favorable receiver schedules. Chicago has a great trio of receivers with D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen and rookie Rome Odunze.  These guys could produce big as long as rookie Caleb Williams gets the job done at quarterback in year one. Moore has more to compete with for targets this year, but you still have to like his chances for a big season in year two with the Bears.

The Giants and Cardinals both have some question marks at receiver, but a couple rookies lead the way for both teams. Malik Nabers and Marvin Harrison could have big rookie seasons with their new teams. These guys both have a chance to lead all rookie fantasy receivers in scoring.

On the opposite side of things, the Broncos have the most challenging schedule for receivers. The Broncos have all sorts of questions at receiver outside of Courtland Sutton. This is a unit of receivers you just might want to avoid come draft day. This schedule won’t make anything easier for this group.

The Chargers are a similar team to the Broncos, having openings and questions at receiver. So once again, it might be best to let someone else put Chargers receivers on their roster. Plus, the Chargers could be a lot more run heavy with a new coach running the show. The tough schedule and new offense make taking any Chargers receiver a bit of a risk.

There are two really good offenses on the list that have tough schedules for receivers. Both the Dolphins and Chiefs have a top-five least favorable schedule for receivers. The Dolphins have one of the best receiver duos in football, so it is tough to fade them because of this schedule. Both Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle should be able to produce big numbers once again in this offense.

The Chiefs are a little more concerning. This offense is a little matchup proof, but don’t have that elite receiver on their roster. Rashee Rice and Marquise Brown lead the way. Brown hasn’t been great in recent seasons and Rice is facing a suspension. These guys will carry some risk come draft day, especially after seeing this schedule.

Davante Adams is usually another star receiver that is matchup proof, but you have to wonder a little this year. He has some question marks at quarterback, which could hurt his production when you pair it with this schedule. Adams is dealing with the fifth toughest fantasy schedule for receivers.

We also wanted to look at playoff schedules for fantasy receivers. So we crunched the numbers of all the schedules from Week 14-17, which is the fantasy playoffs for most leagues. We know you have to get to the playoffs first, but knowing the receivers with the easiest playoff schedules doesn’t hurt by any means, especially in the big money contests.

  WR PLAYOFF SOS  
1. Los Angeles Rams 501.93
2. Jacksonville Jaguars 515.53
3. Kansas City Chiefs 519.43
4. New York Giants 521.63
5. Miami Dolphins 532.77
6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 534.53
7. Houston Texans 538
8. Buffalo Bills 540.87
9. Las Vegas Raiders 541.9
10. Carolina Panthers 549.33
11. Cincinnati Bengals 552.17
12. Detroit Lions 553.73
13. Arizona Cardinals 555.27
14. Cleveland Browns 555.4
15. Minnesota Vikings 560.93
16. New England Patriots 573.03
17. Los Angeles Chargers 573.1
18. Tennessee Titans 575.17
19. Baltimore Ravens 581.27
20. Seattle Seahawks 585.08
21. New York Jets 585.5
22. Denver Broncos 587.2
23. Pittsburgh Steelers 587.8
24. Philadelphia Eagles 589.73
25. Green Bay Packers 590.85
26. Washington Commanders 591.57
27. New Orleans Saints 604.13
28. Dallas Cowboys 609.73
29. Indianapolis Colts 614
30. San Francisco 49ers 641.53
31. Atlanta Falcons 644.93
32. Chicago Bears 647.98

 

The Bears and Cowboys are the teams that make both the top five easiest receiver schedules for both the regular season and playoffs. Chicago has the easiest for the entire playoffs. Once again, their top trio of receivers are looking pretty good come draft day.

Lamb continues to make his case to be the first receiver selected come draft day. He could have a monster season and finish strong as well with the fifth easiest schedule for the playoffs. Lamb might be the most surefire first-round pick come draft day.

The Falcons, 49ers and Colts also have a top-five favorable playoff schedule for receivers. Atlanta receivers were looking up to begin with, getting a legit quarterback throwing them passes this year. And this schedule makes their options look even better, especially Drake London. He could have a breakout season.

San Francisco has great options at receiver in Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel. They are pretty safe picks come draft day. And they get a very favorable playoff schedule that could make them even more appealing to fantasy owners. These guys both have really solid floors come draft day in this offense.

Michael Pittman keeps getting it done as the No. 1 option for the Colts. If Anthony Richardson can become that true No. 1 at quarterback for Indy, Pittman would look even better. Pittman has produced in recent year despite having some quarterback issues. His game could go to a higher level this year if Richardson breaks out. Pittman could be a league winner if everything breaks his way in 2024.

The Chiefs and Dolphins are two of the best offenses in football but also the only two teams to make the top five most unfavorable receiver schedules for both the regular season and playoffs. This is a tad concerning for both teams, Again, it is tough to bet against Hill, but maybe you drop him down your rankings just few spots behind the other elite guys because of this. You hate to use an early round pick on a receiver to see him maybe not produce what he should come playoff time.

And as mentioned with the Chiefs, their top two receivers already face a few question marks, so maybe their tough schedules make them players to let someone else draft. Both Brown and Rice could be a little erratic.

The Rams actually have the toughest playoff schedule for receivers. They are another team with two of the best receivers in football. It is tough to bet against either Puka Nacua or Cooper Kupp, but the playoff schedule is a little scary, especially for Kupp. He seems to be trending down at this stage of his career.

The Jaguars and Giants are the two other teams with a top-five unfavorable fantasy schedule for the playoffs. The Jags have Christian Kirk and Gabriel Davis as their top two receivers. Kirk is normally pretty steady but Davis can be boom or bust. Seeing his playoff schedule should bump him down a few spots in your rankings. It could be more of the same for Davis with his new team.

And the Giants are an outlier here, having an easy schedule for receivers during the regular season but the fourth toughest for the playoffs. This makes it tough come draft day. Their receivers could be good values for the regular season but disappoint when it counts. You do have to just make the playoffs, though, so we aren’t sure we shy away from Giant receivers just because of their tough playoff schedule. You still might be able to get good value with their options that help you win during the season.

Jeff Paur is a two-time finalist for FSWA Fantasy Football Writer of the Year and won the FSWA award for Best Fantasy Football Article on the Web in 2011. He also was the most accurate expert in 2012, winning the FSTA Fantasy Football Accuracy Award. If you have any questions for Jeff, email him at jeff@rtsports.com. Follow Jeff on Twitter @jeffpaur.

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Bender's Starts/Sits: Week 10

Player Notes
Josh Oliver Nov 10 5:30pm ET
Josh Oliver

Minnesota Vikings tight end Josh Oliver caught 4-of-6 targets for 52 yards in the team's win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 10. The 27-year-old now has back-to-back weeks with at least four receptions and 50 yards, ironically the first two contests for which teammate T.J. Hockenson has been active. Oliver's yardage total was second on the team to his fellow tight end (who was superb in his own right with an 8/72 line), and the six targets were good enough for the same mark. Whether this kind of usage is prescriptive moving forward remains to be seen, but Jacksonville did an excellent job clamping down on the Vikings' wideouts in this one. Minnesota will get another tough test in Week 11 when they line up against the Tennessee Titans.

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Joe Flacco Nov 10 5:30pm ET
Joe Flacco

According to Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen, quarterback Joe Flacco will remain under center "until he says otherwise." With Anthony Richardson benched, Flacco threw for 272 yards and two touchdowns off 26-for-35 passing in Sunday's loss to Buffalo. However, he also tossed three interceptions, with one resulting in a pick-six. With that in mind, the signal-caller hasn't been terrible in his starts this season, so he should continue to have sporadic value in multi-QB fantasy setups moving ahead as long as he remains starting, including against the Jets in Week 11, even more so if Michael Pittman Jr. (back) can suit up after missing Sunday's contest.

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Isaiah Rodgers Nov 10 5:20pm ET
Isaiah Rodgers

Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Darius Slay Jr. (ankle) is questionable to return to Sunday's NFC East showdown with the Dallas Cowboys. The 33-year-old entered Week 10 with 27 tackles, one forced fumble, and five passes defensed. But after missing the Week 9 matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars because of a groin injury, he lasted just three plays in this one before going down with an ankle injury. If he doesn't return, he'll finish without making any statistical contributions on the defensive end. Isaiah Rodgers could see more time on the field if Slay can't make it back.

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Bryce Young Nov 10 5:13pm ET
Bryce Young

Dynasty | Panthers quarterback Bryce Young completed 15-of-25 passes for 126 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions in a win against the Giants. Dynasty Analysis: He added 30 rushing yards. Young has looked far from dynamic recently but he's also not looking like a complete bust, either. At this point, Carolina is likely going to give him the rest of the season to prove he can be counted on and he's been doing much better of late. Young made some difficult throws today and managed the game well, even having a second touchdown pass wiped off due to a penalty. His dynasty value has been crushed, but he's still roster worthy at the moment.

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Tyrone Tracy Jr. Nov 10 5:13pm ET
Tyrone Tracy Jr.

Dynasty | Giants running back Tyrone Tracy had 103 rushing yards and a touchdown, but also a costly fumble in a loss to Carolina. Dynasty Analysis: Tracy put up another solid day of running, including a 32-yard touchdown scamper in the second half. Unfortunately, he coughed the ball up deep in Giants territory in overtime and that set up the Panthers for the game winner. He was visibly upset on the sidelines and it marred an otherwise solid performance. Tracy has supplanted Devin Singletary as the starter and that shouldn't change. His dynasty value is still pointing up, despite the miscue.

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Chuba Hubbard Nov 10 5:13pm ET
Chuba Hubbard

Dynasty | Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard had 153 rushing yards, four catches, and 16 receiving yards in a win against the Giants. Dynasty Analysis: Hubbard isn't going away, folks. The Panthers rewarded him with a solid contract extension and while Jonathon Brooks is waiting in the wings, Hubbard is still going to likely operate as the primary running back or "1A" in the offense when Brooks makes his debut. This has the makings of an ugly timeshare at some point, but Hubbard has been borderline amazing this season and the Panthers are going to keep riding him moving forward. He looks like a relative bargain at this point in dynasty leagues.

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T.J. Hockenson Nov 10 5:10pm ET
T.J. Hockenson

Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson reeled in 8-of-9 targets for 72 yards in Sunday's 12-7 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. It was anticipated that his usage would begin to tick up as he got further out from his knee injury, but the former Iowa Hawkeye pulled out an excellent performance in just his second game back from the IR. Hockenson's reception and yardage total both led the team, while his nine targets tied wide receiver Justin Jefferson for the most on the squad. The only thing missing from his line was a touchdown. Fellow tight end Josh Oliver was still decently involved (4/52), but this performance from the 27-year-old should put any feelings of unease about his workload moving forward to rest. The Vikings will hit the road in Week 11 to take on the Tennessee Titans in Nashville.

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Kirk Cousins Nov 10 5:10pm ET
Kirk Cousins

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins threw for 308 yards on 23 of 38 passing, but failed to throw any touchdowns and tossed one interception in the 20-17 loss to the undermanned Saints. Bijan Robinson recorded both of the Falcon touchdowns on the ground, with many drives stalling and leading to four field goal attempts for kicker Younghoe Koo, only one of which he converted. There have been just two games this season in which Cousins was held without at least one TD pass, and both have come against the Saints. Now averaging 263 yards passing per game through the first ten weeks with a 17:8 TD:INT, the 36-year-old will look to get back on track next week, although it won't come easy against a strong Broncos pass defense. Look for him to be in the QB2 range in Week 11.

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Jayden Daniels Nov 10 5:00pm ET
Jayden Daniels

Washington Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels went 17-for-34 for 202 passing yards and no scores in their loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday afternoon. He tallied just five rushing yards on three rushing attempts. This was his lowest output since his NFL debut in the opening week of the season. When the Commanders reached the red zone, they opted to let their running backs punch in the scores. Daniels found his top wideout, Terry McLaurin, throughout the game as he led the team with 113 yards with his longest reception going for 54 yards. Despite the poor showing, fantasy managers should continue to view the LSU product as a high-end QB1 heading into Week 11 when he faces the Philadelphia Eagles in a pivotal divisional tilt.

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Austin Ekeler Nov 10 5:00pm ET
Austin Ekeler

Washington Commanders running back Austin Ekeler took the lead role in the backfield once again with Brian Robinson Jr. (hamstring) sidelined and performed well as he tallied 44 yards and two scores in the Week 10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. He added seven yards off one reception. This was his second straight game reaching the end zone and topping double-digit PPR points. While he could not get much rhythm in the running game, he was a force in the red zone as he ran in two short scores at the goal line. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor Robinson's status during the short week, as Ekeler could again lead the backfield on Thursday evening against the Philadelphia Eagles.

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Jeremy McNichols Nov 10 5:00pm ET
Jeremy McNichols

Washington Commanders running back Jeremy McNichols made the most of his limited workload on Sunday afternoon as he tallied seven yards and a score off four attempts in their loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. He did not see a target in the passing game. After taking the backseat to Chris Rodriguez Jr. last weekend, McNichols returned to the No.2 role behind Austin Ekeler. McNichols salvaged his fantasy day by punching in a one-yard score in the third quarter. Even if Brian Robinson Jr. (hamstring) cannot return on Thursday evening, McNichols would again be considered a high-risk flex option, given his limited opportunities.

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Terry McLaurin Nov 10 5:00pm ET
Terry McLaurin

Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin led the team with 113 yards off five receptions in their loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. McLaurin's best catch of the afternoon came on a short slant that the wideout took for 54 yards in the third quarter. Despite only bringing in five receptions, McLaurin's big-play ability makes him a matchup-proof option from a fantasy perspective. Since Week 3, McLaurin has scored double-digit PPR points in every game. Fantasy managers should continue to view the former Ohio State Buckeye as a high-end WR2 heading into Week 11 when he faces the Philadelphia Eagles, who have allowed the 16th-most PPR points to opposing wideouts.

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Noah Brown Nov 10 5:00pm ET
Noah Brown

Washington Commanders wide receiver Noah Brown brought in three of his seven targets for 33 yards in their Week 10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Brown continued to be deployed as the No.2 wideout opposite of Terry McLaurin as he saw the second-most targets on the team. Despite the poor showing in the box score, it was promising to see Jayden Daniels continue to look his way quite often. Brown has now caught at least three passes in each of the past three contests and has seen at least six targets in each of them. Given his current target share, Brown has emerged as a low-end flex option in 3WR formats, and he could be in store for another productive showing against the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday evening.

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Xavier Worthy Nov 10 5:00pm ET
Xavier Worthy

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy had one catch for 11 yards in the 16-14 win against the Denver Broncos. Worthy finished the game with four targets but could not do much with his opportunities. The Chiefs remained undefeated by way of a last-second blocked field goal by Kansas City. Since the arrival of JuJu Smith-Schuster and DeAndre Hopkins, the rookie receiver has become a near afterthought in the Chiefs offense. The Chiefs style favors possession receivers, and Worthy has been more boom-or-bust so far. Worthy will look to be more successful in Week 11 against the Buffalo Bills, who rank sixth in fantasy points allowed to opposing wide receivers this season. Starting Worthy in any matchup will be difficult until he displays consistency as a pass catcher.

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Zach Ertz Nov 10 5:00pm ET
Zach Ertz

Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz saw a team-high eight targets in their loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday afternoon. However, he could only bring in four of them for 31 yards. Despite the modest output in the box score, this was a great bounce-back showing for Ertz, as he brought in his lone target last weekend for a mere five yards. During Weeks 6 through 8, the 34-year-old caught at least four passes in each game and saw at least five targets. Fantasy managers should continue to view Ertz as a low-end TE1 going forward, given his role as a prominent pass catcher in the Washington offense. Next week, he will face the Philadelphia Eagles, who have allowed the 17th-most PPR points to opposing tight ends.

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Cam Akers Nov 10 5:00pm ET
Cam Akers

Minnesota Vikings running back Cam Akers rushed 13 times for 38 yards and brought in his lone target for an additional nine yards through the air in Week 10's 12-7 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Akers didn't get his first touch until the second quarter but saw eight of them after backfield mate Aaron Jones (chest) exited the game in the second half after picking up an injury. Jones returned for Minnesota's final two drives, which is seemingly good news for his future status. However, fantasy managers will want to watch how he looks over the next week of practice. If he were to miss time, Akers would slot into the lead role in the Vikings backfield. The 25-year-old did share touches with fellow running back Ty Chandler (four rushes, 18 yards), but the former is the preferred option for the team. Minnesota will get another staunch test next Sunday when they square off against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium.

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Justin Jefferson Nov 10 4:50pm ET
Justin Jefferson

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson caught 5-of-9 targets for 48 yards in the team's 12-7 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 10. The Vikings offense sputtered on Sunday afternoon, failing to convert any of their five red zone trips into touchdowns. Quarterback Sam Darnold tossed three interceptions on the day -- one of them coming in the end zone, which was intended for the superstar wideout -- and was largely ineffective against a Jaguars defense that limited big plays and played Minnesota tough. The yardage total was a season-low for Jefferson, and it was the first time since Week 3 that he hauled in less than six receptions. The LSU product is always a bounce-back candidate after a poor showing, but he'll get another challenging outing next Sunday when the Vikings line up against the Tennessee Titans on the road.

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DeAndre Hopkins Nov 10 4:50pm ET
DeAndre Hopkins

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins had four catches for 56 yards in the 16-14 win against the Denver Broncos. Hopkins was third on the team with five targets in this contest. The Chiefs narrowly escaped with the victory on a game-sealing blocked field goal by Kansas City. Hopkins did not produce as he did against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week, but he was still the undisputed WR1 for the Kansas City passing attack. Hopkins will look to produce in Week 11 against the Buffalo Bills, who rank sixth in fantasy points allowed to opposing wide receivers this season. It will be a tough matchup for the veteran receiver, but he's talented enough to produce with Patrick Mahomes throwing him the ball. Fantasy managers should view Hopkins as a low-end WR2 heading into a tough matchup against the Bills.

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Sam Darnold Nov 10 4:40pm ET
Sam Darnold

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold completed 24-of-38 passes for 241 yards, tossing three interceptions in Sunday's 12-7 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. He added 28 rushing yards on seven carries and was sacked once for a loss of eight yards. The troubles started early for Darnold and the Vikings, as two of his interceptions came on back-to-back drives in the first half -- one on a 16-play drive that took Minnesota down to the Jacksonville 7-yard line. It was a rough outing for the 27-year-old, who has now thrown five INTs in his last two games -- a number he reached through the team's first six outings. The Jags' defense did an excellent job limiting explosive plays and really clamped down in the red zone, holding the Vikes to field goals or less in all five opportunities. Better days are ahead for the team's offense, but they'll get another tough test next Sunday when they hit the road to take on the Tennessee Titans.

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Kareem Hunt Nov 10 4:40pm ET
Kareem Hunt

Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt had 14 carries for 35 yards in the 16-14 win against the Denver Broncos. Hunt also had seven catches for 65 yards in this contest. The Chiefs running back led the Kansas City pass catchers in receiving yards despite not being heavily involved in the passing game coming into this contest. The Chiefs extended their winning streak on a last-second blocked field goal by the Kansas City defense. Hunt could not find the endzone in this game, but his 21 touches resulted in 100 scrimmage yards. Hunt will face the Buffalo Bills in Week 11, who rank 31st in fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs this season. Hunt should be in for a big game against the Bills as the undisputed lead back for Kansas City. Fantasy managers should continue starting Hunt as a locked-in RB2.

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