Fantasy Football: 3 QBs whose stock takes a hit entering Week 11

Fantasy quarterbacks have slightly different values than real-life quarterbacks. The latter are important to the team, and everything revolves around them. Fantasy quarterbacks, on the other hand, are important to your fantasy team, but not everything revolves around them.

If you stick to late-round quarterbacks when you drafted your team back in August, then it is more than likely that your team is competitive (Week 10 notwithstanding, ask your league mates how they feel about taking Patrick Mahomes in the third round this year).

That being said, picking the wrong fantasy quarterback or picking one that cannot even give you a ten-point minimum weekly floor can sink your entire team.

3 fantasy quarterbacks on the downward trend in Week 11

#1 - QB Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons

Matty Ice was Keystone Light against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 10. Sure, it was just one game, but take a closer look at Matt Ryan and his offensive weapons, and it starts to look dire. He doesn’t have wide receiver Calvin Ridley for the foreseeable future. Teams can now double team rookie tight end Kyle Pitts, and if running back Cordarrelle Patterson misses any significant time due to an ankle sprain, then the wide receiver room suddenly looks bare.

The Falcons’ rest-of-season schedule doesn’t do Ryan any favors either with matchups against New England, Tampa Bay, San Francisco, and the Buffalo Bills in Week 17 (aka the Fantasy Football Championships). If you have Matt Ryan, just hope that negative gamescripts (almost a given for the flightless Falcons) keep him throwing and garbage TDs give you some fantasy points.

#2 - QB Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars

Rookie quarterbacks are not supposed to immediately light the NFL world on fire, but this year’s class looks horrible. The league and fantasy managers were spoiled by quarterbacks Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert last season. Trevor Lawrence, the number one overall pick, is no exception. He’s simply not good. His completion percentage has steadily decreased since Week 5 from 70 percent to 46 percent in Week 10. He’s attempted an average of 38 passes per game, but only completed 58 percent on average. That’s a recipe for disaster.

Jacksonville have won two games in that span despite Lawrence’s play. Again, rookie quarterbacks are not supposed to be world beaters, but some do show a sort of flash (e.g., Justin Fields, Trey Lance, etc).

Even New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones flashed in a few games in his rookie season, which is why the Giants are still three years into trying to make Daniel Jones a thing. Lawrence might still prove to be a great quarterback, especially when Urban Meyer predictably quits his job this season, but until then, fantasy managers can look elsewhere for streaming options.

#3 - QB Sam Darnold, Carolina Panthers

Sam Darnold appears on this list despite being injured, which doesn’t always mean you automatically lose your job (unless you’re Tony Romo). But the Panthers were so desperate to move on from Darnold that they brought in their former quarterback and erstwhile league MVP Cam Newton. Yes, the same Cam Newton that the Panthers replaced with Teddy Bridgewater, who the Panthers then replaced with Sam Darnold, who the Panthers have now replaced with (yes, you guessed it) Cam Newton.

After Sunday’s game between the Panthers and the Arizona Cardinals, it does not look like Darnold will get his job back once he returns from injury. Cam Newton figuratively flew in and scored a rushing TD, then tossed another one for good measure — all with less than a week of practice with his new (old) team. The Sam Darnold era was over before it could even begin, and fantasy managers lucky enough to nab Newton off the waiver wire might have a sneaky league winner on their hands.