Fantasy football start/sit advice, Week 11: Packers vs. Giants

Two teams going in opposite directions face off Sunday afternoon; what fantasy players will do what?

Nov 17, 2013, 11:01 AM UTC

Gregory Shamus

The Green Bay Packers have lost two straight; the New York Giants have won three straight. For any number of reasons, the teams are going in opposite directions. Sunday, the Packers take on the Giants in MetLife Stadium for a 4:25 p.m. ET game. Big names fill both rosters, with a lot of fantasy intrigue:

Packers

Start in every league: Eddie Lacy, Mason Crosby, Defense/special teams

Start if you're desperate: Jordy Nelson, Jarrett Boykin

Bench: Scott Tolzien, James Jones

Sure, Lacy struggled a bit last Sunday, but the team fell behind early -- overall, the Packers will need their stud running back in order to stick in the game. ... Crosby is fifth in the NFL in fantasy points for kickers, despite missing two last week. ... The Packers’ defense has been just middle-of-the-road this season, but the Giants are incredibly generous to opposing defenses, to the tune of 15 points a game.

Since Aaron Rodgers' injury, Nelson has barely been a factor; he's still the best wide receiver the team has, but it's not as clear-cut anymore. ... Boykin has been big of late, particularly last Sunday. The theory has been floated that Boykin and Tolzien, both late of the practice squad, have a connection that has the quarterback looking his way. That seems iffy, but for whatever reason, the young receiver has been strong.

Tolzien is not a "Matt Flynn starts for Aaron Rodgers" situation; there isn't the weaponry around that there used to be. Maybe he'll be good, maybe the team will figure out how to use him, but wait and see. ... Jones has had something of a lost year since his injury, so it seems dicey to throw him out there now.

Giants

Start in every league: Andre Brown, Victor Cruz

Start if you're desperate: Eli Manning, Josh Brown, Defense/special teams

Bench: Hakeem Nicks, Brandon Myers

As long as Brown is healthy, with no real running backs around him and a struggling quarterback, he’s a must-start. If he’s getting 30 carries a game, he might not be healthy for too long, but there it is. ... Cruz scored double-digit fantasy points three times in the first four games this season, but hasn’t done that -- or reached 100 yards -- since. Regardless, he’s still a stud wide receiver, and liable to go off at any moment.

Manning has only thrown one interception in his last three games. He hasn’t been terribly productive otherwise, averaging less than 10 points a game in that time, but it bodes well, and against a middling Packers’ defense, he has a chance. ... Brown wasn’t doing much early in the year, because the offense wasn’t doing much, but he has 35 points in his last three games. ... The Giants’ defense was record-settingly bad early in the year, but has 45 points in its last three outings, and now faces a practice-squad quarterback.

Maybe Nicks isn’t done, but it has certainly been looking that way for a while now. ... Myers was decent last year, and had two decent games to start the season, but has been amazingly awful since. If you’re still considering starting him, you’re still playing in 2012.