Lions-Cardinals fantasy football, Week 11: Calvin Johnson, Matthew Stafford, Andre Ellington among Week 11 names to watch

The Week 11 matchup between the Detroit Lions and the Arizona Cardinals features two teams playing strong defensively of late. We've got the fantasy projections for you courtesy of numberFire.

In Week 10, the Lions welcomed the return of wide receiver Calvin Johnson, who had missed the team's previous three games with an ankle injury. Johnson played as if he hadn't missed a beat against a solid Miami Dolphins defense, catching seven passes for 113 yards and a touchdown. He was targeted a whopping 15 times in the game, so although the team has Golden Tate nobody questions who the No. 1 receiver in the Motor City is. Fantasy owners who've waited this long for Johnson to return to the lineup have to be smiling these days.

Johnson's return will make everyone around him better as the team heads down the stretch drive. That includes quarterback Matthew Stafford, who simply hasn't been able to put up the healthy yardage totals fantasy owners are probably accustomed to. One has to think that Johnson's absence is a big reason for that. Stafford's fantasy owners should be breathing a sigh of relief at the moment, although the Week 11 matchup against the Cardinals comes against a defense that has done a good job containing quarterbacks over the last month or so.

Arizona's Week 10 win against the St. Louis Rams featured a season-ending injury to quarterback Carson Palmer (torn ACL), but coach Bruce Arians stated he's confident that his team can win the Super Bowl with backup Drew Stanton under center. Many football pundits out there probably think the coach is crazy, and there is no doubt that Stanton's upcoming matchup against the Lions would be pretty intimidating for any quarterback -- much less one who just got handed the task of leading a contending team down the stretch. Stanton will have to be on his game in order to provide fantasy value this week. Fantasy owners who have added him to replace Palmer are certainly hoping he does just that.

A more likely scenario is that running back Andre Ellington is in for a busy day catching passes out of the backfield. When the Lions commit to rushing the quarterback, or when Stanton struggles to find the open man, Ellington will be the safety valve. That gives them a little bit of increased value in PPR leagues. He's also done a good job running the ball once handed it on the ground, so although the Lions are a difficult matchup, Ellington should find a way to get points for his fantasy owners in Week 11.