Fantasy Football Start or Sit Week 11: Eric Decker

When it comes to fantasy football, wide receiver Eric Decker is a must start WR1 or FLEX this week against the Houston Texans.

The NY Jets enter NRG Stadium in Houston this Sunday to battle the Texans for a must win match-up. Currently standing in third place in their division with a 5-4 record, the Jets will look to improve to 6-4 after a tough defeat by the Buffalo Bills last Thursday. The Texans had arguably their best defensive performance last week limiting the now 8-1 Cincinnati Bengals to a mere six points.

T.J. Yates will fill in at the quarterback position for Houston, making his first start since 2011. Both teams will be looking to make a statement this Sunday, as Yates will attempt to show head coach Bill O’Brien why he deserves to command the offense, while Jets’ quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick will make his return to Houston for the first time since the Jets acquired him via trade during the offseason.

With that being said, theirs a lot on the line for each team, Houston looks to remain in contention as possible division leaders while the Jets look to remain in contention for their first playoff berth since 2010. However, each team has their fair share of injuries, the Jets in particular. Cornerback Buster Skrine and defensive end Sheldon Richardson are both considered questionable to play or a game time decision.

The Jets may also be without strong safety Calvin Pryor, leaving Rontez Miles as the favorite to lineup along side Marcus Gilchrist. Brandon Marshall is also facing his own injuries, while he is still expected to play this Sunday, he is still not 100%.

As one can clearly see, with injuries surrounding the Jets on both sides of ball, primarily offense, Decker seems to be the healthiest of them all. With Marshall battling his fair share of injuries, Decker’s role this Sunday should tremendously increase. Decker is a must start for any fantasy owner that contains him on their roster.

Currently coming off a three-game touchdown streak and being ranked fantasy’s 12th best receiver, Decker has proven to be not only a high valued player, but a consistent wide out in fantasy scoring anywhere from 9-15 points each week he’s declared active.

Next: Top 10 fantasy football players to start for Week 11

Decker has a more favorable matchup this week as the Texans’ defense overall has not been what they were hyped up to be over the off-season. Marshall will most likely be covered by Johnathan Joseph while Decker should see coverage from rookie Kevin Johnson. As long as Fitzpatrick’s hand holds up, I expect Decker to see a much larger work load than previous weeks.

I project Decker to record 7-10 receptions for 85-100 yards and two touchdowns. I’m plugging the wide out in as my WR1 this week as Marshall will most likely play since he’s not one to sit a game out unless he can’t physically can’t walk. But with injuries taking a toll on his body each game, Decker may start to emerge this week as Gang Green’s No. 1 target Sunday.