Fantasy football week 11 sleepers: 5 running back sleepers

Jonathan Grimes-Houston Texans

Houston’s run game has struggled both times Arian Foster has been sidelined this season.  With Foster out for the season, Alfred Blue is getting most of the work, but he has struggled for the most part with just one good game this year. His failure to take the job and run with it has opened the door for Jonathan Grimes to steal some work.

Last week, Grimes led the team in rushing even though he only had 33 yards in the Texans upset win over Cincinnati.  He added a twelve-yard reception as well, and he has a solid history of being involved in the Houston passing attack.  On the season, he has 14 catches for 85 yards and 20 rushing for 87 yards in his limited playing time. With Blue’s ongoing struggles and lack of upside, the Texans may turn to Grimes as a more regular option especially since they seem to be playing most games from behind.

Blue and Grimes are both risky played today since the Texans are on a short week as they host the New York Jets.  The Jets’ run defense is one of the best int he NFL, but it’s still worth watching how the situation shakes out in Houston as they look to fill the void left by Foster.  Grimes is owned in just 7.2% of ESPN leagues coming into this week and is available at the minimum on DraftKings (3,000) and just over the minimum on FanDuel (5,300).

While all these running back sleepers carry some element of risk, I think they can be helpful to your fantasy team if you’re forced to find a back on the waiver wire this morning or you need a cheap flier play for your daily league lineup. Good Luck!