Close calls are more important than ever this time of year.
That's because for many teams, the margin for error has all but evaporated. It's great to be 8-2 or 7-3 and have some cushion. But for every team like that, there's a fantasy squad that is sitting at 5-5 or 4-6 with four games left in the fantasy regular season. How those teams approach the next month will determine whether they move on to the playoffs or call it a year after Week 14.
Now, some of those teams have just been unlucky—this analyst has a 5-5 team that leads its league in scoring. But most of the time, teams are hovering around .500 because while they aren't terrible, they are flawed. Guys got hurt. Didn't meet expectations. In the end, the "why" doesn't matter.
Good song.
That's not to say those teams can't win a championship. Navigating the postseason is all about getting hot at the right time. But to get hot at the right time, fantasy managers first have to make the playoffs. And if you can't afford to take another "L," then every lineup call becomes that much more important.
And it's the calls farther down the roster that can make or break a week. A season. Eternity.
OK, may have gotten a little carried away there. Pressure's getting to me.
Every week here at Footballguys, Close Calls will make a case for a pair of closely-ranked fantasy options—and then make the call on which player will be more productive.
For the sake of this exercise, we'll only consider quarterbacks and tight ends outside the top 10, running backs outside the top 20, and wide receivers outside the top 30 in the Footballguys Weekly Rankings.
Week 11 Close Calls
Close Call: Jacoby Brissett, Arizona (QB16) vs. Marcus Mariota, Washington (QB17)
The Case for Brissett: No one wants to be in the position of choosing one of these players as a starter under center in an important matchup. But thanks in part to injuries to the likes of Jayden Daniels of the Washington Commanders and Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals, this is the boat some fantasy managers are in.
Brissett will admittedly be without Marvin Harrison Jr. this week. The Cardinals are a bad football team, even with him. But over the last month, Brissett has been seventh among quarterbacks in fantasy points per game, and the 49ers are allowing the 10th-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks in 2025.
The Case for Mariota: The 2025 season has been an absolute catastrophe for the Commanders, who have lost five straight and four in a row by at least 20 points. However, despite that disaster, there could be some legitimate fantasy upside present with Mariota in Spain on Sunday.
Washington got destroyed by the Detroit Lions in Week 10, but Mariota completed 16-of-22 passes for 213 yards and two scores. The 32-year-old has also had 20+ rushing yards in each of his four starts. This week, the Commanders take on the Miami Dolphins, who have allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to the quarterback position and have also surrendered four touchdown runs to quarterbacks.
The Verdict: Mariota. This one's a toss-up, and both players are actually decent spot-starts for fantasy managers in a pinch under center. But Mariota is a better bet as a scrambler, has a slightly more favorable matchup, and the Washington offense hasn't been hit as hard by injuries as the Redbirds.
Close Call: Rachaad White, Tampa Bay (RB24) vs. Tyrone Tracy Jr., NY Giants (RB25)
The Case for White: White is the back that fantasy analysts love to hate—a volume-dependent player whose per-touch efficiency isn't especially impressive. But as Jason Katz wrote for PFSN, with Bucky Irving likely sidelined once again in Week 11, White profiles as a sneaky-good start in a plus matchup with the Bills.
"The veteran has been disappointing over the past three weeks. His 10.4 fantasy points against the New England Patriots represented his highest output since Week 6," he said. But there's reason to believe he could be in for a solid outing this week. If the Bucs can keep the game within reach, Buffalo allows the fourth-most fantasy points per game to running backs. If they fall behind, White is the passing down back."
The Case for Tracy: When rookie sensation Cam Skattebo went down with a season-ending ankle injury, it was a devastating blow for Big Blue. But while speaking to the media, Giants guard Greg Van Roten said he's confident that Tracy can recapture his 2024 form and lead the Giants' backfield.
"We're just excited for [Tracy] to get back to form and build on what he did last year. I think he is a better player this year than he was last year," Van Roten said. "He's seen a lot of stuff, more comfortable in his role. I think he's anxious to show that he's still a good running back."
The Verdict: White. Tracy out-touched Devin Singletary 15-11 last week against the Chicago Bears, but for the second straight week Singletary had more PPR points. Add in a bad matchup with a Green Bay Packers team surrendering the sixth-fewest PPR points per game to running backs, and White is the play.
