7 Fantasy Football Splits That Matter for Week 11
The Cowboys' Defense Without See Lee
Sean Lee's impact on the Dallas Cowboys' defense (particularly against the run) cannot be overstated. Last week alone, Dallas held Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman to a combined -4 yards on four carries and no points scored during the eight snaps Lee played. Once he aggravated his hamstring and was ruled out for the rest of the game, the Atlanta Falcons rushed for 128 yards on 30 carries (4.26 yards per attempt) and scored 27 points.
As shown in the table below, Dallas' rushing defense (or lack thereof) has been a resounding issue without Lee available this season:
| Cowboys Defense | Snaps | Carries | Yards | Yards Per Attempt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| With Sean Lee | 377 | 132 | 474 | 3.5 |
| Without Sean Lee | 203 | 86 | 456 | 5.3 |
It's also worth noting that in the three games Lee missed time, the Dallas defense allowed an Adjusted Defensive Rushing NEP of 5.28, which would rank 25th-overall on the year.
This is all great news for Jay Ajayi, who not only had an additional week to study the Philadelphia Eagles playbook but will also reportedly have his role expanded. Ajayi has only one run of 20-plus yards so far this season but was notably one of only four backs to amass double-digit runs of such yardage in 2016.
Assuming he does in fact receive more than eight touches (which is what he saw in his debut with Philadelphia), Sunday makes for a terrific matchup for Ajayi with Lee unlikely to play.
