The A.S.S. Report: 2024 Week 11

Every week, I will be diving into the Fantasy Points Data to provide our readers with actionable and winning insights into your season. This week provided a lot of valuable data points for things going forward and showcased some of the major improvements players have made. I will focus mainly on ASS (Average Separation Score) but blend in plenty of metrics that offer a full picture, like first-read targets.

If you are new to the term ASS don’t worry — we have covered the ASS metric in great detail with What's the deal with ASS? and Our ASS Sleepers and Breakouts.

Top ASS Overall

(Minimum 125 routes run)

Amon-Ra St. Brown (DET)

I wrote about how Jameson Williams will likely have some explosive games to close out the year and how deep shots in his direction are imminent. However, St. Brown is the star, showing up and showing out this past weekend. St. Brown boasts a win rate of 21.5% on routes run from out wide. He has developed into a complete wide receiver, far more than just a slot guy. The only notable flaw in St. Brown’s game is his lack of deep speed, but that hardly matters when he separates at an elite level like he has consistently demonstrated. Notably, St. Brown has a 30% win rate on horizontally breaking routes, which account for 49.6% of his total routes.

As long as Jared Goff remains the quarterback and St. Brown stays healthy, he is the safest first-round wide receiver pick in fantasy football. He should continue to be a top selection until circumstances change.

Dontayvion Wicks (GB)

I’ve been a fan of Wicks for quite some time, but the way he’s being used in the Green Bay Packers' wide receiver rotation is incredibly frustrating. This team can’t be relied on unless injuries affect the core group of players, but when fully healthy, it’s a guessing game. Watching “Ben Sims” get as much playing time as Wicks is particularly disheartening.

Wicks has one of the smoothest releases in the NFL. While the drops have been a concern, I’d much rather work on fixing that issue than trying to teach a player how to separate. Wicks is playing at a high level right now, but he’s not a big enough part of the rotation to make his contributions meaningful.

Jauan Jennings (SF)

Jennings is playing the best football of his entire career, and it’s the first time he’s been given a role in the offense that allows him to thrive. Brandon Aiyuk’s absence has forced Jennings into a much larger role, and with George Kittle also missing time, Jennings has had even more opportunities to step up and make plays.

The 49ers are no longer the dominant force they once were on both sides of the ball, but with Jennings stepping into this new role, he has the potential to be the league-winning player we’ve been hoping for. As my colleague Ryan broke down below, Jennings’ elevated status in the offense makes him someone to watch closely.

Interestingly, Jennings has recorded two of the highest A.S.S. weeks of the season, and ironically, they weren’t from his recent big performances. Looking ahead, the 49ers are set to face the Packers, Bills, Rams, Dolphins, and Lions to close out the season. These matchups will require plenty of points and big performances in the passing game to win. I completely agree with Ryan—Jennings has league-winner potential.

Weekly Bad ASS

For once, being a "Bad ASS" isn't a compliment, and the wide receivers on this list have some work to do. In the NFL, separation is crucial — it's what makes a receiver effective.

Those with the lowest Average Separation Scores (ASS) struggle to get open, forcing quarterbacks to make riskier throws. Being on this list suggests issues with route-running, knowledge of how to beat coverage, speed, or timing with the quarterback.

For these receivers, improving their separation is vital to becoming more reliable targets. The coming weeks will be key as they aim to move off this list and show they're more than just "Bad ASS."

(Minimum 20 routes run)

Terry McLaurin (WAS)

I want to highlight just how strong the Eagles’ cornerback room is, using a weekly Bad A.S.S. as a benchmark. Additionally, Kliff Kingsbury’s offensive scheme can be incredibly frustrating, especially when matched against a high-level defensive scheme or elite defensive talent. There’s now enough film to see a predictable pattern: he often lines players up wide, aiming to push the ball deep.

If defenses remain disciplined in covering these deep routes, they can effectively limit production. Over 39% of his route tree consists of vertically breaking routes, which is comparable to players like George Pickens, Jameson Williams, and Xavier Worthy. I’d love to see him moved around more and running horizontal routes to diversify his game, but that’s simply not how Kingsbury operates his offense.

When McLaurin is winning on the outside, he’s capable of putting up huge performances. I anticipate a big game against Dallas, but I have concerns about his matchup against L’Jarius Sneed in the following week. That could prove to be a much tougher challenge.

A.J. Brown (PHI)

Mike Sainristl is one of the most underrated players in the NFL right now and another rookie who is playing exceptional football. He’s the key reason Brown recorded his first negative score of the entire season. Looking ahead, this next stretch of games should include several big weeks for Brown. Both the Rams and Ravens have allowed some of the biggest performances to wide receivers this season and will likely be vulnerable in their matchups with Brown.

Overall, this past week was a tough one, but Brown has consistently been one of the best — if not the best — wide receivers in the NFL when playing full games. He’s posted a win rate of over 20% in six of seven games this season.

Notable Weekly ASS

(Minimum 20 routes run)

Alec Pierce (IND)

Pierce put on an impressive performance this past weekend against the New York Jets, becoming one of only 18 players to post a win rate of over 35% with at least 20 routes run in a single game. He excelled, winning on 7 of the 10 horizontally breaking routes he ran. It was a standout display against a Jets defense focused on taking away the short game and forcing Anthony Richardson to beat them down the field. Richardson rose to the challenge, delivering an adjusted completion rate of 88.5%.

Richardson’s earlier benching was deserved at the time, but it may have given him the reset he needed to get back on track. His performance against the Jets shows he’s heading in the right direction. Playmakers like Pierce stepping up in such a big way was a huge boost for the team. Michael Pittman also returned to form, and the Colts still have other talented contributors like Josh Downs and Adonai Mitchell in the mix.

That said, I sympathize with those who invested in Adonai Mitchell this year. His snap share has dropped drastically, from 95.1% to just 22.4%, with Pittman back in the lineup. Given the current rotation and production from Pierce, it’s unlikely Mitchell will have significant opportunities to produce.

Cooper Kupp (LAR)

Kupp has posted back-to-back weekends with an A.S.S. over .200, signaling he’s fully healthy for the first time since his injury. Following his impressive win rate and A.S.S. performance, the Rams increased his role as the first read from 21.7% the week prior to 40% this week.

This upcoming weekend’s matchup is shaping up to be thrilling. Vic Fangio has historically been a tough challenge for Sean McVay, and Cooper DeJean has been playing exceptional football. However, the key difference this time around will be Matthew Stafford working alongside McVay — a combination Fangio has yet to face.

I’m looking forward to this showdown against the Eagles, as it promises intriguing matchups on both sides of the ball.

Ladd McConkey (LAC)

From Weeks 1 to 6, the Chargers held back their deep passing game, likely due to Justin Herbert's ankle injury. However, since Week 7, they have opened things up, airing it out more frequently. Herbert has recorded an average depth of target (aDOT) of over 8 in four consecutive games, and all of the wide receivers are benefiting from this increased downfield production.

This shift in offensive strategy has also allowed McConkey to showcase his ability to win deep. You can see how much more consistent he has been since they started pushing the ball down the field. Coming out of college, I compared McConkey to Emmanuel Sanders, and he’s now demonstrating the traits we saw from Sanders at his peak. The hope is that McConkey can continue to grow within this offense and, most importantly, stay healthy to maximize his potential.

Breakout Performance This Weekend

Noah Brown (WAS)

This is a huge bounce-back opportunity for the Washington Commanders offense, coming off 10 days of rest and facing a demoralized Cowboys team. While I expect Trevon Diggs to shadow Terry McLaurin — a matchup that could lead to some explosive plays — the real advantage lies in Noah Brown’s matchup against Caelen Carson. Brown has a clear edge over Carson in coverage, making the deep ball a viable option for Daniels to capitalize on.

Although the Commanders are likely to emphasize the running game with Brian Robinson, this strategy should create openings for the deep passing attack. With McLaurin tied up by Diggs, focusing on Brown against Carson is a wise move. Brown’s high A.S.S. highlights his impact, solidifying his status as one of the NFL’s most underrated players.