Analyze Kareem Hunt's matchup for week 11
Kareem Hunt is a locked-in RB2 with RB1 upside for Week 11 against a Broncos defense that bleeds rushing yards and red-zone scores; start him everywhere.
Denver enters Week 11 ranked in the bottom third of the league in run defense, surrendering 4.2 yards per carry and struggling inside the 20. Kareem Hunt, now the clear lead back with Isiah Pacheco nursing an MCL sprain, gets goal-line work in the league’s most explosive offense. The Broncos’ front has been especially vulnerable to power backs, and Hunt’s physical style plus Kansas City’s spread looks should create creases near the stripe. On a short week in the thin air of Denver, a 30-year-old Hunt who has averaged 3.8 YPC over his last 103 carries should see 15-plus touches and all the critical short-yardage looks.
Since the start of the 2024 season Hunt has 396 rushing yards and 4 TDs on 103 carries, and the Chiefs’ post-bye confidence (no trade-deadline RB added) has expanded his role from situational hammer to every-down grinder.
Opportunity is the lifeblood of fantasy backs, and Hunt has it in spades. Kansas City’s refusal to add another runner at the deadline signals that Andy Reid is comfortable riding the veteran through the stretch run. Reid historically leans on a single back when health permits, and with Pacheco’s MCL issue lingering, Hunt projects for 65-70% of the backfield snaps plus every goal-line carry. That usage pattern turns an ordinary 3.8-YPC clip into bankable weekly touchdown equity—especially against a Broncos defense that has already allowed double-digit rushing scores this year.
The matchup extends beyond raw YPC. Denver’s linebacking corps has missed the sixth-most tackles in the league, and their preferred nickel and dime packages leave only six defenders in the box when Patrick Mahomes motions to empty. Hunt may not rip off 40-yard explosions, but he doesn’t need to; a 12-carry, 55-yard floor becomes a top-12 weekly finish if he falls in from the 1 twice. In the last meeting versus Denver (2024 Week 15), Hunt punched in a pair of one-yard touchdowns on a day Kansas City attempted only 28 passes. Expect a similar script on a short week where Reid wants to control clock and keep his defense off the field.
Finally, game environment matters. The Week 11 total sits north of 48 points with Kansas City favored by a touchdown, implying 27-plus team points. Roughly one-third of Chiefs touchdowns this season have come via the run, and Hunt owns every inside-the-5 touch since Week 6. Even in a neutral-to-negative game script he still sees dump-off work (career 4.6 targets per game when active), so a blowout or a surprise Denver lead doesn’t sink his floor. Plug him in as a high-end RB2 and enjoy the steady 15-20-point ceiling that accompanies red-zone monopoly in the league’s most efficient offense.