Only four teams are on bye in Week 11, and two of them are the Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets, so fantasy owners probably aren't missing too many starters for this weekend. With only three matchups remaining before most fantasy championships begin, this week is yet another crucial point in the season.
Fantasy football start/sit advice, Week 11
Looking for lineup help? We’ve narrowed down some of the best and worst matchups to exploit in Week 11.
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Last week's start/sit list ranked among the best of the year. Mark Sanchez, Justin Forsett, Roddy White and Greg Olsen all lived up to their "Start" recommendations, while Eli Manning, Ryan Tannehill, Bishop Sankey, Tre Mason, Rueben Randle and Vernon Davis all made the "Sit" list look brilliant.
Here are some of the best matchups to take advantage of in Week 11, along with the players you should avoid.
Start
QB Matt Ryan at Panthers: Ryan had a great matchup last week and finished with 219 yards and a touchdown. He gets an even better matchup with the Panthers on Sunday, so we have to expect bigger numbers, right? Carolina gives up the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks per game. After seeing this defense make Sanchez look like a Pro Bowl candidate, we can't help but trust Ryan once again.
QB Robert Griffin III vs. Buccaneers: Tampa Bay gives up the eighth-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. Griffin put in a decent game in his first start back, but he should look more comfortable at home against one of the league's worst pass defenses. He also ran the ball seven times in Week 9. If he can keep that up, his rushing yards will provide a solid floor.
RB Ryan Mathews vs. Raiders: A running back has scored against Oakland in every game except Week 4. Only the Falcons and Giants allow more fantasy points to the position. Branden Oliver eclipsed 100 yards and a touchdown against this team back in Week 6. Mathews is reportedly supposed to receive close to 15 touches in his first game back. That should be plenty against one of the worst defenses in the league.
RB Jeremy Hill at Saints: Everyone wanted to hype up Hill last week when he got the start on Thursday night. With Giovani Bernard out again, Hill will start his third straight game. The Saints allowed Frank Gore and Carlos Hyde to score last week, making that six of eight games a running back has scored on New Orleans in 2014. Hill also costs just $4,500 on DraftKings. He is a prime bounce-back candidate.
WR Odell Beckham Jr. vs. 49ers: If you watched Beckham face the Seahawks in Week 10, you must be confident about his chances against any defense. He handled Richard Sherman and Seattle's defensive backs to post seven catches for 108 yards, giving him back-to-back 100-yard games. The rookie is a matchup-proof WR2, and the 49ers are actually in the bottom half of the league in fantasy points allowed to opposing wide receivers.
WR Mike Evans at Washington: Here is another rookie lighting up opponents in recent weeks, Evans' last two stat lines are almost identical. He caught seven passes in both games for 124 yards and two touchdowns in Week 9 and 125 yards and a score in week 10. He also has 20 targets during that span. Proving it doesn't matter who's under center, Evans is now a must-start receiver and a better play than Vincent Jackson.
TE Travis Kelce vs. Seahawks: Seattle has allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to tight ends this season. That stat might be a bit misleading considering tight ends average 41.1 yards per game against the Seahawks. However, seven tight ends scored on Seattle over the past nine games. Anthony Fasano did not practice Wednesday or Thursday, and after hearing Andy Reid recently praise Kelce's improvement, it's hard not to be optimistic about his upside for Week 11.
Sit
QB Andy Dalton at Saints: Hopefully you didn't watch Dalton play on Thursday night against the Browns. He was historically bad, completing just 10-of-33 passes for 86 yards and three interceptions. His fantasy finishes over his last four starts: 31, 11, 17, 33. One top-12 finish over four weeks. After three road games this season, he's averaging 210 yards and one touchdown per game. Look elsewhere for a quarterback as Dalton heads to the Superdome.
QB Russell Wilson at Chiefs: Wilson hasn't topped 200 yards passing in his last three games, and he's only thrown one touchdown pass in that span. The Chiefs have allowed just five passing touchdowns in four games since their bye. While Wilson provides extra value with his legs, he's struggling right now, and Marshawn Lynch is benefiting with all the goal-line carries.
RB Joique Bell at Cardinals: Arizona is the toughest team in the NFL for running backs to face. The Cardinals have allowed one rushing touchdown in the past three games. Running backs are averaging 3.36 yards per carry against this defense in 2014. Seeing that Bell hasn't caught more than two passes in a game since Week 2, fantasy owners can't expect him to provide a decent return on the ground here.
RB Tre Mason vs. Broncos: Denver is just as tough as Arizona with its run defense. Running backs haven't finished with more than 36 rushing yards in a single game against the Broncos since Week 3. Mason continues to make the "Sit" list with tough matchups, and Week 11 is no different. His workload isn't enough to justify starting against Denver's stout run defense.
WR Larry Fitzgerald vs. Lions: In four games with Drew Stanton under center, Fitzgerald is averaging nearly four fewer fantasy points than he does with Carson Palmer. The veteran wide receiver hasn't caught a touchdown pass from Stanton yet. Given the sporadic nature of the Cardinals wide receivers without Palmer starting, it's tough to justify starting any of them. The Lions also allow the fewest fantasy points to wide receivers.
WR Reggie Wayne vs. Patriots: Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders didn't encounter any issues facing the Patriots secondary in Week 9, but they also did a lot of damage in garbage time. New England ranks No. 4 in fewest fantasy points allowed per game to wide receivers. Wayne broke free for a 40-yard touchdown in his last game, but he was quiet aside from that big gain. He has five games with seven or fewer fantasy points in standard scoring. Now facing Brandon Browner, it might be best to sit Wayne in Week 11.
TE Kyle Rudolph at Bears: Chicago's numbers against tight ends might look gaudy, but most of the damage was done by Rob Gronkowksi and Greg Olsen. Rudolph hasn't played since Week 3. In his first three games of the year, he averaged just over three receptions for 32 yards per game. It looks like a favorable matchup, but Rudolph wasn't doing much when he was playing, and Chase Ford could still be in the mix for targets. I wouldn't be all-in on Rudolph just yet.
