Fantasy football advice, Week 11: Who to start/sit for Baltimore Ravens vs. Dallas Cowboys

The playoff push gets more intense in Week 11, and fantasy owners have less and less room for error as the season goes on. More than ever, sleepers and busts need to be accounted for over the course of every game to avoid making a season-dooming mistake. When the Ravens square off against the Cowboys, several notable players who garner fantasy consideration need to be accounted for.

Ezekiel Elliott faces the NFL’s No. 1 run defense in the Baltimore Ravens, but under no circumstances does that mean Elliott gets benched. He has 97 total yards or more in seven straight games, and has just three games where he hasn’t found the end zone. Elliott is a must-start as usual, as he has demolished every opponent he has faced since Week 2.

With Jimmy Smith missing practice time, Dez Bryant could be in store for what looks like a far better matchup than first anticipated. Though the Ravens boast a top-five pass defense, Bryant and Jason Witten can be started as usual, with Dak Prescott remaining a low-end QB1 for Week 11.

With a tough matchup at hand, there likely isn’t enough room for fantasy value among the Cowboys’ role players. Cole Beasley, Terrance Williams and Brice Butler can remain on benches.

Steve Smith, after a lengthy absence, has reasserted himself as the Ravens’ top option in the passing game after finding the end zone in Week 10 and cutting into Mike Wallace’s targets. In a game that could have the Ravens trailing throughout, Smith is an intriguing flex option for fantasy owners against the Cowboys’ 21st-ranked pass defense.

The main concern for fantasy owners who have players who face the Cowboys is time of possession. The Cowboys’ run-first philosophy places them sixth in the NFL in time of possession, which spells bad news for players who need ample touches to be fantasy-relevant. It leaves the already struggling Terrance West and Kenneth Dixon off the fantasy radar, while Wallace and Dennis Pitta are boom-or-bust options at best. It’s a situation for fantasy owners to avoid, even in the wake of a three-touchdown game from Joe Flacco in Week 10.