Fantasy football advice, Week 11: Who to start/sit for Houston Texans vs. Oakland Raiders

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 Texans square off against the Raiders, several notable players who garner fantasy consideration need to be accounted for.

If Lamar Miller is going to get right after being limited in his past few contests due to a shoulder injury, Monday night provides a good opportunity for him to do so. The Raiders are allowing 4.7 yards per carry, which is the second-highest rate in the NFL, and in an offense that is becoming increasingly less able to rely on Brock Osweiler for anything, Miller, assuming good health, ought to be leaned on heavily. The upside remains for him, but his increasing downside amid an anemic offense puts Miller in RB2 territory instead of RB1.

Even with Will Fuller ailing, DeAndre Hopkins and C.J. Fiedorowicz aren’t getting the yardage necessary to be considered must-starts. Hopkins’ upside is obvious, but as long as Osweiler continues to struggle, there’s no reason to bank on any of the Texans’ receivers, talented though they may be. Though both have great matchups, neither can be considered anything but boom or bust options at their respective positions.

Osweiler, Fuller, and the Texans’ role players can be safely left out of lineups.

Though the Texans are allowing just 197 passing yards per game, Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree have the talent and a quarterback who can capitalize even in tough matchups. Cooper is a WR1 as usual, even if his upside may be capped against a defense that has yet to allow a 300-yard passer in 2016.

As tough as the Texans have been against the pass, they have allowed the seventh-most rushing yards per game. Fantasy owners with Latavius Murray on their rosters can fire him up as an RB2 for Week 11.

The tough matchup at hand downgrades Derek Carr from his usual QB1 designation, and fantasy owners saw that even though Carr led his team to victory against a tough Broncos secondary, he didn’t do enough to give his fantasy owners a boon to their lineups. Carr wouldn’t surprise fantasy owners if he thrived even against a tough defense, but it is difficult to imagine him as anything more than a low-ceiling QB2 for Monday night.

Clive Walford, Seth Roberts, Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington can remain on benches and waivers throughout all formats.