Fantasy football start/sit advice, Week 11: Browns vs. Bengals

As the Bengals have faded lately, the Browns look to get themselves into the division race, on the shoulders of their surging pass-catching combo.

by Daniel Kelley

Nov 17, 2013, 12:42 PM UTC

Jason Miller

The Cincinnati Bengals have lost two consecutive games, while the Cleveland Browns have ridden wide receiver Josh Gordon and tight end Jordan Cameron to a surprising 4-5 record, only a loss worse than the Bengals. Sunday, the Browns travel to Cincinnati for a 1 p.m. ET game that could be big in the division race, and in fantasy races:

Browns

Start in every league: Josh Gordon, Jordan Cameron

Start if you're desperate: Jason Campbell, Defense/special teams

Bench: Willis McGahee, Chris Ogbonnaya, Billy Cundiff

Since missing the first two games of the season on suspension, Gordon has been a stud, with four double-digit games in seven outings, and only two games below seven points. He's an easy flex, and probably a WR2 on most rosters. ... Cameron was shut down in the team's last game against the Ravens, with only one catch for four yards, but he's still third in the NFL in tight end fantasy scoring and, while that might be overreaching, he's a no-question TE1.

Campbell has started two games, and scored at least 20 points in each. He's thrown five touchdown passes, hasn't turned the ball over, and generally looked good, even against a stout Kansas City Chiefs defense. Sunday, he plays a struggling Cincinnati defense that has been losing players like flies, he might have a big day. It's still Jason Campbell, so tread lightly, but it's a sneaky play. ... The Browns' defense scored 12 points in its early-season win over the Bengals, and is ninth overall in the NFL.

McGahee has scored nine points in his last four games, and is bad at football. You’d rather start Ogbonnaya, especially in PPR leagues, but you’d ideally neither one is in your lineup. ... Cundiff has been in the NFL for 10 years, and has appeared for seven teams in that time. His career was supposed to be over several times now, and while he’s been decent this year, it’s not about time to buy in for fantasy.

Bengals

Start in every league: Giovani Bernard, A.J. Green

Start if you're desperate: Marvin Jones, Defense/special teams

Bench: Andy Dalton, BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Mike Nugent

There's a bit of boom-or-bust potential to Bernard, who followed up a one-point outing in Week 8 with 21 points in Week 9. But there's enough good there -- he's 10th in the NFL in total running back points -- that you have to play him on the chance he has the big games. ... If you got here wondering whether you should start Green, congratulations on having Calvin Johnson and Brandon Marshall on your roster, and move along.

Take out his huge game against the New York Jets, and Jones has 49 fantasy points in nine games. Outside of a hot stretch in Weeks 6-8, when he scored 63 points in three games, he has 22 in seven games. Those huge games are available in his back pocket, but he's found himself underrated in recent weeks. ... The Bengals' defense has been losing players quickly and, while they are still eighth in the NFL, that cliff might come soon.

Dalton had seven interceptions in the first eight games of the season, and has six in his last two. He had three huge games (the same three as Jones’ huge games), but otherwise has been mediocre-to-awful most of the season. ... Green-Ellis is only usable for desperate owners who really think he might fall into the end zone. Without a touchdown, the Law Firm doesn’t have any value. ... Nugent just doesn’t score enough to use in fantasy.