Fantasy football start/sit advice, Week 11: Wide receivers

Welcome to Week 11 of the fantasy football season. The playoffs are right around the corner and the bye weeks are almost over, so it’s time for owners to lock in their top starters and ride them the rest of the way. However, we still have four bye teams that need to be accounted for.

This week’s bye-week teams are the Atlanta Falcons, New York Jets, Denver Broncos, and San Diego Chargers. Fantasy owners will be without a handful of top stars at wide receiver, including Julio Jones, Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders, and Brandon Marshall. Alshon Jeffery’s four-game suspension also leaves a hole in many owners’ lineups.

So with all that in mind, which WRs are worth plugging into your starting lineup, and which ones should you be avoiding? Let’s take a closer look.

Tyreek Hill, Kansas City Chiefs (vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

Jeremy Maclin is out another week, so Hill should continue getting force-fed targets. The diminutive playmaker racked up 10 catches on 13 targets against the Carolina Panthers. He didn’t break many big plays and ended up with just 89 yards, but that should be a much easier task when he faces the Bucs’ Swiss cheese defense.

Stefon Diggs, Minnesota Vikings (vs. Arizona Cardinals)

One of the few bright spots of a crumbling Vikings defense, Diggs grabbed 34 catches for 320 yards and a touchdown the past three games. He’s the only reliable target Sam Bradford has to work with and should have a stable fantasy floor most weeks. The obvious concern in this matchup is the presence of Patrick Peterson, although Diggs mostly runs from the slot while Peterson roams the outside. He’s worth taking a shot on in 12-team leagues.

Julian Edelman, New England Patriots (@ San Francisco 49ers)

With Rob Gronkowski and Chris Hogan ruled out, somebody has to catch passes from Tom Brady. Edelman has been frustrating fantasy owners this season, but it appears he’s finally getting back on track, stinging the Seattle Seahawks for seven catches and a season-high 99 yards. The 49ers’ defense will have little to no resistance, so Edelman is set up for a field day. Start him with confidence in all weeks.

Marvin Jones, Detroit Lions (vs. Jacksonville Jaguars)

The disappearance of Marvin Jones has been one of the more baffling fantasy developments this season. After his breakout 205-yard game in Week 3, Jones has yet to reach 100 yards again and cleared 70 yards just twice. It’s probably not a coincidence that Jones faded around the same time Golden Tate re-emerged as a dynamic weapon in Detroit’s offense. He has to win back fantasy owners’ trust and belongs on your bench against the Jaguars’ underrated secondary (fourth in passing yards allowed per game).

DeVante Parker, Miami Dolphins (@ Los Angeles Rams)

The good news is that Parker cleared 100 yards for the first time since the season opener. The bad news is everything in between. Parker has been invisible for long stretches of the year, and with the Dolphins reinventing themselves as a run-first offense led by Jay Ajayi, consistent targets are harder to come by. Fantasy owners should avoid chasing last week’s stats in a road date with the Rams’ eighth-ranked pass defense.

Cameron Meredith, Chicago Bears (@ New York Giants)

With Jeffery serving his suspension, it’s tempting to think Meredith will be the next man up. However, let’s not forget that his brief flashes of production came with Brian Hoyer under center. Since Jay Cutler returned to the lineup, Meredith has just four targets in the past two games. His only reception of Week 10 came on a fluky Hail Mary. Don’t be quick to assume Meredith will be fantasy-relevant again. This entire Bears offense should be avoided for now.