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Quarterback
Start of the Week: Justin Herbert (@ JAX)
Herbert had a quieter game last Sunday night with 220 yards and a touchdown in a win over the Steelers, but he had multiple touchdown passes in the previous four games—and will now take on a Jacksonville defense that has allowed the fifth-most fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks (21.0). Over the past five outings in particular, the Jags have been shredded with 20.0+ fantasy points allowed to the position in every game, so Herbert should be a top-five option throwing to Ladd McConkey and company.
Start: Bo Nix (v KC)
Nix is the only quarterback to be relentlessly ripped by the media (most notably, social media) for a sub-par game last week, but a bunch of passers struggled—and Denver still got the win. While the Chiefs will be tough coming off a bye, I expect Nix to bounce back in a huge game for Denver, and Sean Payton will hopefully unleash him as a runner with a chance to get a 3.5-game lead over Kansas City in the AFC West. Nix should be viewed as a QB1 with the fourth-most total touchdowns in the league this season (21).
Start: Jordan Love (@ NYG)
Outside of the 360-yard, three-touchdown performance versus the Steelers in Week 8, Love has struggled mightily for fantasy owners—failing to throw for multiple touchdowns in four other games since the start of October. However, the Giants are the perfect opponent to get on track against if cornerback Paulson Adebo (knee) remains out, and being without Tucker Kraft (knee) and potentially Romeo Doubs (chest) might not matter. Look for the volatility of Love to swing back towards the positive this weekend.
Start: Joe Flacco (@ PIT)
Aaron Rodgers could also be listed here, as both veteran passers are top-12 options exactly one month after they met and combined for 591 yards and seven touchdowns through the air in a 33-31 shootout where Flacco came out on top. The Steelers have been extremely inconsistent on defense, but they had no answers for Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins in the first matchup, and Flacco has been sensational with 24.94 fantasy points per game in four starts with the Bengals. If still available in your league, Flacco is the top streamer of the week.
Sit of the Week: Jared Goff (@ PHI)
Rolling with Goff—who clearly benefitted from Dan Campbell taking over play-calling duties—after the Lions torched Washington last week can be a consideration, and the Eagles do have a weakness at the outside cornerback spot across from Quinyon Mitchell that might be exploited. On the other hand, the game being in Philadelphia is a matchup downgrade for Goff, and there are plenty of alternatives with plus draws this week to perhaps play instead, including Joe Flacco, Marcus Mariota, and Tua Tagovailoa.
Sit: Baker Mayfield (@ BUF)
Mayfield put up big numbers last week against the Patriots with 273 yards and three touchdowns in a 28-23 loss, but a trip to Buffalo without Chris Godwin (fibula) and Mike Evans (collarbone) won’t be easy. Before getting back on track last week (which might have been helped due to the bye), Mayfield had struggled with 190.0 passing yards per game and just 5.1 yards per attempt in his previous two outings, so he’s more of a QB2 option for Week 11.
Sit: Trevor Lawrence (v LAC)
Brian Thomas Jr. (ankle) returning on Sunday would boost the outlook for Lawrence, but the Chargers showed how frustrating they can be to face last week in a win over Pittsburgh—and the unit has allowed a 9:9 touchdown-interception ratio on the season. Based on how Los Angeles wants to limit the big plays through the air and how much Lawrence has struggled this season (multiple touchdowns in just two games and a 79.3 quarterback rating overall), it’d be wise to look elsewhere.
Sit: Justin Fields (@ NE)
A benching is included in the numbers, but Fields has perhaps the lowest passing floor in the league—with games of 27 yards, 45 yards, 46 yards, and 54 yards in four of his starts this year. There is always a chance that Fields takes over as a runner to pay off as a fantasy start, but that’s not something to count on at this point, and Garrett Wilson (knee) being out limits the ceiling as a passer, too. I’d also be worried about strip sacks on Thursday night with that being something Mike Vrabel will surely be highlighting for his defensive front.
Running Back
Start of the Week: Travis Etienne Jr. (v LAC)
As hoped with Etienne slowing down in October, the Jaguars recommitted to him following their Week 8 bye—leading to 27 touches for 115 yards in an overtime win over Las Vegas and 18 touches for 77 yards and a touchdown last week in Houston. The Chargers can be run on with 4.9 yards per carry allowed on the season (which is what Etienne is averaging), so we should see Jacksonville play through their talented back in a very important AFC matchup. I like Etienne as a borderline RB1/RB2.
Start: RJ Harvey (v KC)
The status of J.K. Dobbins (foot) is still up in the air, but it seems like Harvey will draw a start this week—and that alone makes him an RB2 in Sean Payton’s offense despite the Chiefs not being the best matchup for enemy runners. Most importantly, Harvey will see more playing time with just 29.1% of the offensive snaps played through 10 weeks, and he’s shined in all three games with more than five carries—going for 70 yards on six attempts in the opener, turning 18 touches into 98 yards and a touchdown in Week 4, and of course, the three-touchdown performance in a win over Dallas.
Start: Woody Marks (@ TEN)
Marks took over as the clear lead back for Houston last week, and that included in scoring territory by handling work near the end zone. Nick Chubb ran very well off the bench (five carries for 47 yards), but assuming Marks remains the no-doubt starter, he’ll be positioned very nicely versus a Tennessee defense that has allowed the fourth-most fantasy points per game to the position (24.3) and the most rushing touchdowns in the league (15).
Start: Brian Robinson Jr. (@ ARI)
Ideally, you are in good enough position that you have starters set at running back (and in the FLEX spot), but if you’re desperate, Robinson looked great last week with eight carries for 41 yards and a touchdown—which came at the goal line instead of Christian McCaffrey. Although I’m expecting McCaffrey to get the short-yardage carries for the most part down the stretch, Robinson being involved at the level he was is interesting, and the Cardinals are an opponent that could put game flow in his favor to build on last week’s showing.
Sit of the Week: Kenneth Walker III (@ LAR)
I still have hope for Walker returning high-end RB2 value down the stretch, and he’s at least shown a decent floor with 61+ total yards in all but two games since the opener (and he found the end zone twice in one of those outings where he didn’t reach 61+ yards). The chunk plays can happen against anyone, but the Rams are one of two teams to not allow a rush of 30+ yards this season, and Walker was limited to 3.3 yards per carry on 25 scoreless attempts in the lone matchup last season—making him more volatile this week.
Sit: Kimani Vidal (@ JAX)
Vidal is set to draw a final start this week before Omarion Hampton (ankle) is likely back after the bye, and he’s alternated big games (three weeks with 108+ total yards and a touchdown) and quiet outings (two weeks with 35 or fewer total yards and zero touchdowns) as the starter. Unfortunately, that trend could continue with the Jaguars being a top-five run defense and being better attacked through the air than on the ground, so Vidal falls outside the top 24 at running back.
Sit: Tony Pollard (v HOU)
The Texans have the second-best run defense in the league (90.3 yards per game allowed), and Pollard has seen his touches decline as Tyjae Spears has returned—handling 12 or fewer touches in each of the past four games after beginning the season with 17+ touches in every game. Earlier this season, the Titans didn’t have much of any luck on offense in a 26-0 shutout loss to Houston, so with Pollard now splitting work in the rematch, he should be a FLEX rather than an RB2 coming out of the bye.
Sit: Tyrone Tracy Jr. (v GB)
Tracy bounced back last week with 14 carries for 71 yards (5.1 YPC) after splitting work more with Devin Singletary two weeks ago, and he draws weekly low-end RB2/FLEX appeal for a New York offense that should playing through the running game. Green Bay is allowing the fifth-fewest fantasy points per game to running backs (15.9), though, and Jameis Winston taking over for Jaxson Dart (concussion) might at least downgrade the running game—so he might be better left on the bench if you have options.
Wide Receiver
Start of the Week: A.J. Brown (v DET)
There will be plenty of fantasy owners benching Brown after he was limited to two receptions for 13 scoreless yards on Monday night, and the superstar wideout even advised people to get rid of him amidst the struggles. That said, I like how Brown matches up this week versus a smaller cornerback group for Detroit (which now has Terrion Arnold in the concussion protocol), and it was a very good sign that he and Jalen Hurts apparently went rogue late in the win over Green Bay by trying to connect on a would-be game-sealing deep ball. If you can live with the floor, Brown is ranked as a borderline top-five option for Sunday night.
Start: Courtland Sutton (v KC)
Sutton is another wideout who disappointed last week (three receptions for 24 scoreless yards), but we’ve seen the script flip for him when that’s been the case in the past—including lines of 6/118/1 and 6/87 following the two other quiet games this season. Last year, Sutton hit the Chiefs for 70+ yards and a touchdown in both games, and Bo Nix has confidence in his top target after the pair connected to beat Trent McDuffie on a touchdown in the first meeting. Especially if Marvin Mims Jr. (concussion) is back to elevate the offense, Sutton should be a top-20 play.
Start: Jauan Jennings (@ ARI)
We’ll see if Brock Purdy (toe) returns this week, but the chemistry for Jennings with Mac Jones has grown over the past couple of games with lines of 4/41/1 and 6/71/1 this month—and he’s reemerged as the top wide receiver in San Francisco. Despite never really been a full-time player versus Arizona in his career, Jennings caught seven passes (on 10 targets) for 52 yards against them on just 25 offensive snaps last year in Week 18, so we’ll see if he can have success working the middle of the field as the Niners try to get on track with a win.
Start: Bills WRs (v TB)
Dalton Kincaid (hamstring) is week-to-week, so the wideouts for Buffalo will need to step up—with Keon Coleman and Khalil Shakir getting the biggest boost in fantasy lineups. The Buccaneers have a solid group at cornerback, but they allowed production to all three of Stefon Diggs (5/46/1), Mack Hollins (6/106), and rookie Kyle Williams (1/72/1) last week versus New England, and Josh Allen will be counting on Coleman, Shakir, Elijah Moore, and others to make plays on Sunday.
Others: Parker Washington (v LAC), Tyler Lockett (v DAL)
Sit of the Week: DK Metcalf (v CIN)
The passing attack for Pittsburgh has been out of sorts since the loss to Green Bay, and the past two games in particular were a struggle for Metcalf with a combined five receptions for 41 scoreless yards. Now, there were some yards left on the field (including a would-be deep touchdown last week in the loss to the Chargers), but Metcalf will get a tough draw versus Bengals cornerback DJ Turner II—with a 39-yard grab on the first drive of Round 1 being the only real damage done against Cincinnati (he finished with 50 yards). I’d put Metcalf down into the FLEX ranks for Week 11.
Sit: Tetairoa McMillan (@ ATL)
McMillan has seen solid weekly involvement with at least five targets and three receptions in all 10 games to begin his career, but we haven’t seen the consistent upside unlocked for a run-first Carolina offense—including in scoring territory with just two touchdowns on the year (which came in the same game). This week, the No. 8 overall pick will see a lot of A.J. Terrell Jr. on the perimeter, and Atlanta held him to three receptions for 48 scoreless yards in the first meeting without even having their top cornerback in the lineup. McMillan falls outside the top 30 based on the matchup.
Sit: Calvin Ridley (v HOU)
Ridley (hamstring) could be set to return this week, but Houston is a difficult matchup on top of general struggles for him and the Tennessee passing attack. On the season, Ridley has been held to a career-worst 48.3 receiving yards per game with zero touchdowns, and the first matchup versus the Texans limited him to just two receptions for 30 scoreless yards. There are several plug-and-play options with good matchups to consider this week, so I’d avoid Ridley.
Sit: Jordan Addison (v CHI)
The big-play ability and a favorable draw versus a Chicago defense that has been hammered by injuries at cornerback leads to a quality ceiling for Addison—but the chemistry with J.J. McCarthy simply hasn’t been there. Remember, Addison was suspended to begin the season and didn’t play with McCarthy until two games this month, but they resulted in lines of 2/48 and 3/35, while the time with Carson Wentz at quarterback led to lines of 4/114, 5/41/1, 9/128, and 3/26/1.
Others: Jakobi Meyers (v LAC), Keenan Allen (@ JAX)
Tight End
Start: of the Week: Pat Freiermuth (v CIN)
Again, the Steelers have struggled on offense so far this month, so there is risk about playing Freiermuth with just 260 yards on the campaign. However, a large chunk of the production came in the shootout loss to the Bengals with a career-best 5/111/2 line, and Cincinnati has allowed 10 touchdowns to opposing tight ends over their past five games; maybe they’ll have things figured out after the bye, but I like Freiermuth as a top-15 option.
Start: Evan Engram (v KC)
Engram has been one of the bigger fantasy disappointments in the first half of the season with a 28/227/1 season line after signing a two-year, $23 million deal with Denver in the offseason—but he did have a stretch from Week 3 through Week 8 with at least four receptions in five consecutive games. The Broncos being without J.K. Dobbins could lead to more emphasis on the passing game, and Engram paying off with a big game versus Kansas City is easy to imagine—and he caught six passes for 57 yards in the last meeting a couple of years ago.
Start: Luke Musgrave (@ NYG)
As stated last week, the first game for Musgrave in place of Tucker Kraft was going to be difficult due to the matchup versus Philadelphia, but he played 76.5% of the offensive snaps and caught all three of his targets for 23 yards. This week, Musgrave gets an easier draw against a New York defense that has struggled to defend the position recently (12.5 fantasy points per game allowed over the past five weeks), so he should draw consideration in deeper formats and could be boosted if Romeo Doubs is out.
Sit of the Week: T.J. Hockenson (v CHI)
The production for all the key Minnesota pass-catchers has been down with J.J. McCarthy under center, and Hockenson has been limited to yardage totals of 15, 12, 11, and eight in four games with “Nine” under center. I would assume the Vikings will prioritize getting Justin Jefferson going this weekend, so Hockenson should probably be viewed as a touchdown-or-bust option, and he’s averaging a career-low 7.8 yards per reception on the season.
Sit: Dawson Knox (v TB)
Knox will be tasked with stepping up in place of Dalton Kincaid this week and likely next Thursday night, but he’s another touchdown-dependent option—though the scores haven’t been there with just four trips to the end zone over the past three years. Tampa Bay just limited Hunter Henry to one reception for nine yards last week, so Knox isn’t a highly recommended option (and likely won’t be next week in a difficult matchup versus Houston either).
Sit: Cade Otton (@ BUF)
Otton has seen increased involvement since the start of October, and he’s very quietly been great for fantasy owners with lines of 4/81, 5/51, 7/65, 4/40, and 9/82. But if there’s going to be a “floor” game to break the hot streak, I expect it could come this weekend with the Bills allowing the fewest fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends (4.9). Plus, Otton has yet to find the end zone this season.