Fantasy
11/14/24
10 min read
Fantasy Football 2024: Start, Sit Advice for NFL Week 11
You know the drill: avoid the big mistakes and start the stars who’ve gotten you here.
However, for the players who are a little more in-between, you might need some assistance; that’s what this article is here for. It’s time to highlight some of the best names to start, and those managers should avoid this weekend if possible.
Note that not every player who is a “sit” is necessarily someone who belongs on the bench, but perhaps is just a player in a tricky situation where expectations should be tempered. That’s an important caveat to highlight this late into the season.
Week 11 matchups will be tricky, although setting lineups can be much less stressful with enough forethought and research. Now, we dive in:
Week 11 Fantasy Football Start-Sit Advice
Week 11 Quarterback Starts
- Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers (vs SEA)
- Russell Wilson, Baltimore Ravens (vs BAL)
- Bo Nix, Denver Broncos (vs ATL)
It’s tough to find a more reliable fantasy quarterback than Brock Purdy. The San Francisco 49ers signal-caller has recorded at least 250 passing yards with multiple scores in three out of his last four games, including a Week 6 performance with a trio of scores vs. the Seattle Seahawks.
Lucky enough, Purdy will get the opportunity to repeat this feat in Week 11 against Seattle, a unit that allows the 12-highest fantasy points per game (17.1) to opposing quarterbacks in four-point per passing touchdown scoring this season, according to FantasyPros.
An even more advantageous situation exists for Russell Wilson, whose 18.9 fantasy points per game since becoming the starter in Week 7 ranks 11th-best at the position, per FantasyData.
He’ll be squaring off at home against a Baltimore Ravens defense that, according to Pro Football Reference, allows the most passing yards per game (294.9) of any squad in 2024 and surrenders an average of 22.7 points per game to QBs on the year. May he live up to his self-imposed nickname and be unlimited on Sunday.
Before wrapping up this section, we cannot forget about Bo Nix.
Over the past six weeks, the former Oregon standout has posted an average of 34.2 rushing yards per game in addition to his passing contributions, amounting to a robust 19.7 fantasy points per game. This week, he’ll square off against an Atlanta Falcons defense that ranks 25th in pass defense DVOA, per FTN, and has allowed the third-most rushing yards (302) to opposing quarterbacks this season.
The Falcons will be an easy front for Nix to scramble on, and their secondary isn’t all that scary. It’s a good spot for this first-year surge to keep on trucking.
Week 11 Quarterback Sits
- Sam Darnold, Minnesota Vikings (@ TEN)
- Kirk Cousins, Atlanta Falcons (@ DEN)
- Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears (vs GB)
I’m not here to pick on Sam Darnold for his poor showing against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 10, although it certainly doesn’t help his case.
As far as Week 11 goes, he’ll look to lead the Minnesota Vikings against the Tennessee Titans, a defense that, despite allowing the 12th-highest touchdown rate (5.2 percent) to quarterbacks this season, surrenders a league-low 156.7 passing yards per game.
It’s just not a particularly good spot for Darnold to rebound, much in the same way that Kirk Cousins will have his work cut out for him against the Denver Broncos (eighth in pass defense DVOA), who allow the fifth-fewest fantasy points per game to quarterbacks (14.5) to date.
Frankly, there isn’t much value in discussing rookie Caleb Williams.
Still, the recent firing of Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron isn’t something I’ve had the chance to write about since it happened, so I’ll just share this quick fun fact about what folks can expect from their offense moving forward under the tutelage of replacement play-caller Thomas Brown and leave it alone:
Week 11 Running Back Starts
- Josh Jacobs, Green Bay Packers (@ CHI)
- Austin Ekeler, Washington Commanders (@ PHI)
- Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns (@ NO)
It may seem goofy to write about a player most managers are starting regularly anyway, but Green Bay Packers RB Josh Jacobs came up a little lower in my weekly rankings than I expected. There’ll be time to readjust when I do my update on Friday; however, I figured I could start now by highlighting him.
Jacobs stands fifth league-wide in rushing yards per game (84.7) and will have the distinct pleasure of participating in his first rivalry game against the Chicago Bears on Sunday. Thus far in 2024, the Bears’ front ranks third-worst in run defense DVOA and allows an average of 133.0 rushing yards per game to opposing teams. It’s a bright spot for a talented back; I just dinged him for not being as much of a threat in the receiving game.
While we’re at it with celebrating established veteran players, let’s hear it for Austin Ekeler of the Washington Commanders.
The former Los Angeles Chargers star has finished outside of the weekly top 36 among running backs in point-per-reception scoring (PPR) just three times in 2024: once in Week 4 when he missed a game with a concussion, again in Week 7 vs. the Carolina Panthers, and once more in Week 8 against the Bears in which he narrowly missed by finishing RB37 with 7.8 points.
Whether teammate Brian Robinson Jr. (hamstring) suits up for the Thursday night contest against the Philadelphia Eagles or not, you’re going to want to place Ekeler into your lineup.
As for Nick Chubb, I talked about his disappointing start to the year a bit in my rankings, but I’m hopeful for his chances to perform this week against the New Orleans Saints, a defense that allows the sixth-most rushing yards per game (141.0) in 2024 so far.
If there’s any time for the former Pro Bowler, it would be Week 11.
Week 11 Running Back Sits
- Tyler Allgeier, Atlanta Falcons (@ DEN)
- Jaylen Wright, Miami Dolphins (vs LV)
- Gus Edwards, Los Angeles Chargers (vs CIN)
Tyler Allgeier has indeed seen a greater concentration of usage recently.
Not only does he have the same number of red zone carries (six) as teammate Bijan Robinson over the past three weeks, but Allgeier also finds himself with 9.7 carries per game in that span.
There is a distinct possibility that we could see the former BYU standout carve out standalone value, but until we see evidence greater than 5.7 PPR points per game, it’s best to let Allgeier sit on the bench.
Another player worthy of stashing but not yet starting is Jaylen Wright, a rookie runner who handled five of the Miami Dolphins’ 17 backfield carries in Week 10 vs. the Los Angeles Rams. Unfortunately, he only played on eight snaps, but that total is one more than the veteran Raheem Mostert, who’s been trending downward lately in his own right.
Can Wright be the Dolphins' RB2? Yes, and that does carry some value, but not in any immediate way. However, he will have a nice spot to prove himself on Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders (29th in run defense DVOA).
With Edwards, it’s impressive that he immediately waltzed back into the lineup following an IR stint to secure double-digit touches last week. Still, it’s important to remind folks he only appeared on 24.6 percent of the Chargers’ offensive snaps, per Fantasy Points Data.
I believe Gus Edwards is a decent flex option in a pinch, although he’s still mostly a second-fiddle to J.K. Dobbins and brings little upside as a pass-catcher out of the backfield. Be cautious with him as more than a gamble.
Week 11 Wide Receiver Starts
- Jakobi Meyers, Las Vegas Raiders (@ MIA)
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks (@ SF)
- Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos (vs ATL)
You may not have realized it, but Jakobi Meyers has been very effective since Davante Adams stopped playing for the Raiders in Week 3.
Meyers leads the team in route participation (90.9 percent), target share (29.0 percent), and air yards share (37.6 percent) since Week 4 and has averaged 14.7 PPR points per game. Such a total would rank 18th amongst all wideouts if we were to extrapolate the average over a season-long span, meaning Meyers is a very reliable low-end WR2 option.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba is another player who’s been effective recently, averaging 10 targets per game with a 63.5 percent share of the Seahawks’ air yards in his past two games.
Granted, his season-long usage has been a touch inconsistent, but it’s difficult to argue against a rate of 0.22 targets per route run, meaning that the mononymous JSN sees the ball come his way on a little over one out of every five routes. That’s impressive!
I expect him to continue recent success, much in the same way that I’m trustworthy of Courtland Sutton.
The Broncos vet is playing lights out, averaging seven receptions and 97.2 receiving yards per game in the last three weeks, and is set to face off against a weak Falcons secondary that we discussed earlier when talking up quarterback Bo Nix.
Expecting fireworks from a largely tepid Broncos offense is not something I’m exceptionally comfortable with, but that’s where my thoughts are headed into Week 11.
Week 11 Wide Receiver Sits
- Noah Brown, Washington Commanders (@ PHI)
- DJ Moore, Chicago Bears (vs GB)
- Josh Downs, Indianapolis Colts (@ NYJ)
Although Noah Brown is beginning to heat up (19 targets over the last three weeks), he’s only averaging 3.7 catches and 55.3 receiving yards per game in that span, good for 11.2 PPR points per game.
Yes, these are helpful totals for a flex wideout, but remember that these totals are loosely inflated by the famous and very long Hail Mary touchdown that Brown caught vs. the Bears in Week 8. This is a simple reminder to always look under the hood when researching!
With Moore and Downs, they’re both in such crummy positions that they really should be left alone. I don’t feel I need to expand much on Moore, as the Bears have been dreadful, but Downs is not nearly as good of a fantasy option when Anthony Richardson is his starting quarterback.
Reports on Wednesday indicate that head coach Shane Steichen has changed his mind about Joe Flacco and will now be returning to Richardson. Across three games with Richardson (Week 3, 7, and 8), Downs is averaging a mere 9.6 PPR points per game, a far cry from the 16.8 he posted with Flacco.
The downgrade will be felt for lineups, and Downs is now nothing more than a risky flex play at best.
Week 11 Tight End Starts
- Zach Ertz, Washington Commanders (@ PHI)
- Taysom Hill, New Orleans Saints (vs CLE)
- Hunter Henry, New England Patriots (vs LAR)
The disappointing Week 9 effort from Ertz certainly leaves a sour taste in the mouths of fantasy managers, and he didn’t end up cracking any of my lineups last week because of it.
I’m not saying this is a good reason to bench a player, but sometimes the vibes are bad, and you want to shake things up. However, this is not exactly the wisest choice with Ertz, who we can’t forget has been leading the Washington Commanders in targets per game (6.7) over the past three weeks despite his lone disappointment.
Let this be a lesson not to hold things against players when circumstances turn out poorly, which is the same energy I want to bring to Hunter Henry.
The New England Patriots pass-catcher isn’t the model of consistency we’d like to see out of our tight ends. Still, Henry has shown the propensity for a big game and will be squaring off against a Rams defense that’s allowed 11.6 half-PPR points per game to opposing tight ends in 2024, the eighth-highest total in the league. It’s a good spot for Henry.
And how could we forget Taysom Hill, the maverick do-it-all athlete who’s averaged 6.8 touch opportunities (carries + targets) per game across six healthy contests this season? Already without wideouts Rashid Shaheed and Chris Olave, recently placed on IR due to a concussion, the Saints will need to involve Hill heavily in the offense if they want to keep things cooking.
There’s nothing remarkable about the matchup against the Cleveland Browns, but I have a hunch that this might be a Hill week, given the lack of available personnel around him.
Week 11 Tight End Sits
- Josh Oliver, Minnesota Vikings (@ TEN)
- Tyler Conklin, New York Jets (vs IND)
Although Oliver has posted back-to-back games of at least 50 receiving yards, it’s vital to point out that the return of T.J. Hockenson will only likely see the former’s role shrink.
Lest we forget that in Week 10 against the Jaguars, Oliver ran a route on just 46.7 percent of the team’s offensive snaps. It’s theoretically possible that he can sustain some success, as Oliver has out-targeted teammate Jordan Addison in each of the past two weeks since Hockenson came back from IR, but that’s not something I’m willing to bet on assuming neutral conditions.
In closing with Conklin, now just seems like a good time to point out that he’s only averaging 3 targets per game since Week 6 when Todd Downing took over as the New York Jets offensive coordinator.
There simply isn’t enough work to go around in this offense to support a tight end option for fantasy.
May Week 11 bring good fortune to everyone’s lineups.
