Week 11 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Fantasy Football Stars to Play and Bench

When it comes to star power, Week 11 is entirely too kind to fantasy football owners.

Look at the bye list for the week: Dallas Cowboys, Jacksonville Jaguars, Baltimore Ravens and New York Jets. What is normally a major hurdle for owners is not so much of an issue, minus missing a trio of superstars from Dallas, one of which has a bad back. Those for some reason hoping to ride the Michael Vick experience will need to wait a week.

The result is a fantasy landscape littered with star names to choose from, although picking the right combination is not the easiest feat. Sometimes, having more options can backfire in an owner's face without proper preparation.

In order to navigate the tricky waters, let's take a look at some of the top start 'em, sit 'em decisions.

Week 11 Start 'Em

Pos.	Player	Team	Opponent
QB	Colin Kaepernick	SF	NYG
RB	Ryan Mathews	SD	OAK
RB	Frank Gore	SF	NYG
WR	DeSean Jackson	WAS	TB
WR	Mohamed Sanu	CIN	NO
TE	Travis Kelce	KC	SEA

Start at the most important position of all, even if that description does not apply to the realm of fake football.

Owners have seemed to sour on San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick quite a bit considering he is 89.7 percent owned. It is hard to blame them when the dual-threat player has totaled just 22 points over the course of his last two games.

Understand that some of the issues are on those around him, though, as Gary Althiser of Pro Football Focus helps to explain:

There is a light at the end of the tunnel this week by way of a matchup with the New York Giants, a defense that allows the ninth-most points to quarterbacks this season.

Really, the same applies to Kaepernick's running back, Frank Gore. The veteran has been a colossal disappointment this season, as his coaching staff has turned away from the rush, but those in charge seemed to have a change of heart last week in New Orleans.

Jonathan Bachman/Associated Press

There, Gore received 23 totes, the second-highest tally of his season, and turned it into 81 yards and a score, good for 14 points. Considering the woeful Giants defense surrenders the second-most points to backs, Gore is a must-play option on the hope that his staff stays the course.

San Diego Chargers running back Ryan Mathews is set to see an uptick in productivity as well now that he is back from injury. According to Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego, Mathews is due for a notable workload upon his return:

Few better opponents exist for a returning back than the Oakland Raiders, a defense that allows the third-most points to the position on average. Back in Week 6, Mathews' backup, Branden Oliver, rolled for 101 yards and a score against the unit.

Switching gears to wideouts, Washington's DeSean Jackson is a name to bank on more than ever now that quarterback Robert Griffin III is back under center. Jackson has five trips to double digits this season, getting 18 points alone in his last outing during RG3's return.

Jackson is one of the better deep threats in the NFL, a fact that is only heightened with RG3 under center. A matchup with the lowly Tampa Bay Buccaneers helps too—they allow the most points to wideouts this season on average.

Try not to get too swept away by big names, though. A.J. Green is a great player, but keep in mind that it is Mohamed Sanu who ranks the best in terms of fantasy scoring at wideout in Cincinnati.

John Grieshop/Getty Images

Sanu had a down week last time out, just like anybody on the roster, but try to keep in mind that he has scored in double digits in four of his last six outings. Little slows Sanu, especially now that defenses must account for Green. He next gets the Saints, the team that surrenders the fifth-most points to wideouts. Sanu is owned in only 83.8 percent of leagues too.

Do not forget about tight end, where Kansas City's Travis Kelce is set to explode thanks to a matchup against the Seattle Seahawks. The defending champs do a lot right, but defending tight ends is not one of them—the Richard Sherman-led defense allows the fourth-most points to the spot.

Week 11 Sit 'Em

Pos.	Player	Team	Opponent
QB	Ben Roethlisberger	PIT	TEN
RB	Lamar Miller	MIA	BUF
RB	Andre Williams	NYG	SF
WR	Reggie Wayne	IND	NE
WR	Larry Fitzgerald	ARI	DET
TE	Charles Clay	MIA	BUF

Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger may be the fourth-highest scoring quarterback this season, but last week's 13-point output is along the lines of what owners should expect in Week 11.

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

Roethlisberger is away from home this week. Considering he has just five touchdowns on the road and 15 or fewer points in each contest, it should sound alarm bells now that he also has to encounter a top-12 defense against quarterbacks.

The same bells should ring for owners of Miami Dolphins running back Lamar Miller. Not because Miller has had a bad year—quite the contrary considering he has reached double digits six times—but because left tackle Branden Albert is lost for the season due to an injury.

NFL.com's Elliot Harrison explains why this is so important:

Mix in a date with a top-three fantasy defense against backs, and, well, Miller needs to sit at all costs.

The same applies for Giants rookie running back Andre Williams. Despite actually flashing over the course of the past two weeks with a total of 19 points, including nine against Seattle's great front, the rookie needs to take a seat in any and all leagues.

The main culprit is the fact that starter Rashad Jennings sounds ready to return to action. But feel free to sprinkle in a matchup with San Francisco, a defense that surrenders the ninth-fewest points to backs this season. 

A pair of aging veterans highlight the wideout section of must-sit plays in Week 11. First up is Reggie Wayne of the Indianapolis Colts. While Wayne scored 13 points in Week 9 before the bye, a matchup with a New England secondary led by Darrelle Revis that allows the third-fewest points to receivers this year is a disaster waiting to happen.

Wayne's feelings on the matter are reason enough to make him ride the pine, as captured by Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com:

Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald is in much of the same boat. A cool 11 points last week rewarded owners, but a matchup with Detroit is a nightmare considering the Lions tout the absolute best fantasy defense against wideouts.

Fitzgerald has been erratic at best this season anyway. He is now also hampered by the season-ending injury to Carson Palmer. While Bruce Arians' scheme suggests it can produce with most anyone under center, Drew Stanton is not a roll of the dice owners should be willing to take.

Finishing off the negative side of things is Charles Clay down in Miami. Recall the note about Albert's impact, meaning quarterback Ryan Tannehill will be under duress all night. Also know that Clay is a touchdown-based play each week, hence his only trips to double digits this season coming along with the two times he has scored.

Combine Albert's absence with the fact that the Bills rank just outside the top 10 in terms of fewest points allowed to tight ends this year, and Clay needs to take a seat. This very same Buffalo defense held him to just three points back in Week 2.

All scoring info courtesy of ESPN standard leagues, as is points-against info and ownership stats. Statistics courtesy of ESPN.