Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 11: Highlighting Top Sleepers to Deploy and Avoid

The fantasy football playoffs are approaching fast as Week 11 gets underway, so sleepers have a chance to swing matchups and can make or break owners' seasons at this critical juncture.

Those owners who are fortunate to be a near-lock in their leagues' playoff pictures can rest a little easier, but those on the fringe will have to look for any edge they can get. Since the whole concept of fantasy is predicated so much on luck as it is, being bold is an acceptable strategy.

Let's take a look at the Week 11 sleepers to deploy and avoid at each major offensive position.

Quarterback

Start: Teddy Bridgewater, Minnesota Vikings; Sit: Ryan Mallett, Houston Texans

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The Chicago Bears defense is in utter disarray, yielding a combined 106 points in the past two games. Even with Minnesota's persisting protection issues, Teddy Bridgewater is in for a big fantasy week.

Bridgewater is a better athlete than he's often given credit for, and he's averaging five yards per carry when he does take off. The Vikings are coming off a bye, where Bridgewater has had time to get more on the same page with a talented cast of receivers.

Young wideout Cordarrelle Patterson figures to be more involved in the game plan and appears determined to make a bigger impact amid an underwhelming 2014 campaign. Patterson discussed what he could improve ahead of Week 11's trip to Soldier Field.

"Just getting off the line," said Patterson, per TwinCities.com's Chris Tomasson. "If the [defensive back] gets in your face, show him who's the boss. Get them off you. Better routes. Just little things like that. It's always the little things that matter. Doing little things like that will help Teddy out big."

Greg Jennings provides a veteran presence and a reliable target for Bridgewater to lean on, while the return of Pro Bowl tight end Kyle Rudolph figures to help the cause as well.

Ryan Mallett is taking on Brian Hoyer in a battle of former Tom Brady backup QBs. Houston does have Andre Johnson and DeAndre Hopkins as a rather formidable receiver duo, but it would be unwise to bank on Mallett on the road in Cleveland.

ESPN Cleveland's Tony Grossi offered a projection for Mallett's outing:

With just four career pass attempts under his belt, Mallett, though no doubt possessing a cannon for an arm, isn't proven enough to test out in Week 11.

The Browns are coming off a momentous road victory in Week 10, where their defense locked down Cincinnati's passing attack in a 24-3 win. Mallett is worth adding in two-QB leagues off waivers but needs to show something before he's plugged into a lineup.

Running Back

Start: Steven Jackson, Atlanta Falcons; Sit: Bobby Rainey, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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Don't look now—really, don't look—the NFC South is terrible. It's so abominable that the Atlanta Falcons have a shot at winning the division, just one game back with a 3-6 record.

Steven Jackson is starting to find his groove in the backfield, though, reaching the end zone in each of his past two games and scampering for a season-high 81 yards last week versus Tampa Bay.

Balance is something Atlanta's offense hasn't had all year, so it should seek to build on that momentum in facing the Carolina Panthers. Joe Person of The Charlotte Observer highlighted the damage Carolina's formerly elite defense has suffered this year:

Ranked third in the NFL in red-zone touchdown scoring percentage (h/t TeamRankings.com), the Falcons will punch it in however possible. QB Matt Ryan should move the ball at will against Carolina, and that should help Jackson to produce double digits in fantasy.

Even with Doug Martin banged up, don't go near Tampa Bay's next likeliest feature back in Rainey. Washington is in desperation mode to get into the playoff mix and should light up the Bucs' woeful defense, leading to a lot of passing.

Although Rainey had four receptions in Week 10's loss to Atlanta, he had just six carries for 14 yards. Rookie Charles Sims is also a capable pass-catcher, and ESPN's Adam Caplan illustrates how Sims could be in for a bigger role:

Counting on anyone in this Tampa Bay offense beyond emerging rookie receiver Mike Evans is a mistake. Under the direction of Josh McCown and Mike Glennon, the unit has not produced at a consistent rate.

Rainey is bound to be stymied early as the Bucs try to establish the run and control time of possession. That will ultimately prove unsuccessful and disappoint those who took the risk on deploying him in their fantasy lineups.

Wide Receiver

Start: Andrew Hawkins, Cleveland Browns; Sit: John Brown, Arizona Cardinals

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One of the most underrated slot wideouts in football, Andrew Hawkins is quietly leading the Browns in receiving in 2014. The team has struggled to run the ball since center Alex Mack's injury, so it's wise to deploy Hawkins when possible.

Some owners may be sleeping on Hawkins because he left a favorable Week 9 matchup against Tampa Bay with thigh and knee injuries, was out for Week 10 and had consecutive clunker games in Weeks 5 and 6.

ClevelandBrowns.com's Kevin Jones offered an encouraging update on Hawkins during Wednesday's practice:

In the past three games he's played, Hawkins has gotten eight or more targets and stands to get a big workload when the Browns face the Houston Texans on Sunday.

Quarterback Brian Hoyer will have to take to the air if the Browns can't run the ball well, which is likely thanks to the presence of J.J. Watt and Brian Cushing on the front four.

The Texans secondary is vulnerable, yielding the fourth-most passing yards per contest. It doesn't have a viable nickel cornerback to mark Hawkins in the slot, so if fantasy owners need a flex sleeper, it's worth considering Hawkins, who's owned in just 45 percent of ESPN.com standard leagues.

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"Touchdown, John Brown!" has become a catchy call at times amid the Arizona Cardinals rookie's first season as a pro. However, Brown's production has been a bit too sporadic.

A lot of his points are predicated on long passes, such as the game-winning toss he caught from Drew Stanton in Week 10 to finish with five receptions for 73 yards. NFC Director of Football Communications Randall Liu points out how clutch Brown has been for the 8-1 Cardinals:

Some fantasy enthusiasts thin at receiver may try to bank on Brown in Week 11, but that wouldn't be a wise choice.

With Stanton under center, all Arizona receivers' values take a hit. The Detroit Lions are coming to the desert in Week 11, boasting arguably the best defense in the NFL. That isn't good news for any of the Cardinals' skill players, much less an inconsistent commodity in Brown.

Tight End

Start: Coby Fleener, Indianapolis Colts; Sit: Mychal Rivera, Oakland Raiders

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For whatever reason, Indianapolis insists that Coby Fleener deserves more work than Dwayne Allen, despite how much of a TD machine the latter player has been.

But Fleener is playing in an offense coordinated by his ex-Stanford play-caller in Pep Hamilton and quarterbacked by none other than his college signal-caller, Andrew Luck. There is innate chemistry and understanding there.

Fleener led the Colts in targets with 11 in Week 10's Monday night blowout victory over the New York Giants, hauling in just four receptions for 77 yards and a score. NFL Network fantasy expert Michael Fabiano weighed in:

The Colts figure to pass a lot in a shootout with the New England Patriots at Lucas Oil Stadium.

As is noted by ESPN.com, the Pats have yielded double-digit fantasy points to tight ends in the past three contests, so that bodes well for Fleener, even if his targets are diminished a bit by the emerging Allen.

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Many may be intrigued by Oakland Raiders tight end Mychal Rivera, but he's a stay-away option for Week 11's contest against the San Diego Chargers. Rivera had a touchdown in garbage time amid a loss to Denver in his last game, and the Chargers have conceded just two TDs to tight ends all year.

Trusting a player on a winless team is difficult to do, regardless of the circumstances. It doesn't help that the Chargers are in dire need of a victory to maintain pace in the AFC West, as Denver is well out in front and Kansas City is surging.

But Rivera figures to be a stud to hang on to for the coming years. There will be turnovers in the Raiders organization this offseason amid the hunt for a new head coach. The good news is that Rivera and rookie QB Derek Carr are establishing a rapport to be a successful combination for years to come.