Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 11: Reviewing Fantasy Football's Top Fringe Starters

Fantasy football players encounter tough start 'em and sit 'em decisions each week.

Of course, it always seems like the one choice we make ends up being the wrong one, like when I left Denver Broncos wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders on the bench Sunday as he tore up the New England Patriots pass defense to the tune of six catches and 137 yards.

These things happen, and all we can do is rip a page out of former Philadelphia 76ers general manager Sam Hinkie's playbook and "trust the process." If the process is right, and you feel comfortable with your research into the situation, you should be a winner more often than not.

Here's a look at eight players on the fringe this week and whether they should start or sit in fantasy leagues.

Quarterback

Start 'Em: Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger

You may be skeptical of Pittsburgh Steelers signal-caller Ben Roethlisberger after he led his team to just 20 points against the 3-7 Indianapolis Colts last week, but the 14-year veteran plays much better in the friendly confines of Heinz Field, which is where his Week 11 matchup with the Tennessee Titans will take place.

Roethlisberger has a quarterback rating of 98.6 at home compared to 88.8 on the road for his career, per Pro Football Reference. He'll also face a Tennessee Titans team that ranks just 24th against the pass this year, according to Football Outsiders.

Look for the Steelers to have a big night on offense, with Roethlisberger and wideout Antonio Brown leading the way.

Sit 'Em: Tennessee Titans QB Marcus Mariota

On the flip side, this is not a good matchup for the Tennessee Titans offense and Marcus Mariota, who will face a Pittsburgh Steelers team that has not given up more than 17 points in regulation to any team this year (in case you follow that link and see a 30 next to the Jacksonville Jaguars' name, 14 of the Jags' points came off turnovers).

Football Outsiders ranks Pittsburgh in the top five against the run and the pass, and its balanced defense should have a strong performance against the Titans, who have been inconsistent on offense all season (a so-so 13th in points per game so far).

Running Back

Start 'Em: New England Patriots RB Rex Burkhead

Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analysis dropped this remarkable statistic on Sunday:

Yes, the New England Patriots backfield is crowded, so much so that Mike Gillislee was inactive against the Denver Broncos on Sunday Night Football. However, Rex Burkhead is receiving ample opportunities in recent weeks, touching the ball 24 times in two games.

The former Cincinnati Bengal has been viable in points-per-reception leagues as well, as he's caught 10 passes for 95 yards and a touchdown during that span.

Burkhead will face an Oakland Raiders team that has struggled on defense all season and ranks dead last in defensive efficiency, per Football Outsiders. He is a solid choice for your second running back slot and should be available in most leagues.

Sit 'Em: Minnesota Vikings RB Latavius Murray

Latavius Murray may be seeing more opportunities to carry the load in the Minnesota Vikings backfield after Dalvin Cook unfortunately suffered a torn ACL in a game against the Detroit Lions, but his work hasn't been particularly efficient in 2017.

In his last five games, Murray has rushed for 279 yards on 81 attempts, or 3.4 yards per carry. He also has to contend for touches with Jerrick McKinnon, and in the event that Minnesota falls behind in games, the Vikings will turn to McKinnon given his pass-catching prowess.

A date with the Los Angeles Rams isn't a great matchup for any rush offense, especially considering that the best defense player in football (tackle Aaron Donald) lies in wait for any running back. But that's what the Vikings face on Sunday.

Look for other options at running back this week.

Wide Receiver

Start 'Em: Green Bay Packers WR Davante Adams

Yes, the Green Bay Packers are clearly not the same team without superstar quarterback Aaron Rodgers. They're not going to score 30-plus points per game as they have done in years past.

However, backup Brett Hundley showed some encouraging signs in a tough road win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday when he completed 72 percent of his passes alongside a touchdown. He also didn't commit a turnover.

That touchdown went to Davante Adams, who is the clear No. 1 wide receiver on the team at this point. Adams is Hundley's favorite target, as evidenced by the 33 targets he has seen in his past four games, which leads the team.

A date with the Baltimore Ravens is a tough matchup, but the Packers may need to throw more often with running back Aaron Jones (and perhaps Ty Montgomery as well) injured. Adams should see enough volume to justify starting him on teams this week.

Sit 'Em: Buffalo Bills WR Kelvin Benjamin

The Kelvin Benjamin era in Buffalo got off to a slow start on Sunday, as the former Carolina Panther caught just three of his six targets for 42 yards in a 47-10 loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.

While the Saints defense has been dominant for the better part of the year, the matchup for Benjamin this Sunday doesn't get much better, as he'll face one of the NFL's better pass defenses (the Los Angeles Chargers).

Quarterback Tyrod Taylor's mobility should help him against a ferocious Bolts pass rush led by Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram, but the Chargers should be able to disrupt the passing game enough to prevent any breakout performances for the Bills' passing attack.

The best way to beat the Chargers is through a strong run game, and that's the Bills' strength, led by veteran LeSean McCoy. The Bills may give him the ball 25-plus times, leaving everyone else on the offense in complementary roles.

Benjamin will have some good matchups this year (namely two games with the Miami Dolphins), but he's not a great fantasy option this week.

Tight End

Start 'Em: Cincinnati Bengals TE Tyler Kroft

According to NFL.com, the Denver Broncos have allowed the second-most points to tight ends this season in fantasy leagues, second only to the New York Giants, who have allowed a touchdown to a tight end in every single game they have played this year.

The Broncos run defense is usually solid, but the pass defense has not fared well this year (17th, per Football Outsiders), namely against the aforementioned position. With the Cincinnati Bengals run offense struggling itself this year (just 3.1 yards per carry), tight end Tyler Kroft could be busy this Sunday.

He has seen four targets in six of eight games this year and posted a six-catch, 68-yard, two-touchdown day against the Cleveland Browns.

It's hard to envision much scoring in this week's Bengals vs. Browns matchup, but if Kroft catches a few passes and finds the end zone once, that's a good result.

Sit 'Em: Detroit Lions TE Eric Ebron

Fourth-year Detroit Lions tight end Eric Ebron may have snared a touchdown pass against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, but the fact of the matter is that he has not had a good season.

After hauling in 71.8 percent of his targets last year, Ebron's catch rate has dipped to 51.3 percent this year. He's only accumulating 26 yards per game (54.7 last year) and will likely fall well short of his 61-catch total from 2016.

Darren Fells is also seeing his fair share of chances at tight end for Detroit this year, and quarterback Matt Stafford is clearly favoring wideouts Golden Tate and Marvin Jones Jr. when going to the air. Ebron is a risky fantasy start unless he has a favorable matchup, and that is not the case with a road game against the Chicago Bears looming.