Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 11: Smartest Matchups to Exploit, Sleeper Plays and More
By Week 11 of the fantasy football season, teams are almost certainly in one of three positions: leader, contender or pretender.
If you're in the latter spot, you probably aren't spending a lot of time reading about how to improve your lineup for the playoff push. So in that case, you're likely looking for a player or two to help keep you atop the standings, or you're looking for a spark that could help you pull a late-season upset—or a few.
It isn't a huge week for talent missing due to byes, but there are a handful of players you could be without as Buffalo, San Francisco, Chicago and the New York Giants take a week off.
Here's who should be starting, sitting or flat-out avoided.
Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Miami
1 of 5
Tua Tagovailoa has been a trendy pickup recently after consecutive two-touchdown games, but he’ll be facing a better-than-average Denver defense Sunday.
The Broncos rank 14th in the NFL in passing yards against and have given up the 12th-fewest touchdown passes per game to opposing quarterbacks.
If you're really in a pinch without another option available, the rookie Dolphins starter is a high-risk streaming option. But there are better options out there.
Verdict: Sit 'Em
Alex Smith, QB, Washington
2 of 5
Alex Smith's comeback from a gruesome leg injury that nearly ended his career and threatened his life has been one for the history books, but he's more than just a game manager for a lowly Washington team.
In last week's loss to Detroit, the 36-year-old quarterback threw the ball 55 times and amassed 390 yards. He didn't throw any touchdowns, but the fact that Washington has entrusted him to toss the ball around the yard like that makes him a high-risk, high-reward streaming option.
Cincinnati, Washington's opponent this week, is one of the worst in the league against the pass, and Smith could have a big day if he can find his receivers for touchdowns.
Verdict: Start 'Em
Kalen Ballage, RB, Los Angeles Chargers
3 of 5
With Justin Jackson on injured reserve for the next three games and Austin Ekeler still at least a week away from returning, Kalen Ballage is a must-play, if only for this week.
The third-year back from Arizona State has taken advantage of his increased reps the last two weeks, notching 17 and 22 touches.
According to Yahoo Sports, Ballage's 22 pass routes against the Miami Dolphins last week was the seventh-most among running backs, and he seems to have developed into a nice secondary option for rookie quarterback Justin Herbert.
Los Angeles faces an abysmal Jets defense on Sunday, and the 24-year-old has a chance to be one of the most valuable waiver-wire pickups in the league.
Verdict: Start 'Em
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Salvon Ahmed, RB, Miami
4 of 5
Miami's running back room has been a mess this season, and things got even more chaotic when the team waived Jordan Howard on Monday.
Now, the majority of its rushes will again fall to rookie Salvon Ahmed, who notched 85 yards and a touchdown in Week 10 against the Chargers.
The 21-year-old received a whopping 84 percent of the Dolphins' rushing attempts, and he's likely to garner a similar share this week against Denver. The Broncos sit in the final third of the league in rushing yards allowed, giving up roughly 128 per game.
Verdict: Start 'Em
Jalen Reagor, WR, Philadelphia
5 of 5
To put it bluntly, you would have to be awfully desperate to start Jalen Reagor given his performance this year.
The 21-year-old's best game of the year was his most recent, when he caught four of seven targets for 47 yards against the New York Giants on Sunday.
Even in PPR leagues, though, there are a lot more consistent and valuable options available.
Philadelphia gets a favorable matchup against the Browns' lowly defense this week, but quarterback Carson Wentz has yet to regain his elite form from a few years ago. Unless that happens, Reagor doesn't make a whole lot of sense.
Verdict: Sit 'Em
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