Fantasy Football's Week 11 Start/Sit

By Chad Samuels

Week 10 is over and so are the bye weeks. With a full slate of games, options on your roster abound. Your hunt for fantasy glory hangs in the balance on whom you select this week.  

I attempt to select players that are not the obvious choices. Do you really need someone to tell you to start MVP candidate Kurt Warner versus a weak Seattle defense, or to sit Gus Frerotte versus a strong TB defense?

On to Fantasy Football's Week 11 now.

Start of the Week

The player being highlighted for start of the week comes with a bit of risk. As such, there are six quarterbacks I would start ahead of him, and they are Drew Brees, Jay Cutler, Jake Delhomme, Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, and Matt Ryan.

Seattle has had an anemic offense most of the year, which started with a plethora of injuries to wideouts. It continued with Matt Hasselbeck going down to injury. The good news is that Hasselbeck is coming back.

Matt is also a veteran who will have less rust coming back from injury than a younger player will. He also played in game speed earlier in the season. He has some better weapons in bobby Engram and Korean Robinson this time around plus a John Carlson with more game experience.

The better news is for his first start to shake off the rust is the Arizona Cardinals. Other than maybe the Denver Broncos, I do not believe there is a better defense that he could face to have early success.

Look for Matt Hasselbeck to be a solid play this week, where I would normally shy away and tell you to sit a player in Hasselbeck’s position. He is worth a start this week, depending on who else you own...

QBs to start

As mentioned above in my start of the week, I like Jake Delhomme this week versus the Lions. The Lions have been vulnerable through the air even after the Millen firing. They have been giving up more than 250 yards passing a game as well as seven TDs in the past five weeks.

Carolina has big play weapons that has me believing Delhomme will exploit this team for at least 18 fantasy points this week (in a standard yardage league)

Another quarterback that I think will be a low QB1 this week is David Garrard. He does play a vs. solid Tennessee secondary but should be able to come near the 18-point threshold. Tennessee has given up an average of a TD through the air over the last four weeks.

Couple that with the three rushing touchdowns given up to quarterbacks in the same time span plus his mobility, and it is not a stretch to believe Garrard can run one in this week too.

Finally, if you are running a QBBC (though he has disappointed in recent weeks) look for Trent Edwards to get back on track versus Cleveland. He is no Jay Cutler, but the Browns the last five weeks are giving up an average of 20 fantasy points a game to quarterbacks.

With a rebound from Lee Evans this week (995 yards and eight TD to WR in five weeks), Trent should put up close to that 20 fantasy points average that Cleveland has been giving up.    

RBs to start

What has been a weekly boon for fantasy owners, Kansas City watch gives us the New Orleans Saints this week. Deuce McAllister looks to be the back that will carry the football. There is an outside chance as of this writing that Reggie Bush returns this week.

Because of this, I would monitor the news on Reggie Bush and his imminent return. I am not a fortune teller, but my best guess is that even if Reggie is active, he will see limited duty as they slowly work him back into the lineup.

This is the week that things begin to turn around for Joseph Addai. You should see 12 or more fantasy points versus Houston this week. For the season, Houston has been giving up 25 fantasy points a game to running backs, with a slightly higher rate recently. Yes, Dominic Rhodes will take some carries away from him, but Addai should put up solid stats. Start him.

Green Bay may be good vs. the passing game but they are 28th in fantasy points allowed to running backs. Matt Forte earned 18 fantasy points last week versus a good Tennessee defense. (Yes, I admit I called that one wrong.)

With that production, I shudder at what he can do versus the Packers. Also, keep in mind that Green Bay also lost Nick Barnett for the season. Let Matt Forte run wild.

WRs to start

This week I am going to highlight three receivers who are not No. 1 on their respective teams but have a good chance to put up good numbers this week. You have heard of them all and they should be on someone’s roster and employed in some sort of WRBC (wide receiver by committee).

Donald Driver draws the Chicago Bears this week that made the Tennessee Titans look like a solid passing team.

Muhsin Muhammad will play Detroit, who could very well lose to Michigan in a down year.

Steve Smith is good for a big play, but he already should be starting for you (see intro). Muhsin is a good PPR option this week. Finally, the Coles-Cotchery situation is...

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