With the weekend fast approaching and Fantasy Football obviously on the mind, we present to you our five must starts for NFL Week 11.
By Ryan Reynolds
“Should I start Matt Ryan or Aaron Rodgers? I know Rodgers is struggling and he’s playing a tough Minnesota Vikings defense, but Ryan could produce well against the Indianapolis Colts secondary. I’m scared to start Ryan though because Rodgers can have a fantasy explosion at any moment. What do I do?”
This is exactly how the dilemma goes when fantasy owners are forced to make a tough decision.
Believe it or not, going through a start’em/sit’em situation can be both mentally and physically draining.
Week 11 especially could lay stress on owners because this week contains a substantial amount of bye weeks for plenty of productive fantasy players, forcing some owners into making uncomfortable roster moves and sliding players they aren’t familiar with into their starting lineups.
(Teams who have the week off: New Orleans Saints, Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns, New York Giants)
Here are my five must-starts for Week 11 at each position.
Quarterback
Oakland Raiders QB Derek Carr vs. Detroit Lions
Of course someone could never go wrong with starting players such as New England Patriots QB Tom Brady, or even San Diego Chargers QB Phillip Rivers, a player who is on pace for the third-most passing yards of all-time; but one player I’m especially loving this week is Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr.
If you’re an owner who is forced to start another player because quarterbacks Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger and Eli Manning are on bye weeks, Carr is a perfect candidate to fill the vacancy. This sophomore stud has eclipsed 300 yards and has tossed multiple touchdowns in each of the past three games. Productive right?
Stamp of Approval: What seals the deal for Carr as a must-start this week is that he’s playing a suspect Detroit Lions defense who are allowing the second-highest passer rating in the league to opposing quarterbacks (105.7).
Running Back
Kansas City Chiefs RB Charcandrick West vs. San Diego Chargers
Before Week 4, if you asked ten casual football fans who Charcandrick West was, I bet not one of them would be able to speak up and answer. Fast forward to Week 11, West is now one of the most talked about workhorses in the league. Filling in as teammate Jamaal Charles replacement, West has taken the league by storm.
Through six games, he’s tallied a total of four touchdowns and 508 all-purpose yards. What makes West an overall fabulous fantasy player is that the Chiefs give him the amount of touches needed in order to be productive. He averages 25 touches per game.
Stamp of Approval: If you own West, immediately plug him into your starting lineup, as the Chiefs matchup against the San Diego Chargers who have allowed the most fantasy points to opposing running backs this season.
Wide Receiver
New York Jets WR Eric Decker vs. Houston Texans
Week 11 marks a tough week full of competitive receiver vs. secondary matchups. Just to name a few, there’s Falcons wideout Julio Jones vs. Indianapolis Colts’ cornerback Vontae Davis, Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins vs. New York Jets’ corners Antonio Cromartie and Darrelle Revis and Cincinnati Bengals receiver A.J. Green vs. a tough Arizona Cardinals secondary. So who would be the safest receiver to start in Week 11?
The safest receiver to start in lineups this week is New York Jets wide receiver Eric Decker. He has been a major sleeper this season playing in the shadow of No.1 wideout Brandon Marshall, but if you look at Decker’s 2015 statistics. He has scored a touchdown in all but one start this season.
Stamp of Approval: As already mentioned, Decker has reached the endzone in all but one start this season, making him a safe play for Week 11. Although the Houston Texans’ defense has allowed the seventh-fewest yards (144.5) per game to receivers this season, expect Decker to keep his scoring trend intact against an exposable Texans’ secondary. Eric Decker will also receive a favorable corner matchup against either a banged up Kareem Jackson or against the rookie Kevin Johnson.
Tight End
Dallas Cowboys TE Jason Witten vs. Miami Dolphins
If you haven’t heard, Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo is returning this week to lead the offense.Yes, Cowboys fans can finally rejoice and look forward to a decent outing from their team. As NFL fans know, “America’s Team” has been in a rut the past seven games due to the injury to quarterback Tony Romo.
Well now, he’s back and the Cowboys offense is expected to return to normal form, but who will benefit most from Romo’s return? The answer is Jason Witten.
In the one full game Romo played, he connected with Witten eight times for 60 yards and two touchdowns. Romo and Witten have been teammates forever now so the chemistry is definitely there.
Stamp of Approval: The Dallas Cowboys matchup against the Miami Dolphins who have had their share of struggling to guard opposing tight ends. Both New England Patriots Rob Gronkowski and Philadelphia Eagles Brent Celek burned the Dolphins defense for a combined 247 yards and one touchdown. With Romo back leading the charge, start Witten this week and expect him to produce.
Defense/Special Teams
Seattle Seahawks vs. San Fransisco 49ers
Stamp of Approval: The Legion of Boom has had their share of struggles this season, but matching up against a poor 49ers offense with quarterback Blaine Gabbert at the helm creates a perfect matchup for the Seahawks. What adds to their fantasy value is that Seattle is playing at home in CenturyLink Field, a place known for its hostile environment.
Week 11 will mark the second time these two teams will face off this season, the other being back in Week 7. During that week, the Seahawks limited a quarterback Colin Kaepernick led offense to only three points on the road producing a total of 13 fantasy points.
With an inexperienced Gabbert now leading the 49ers offense, and with their home fans cheering them on, except the Seahawks to repeat their Week 7 performance.
And that concludes my top five must-starts at each position for Week 11.
All the players listed above are safe starts for Week 11 and have received the stamp of approval. If you own any of the players, or have the opportunity to acquire any of them, make the move and slide them into your starting lineup. They won’t disappoint.