Start ‘Em, Sit’ Em is the latest look at the best and worst matchups based on a PPR scoring system in fantasy football. This column will not cover elite NFL players like Patrick Mahomes, Christian McCaffrey, Davante Adams, or Travis Kelce. Instead, I’ll look at the players you have the most questions about to help you establish the most effective starting lineup possible. For all your Final Fantasy lineup decisions, be sure to check out my weekly player rankings, which will be updated daily during the 2021 NFL season.
Byes: Broncos, Rams
Week 11 Start ‘Em: Quarterbacks
Beginning of the week
Aaron Rodgers at Vikings (1 p.m. ET, Fox)Rodgers has been off his last two games, averaging 13.1 Fantasy points. However, this week’s matchup against the Vikings could be a good thing for him, as his defense has allowed quarterbacks the eighth-most points per game in the past four weeks. Rodgers has also thrown for 23 touchdowns with just two interceptions in his last 11 games at Minnesota.
Week 11 Start ‘Em, Sit’ Em: CUARTERBACKS | RUN BACK | WIDE RECEIVERS | TIGHT ENDS | KICKERS | TEAM DEFENSES
Start with them
Joe Burrow on Raiders (4:05 p.m. ET, CBS): Burrow has been playing at a high level in recent weeks, scoring more than 20 fantasy points in four of his last five games. In that time, he threw 13 touchdowns with just three interceptions. He’s a solid option in what could be a shootout against the Raiders, who have allowed three quarterbacks to score more than 20 points against them in Las Vegas, including backup QB Jacoby Brissett.
Tua Tagovailoa at Jets (1 p.m. ET, CBS): Tagovailoa is in an absolute spot this week against the Jets. His “defense” has allowed an average of 43.8 points and 472.5 yards of offense in his last four games. (No, that is not a misprint). The Men in Green have also allowed a quarterback to score more than 20 fantasy points in each of their last five games, making Tagovailoa the perfect transmitter of the DFS option for coaches.
Rich Barnes / USA TODAY Sports
Cam Newton vs. the football team (1 p.m. ET, Fox): He is back! Newton was not a starter last week, but he did score two touchdowns in a big win over the Cardinals. However, the former fantasy star will start this week, and he will do so against the Soccer Team and his former coach, Ron Rivera. The football team, which lost to superstar Chase Young last week, has allowed more fantasy points to quarterbacks than any defense in the NFL.
Ryan Tannehill vs. Texans (1 p.m. ET, CBS): Tannehill’s numbers haven’t been that good this season, ranking 16th in fantasy points per game among quarterbacks. Still, he’s in a good spot this week when the Titans host the Texans. His defense has delivered the ninth-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks, including 20 total touchdowns. If you need to be a quarterback or in a multi-quarterback league, start Tannehill.
More beginnings
- Tom Brady vs. Giants (Monday at 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN)
- Derek Carr vs. Bengals (4:05 p.m. ET, CBS)
- Justin Fields vs. Ravens (1 p.m. ET, CBS)
DFS offers
- Derek Carr vs. Bengals ($ 5,900)
- Tua Tagovailoa in Jets ($ 5,500)
- Cam Newton vs. Soccer Team ($ 5,100)
Week 11 Sit ‘Em: Quarterbacks
Sit of the week
Carson Wentz at Bills (1 p.m. ET, CBS): Wentz had been on fire prior to his stinking 7.1 point win in last week’s win over the Jaguars, but an upcoming competition in Buffalo makes that a fading for me. Their defense has allowed just three touchdowns and an average of 11.1 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks at Orchard Park, which ranks as the lowest total in each of those categories among home teams. Keep Wentz out of it.
Sit ’em
Matt Ryan vs. Patriots (Thursday 8:20 p.m. ET, NFL): Just when you think you can trust Ryan, he puts up a 0.68-point disaster against the Cowboys. Now he has scored fewer than seven fantasy points in two of his last three games, and a meeting with the Patriots on Thursday night is not a favorable one. His defense has allowed just five touchdown passes and the second fewest fantasy points for local quarterbacks.
Russell Wilson vs. Cardinals (4:25 p.m. ET, Fox): Wilson put an absolute stink bomb on his return to the grid, scoring 5.6 points in a loss to the Packers. It will be a risk-reward QB1 this week as the Cardinals have allowed quarterbacks the fourth fewest points per game. Additionally, Wilson has averaged just 16.5 fantasy points in his nine career home games against Arizona, including 14.8 points in his last four.
Benny Sieu / USA TODAY Sports
Kirk Cousins vs. Packers (1 p.m. ET, Fox): Cousins hasn’t been that spectacular in recent weeks, averaging 17.4 fantasy points in his last six games. The following is a date with the Packers, who have kept Kyler Murray, Patrick Mahomes and Russell Wilson in a set 25.1 fantasy points in their last three games. That’s crazy. If that kind of trend continues, Cousins could have a tough weekend in this NFC North clash.
Daniel Jones at Buccaneers (Mondays at 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN): The Buccaneers defense had been a positive matchup for quarterbacks earlier in the season, but that trend has changed. In fact, the position has averaged 12.6 fantasy points per game over the past four weeks when facing this unit. Jones and the Giants are healthier than they have been in a while after goodbye, but the Bucs will be ridiculously salty after back-to-back losses.
More sits
- Taylor Heinicke at Panthers (1 pm ET, Fox)
- Trevor Lawrence vs. 49ers (1 p.m. ET, Fox)
- Jared Goff at Browns (1 p.m. ET, Fox)
DFS fades
- Russell Wilson vs. Cardinals ($ 6,500)
- Kirk Cousins vs. Packers ($ 6,100)
- Carson Wentz in Bills ($ 5,500)
Michael Fabiano he is an award-winning fantasy football analyst in Illustrated Sports and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA) Hall of Fame. Click here to read all his articles here on SI Fantasy. You can follow Michael on Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, and Instagram for your latest great news and the best analysis in the industry.
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Eddie is an Australian news reporter with over 9 years in the industry and has published on Forbes and tech crunch.