Our list of suggested Week 11 starts includes an emerging rookie QB who no one predicted would be a QB1 after 10 weeks.
With the fantasy playoffs only four weeks away — most leagues commence postseason play in Week 15, so we’ll use that as our barometer — we have officially arrived at crunch time.
Our weekly waiver wire guide offers some immediate Week 11 help, with the Arizona Cardinals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Carolina Panthers and New York Giants all on bye and some managers needing to fill some lineup holes. Several of our top Week 11 waiver suggestions also make their first appearance in this edition of the Sleeper Newsletter as we head toward the stretch run of the fantasy regular season.
Our list of suggested Week 11 starts (all of whom are being started in 70% or less of Sleeper leagues at time of writing) kicks off with an emerging rookie QB who no one predicted would be a QB1 after 10 weeks.
STARTS
QB Bo Nix, Denver Broncos
vs. Atlanta; Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET
While fellow rookie QB Jayden Daniels is deserving of the hype and recognition, Denver’s rookie signal-caller has outperformed Washington’s sensation since Week 5, ranking as the overall QB6.
Nix has been a pleasant surprise for managers of late, averaging almost 20 fantasy points per game over his last five starts. The rookie has quietly produced more fantasy points than more heralded quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes, Kirk Cousins, C.J. Stroud and Jared Goff, and he slots in as the overall QB9 after 10 weeks.
In Week 11, Nix draws a favorable home matchup against a Falcons defense that has surrendered two or more touchdown passes to opposing QBs in six consecutive games.
The No. 12 pick in last April’s NFL Draft has proven to be efficient with his legs, ranking fifth among all QBs in rushing yards (290). Expect Nix, who has also rushed for four touchdowns, to exploit a Falcons defense that is allowing 5.1 yards per rush to opposing QBs.
QB Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
vs. Seattle; Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET
Purdy lands among our suggested starts for the second consecutive week. Armed with talented RB Christian McCaffrey in the backfield once again, Purdy finished as the overall QB5 last week with 23.8 fantasy points against Tampa Bay. He threw for a season-high 353 passing yards and two touchdowns. On Sunday, he faces a Seattle defense that has allowed two or more TD passes to opposing QBs in five of its last six games.
In Week 6, Purdy posted 24.1 fantasy points against Seattle, throwing for 255 yards and three TDs in a 36-24 win. A deeper dive reveals that Purdy shines when facing this particular NFC West rival. In four career games against the Seahawks, he is a perfect 4-0, throwing for 1,049 yards with eight TDs and only two interceptions. Expect that dominance to continue in Week 11.
QB Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
vs. Cincinnati; Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET
Only a serviceable QB2 in superflex leagues the majority of the season, Herbert lands among our suggested starts for the first time in 2024. He has quietly posted 19+ fantasy points in three consecutive games on the strength of six total touchdowns over that span.
Appearing to be fully healed from an ankle injury, Herbert boasts a soft matchup against a Bengals defense that has allowed the ninth-most passing yards (2,300) and sixth-most passing touchdowns (17) in the league.
Herbert, who has rushed 81 rushing yards over his last three games, should also find production on the ground against a Cincinnati defense that has allowed an opposing QB to rush for 29+ yards in 8 of 10 games this season.
With bye weeks and injuries to Dak Prescott and Trevor Lawrence, Herbert should be trusted in starting lineups in Week 11.
WR Cedric Tillman, Cleveland Browns
at New Orleans, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Following the trade of WR Amari Cooper to Buffalo, Tillman has emerged as a viable target in Cleveland’s passing attack. The former 2023 third-round pick has drawn 9+ targets in three straight games, hauling in 21 receptions for 255 yards and three touchdowns.
The second-year wideout, who is the overall WR6 since Week 7, draws an extremely favorable road matchup against the Saints as he and the Browns come off their Week 10 bye.
New Orleans, which has allowed the fourth-most passing yards (2,585), has allowed 12 opposing WRs to post double-digit PPR fantasy points this season. Thanks to an immense target share, coupled with a poor Saints secondary, Tillman should soar over Sleeper’s WR33 projection of 10.9 PPR points.
WR Calvin Ridley, Tennessee Titans
vs. Minnesota; Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Since DeAndre Hopkins was dealt to Kansas City, Ridley has enjoyed a resurgence in the Titans offense. The veteran wideout is the overall WR3 over the last three weeks, averaging 20.1 points since the trade. This comes after posting single-digit PPR points in five of his first six games.
In Week 11, Ridley faces a Vikings defense that has allowed 16 opposing wideouts to post double-digit PPR fantasy points this season.
Managers should start Ridley with confidence that he will surpass Sleeper’s Week 11 projection (11.2 PPR points this week) for a fourth consecutive game.
SITS
WR D.J. Moore, Chicago Bears
vs. Green Bay; Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Moore, who rewarded managers with five straight games of 10+ PPR points to open the season, has been a massive bust since, with four consecutive games of 7.3 PPR points or less.
Failing to top 33 receiving yards in five of the last six games, Moore’s normally dependable production has disappeared while playing in one of the worst offenses in the NFL. On Tuesday, the Bears, who rank 24th in scoring, 30th in yards per pass and 30th in total yards, fired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron.
On top of the significant change in coaching, Moore faces a tough tilt against a Packers defense that has only surrendered multiple touchdown passes to opposing wideouts once this season. Over the last four games, Green Bay has been stout against the pass, only allowing an average of 89.5 receiving yards to opposing receivers.
Until we see if the OC change is able to help struggling QB Caleb Williams, fantasy managers need to avoid using Moore in starting lineups.
WR Jordan Addison, Minnesota Vikings
at Tennessee; Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
After posting his first double-digit PPR performance since Week 4 in Week 9 against the Colts, Addison earned inclusion into our fantasy circle of trust. However, that faith has quickly evaporated.
With the return of T.J. Hockenson, the second-year wideout is now clearly behind the stud tight end and Justin Jefferson in Minnesota’s passing attack. After the two-catch, 25-yard effort against the Jaguars, Addison has now failed to top 42 receiving yards in five of seven games, making him an unreliable fantasy option that is primarily dependent on big plays to produce.
In Week 11, he draws a tough matchup against a Titans pass defense that has allowed the fewest passing yards (1,543) and second-fewest receptions of 20+ yards (18) this season. After scoring 10 TDs in his rookie campaign last season, Addison who has only scored three this season will find it hard to improve on that meager total against a Tennessee defense that only allowed six scores to opposing wideouts this season.
RB Javonte Williams, Denver Broncos
vs. Atlanta; Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET
As we often stress, “coachspeak” is a vital asset for fantasy football managers ahead of setting lineups. Last week, Sean Payton told reporters that rookie running back Audric Estime would see an increased workload in the second half of the season. Estime promptly led the Broncos backfield with 14 carries for 53 yards in Week 10.
Williams, who was hovering as a mid-tier RB3/flex option this season, appears to have lost the starting job to the former Notre Dame standout. Against the Chiefs, Williams finished with one carry for one yard while catching two passes for just six yards.
With the rumors of a decreased role having come to fruition, Williams needs to be sent to the bench in all leagues.
RB Raheem Mostert, Miami Dolphins
vs. Las Vegas; Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Similarly to Williams above, another featured running back has seen his role drastically reduced.
Mostert, who has struggled with ball security recently, failed to receive a single carry in Miami’s 23-15 win over the Rams on Monday night. The veteran back avoided the dreaded “0” fantasy points after hauling in two passes for 34 yards.
After being on the field for a season-low eight offensive snaps, Mostert not only appears to have lost any claim to lead rushing duties to De'Von Achane, but he was also out-touched (5-2) by rookie RB Jaylen Wright.
Due to Achane’s injury history, Mostert could still be a bench stash, as opposed to sending him to the waiver wire, but he does not belong in your lineup.
WR Brian Thomas Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars
at Detroit; Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
It is painful to list the rookie wideout in this section. He ranks as the overall WR12 in fantasy football, impressively averaging 13.3 PPR points per game.
However, over the last two weeks Thomas Jr. has only produced 9.4 total PPR points. After posting a dreadful game of two catches for 22 yards against the Eagles in Week 9, he hit rock bottom with a statistical season low of two receptions for just 12 yards last week against the Vikings.
With Mac Jones filling in for the injured Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville struggled offensively, amassing only 143 total yards of offense against Minnesota. In Week 11, Sleeper’s projected WR30 (11.9 PPR points) draws a rough road matchup against a Lions defense that has surrendered the second-fewest passing touchdowns (seven) this season.
BTJ, who is still battling a chest injury, should not be trusted as long as Lawrence is not in the lineup.
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