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Imago

Week 11 of the NFL season is here, which means the fantasy football playoffs are right around the corner. Most postseasons begin in Week 15, meaning there are just four more weeks for you to stack some wins and make a final playoff push.

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Getting your starting lineup right has never been more important, which is why we’re here to help you out. Here are my best starts and sits at every position for Week 11.

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Start ‘Em

Quarterback

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I’ve followed this rule in all my start-sit stories, and it’s (almost) never failed me: when a quarterback is playing the Dallas Cowboys, you always start him. This week, that quarterback is Geno Smith. I don’t love it. I don’t even like it. But I have to do it. The Cowboys give up over 24 points per game to opposing quarterbacks, which is three more points than any other team. Use this information as you wish.

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Aaron Rodgers is another guy who could be worth starting this week. The Cincinnati Bengals are the second-worst pass defense in football, and when these two played just a few weeks ago, Rodgers put up 24 points thanks to a four-touchdown performance. He may not hit that again this week, but he should play pretty well.

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Running Back

Much like the Cowboys with quarterbacks, every time a running back plays the Bengals, you have to start them. This week, the running back with that pleasure is Jaylen Warren. The Bengals give up seven more points to opposing running backs than any other defense. Pretty much every running back they’ve played has had a big game against them, so there’s no reason to believe Warren can’t do the same.

I would also start Rico Dowdle this week. I know he didn’t run it all that well last week, but the Atlanta Falcons have one of the worst run defenses in football. They give up the fourth-most points to opposing running backs, and Carolina knows Bryce Young isn’t going to win them a game with his arm. If they want to win, Dowdle’s going to need to play well.

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Wide Receiver

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Tee Higgins has been very hit or miss with Joe Flacco at quarterback, but there’s no reason he shouldn’t hit this week. The Pittsburgh Steelers give up the most points to opposing wideouts, and while Ja’Marr Chase will see the majority of targets, Higgins should be in line for a big day as well.

We don’t know the extent of Romeo Doubs’ injury, but it doesn’t sound all that great. If he’s out this week, Christian Watson should be the clear WR1 in Green Bay’s offense against one of the worst defenses in football. I know the Packers are hard to trust right now, but they should get back on track against the New York Giants this week, and Watson should be a big part of their offense.

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Tight End

Zach Ertz isn’t the tight end he once was, but he still gets a solid 5-6 targets per game and has performed pretty well with Marcus Mariota under center. This week, they face a Miami defense that gives up the third-most points to opposing tight ends. Washington should have some success against one of the worst defenses in the league, and when they’re in the red zone, watch out for Ertz.

For as good as the Rams have been offensively, Tyler Higbee hasn’t been all that great this season. They have a tough matchup against the Seattle Seahawks this week, but if there’s one area Seattle has struggled, it’s defending tight ends. I’m not saying Higbee will score you 15+, but he should have a solid double-digit points effort.

Sit ‘Em

Quarterback

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My first sit of the week is Trevor Lawrence, who has an incredibly tough matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers. Jesse Minter has worked wonders with this defense, and they currently give up the third-least points per game to opposing quarterbacks. Jacksonville’s offense has been very inconsistent this season, so he’s a must-sit for me this week.

Over the last three weeks, Mac Jones has averaged 19 fantasy points per game. That makes him a very viable starting option, but this week he faces a sneaky tough Arizona defense that gives up just 14 points per game to quarterbacks. We’ve seen them do a good job defending Dak Prescott, so I think Jones could struggle a bit this weekend.

Running Back

Both of Seattle’s starters this week are unplayable. Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet have been splitting carries all year, and now they face one of the best run defenses in football in the Los Angeles Rams. I think Seattle’s going to have to air it out to win this game, so bench both Walker and Charbonnet.

Breece Hall is a tough guy to bench, but I don’t see him or the New York Jets playing well this week. The New England Patriots boast one of the best defenses in football, so even if Hall gets 20+ touches, I don’t see him getting all that many yards. I also don’t see the Jets scoring more than 14 points, so his touchdown chances will be limited. Hard to sit a guy of his caliber, but this week has a stinker written all over it.

Wide Receiver

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Xavier Worthy has been a borderline starter for the past few weeks, but I would 100 percent put him on my bench this week. He faces an extremely tough Denver defense that allows the fewest points to opposing wide receivers. Rashee Rice and Travis Kelce will see a heavy workload, so I just don’t see Worthy having a good game.

A lot of people picked Troy Franklin up in the last couple of weeks and have been getting good results from him, but this week, he faces a stout Kansas City defense that gives up the sixth-least fantasy points to wide receivers. This game is going to be tough for both sides, so don’t expect a lot of offense. I feel better about Courtland Sutton, but I may bench him as well.

Tight End

Sam LaPorta has really come along recently after a slow start to the year, but I hate his matchup this week against Philadelphia. The Eagles have some of the best linebackers and secondary players in the league, and they’ve been able to shut down a lot of opposing offenses. If the Lions have success on Sunday night, it’ll likely be with Jahmyr Gibbs and Amon-Ra St. Brown.

Mark Andrews has had back-to-back 10+ point performances, but this week the Ravens face a tough Cleveland defense that gives up the ninth-fewest points to tight ends. I think the Ravens’ offense will hit a bit of a speed bump this week. They should still win, but it might be a bit ugly, so I don’t see Andrews being too heavily involved.

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