Week 11 Flex Rankings for Fantasy Football

Week 11 presents a unique set of challenges for many fantasy managers. In addition to the usual allotment of bye weeks (four) and injuries (too many to count), we also have some wintery weather in store at several NFL locales. All of these influences can cause quite a shift in the projected value of players in a given week. Then of course there are the matchups themselves. Below are my current Week 11 Flex rankings based on all of these factors. As always, these rankings incorporate half-PPR scoring. Use these as a guide to assist you with those difficult lineup decisions, and make sure to keep up with the latest news before submitting those lineups.

Running Back Notes

Najee Harris managed to stave off landing in fantasy purgatory for at least another week. The Steelers running back totaled 99 yards in last week’s victory against New Orleans. Before we anoint Harris as “back”, however, we should note that 54 of those yards came on a single carry. Harris averaged an uninspiring 2.3 yards on his other 19 carries. Jaylen Warren saw his biggest workload of the year with 12 touches, and he had a solid showing. He ended up with 77 all-purpose yards and outscored Harris in half-PPR scoring. I still think Harris is the preferred start this week against Cincinnati, but Warren looms as a threat. I have Harris ranked as a low-end RB2 this week. Cincinnati has allowed four rushing touchdowns over their past four games. Harris will likely need to find the end zone to reach that threshold.

Gus Edwards returned to practice on Wednesday and looks to be on track to suit up on Sunday for Baltimore. I normally try to avoid starting players coming off a layoff due to injury. But the Ravens have already shown us they will not hesitate to ride players under these conditions. It was just last month when Edwards emerged as the overall RB10 in Week 7 after missing nearly two years. The matchup is certainly a favorable one against the Carolina Panthers. Carolina has allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to the running back position. However, that is at least in part because they have allowed four receiving touchdowns to enemy backs. Edwards is not much of a threat in the receiving game, so I do not expect him to thrive in this area. I think Edwards profiles as a borderline Week 11 Flex option depending on your other options.

Fantasy managers may have thought that Clyde Edwards-Helaire hit rock bottom in Week 9 when he ran the ball just four times for five yards. Not by a long shot. Edwards-Helaire failed to earn a touch in last week’s victory. Isiah Pacheco seems to be the preferred option on early downs, with Jerick McKinnon taking over the receiving role. I do not currently have either back ranked inside my top-25 running backs, but I think there is room for at least one of them to exceed my expectations. The Los Angeles Chargers have allowed the third-most fantasy points to opposing running backs this season. They have been gashed to the tune of 5.71 yards per carry, which is why I favor Pacheco. Despite his recent success as a receiver, the Chiefs generally do not trust McKinnon to run the ball. He has just 33 carries on the season.

Wide Receiver Notes

Through his first six NFL games, Christian Watson accounted for 88 scoreless yards. He had never finished a single week inside the top 60 fantasy wide receivers. On Sunday, he had 107 receiving yards and his first three NFL touchdowns, finishing as the overall WR3 for the week. Who says fantasy football isn’t fun? The funny thing is that he still struggled with drops and mental errors, which plagued him during his rookie campaign. But his 4.36 speed was on full display as he routinely separated from Cowboys defenders. With Green Bay desperate for playmakers in the passing game and Romeo Doubs sidelined with an ankle injury, it appears they are willing to take the good with the bad when it comes to Watson. Fantasy managers will likely follow suit, as Watson was this week’s top waiver claim.

Watson will have the chance to build upon last week’s effort in Week 11 against the Tennessee Titans. The Titans are among the most difficult teams in the NFL to run against. They have allowed just 599 rushing yards and a single rushing score to opposing backs this season. They also lead the NFL with just 0.96 yards before contact per rush allowed. I still expect Green Bay to test them on the ground, but they figure to have more success through the air. Tennessee ranks in the bottom five in terms of fantasy points allowed to both quarterbacks and wide receivers. If Tennessee can establish dominance up front early, that could force Watson into more opportunities. Watson projects as a highly volatile WR3 who has a wide range of outcomes given what we have seen from the rookie thus far.

Watson was not the only wide receiver who scored his first NFL touchdown last week. Kadarius Toney found the end zone as well in his second game as a Kansas City Chief. Toney totaled 90 yards on six touches including a couple of carries. As I touched on earlier, Kansas City has had issues in their run game. Andy Reid may continue to utilize Toney on a couple of carries each week moving forward. That would raise Toney’s floor, and we know his ceiling will be high in the Chiefs’ vaunted offense. Toney could receive an unintended boost this week, as Juju Smith-Schuster is still dealing with a concussion suffered last week. I expect Toney’s role to continue to grow as he gets more acclimated with the playbook. I have Toney ranked just below Watson, but he also has high upside in an expected shootout.

Donovan Peoples-Jones quietly ranks inside the top 30 in the NFL in receiving yards. He has racked up at least 50 yards in seven of nine contests and has at least 71 yards in four straight. I currently have him ranked as a borderline Week 11 Flex, at WR39. But there is a good chance he falls in the rankings as we approach game time. Peoples-Jones and the Cleveland Browns travel to Buffalo this week to play the Bills. There is a severe storm rolling into Buffalo this week that could bring more than three feet of snow. Even if the snow clears by Sunday, it is expected that there will be high winds and freezing temperatures. These conditions are not conducive to much passing. If you are choosing between Peoples-Jones and a similar option this week, you may want to check the latest weather reports first.

Tight End Notes

The Chicago Bears have scored the most points in the NFL over the past four weeks. No, seriously, it’s true. Their recent hot stretch has of course been led by quarterback Justin Fields. But Cole Kmet leads all tight ends in fantasy points over the past four weeks as well. Kmet has scored five times over the last three games, including consecutive multi-score outings. He now enters Week 11 as the overall TE7 on the year. That is probably more an indictment of the tight end position than an endorsement of Kmet. After Week 6, Kmet was the overall TE37. Having said that, it makes sense to ride the hot hand.

Defenses are going to have to come up with creative ways to keep Fields from running all over them. For many teams that includes the use of a defender spying on Fields to keep him in the pocket. That means there is one less defender to deal with Kmet over the middle of the field. Kmet could be in line for another solid game against Atlanta on Sunday. The Falcons have allowed 60 tight end receptions so far this year. That is the third-highest total in the NFL. This game has the second-highest total of the week and will be played in the cozy confines of Atlanta’s dome. If you have been riding the Cole Kmet wave in recent weeks, I would continue to do so. I would not hesitate to use him as a Week 11 Flex if you already have an elite tight end option.

Week 11 Flex Rankings for Fantasy Football

More Week 11 Rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE | Flex Rankings