As the fantasy football regular season winds down, it’s time to go all-out to win matchups. That might mean opting for volatile, boom-or-bust players who can make you look like a fantasy wizard if they hit. Our Week 11 fantasy sleeper picks can help you do just that. Potential breakouts like Isiah Pacheco, Trestan Ebner, Kadarius Toney could find their way into lineup discussions this week, and we’re here to give our take on them along with some more players you could consider playing.
As always, remember that any of the sleeper picks below could struggle this week. We always take some chances because picking a bunch of highly owned “must-starts” doesn’t do much good. You shouldn’t start the players below over proven studs, but if your roster is full of stars, then you probably don’t need our help. If nothing else, our sleeper picks can help you spot DFS values, as the prices of these players should be affordable.
Last week, we hit on breakout performances from Jeff Wilson Jr., Rachaad White, Elijah Mitchell, and Cole Kmet while also getting effective performances from Trevor Lawrence, Arizona’s D/ST, and the Giants’ D/ST. We’ll see if we can step our picks up another level with this week’s potential surprises and breakouts.
WEEK 11 FANTASY PICKS: Busts | Start ’em, sit ’em
Let’s get to it with our Week 11 sleeper picks.
Week 11 Fantasy Sleepers: Running backs
Jaylen Warren, Steelers vs. Bengals (Nick Musial). Warren significantly cut into Najee Harris’ workload this past Sunday, playing 36 snaps (43 percent), and has the chance to near a 50-percent snap rate this Sunday against Cincinnati. Warren’s averaging 5.2 true yards per carry (10th among RBs) to go along with being one of the more efficient RBs (+8.2 EPA). With Pittsburgh potentially playing from behind, Warren has the chance to rack up some cheap receptions that could result in a double-digit fantasy output from the undrafted rookie.
Brian Robinson Jr., Commanders @ Texans (Vinnie Iyer). He got massive volume with the run-heavy game plan that won in Philadelphia, and the Commanders won’t shy away from that playing off Antonio Gibson in this cakewalk.
Isiah Pacheco, Chiefs @ Chargers (Matt Lutovsky). After playing 56 percent of snaps and getting all but two RB carries, it’s safe to say Pacheco is “the man” in the Chiefs’ backfield. That could change in the future, but even just 10-12 touches is enough for Pacheco to pay off against the Chargers’ 30th-ranked run defense.
BONUS: Trestan Ebner, Bears @ Falcons (Lutovsky). With Khalil Herbert (hip) on the IR, Ebner should get more run in the Bears’ offense. When David Montgomery missed Week 4, Ebner handled eight touches for 28 total yards in a tough matchup against the Giants. This week, he faces an Atlanta defense allowing the 10th-most FPPG to RBs. If the versatile Ebner gets around 12 touches — which wouldn’t be a shock given Herbert’s increased workload in recent weeks — he can pay off with flex-worthy numbers.
WEEK 11 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Week 11 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Quarterbacks
Marcus Mariota, Falcons vs. Bears (Nick Musial). Mariota might be a trendy fade candidate after his uneasy performance last Thursday night against the Panthers, but he still finished as the overall QB12 with 18.74 fantasy points. He has a shot at finishing as a top-12 QB for the second-straight week against a Bears defense that’s allowing 24.7 FPPG to QBs. You can bank on at least four additional points coming from his rushing ability.
Kenny Pickett, Steelers vs. Bengals (Iyer). The Bengals’ pass defense has issues, and he can put more running and garbage passing stats opposite Joe Burrow at home.
Russell Wilson, Broncos vs. Raiders (Lutovsky). Yeah, we know – you don’t want to play Wilson, especially if Jerry Jeudy (ankle) is out. We get it, but only the Dolphins allow more fantasy points per game (FPPG) to QBs than the Raiders. Between Courtland Sutton and Greg Dulcich, Wilson has enough weapons to pay off with a solid performance in this cake matchup.
WEEK 11 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Week 11 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Wide receivers
Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Chiefs @ Chargers (Nick Musial). While we wish JuJu Smith-Schuster (concussion) a speedy recovery, in the meantime, Valdes-Scantling is going to see an increase in usage. Starting a Chiefs WR is never a bad move, and MVS’ 12.6 aDOT (12th among WRs) is an encouraging sign of a big play or two waiting to happen. He’s also seen just five red-zone targets, a number that’s sure to increase in the coming weeks.
Devin Duvernay, Ravens vs. Panthers (Iyer). This could be much like Week 1 with a pair of long-receiving TDs from the slot.
Kadarius Toney, Chiefs @ Chargers (Lutovsky). Mecole Hardman (abdomen) and JuJu Smith-Schuster (concussion) are banged up, and Toney showed he could take advantage last week with 90 total yards and a TD on six touches. His explosiveness and versatility give him upside in any matchup, and he should find a path to flex-worthy numbers against a banged-up Chargers’ defense.
WEEK 11 DFS LINEUPS: DraftKings | FanDuel
Week 11 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Tight ends
Tyler Conklin, Jets vs. Patriots (Nick Musial). New England’s defense hasn’t been as stout against TEs as in seasons pasts, allowing the sixth-most FPPG to the position. Conklin played on north of 70 percent of snaps in three straight games, and that should continue this week. While it’s unlikely he replicates his 25.9-point showing from Week 8 against New England, five-plus catches and 60-plus yards could be in the cards.
Foster Moreau, Raiders @ Broncos (Iyer). They have no choice but to keep throwing to him away from Davante Adams, and Denver has become weaker in coverage against tight ends.
Tanner Hudson, Giants vs. Lions (Lutovsky). If Daniel Bellinger (eye) returns, he’s an even better option, but whoever starts at TE for the Giants has major upside against Detroit’s porous defense. The Lions allow the third-most FPPG to tight ends, and Hudson has caught six-of-eight targets for 82 yards in the two games that Bellinger has missed.
WEEK 11 DFS: Best stacks | Best values
Week 11 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Defense
New York Jets @ Patriots (Nick Musial). The Jets’ defense continues to be one of the more reliable units in the league, entering Week 11 as the No. 7 D/ST. Their elite pass rush is always a threat to rack up four-plus sacks, and if they’re able to turn over Mac Jones at least twice, they should post a double-digit fantasy output for the sixth-straight week.
New Orleans Saints vs. Rams (Iyer). John Wolford or Matthew Stafford? It doesn’t matter. The Saints could use a Big Easy offense to attack at home to get a win.
Washington Commanders @ Texans (Lutovsky). With Chase Young (knee) expected back, Washington’s D/ST has a much higher ceiling. The Texans, surprisingly, haven’t allowed a ton of fantasy points to D/STs this year, but they’ve scored more than 17 offensive points just once in the past seven games and allowed at least one takeaway in all but one game. The Commanders have more upside than you think here.
Hits: 0
