Fantasy football start ’em, sit ’em: Broncos QB Bo Nix poised to continue turning heads in Week 11

Only one month remains in the fantasy football regular season, and with four teams on bye, you could be forced to make riskier lineup decisions to strengthen your playoff odds. 

With that in mind, here’s what to do about several flex options, streaming candidates and other players you could be on the fence about plugging into your starting lineup in Week 11.

Quarterbacks

Start: Bo Nix, Denver Broncos

Falcons at Broncos / 4:05 p.m. ET Sunday

The rookie signal-caller has quietly established himself as one of the better fantasy options at his position and ranks as the QB6 overall since Week 5. Facing the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs last week, Nix threw for 215 yards and two touchdowns while posting a 73.3% completion rate in a 16-14 loss. It may not have been Nix’s best performance statistically, but it was arguably the most impressive outing of his young career.

As long as he can maintain a similar level of effectiveness, Nix should shine against a Falcons defense that has allowed the third-most passing touchdowns (nine) and sixth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks over the past month. 

Other starts: Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers; Russell Wilson, Pittsburgh Steelers 

Sit: Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers 

Packers at Bears / 1 p.m. ET Sunday

Love, fresh off a bye, had his two worst performances of the season over his last two games, posting a combined 16.66 fantasy points. It’s worth noting that Love was dealing with a groin injury and rainy conditions, though there is still considerable concern surrounding his outlook against the Bears.

Chicago is spiraling, yet its troubles are due to its stalling offense, whereas the defense has proven to be a formidable unit. In addition to allowing the fewest passing touchdowns this season (six), the Bears defense has only allowed two quarterbacks to score 20 or more fantasy points this season. Love, who leads the NFL in interceptions (10) despite playing in just seven games, has the talent to cross the 20-point threshold, but given his matchup, he’s an underwhelming option in one-quarterback leagues. 

Other sits: Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs; Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams 

Running backs

Start: Aaron Jones, Minnesota Vikings 

Vikings at Titans / 1 p.m. ET Sunday

The RB16 overall, Jones has been kept in check in recent weeks, averaging 11.9 PPR points over his last three games. Even though he’s dealing with a chest injury that forced him to exit last week’s road win over Jacksonville, Jones appears to be on track to play against Tennessee.

Considering that the Titans boast the NFL’s top-ranked pass defense, and Vikings QB Sam Darnold has thrown a league-high five interceptions over the last two games, Minnesota should frequently lean on its rushing attack. With the volume he receives, Jones could be just a touchdown away from a top-10 finish this week. 

Other starts: Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns; Rhamondre Stevenson, New England Patriots 

Sit: Rico Dowdle, Dallas Cowboys

Texans at Cowboys / 8:15 p.m. ET Monday 

Dowdle — the RB20 on a points-per-game basis since Week 4 — struggled mightily in Sunday’s loss to Philadelphia, just as every other member of the Cowboys offense did. Despite receiving 15 touches, Dowdle only posted 8.6 PPR points, his second-lowest total of the season.

It’s possible that Dowdle will continue to receive a sizeable workload, making him a potential flex candidate. Still, Houston allows the fifth-fewest fantasy points per game to opposing running backs (15.2), and if last week’s performance serves as any indication, all Cowboys, including WR CeeDee Lamb, are too risky to trust. 

Other sits: Audric Estime, Denver Broncos; Najee Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers

Wide Receivers

Start: Jameson Williams, Detroit Lions 

Jaguars at Lions / 1 p.m. ET Sunday

Due to injuries or byes, you may have to step outside your comfort zone when constructing this week’s starting lineup, so Williams, a boom-or-bust type of talent, warrants consideration. Williams hasn’t been fantasy-relevant since Week 6, and he’s coming off a modest outing where he caught three passes for 53 yards in Detroit’s 26-23 road win over Houston, his first game following a suspension.

However, while this week’s matchup could quickly turn into a blowout, potentially limiting Williams’ ceiling, he’s well-positioned to deliver a productive performance, especially if TE Sam LaPorta (shoulder) misses the contest. Not only do the Jaguars allow the eighth-most points per game to opposing wideouts (23.4), but Williams will also line up across from CB Ronald Darby frequently. As FantasyPros’ Adam Murfet pointed out, Darby allows the sixth-most fantasy points per route run against him (0.38), suggesting Williams should flourish even if he doesn’t receive many targets. 

Other starts: Ladd McConkey, Los Angeles Chargers; Calvin Ridley, Tennessee Titans 

Sit: Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers 

Seahawks at 49ers / 4:05 p.m. ET Sunday

Given the state of your roster, Samuel may be too talented to leave on the bench. Nevertheless, don’t be surprised if he turns in yet another lackluster showing against Seattle.

Although Samuel racked up 102 yards and one touchdown in the Week 6 clash between these teams, it’s impossible to overlook that most of his production came on a 76-yard second-quarter TD. Considering he’s only averaging 12.6 points over his last two games and will likely continue losing touches to RB Christian McCaffrey, it’d be wise to sit Samuel if you have other viable options. 

Other sits: Josh Downs, Indianapolis Colts; D.J. Moore, Chicago Bears 

Tight Ends

Start: Evan Engram, Jacksonville Jaguars

Jaguars at Lions / 1 p.m. ET Sunday

While the matchup and quarterback situation might appear concerning on the surface, Engram stands to benefit from the circumstances, particularly in PPR scoring formats. During last week’s home loss to the Vikings, Engram was heavily relied upon by new starting QB Mac Jones, leading Jacksonville in receptions (six), targets (eight) and receiving yards (40).

Jones will start again this week while Trevor Lawrence recovers from his shoulder injury, which likely means Detroit, a 13.5-point favorite, will cruise to another blowout victory. As a result, there should be plenty of passing opportunities for the Jaguars, and if Engram remains Jones’ top target, he’ll have a solid chance of surpassing last week’s 10-point output. 

Other starts: Tucker Kraft, Green Bay Packers; Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons

Sit: Mike Gesicki, Cincinnati Bengals 

Bengals at Chargers / 8:20 p.m. ET Sunday

Gesicki, the TE3 overall over the past three games, has emerged as a valuable fantasy starter while WR Tee Higgins has been out with a hamstring injury. Since Week 8, Kansas City’s Travis Kelce and Cade Otton of the Buccaneers are the only tight ends who have earned more targets than Gesicki (23).

Even so, Gesicki posted just seven PPR points in last week’s 35-34 road loss to Baltimore and will probably receive fewer opportunities if Higgins, who returned to practice Wednesday, suits up on Sunday. In all likelihood, Gesicki will need to score a touchdown to be a solid starting option, which seems unlikely since Los Angeles hasn’t allowed a tight end to find the end zone this season. 

Other sits: Taysom Hill, New Orleans Saints; Jonnu Smith, Miami Dolphins