Key Starters and Tough Calls - Week 11 Lineup Spotlights for Fantasy Football Include Chase Brown, Cedric Tillman, Audric Estime, Russell Wilson, more

November 17, 2024

Scott Engel provides his fantasy football lineup starts/sits for Week 11 (2024). He focuses on key NFL players to start when you are dealing with tight Week 10 fantasy football lineup calls.

Welcome back to our Week 11 fantasy football lineup spotlights, where we discuss key starters and tough calls for fantasy lineups. Scott Engel’s Lineup Spotlights are featured weekly on RotoBaller.com for the 2024 fantasy football season. Every week, he focuses on potential starting lineup picks to consider when you are wrestling with lineup decisions.

The lineup plays included in this article are based on Scott’s Premium Weekly Lineup Rankings, available as part of the RotoBaller NFL Premium Pass. Enter the promo code KING at checkout for an additional discount and view all of his player rankings in various formats. Plus, you will gain access to a full menu of tools and analysis for in-season use.

When evaluating the players included in this article, also consult our staff fantasy football rankings to see if they are ranked higher or lower than your other possible starters. The skill position analysis is based on Scott’s Week 11 PPR rankings.

Wide Receivers – Fantasy Football Week 11

Cedric Tillman, Cleveland Browns

When Amari Cooper was traded to Buffalo, the door swung open for another WR to step forward for the Browns, and Tillman fully seized the opportunity. He has finished as a fantasy WR1 in three consecutive games, catching 21 passes on 32 targets for 255 yards and three TDs during that span.

Jameis Winston will continue to be the aggressive gunner he always has been, and Tillman will benefit as a strong starting option on a frequent basis. The second-year WR is building on a possible breakout season and it is hard to bench him right now, especially in this week’s matchup against the New Orleans Saints.

Winston will help his pass-catchers post quality fantasy totals when the matchup is right, as it is this week. New Orleans’ pass defense ranks 29^th in the NFL, and the Saints rank 30^th in receiving yards allowed to WRs.

For Week 11, Tillman has a 96.5 individual WR/CB matchup grade (via PFF) where he will draw Saints CB Alonte Taylor in coverage. That grade rates as “Excellent.”

Cleveland doesn’t have much of a running game right now, and Winston will be extra motivated to beat his former teammates. Facing a former team isn’t always an angry “revenge” game situation, yet players do like to competitively best guys they used to share a locker room with. Tillman is a must-start fantasy WR for NFL Week 11, and I have him ranked in the top 15.

Jauan Jennings, San Francisco 49ers

Jauan Jennings, in his first game back, led the 49ers in:

Routes run
Targets
Receptions
Air yards
Receiving yards

Ran a route on 40 of 41 dropbacks and finished with a 32% target share and 34% air yardage share.

Top-12 Fantasy WR upside

— Jacob Gibbs (@jagibbs_23) November 11, 2024

For Week 11, Jennings has a fantasy football ranking of 25 at WR, which is respectable, but I have him several spots higher, inside my top 20. He has finished as a top-20 fantasy WR once in his last four games played, so Jennings may be slightly underrated heading into a home draw with the Seahawks.

Jennings is normally the fourth offensive option for the 49ers, but George Kittle (hamstring) is expected to be out on Sunday. The return of Christian McCaffrey bumps him further back in the pecking order for touches, yet Jennings is still the No. 2 WR for San Francisco and he has an established strong rapport with Brock Purdy. The matchup vs. Seattle is exploitable.

The Seahawks’ secondary has underperformed this season, and the defense itself ranks 25^th overall in yards per game allowed. Seattle will be heavily concerned with containing McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, and Kittle, freeing up Jennings for many playmaking opportunities.

If Kittle is limited or even out, Jennings could play a more prominent role in the Niners’ passing game. Seattle ranks 24^th in Fantasy Points Per Game allowed to WRs, and Jennings has the fourth-best overall WR/CB matchup grade of any WR on PFF vs. the Seahawks CBs for Week 11.

Lock Jennings in as a fantasy WR3. I have him ranked ahead of Ladd McConkey, Drake London, Zay Flowers, and DeAndre Hopkins. Ricky Pearsall is starting to emerge as more of a contributor in the San Francisco passing game, but I prefer Jennings over him at least for now.

Marquez Valdes-Scantling, New Orleans Saints

Savvy fantasy players are still viewing Valdes-Scantling with much skepticism. His 35% rostered percentage on Sleeper signals that he is still widely regarded as a very risky play. By starting “MVS”, you are chasing last week, which has been a frequent foolish errand throughout his career.

Against Atlanta, MVS finished with 109 yards and two TDs, but that production came on three receptions and three targets. Such a performance is hard to replicate on very limited opportunities. Valdes-Scantling has a long and frustrating fantasy history of being a big risk among risky options.

The seventh-year deep-ball specialist has caught more than three TD passes in a season only once in his career. Even though injuries have pushed him recently into a prominent role in the Saints passing game, MVS will be overmatched as a top target for Derek Carr. Cleveland ranks 28^th in FFPG allowed to WRs, and Valdes-Scantling is a major gamble in any fantasy matchup.

It’s not impossible for MVS to hit on some more downfield shots this week, but he is just too much of a risk for me to take him as the preferred pick when he is involved in most tight lineup decisions. Valdes-Scantling is not ranked in my top 45 WRs for Week 11.

Running Backs – Fantasy Football Week 11

Chase Brown, Cincinnati Bengals

Brown seemingly cemented himself as a regular starter in the eyes of most fantasy players when Zack Moss went down. Over the past two games, Brown rushed for 120 yards in Week 9 and he rushed for a TD against the Ravens in Week 10. He has rushed for two TDs in his last three games.

This week, though, Brown has a tough matchup against the Chargers, who have allowed just one rushing TD to opposing RBs. That stat may make you have second thoughts about starting him this week, rather than treating Brown like a “set it and forget it” option.

I don’t have the Bengals RB ranked in my top 20, so I might recommend pivoting away from him if your other option has been a pretty consistent starting option.

The Cincinnati offense, however, is potent enough to boost the production of its key players in any matchup, so Brown could register the second RB rushing TD of the season vs. the Chargers.

Brown is a lower-end fantasy RB2 for NFL Week 11. I wouldn’t start him over Kareem Hunt or Najee Harris but I would start him over any other lesser options.

Audric Estime, Denver Broncos

Is Audric Estime the Broncos RB1 now moving forward?

It sure looked like it yesterday as Estime made some impressive plays Vs KC.

🔸 14 carries
🔸 53 yards

(J. Williams: 1 car/1 yd | 2 rec/6 yds)
(J. McLaughlin: 2 car/12 yds)

pic.twitter.com/aqPTCFtCed

— Matt FF Dynasty 🏈 (@MattFFDynasty) November 11, 2024

The rookie has likely slipped past Javonte Williams as the new lead back for Denver. If you need a streaming RB this week, consider Estime. He is a power back with some speed and tackle-breaking ability who can potentially elevate a limp Broncos running game.

Sean Payton is not hesitant about giving his young players opportunities to make significant contributions on offense. Over the past four weeks, the Falcons rank 24^th in FFPG allowed to RBs. You can anticipate at least decent fantasy production from Estime this week, and a TD run can potentially boost his point totals.

Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns

Some fantasy analysts I respect are suggesting starting Chubb based on the matchup. New Orleans ranks 29^th in FFPG allowed to RBs, but I can’t recommend starting Chubb just yet based on a matchup. He’s still obviously on the road back from his major injury and might not function as an impactful fantasy player until the playoffs, if at all this year.

Chubb is averaging 2.7 yards per carry and has yet to rush for more than 52 yards in his three games played so far this season. It is great to see him working his way back into eventual better form, but I don’t have him ranked as a top-25 RB for this week.

Quarterback And Tight End - Fantasy Football Week 11

Russell Wilson, Pittsburgh Steelers

Russell Wilson has thrown to the end zone 13 times out of just 85 pass attempts (~15.3%)

If he started the entire season for the Steelers, he'd have 37 end zone attempts already, 3 ahead of the current leader (Joe Burrow)

His 17-game pace would land near 71 - surpassing the 64…

— Eric Romoff (@FantasyNav) November 14, 2024

The longtime former Seahawks star has regained respect over the past few weeks as the starter for the rather surprising and surging Steelers. He finished as a top-3 fantasy QB in Week 7, and as QB9 in Week 10. The numbers haven’t been spectacular, yet they have been satisfactory in two starts, and the matchup is very fantasy friendly in Week 11.

After passing for three TDs last week, Wilson will face the Ravens, who have the NFL’s worst pass defense. He still throws a pretty and accurate deep ball and has started to look something like his past-self because he is playing within the scope of an offense rather than trying to “cook” as the crux of the attack.

I have Wilson ranked just outside of my top-10 fantasy QBs for NFL Week 11 -- over options such as Patrick Mahomes, Bo Nix, and Justin Herbert. Another two-plus TD outing is possible.

Evan Engram, Jacksonville Jaguars

Some fantasy leaguers are questioning whether to start Engram with Mac Jones now at QB for Jacksonville. At the thinnest position in fantasy football, though, your other option may not have a stable floor, either.

Engram was still able to catch six balls on eight targets last week, and while he might have less statistical upside with Jones at QB, I still have him ranked as a back-end fantasy TE1. If the Jaguars get blown out by the Lions this week, Engram could pad his numbers in catch-up mode, so consider keeping him active.

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