Key Starters and Tough Calls - Week 11 Lineup Spotlights for Fantasy Football Include Brian Robinson Jr., Rashee Rice, Jared Goff

November 19, 2023

Scott breaks down his fantasy football lineup starts/sits for Week 11 (2023). He spotlights key NFL players to start, and tougher lineup start/sit decisions.

Welcome back RotoBallers to my Week 11 Lineup Spotlights - Key Starters and Tough Calls for fantasy football. Every week, I zoom in on some of my favored players to go with when dealing with challenging lineup decisions. These picks are based on my Premium Weekly Lineup Rankings, available as part of the RotoBaller NFL Premium Pass. Enter promo code KING at checkout for a discount and get access to my ranks in all formats, plus a full roster of tools and analysis for the 2023 fantasy football season.

We feature players that you should lean to in tough calls and guys who may exceed expectations this week are also highlighted, so you can feel even more confident about starting or adding them. Skill position analysis here is based on my PPR rankings.

When considering each player for your lineup, also consult our fantasy football rankings to see exactly where they are positioned when compared to your other possible lineup choices.

Running Backs – Fantasy Football Week 11

Brian Robinson Jr., Washington Commanders

I see several reasons to like Robinson this week and install him as a must-start fantasy RB2, even over other guys you might regularly play, such as Kenneth Walker III, Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, and Breece Hall. If you want to shoot for some statistical upside or need to make a gutsy move in a must-win scenario, then Robinson is the guy to ride with in Week 11.

Last week at Seattle, Robinson had a career-high six catches for a career-best 157 scrimmage yards (career-high 119 receiving) and a TD. This next statistical bit, however, fully demonstrates how productive the Washington RB can be in terms of TDs. Robinson is just one of two NFL RBs with five rushing TDs and three receiving TDs this season. Who is the other, you ask? Christian McCaffrey.

Robinson had a rushing TD in his Week 7 meeting with the Giants, and he has had 100+ scrimmage yards in two of his three career games vs. New York. The Giants have allowed 11 rushing TDs to RBs, which ranks 31st in the NFL, and they have allowed the second-most rushing yards to the position. Robinson is a good bet to get into the end zone more than once this week and will function as a productive dual threat for fantasy purposes.

Devin Singletary, Houston Texans

If Singletary was not facing the Arizona Cardinals this week, many fantasy players would naturally be skeptical that he can carry over the momentum of last week’s career performance. In Week 10, the former Bill rushed for 150 yards and a TD on 30 carries. He became the first Texans RB to reach the 150-yard rushing mark since Carlos Hyde last pulled off the feat in 2019.

Dameon Pierce is out again, and according to Pro Football Focus, the Texans have the fourth-best run-blocking advantage grade against an opposing defensive line in Week 11. Arizona ranks 29^th in rushing yards allowed to RBs. So the question is not whether to start Singletary or not, but just how high is he ranked for Week 11? I have him just outside the top 10 at RB this week and one spot ahead of Robinson because I think he has more rushing yardage promise.

Rico Dowdle, Dallas Cowboys

Mike McCarthy has said that he is comfortable with the way that his RBs are currently being utilized. Despite rushing for just 55 yards on 15 carries in a supposed “get right” matchup with the Giants last week, Tony Pollard still had the playing time advantage, as he was on the field for 69 percent of the snaps, as compared to 28 percent for Dowdle.

Yet Dowdle, who also figured in the mix on one early drive, led the Cowboys with 79 rushing yards on 12 attempts and scored on a garbage time TD. Whenever he touched the ball, Dowdle ran with more burst and looked more elusive than Pollard. Surely, the coaching staff saw the same play out of Dowdle that I did, and I don’t ever believe what a head coach says publicly.

The Panthers rank 28^th in rushing yards allowed to RBs and there is a good chance that even as Pollard continues to operate as the lead RB this week early on, Dowdle can make the most of any complementary work and see extra possible carries when the Cowboys roll to another blowout win. Consider using Dowdle as a deeper RB or flex play in Week 11.

Zach Charbonnet, Seattle Seahawks

I have continued to include Charbonnet in this space because his reps have increased every week. He has outsnapped Kenneth Walker in each of the past three games, playing on over 50 percent of the snaps. I received two trade offers for Charbonnet this week, as other fantasy players are anticipating that his growing amount of time on the field could progress to more work at the expense of Walker.

It is evident, though, that Walker is still getting a good amount of carries when he is on the field, as illustrated by his 19 rushing attempts in Week 10. Meanwhile, Charbonnet had six carries against Washington. The rookie did catch four passes, but he is clearly not touching the ball nearly as much as Walker despite the increased reps and a physical running style that contrasts well with Walker’s explosiveness.

Charbonnet may still get more touches and can emerge as a flex option in the weeks ahead. But he is not an optimal flex starter just yet, as the extra reps are not translating into enough touches. With Seattle ranking 27^th in run-blocking advantage on PFF this week, neither Seahawks RB has a high ceiling.

Wide Receivers – Fantasy Football Week 11

Rashee Rice, Kansas City Chiefs

I am speculating that the Chiefs attempted to fix whatever has not been working consistently in the passing game during their bye week as they prepped for the Super Bowl rematch with the Eagles. Patrick Mahomes might come out of a week off firing away successfully, and Rice has been emerging as his best WR option.

The rookie has caught TD passes in two of his past three games, and the Eagles, who might improve against the pass after recently acquiring All-Pro safety Kevin Byard, have still allowed the most TD catches to WRs (14). PFF also highlights that Rice has the second-best matchup advantage of any WR this week when working against Eagles slot CB Eli Ricks. Rice is a must-start as a fantasy WR3 in Week 11.

Brandin Cooks, Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys acquired Cooks to become the quality No. 2 WR they needed, and while it took him several weeks to get comfortable with Dallas, he has now started to settle into his role with much success. In Week 11, Cooks had his best game with a star on his helmet, with nine receptions for 173 yards and a TD.

Cooks has caught TD passes in three of his past four games. The Dallas passing game is unstoppable right now against lesser teams, and with Carolina likely being heavily concerned with trying to contain CeeDee Lamb, Cooks should get more playmaking opportunities to shine in Week 11. Start him comfortably as a fantasy WR3.

Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams

It is hard to sit the breakout Rams rookie, especially with Matthew Stafford returning. But the Seahawks might have the best trio of CBs in the league right now, and Nacua should line up frequently against Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate Devon Witherspoon and underrated outside CB Tre Brown this week. Seattle held Zay Flowers to one reception two weeks ago and shut out Jahan Dotson last week, so don’t expect much of a fantasy ceiling from Nacua in Week 11. He had 10 catches for 119 yards vs. the Seahawks in Week 1, but that was when the Seattle secondary was dealing with key injuries.

Jahan Dotson, Washington Commanders

Prior to getting blanked by Seattle last week, Dotson had 18 targets, two TDs, and 177 yards in two games. Look for him to bounce back against the Giants, who have allowed the second-most receiving yards to WRs. Expect an upside outing from Dotson and stream him as a WR3 or flex option in Week 11. You can certainly tell that I will be running Washington stacks in DFS this week.

Quarterback And Tight End – Fantasy Football Week 11

Jared Goff, Detroit Lions

The Detroit passer is obviously a strong start for this week in a home matchup with the Chicago Bears. He is always a preferred option when playing at Ford Field, as Goff has thrown 31 of his 43 TD passes in home games since the start of the 2022 season. PFF also notes that Goff’s offensive line has the highest pass-blocking advantage of any team in Week 11. The Bears rank 24^th in Fantasy Points Per Game allowed to QBs.

I have Goff ranked as my No. 6 QB this week. So the only QBs I am starting over him are Tua Tagovailoa, C.J. Stroud, Mahomes, Jalen Hurts, and Dak Prescott.

Luke Musgrave, Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay rookie is starting to show true signs of progress, as he caught his first TD pass in Week 9 and finished with a season-high 64 receiving yards in Week 10. The Chargers rank 28^th in FFPG allowed to TEs and Jordan Love can’t consistently rely on his WRs, so he may look to his TE in some key situations. Consider Musgrave as a high-end TE2 streamer this week.

Scott Engel's fantasy and betting analysis is also featured at The Game Day.

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