We're inching closer to the fantasy football playoffs, and our preseason speculation has come true -- there are always a lot of viable options at wide receiver. This week, though, a lot of those "viable options" are guys who have disappointed for some or all of the season. That might cause you to scoff at our Week 11 fantasy WR rankings, but it's important to remember that, thanks to matchups, injuries and usage trends, each week brings a new set of sleepers and potential busts.
Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are back from bye, but we lose Cooper Kupp, Van Jefferson, Odell Beckham Jr., Jerry Jeudy, Tim Patrick, and Courtland Sutton. Again, the position is deep enough to survive a two-team bye -- even when those two teams have several solid receivers between them.
WEEK 11 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
As always, a few studs have tough matchups, but guys like Justin Jefferson (vs. Packers), Adam Thielen (vs. Packers), Ja'Marr Chase (@ Raiders), and Diontae Johnson (@ Chargers) remain must-starts (regardless of the Steelers' QB situation). Michael Pittman (@ Bills) and Hunter Renfrow (vs. Bengals) are tougher calls, but it's difficult to sit either, especially in PPR leagues.
WEEK 11 PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Brandon Aiyuk (@ Jaguars), A.J. Green and Christian Kirk (@ Seahawks), Sterling Shepard, Kadarius Toney and Kenny Golladay (@ Buccaneers), Rashod Bateman (@ Bears), DeVonta Smith (vs. Saints), and Darnell Mooney and Allen Robinson (vs. Ravens) have been firmly on the start-or-sit bubble most weeks this season. but each has a matchup with a bottom-10 defense in fantasy points per game allowed to wideouts, so get them in your lineups. Of course, Shepard's health will need to be monitored.
WEEK 11 FANTASY: Sleepers | Busts | Start 'em, sit 'em
Going a little deeper, Michael Gallup (@ Chiefs), Robby Anderson (@ Washington), Marcus Johnson (vs. Texans), Jamal Agnew and Marvin Jones (vs. 49ers), Jakobi Meyers (@ Falcons), and Elijah Moore and Jamison Crowder (vs. Dolphins) warrant consideration this week with favorable matchups. None of those guys are sure things, but if you're in a bind, they feel like decent options to roll the dice with. Meyers and Agnew are better suited for PPR, though.
WEEK 11 DFS LINEUPS: DraftKings | FanDuel | Yahoo
Russell Gage (vs. Patriots) has let us down plenty this year, and we're not loving his chances against the New England defense, The same thing can be said for Tyler Boyd (@ Raiders) and Marquez Callaway (@ Eagles). Tre'Quan Smith and Deonte Harris actually have more appeal than Callaway right now despite his TD last week. Obviously, there's a point where you might have to play one of these guys, but overall, they're suboptimal options. That also applies to Allen Lazard (@ Vikings) and T.Y. Hilton (@ Bills).
WEEK 11 DFS: Best stacks | Best values | Lineup Builder
It's worth noting Van Jefferson still has sneaky value moving forward. The Rams are on a bye, but with Robert Woods (knee) out for the year, Jefferson won't be completely minimized by the addition of Odell Beckham Jr. You should always be planning for the future in addition to the current week at this time of year, so pay attention to target trends and take advantage of potential drops by desperate teams.
Note: We'll be updating these WR rankings as needed throughout the week, so check back for the latest changes and analysis.
Fantasy WR Rankings Week 11: Who to start at wide receiver
Rankings based on standard, non-PPR scoring
| Rank | Player |
| 1 | Davante Adams, GB @ MIN |
| 2 | Stefon Diggs, BUF vs. IND |
| 3 | A.J. Brown, TEN vs. HOU |
| 4 | Tyreek Hill, KC vs. DAL |
| 5 | Deebo Samuel, SF @ JAX |
| 6 | CeeDee Lamb, DAL @ KC |
| 7 | Brandin Cooks, HOU @ TEN |
| 8 | Mike Evans, TB vs. NYG |
| 9 | Ja'Marr Chase, CIN @ LV |
| 10 | Terry McLaurin, WAS @ CAR |
| 11 | DK Metcalf, SEA vs. ARI |
| 12 | DeVonta Smith, PHI vs. NO. Call us crazy, but we're ranking Smith as a high-end WR1 in a favorable matchup with New Orleans. The Saints will likely shut down the run, so Philadelphia will have to open up their offense. When they do that, Smith should benefit from a matchup with the fourth-worst defense against fantasy WRs. We're calling a career game for the rookie under these conditions. He was a top-six WR in Week 10, so it's not far-fetched. |
| 13 | D.J. Moore, CAR vs. WAS. We'll have to see how Moore does in a full game with Cam Newton at the helm, but Washington gives up the second-most fantasy points per game to WRs, so he's a must-start, despite the uncertainty. He's still the No. 1 here, but a lot of his passing work has been outsourced to Christian McCaffrey, so we don't view him as a WR1 right now. It's worth noting Robby Anderson showed a little life in his first game this year without Sam Darnold, so he's a risky streaming consideration. |
| 14 | Keenan Allen, LAC vs. PIT. Allen has returned to being the undisputed No. 1 WR in LA, as he's drawn an average of 12 targets over the past three weeks. The Steelers are often viewed as a tough matchup at all positions, but they were actually a bottom-10 defense against fantasy WRs heading into Week 10. That said, Allen remains a must-start. It looks like Mike Williams has come back to earth, but he's still viewed as a low-end WR2 in this favorable matchup. |
| 15 | Chris Godwin, TB vs. NYG. The Tampa Bay receivers are must-starts all season long, and the Giants are a middle-of-the-pack defense against fantasy WRs. Godwin was disappointing against Washington, Evans' day was saved by a touchdown, and Antonio Brown was inactive. Coming off two straight losses, surely Tom Brady and the Bucs will round back into form. |
| 16 | Justin Jefferson, MIN vs. GB. Jefferson had his best game of the season against the Chargers, catching nine-of-11 targets 143 yards. Heading into that matchup, Los Angeles was a top-five defense against fantasy WRs, so maybe we're seeing the beginning of a stellar run for Jefferson. If he goes off this week against a top-eight team against WRs (Green Bay), he'll be back as a set-in-stone WR1. Adam Theilen has clearly taken the back seat to Jefferson, but seven touchdowns this season and a double-digit target ceiling make him a must-start. Just know he could be limited by the tough matchup more than Jefferson. |
| 17 | Rashod Bateman, BAL @ CHI |
| 18 | Emmanuel Sanders, BUF vs. IND. Sanders caught just two passes in Week 10, but he did rush for 24 yards. Of course, it was another disappointing week for him, but the game script should be more favorable against a decent Colts' team. Indianapolis gave up the fifth-most fantasy points to WRs leading up to Week 10, so look for Sanders to return to the top-24 point scorers among WRs this week. As always, Cole Beasley has to warrant starting consideration, too, but he's a lot safer in PPR leagues. |
| 19 | Diontae Johnson, PIT @ LAC. Before Justin Jefferson went off against Los Angeles (Chargers), they were a top-three defense against fantasy WRs. That said, we won't overreact too much, so we're not ready to call this a favorable matchup. However, Johnson is more or less guaranteed to get 10-plus targets, so you have to start him -- especially in PPR leagues. Ray-Ray McCloud also saw double-digit targets in Week 10, so while he's attractive moving forward, it's tough to think he'll enjoy success here. |
| 20 | Jaylen Waddle, MIA @ NYJ. In Waddle's last six games, he's drawn at least six targets and has seen as many as 13 targets. Tua Tagovailoa (finger) is expected to start, and we know he loves throwing the ball to his former Alabama teammate. While DeVante Parker (hamstring) is on injured reserve, Waddle is essentially a must-start -- especially in favorable matchups like the Jets. Yes, New York is statistically a solid team against WRs, but are the Dolphins really a good enough team to blow them out and run out the clock on the ground? No. |
| 21 | Mike Williams, LAC vs. PIT. See Keenan Allen. |
| 22 | Adam Thielen, MIN vs. GB. See Justin Jefferson. |
| 23 | Tyler Lockett, SEA vs. ARI. Boom-or-bust Lockett is back in full force. When you think of boom-or-bust, wide receivers, he's probably the first person that comes to mind. His matchup almost doesn't matter -- he either goes absolutely wild or fails to reach ten fantasy points. Arizona is a middle-of-the-pack defense against wideouts, so your guess is as good as ours when it comes to his fantasy outlook. It's hard to bench him, though, given the 30-plus point upside. |
| 24 | Kadarius Toney, NYG @ TB. |
| 25 | Christian Kirk, ARI @ SEA |
| 26 | Tee Higgins, CIN @ LV. Las Vegas was a top-three unit against WRs before being shredded by Tyreek Hill, but we'll still consider them a top-flight unit against the position until further notice. Higgins is the No. 2 WR in Cincinnati, but he has games where he serves as the No. 1 WR. Perhaps the Raiders will bring most of their attention to Ja'Marr Chase, so Higgins could exploit the matchup. That's just one possible scenario, but either way, this passing offense is too potent to sit Higgins on the bench. |
| 27 | Michael Gallup, DAL @ KC |
| 28 | Cole Beasley, BUF vs. IND. See Emmanuel Sanders. |
| 29 | Brandon Aiyuk, SF @ JAX. Those who draft Aiyuk may have already dropped him, but he's inevitably back on rosters based on his production the last two weeks. This is being written before his Monday Night Football game against the Rams, but even if he struggles there, he looks to be back in good graces with Kyle Shanahan. In Weeks 8 and 9, he caught a combined 10-of-15 for 134 yards and one touchdown. It's no secret the Jaguars are a suspect defense against the pass, so why can't Aiyuk keep this thing rolling? |
| 30 | Kenny Golladay, NYG @ TB. |
| 31 | Darnell Mooney, CHI vs. BAL |
| 32 | Jakobi Meyers, NE @ ATL. Coming off the heels of his first career receiving touchdown, Meyers draws one of the juiciest matchups possible. Atlanta was one of the top-12 most generous teams to fantasy WRs heading into Week 10, only to give up just under 150 yards and two touchdowns between Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb. No, Meyers isn't CeeDee Lamb and Mac Jones isn't Dak Prescott, there's clearly a recipe for fantasy success here. He's virtually a must-start in PPR leagues, but he could make some noise in standard leagues, too. |
| 33 | Jarvis Landry, CLE vs. DET. Detroit sits inside the top half of the leagues in the fewest fantasy points allowed to WRs, but Cooper Kupp, Deebo Samuel, Justin Jefferson, Darnell Mooney, and Davante Adams all exceeded 120 receiving yards against them. That they're statistically decent against the position as a whole, but there's plenty of production to be had for the top WR in an offense. We don't expect Landy to match the numbers of some of those other guys, but a 6-80-1 line feels perfectly manageable. There is a chance Cleveland simply decided to run the ball from start to finish, though. If you're really in a bind, Donovan Peoples-Jones may be a decent option, as he's the more explosive WR. He could be the one to eclipse 100-yards if things go right. |
| 34 | Corey Davis, NYJ vs. MIA. Davis caught five-of-seven targets for 93 yards in his return from a two-game absence, so considering the matchup against Buffalo, that was good to see. It's not a hot take to say Miami's defense is far inferior when compared to Buffalo's so perhaps Davis can enjoy success here -- regardless of who is at QB for New York. Elijah Moore looks like a decent streaming option against a bottom-three unit in defending fantasy WRs. Moore has caught three touchdowns and racked up 128 yards over his last two games, so the production is tough to ignore. |
| 35 | Michael Pittman Jr., IND @ BUF. The matchup with Buffalo is as tough as it gets but as the No. 1 WR in the Colts' offense, Pittman can only fall so far. He has 26 targets in his last three games, catching 20 of them for over 300 yards and three touchdowns. The matchup drops him to No. 36, but his upside is still in the WR2 conversation. If T.Y. Hilton plays, the matchup takes him to a mere start-or-sit bubble guy after a one-catch game against Jacksonville. |
| 36 | Sammy Watkins, BAL @ CHI |
| 37 | A.J. Green, ARI @ SEA |
| 38 | Darius Slayton, NYG @ TB |
| 39 | Hunter Renfrow, LV vs. CIN |
| 40 | Marquez Valdes-Scantling, GB @ MIN |
| 41 | Elijah Moore, NYJ vs. MIA. See Corey Davis. |
| 42 | Jamal Agnew, JAX vs. SF |
| 43 | Marcus Johnson, TEN vs. HOU |
| 44 | Tre'Quan Smith, NO @ PHI |
| 45 | Robby Anderson, CAR vs. WAS. See D.J. Moore |
| 46 | Donovan Peoples-Jones, CLE vs. DET. See Jarvis Landry. |
| 47 | Rondale Moore, ARI @ SEA |
| 48 | Marvin Jones, JAX vs. SF |
| 49 | T.Y. Hilton, IND @ BUF. See Michael Pittman Jr. |
| 50 | Russell Gage, ATL vs. NE |
| 51 | Ray-Ray McLoud, PIT @ LAC. See Diontae Johnson |
| 52 | Jamison Crowder, NYJ vs. MIA |
| 53 | Deonte Harris, NO @ PHI |
| 54 | Nico Collins, HOU @ TEN |
| 55 | Randall Cobb, GB @ MIN |
| 56 | Quez Watkins, PHI vs. NO |
| 57 | Tyler Boyd, CIN @ LV |
| 58 | Laviska Shenault Jr., JAX vs. SF |
| 59 | DeSean Jackson, LV vs. CIN |
| 60 | Marquez Callaway, NO @ PHI |
| 61 | Gabriel Davis, BUF vs. IND |
| 62 | John Ross, NYG @ TB |
| 63 | Kendrick Bourne, NE @ ATL |
| 64 | Mecole Hardman, KC vs. DAL |
| 65 | Kalif Raymond, DET @ CLE |
| 66 | Amon-Ra St. Brown, DET @ CLE |
| 67 | Olamide Zaccheaus, ATL vs. NE |
| 68 | Chris Conley, HOU @ TEN |
| 69 | Tajae Sharpe, ATL vs. NE |
| 70 | Nelson Agholor, NE @ ATL |
| 71 | Demarcus Robinson, KC vs. DAL |
| 72 | Bryan Edwards, LV vs. CIN |
| 73 | Rashard Higgins, CLE vs. DET |
| 74 | K.J. Osborn, MIN vs. GB |
| 75 | Zach Pascal, IND @ BUF |
| 76 | Byron Pringle, KC vs. DAL |
| 77 | Jalen Guyton, LAC vs. PIT |
| 78 | Zay Jones, LV vs. CIN |
| 79 | Adam Humphries, WAS @ CAR |
| 80 | DeAndre Carter, WAS @ CAR |
| 81 | Freddie Swain, SEA vs. ARI |
| 82 | Josh Gordon, KC vs. DAL |