Week 11 Rankings: Standard | PPR
The Lineup Cheat Sheet combines Fantasy analysis and game-flow predictions with a confidence scale to give you a definitive answer on who to start in your leagues.
The higher the number next to a player's name, the more confident you should be to start him. If a player isn't listed, don't start him.
Numbers are based on non-PPR scoring but are typically applicable to PPR formats.
To find a specific player, use your search function -- CTRL-F on PCs and Command-F on Macs. If neither of those are options, or if you're on a mobile device, you can search by game.
If you're still unsure, just send a note on Twitter (@daverichard) using #CBSFLCS and I'll give it a look, time permitting.
Steelers at Browns
| Steelers | Browns | ||
| Ben Roethlisberger | (9.2) | Cody Kessler | (4.0) |
| Le'Veon Bell | (10.0) | Isaiah Crowell | (7.1) |
| Antonio Brown | (9.9) | Duke Johnson | (5.5) |
| Eli Rogers | (7.4) | Terrelle Pryor | (7.5) |
| Jesse James | (5.4) | Corey Coleman | (5.5) |
| Ladarius Green | (3.4) | Gary Barnidge | (4.4) |
| Steelers DST | (7.2) | Browns DST | (1.9) |
Start Him
This isn't about slot receivers finding success against Cleveland as much as it is about how the Browns figure to defend the Steelers. The hunch is that Cleveland will focus on limiting Antonio Brown and take their chances with Pittsburgh's other wideouts. That kind of scheming has helped contribute to non-No. 1 receivers scoring on the Browns in five straight games, and Rogers has been second in targets among Pittsburgh's receivers and tight ends over the past two weeks behind you-know-who.
Rogers is a safer bet to score than Willie Snead, Kenny Britt and Jordan Matthews.
Sneaky Sleeper
Crowell has been putting up numbers like a good fullback lately, averaging 2.2 yards per carry over his past three (26 carries). He's saved face as a pass-catcher, reeling in 9 of 11 targets for 127 yards in those same three games. This week he'll run against a Steelers defense that just isn't as good at stopping running backs without Cameron Heyward on the field. He should be good for a minimum of 60 total yards with a decent shot at punching in a touchdown from close range.
The Steelers have allowed four of those over their four-game losing skid, including none from Ezekiel Elliott last week. Crow's good enough to be called a low-end No. 2 running back.
Ravens at Cowboys
| Ravens | Cowboys | ||
| Joe Flacco | (5.0) | Dak Prescott | (7.0) |
| Kenneth Dixon | (6.7) | Ezekiel Elliott | (9.6) |
| Terrance West | (6.3) | Dez Bryant | (9.4) |
| Steve Smith | (8.0) | Cole Beasley | (6.3) |
| Mike Wallace | (6.2) | Terrance Williams | (2.2) |
| Breshad Perriman | (4.0) | Jason Witten | (4.6) |
| Dennis Pitta | (4.2) | Cowboys DST | (6.1) |
| Ravens DST | (5.9) |
Start Him
Some stats really stand out here for Smith. One, the Cowboys have allowed eight touchdowns to receivers in their last six games. They've also allowed a score to a slot receiver in three of their last four. And for the cherry on top, the most targeted wideout against Dallas has scored in five of their past six. Smith checks off all of those boxes and figures to be part of a Ravens offense playing from behind on Sunday.
Jaguars at Lions
| Jaguars | Lions | ||
| Blake Bortles | (6.9) | Matthew Stafford | (6.6) |
| T.J. Yeldon | (6.2) | Theo Riddick | (7.5) |
| Chris Ivory | (6.1) | Dwayne Washington | (5.9) |
| Allen Robinson | (9.2) | Golden Tate | (7.1) |
| Allen Hurns | (5.0) | Marvin Jones | (6.65) |
| Julius Thomas | (6.8) | Anquan Boldin | (5.4) |
| Jaguars DST | (3.5) | Eric Ebron | (7.8) |
| Lions DST | (6.3) |
Start Both
Ebron has been a target hog since coming back, notching seven receptions in each of his last two games. Jacksonville's pass defense was good against tight ends until last week when two Texans tight ends scored on them from short range. Ebron should get enough work to serve as a start-worthy tight end.
Thomas has scored in three of his last four and should extend the streak against a Lions defense that has given up a score to a tight end in seven of nine contests this season. But because Thomas' yardage tends to be (way) below 50, he doesn't have as much upside as Ebron. Both deserve to start in Week 11.
Titans at Colts
| Titans | Colts | ||
| Marcus Mariota | (9.1) | Andrew Luck | (8.8) |
| DeMarco Murray | (9.8) | Frank Gore | (7.9) |
| Derrick Henry | (4.7) | T.Y. Hilton | (9.3) |
| Rishard Matthews | (7.8) | Donte Moncrief | (8.3) |
| Kendall Wright | (6.6) | Phillip Dorsett | (3.5) |
| Tajae Sharpe | (3.1) | Chester Rogers | (2.5) |
| Delanie Walker | (9.1) | Jack Doyle | (6.7) |
| Titans DST | (4.5) | Dwayne Allen | (3.6) |
| Colts DST | (2.5) |
Start Him
We'll have a hot passing offense meet up with a sliding pass defense in Indy. During Marcus Mariota's six-game hot streak, he has averaging 259.5 yards per game with at least two touchdowns per. Matthews has caught at least one touchdown in five of those six games. He's not offering a lot yardage-wise (50.5 yards per game during the streak) but that could change.
The Colts pass defense has watched opposing wideouts gain 206.0 yards on average in its last two with five touchdowns given up. In what should be a high-scoring game, Matthews is a safe bet to help Mariota out, which means he'll help Fantasy owners out.
Bills at Bengals
| Bills | Bengals | ||
| Tyrod Taylor | (7.3) | Andy Dalton | (7.8) |
| LeSean McCoy | (9.7) | Jeremy Hill | (7.7) |
| Mike Gillislee | (5.8) | Giovani Bernard | (6.4) |
| Robert Woods | (5.8) | A.J. Green | (9.8) |
| Marquise Goodwin | (3.6) | Brandon LaFell | (3.9) |
| Charles Clay | (2.6) | Tyler Eifert | (9.4) |
| Bills DST | (5.1) | Bengals DST | (4.4) |
Start Him
Not many Bengals games have been won on the strength of their running backs. Luckily, this is a good week for Dalton to carry the load. In two career games against Rex Ryan-coached defenses, Dalton has thrown for at least 243 yards and three touchdowns -- the exact totals he had at Buffalo last year. The Bills pass defense has faltered lately, giving up a minimum of two scores, 275 yards and 30-plus Fantasy points to the last two passers its faced. Expect a bounce-back game from Dalton.
Sit Him
I can't help but wonder if we're starting to see Bernard fade back into the part-time role he had to start this season. In its first game off their bye, the Bengals gave Gio just seven carries and three catches. He totaled just 36 yards. It was after the bye in 2015 when Bernard went downhill in Fantasy -- could the same thing go down in 2016? Additionally, the matchup isn't so hot -- the Bills have allowed a rushing score in each of their past three, but only two teams all season have averaged better than 4.0 yards per carry on the ground against Buffalo. Whereas Jeremy Hill has some touchdown potential, Bernard is not a recommended starter.
Buccaneers at Chiefs
| Buccaneers | Chiefs | ||
| Jameis Winston | (7.2) | Alex Smith | (5.4) |
| Doug Martin | (8.1) | Spencer Ware | (8.3) |
| Peyton Barber | (4.6) | Tyreek Hill | (7.6) |
| Mike Evans | (9.5) | Albert Wilson | (2.8) |
| Adam Humphries | (4.7) | Travis Kelce | (7.2) |
| Cameron Brate | (5.0) | Chiefs DST | (7.9) |
| Buccaneers DST | (4.0) |
Start Him
Few believe the Buccaneers are solid just because they shut down Jay Cutler last week. Everyone saw Hill lead the Chiefs in targets, catches and yards last week with Jeremy Maclin out. What was surprising about Hill's numbers was the lack of big plays -- he averaged below 10 yards per catch. He has mastered the short routes -- once he and Alex Smith connect on those deep passes (always iffy with Smith), he'll be really dangerous. It could happen as soon as this week at home against that bad Bucs secondary.
Bears at Giants
| Bears | Giants | ||
| Jay Cutler | (4.4) | Eli Manning | (7.7) |
| Jordan Howard | (8.4) | Rashad Jennings | (6.9) |
| Eddie Royal | (5.6) | Paul Perkins | (5.4) |
| Cameron Meredith | (4.4) | Odell Beckham | (9.6) |
| Zach Miller | (6.0) | Sterling Shepard | (6.75) |
| Bears DST | (4.2) | Will Tye | (4.0) |
| Giants DST | (7.6) |
Sneaky Sleeper
This doesn't feel like a week where the Giants will be forced to play catch-up and throw the ball a lot. That puts Jennings in play to collect carries in a close, low-scoring game or kill the clock in the second half and potentially strike from the goal line. The Bears run defense is solid, allowing just two rushing touchdowns and 3.2 yards per carry to backs in their past six games. But on the hunch that Jennings' workload is safe for now, he should be useful as a low-end No. 2 running back or non-PPR flex. He's better than any Ravens, Jaguars or Vikings running back this week.
Cardinals at Vikings
| Cardinals | Vikings | ||
| Carson Palmer | (6.0) | Sam Bradford | (4.2) |
| David Johnson | (9.5) | Matt Asiata | (5.6) |
| Larry Fitzgerald | (9.0) | Jerick McKinnon | (4.9) |
| Michael Floyd | (5.9) | Stefon Diggs | (7.3) |
| John Brown | (5.2) | Adam Thielen | (5.7) |
| J.J. Nelson | (4.6) | Cordarrelle Patterson | (4.8) |
| Cardinals DST | (7.7) | Kyle Rudolph | (5.2) |
| Vikings DST | (6.8) |
Risky Starter
Diggs can't be an outright sit -- not with the number of targets he's been getting. But with Bruce Arians declaring this week that stud cornerback Patrick Peterson will shadow Diggs, it's not looking good. Peterson has taken down many good receivers this season as the Cardinals have allowed just two receivers to over 80 yards. The Cardinals have also given up just six touchdowns to receivers, too. Diggs has played well, but the coverage he'll see this week should minimize any potential for another big game. It sure didn't work out for him last year. Eli Rogers and Tyreek Hill are better starters in non-PPR.
Dolphins at Rams
| Dolphins | Rams | ||
| Ryan Tannehill | (5.3) | Jared Goff | (3.1) |
| Jay Ajayi | (7.85) | Todd Gurley | (7.4) |
| Damien Williams | (5.2) | Kenny Britt | (6.4) |
| Jarvis Landry | (6.7) | Brian Quick | (4.5) |
| DeVante Parker | (4.65) | Tavon Austin | (3.2) |
| Kenny Stills | (3.7) | Lance Kendricks | (3.8) |
| Dolphins DST | (8.1) | Rams DST | (6.6) |
Risky Starter
There's a lot of unknown territory happening with Jared Goff going under center. In college he heavily favored his receivers and threw downfield a bunch. Maybe that'll hold up in the pros and help Britt have a chance at staying relevant in Fantasy. Teammates say Goff is playing with more confidence and going through his progressions better.
Buy into it if you'd like but Goff sat for nine games for a reason. Even with the Dolphins giving up 11-plus Fantasy points to a receiver in each of their last four, Britt's a risk.
What are these guys doing here?!
With left tackle Branden Albert and center Mike Pouncey both out this week, expect Miami to struggle running the ball and to use a no-huddle quick-pass approach against the Rams. This should lead to less-than-ideal numbers for Ajayi but better-than-expected stats for short-area slot receiver Jarvis Landry. In Miami's first four games Landry got at least 10 targets per game with two 100-yard efforts in large part because Tannehill had to get rid of the ball quickly. Landry's been bad lately but given the Dolphins depleted O-line, expect him to see more work than he has in over a month.
Patriots at 49ers
| Patriots | 49ers | ||
| Tom Brady | (8.0) | Colin Kaepernick | (6.8) |
| LeGarrette Blount | (9.4) | Carlos Hyde | (7.2) |
| James White | (5.3) | Quinton Patton | (4.3) |
| Julian Edelman | (7.2) | Jeremy Kerley | (3.3) |
| Danny Amendola | (2.7) | Vance McDonald | (2.8) |
| Martellus Bennett | (8.1) | 49ers DST | (1.7) |
| Patriots DST | (7.4) |
Start Him
Bennett's a start whether Rob Gronkowski plays or not, but naturally you'll like him better if Gronk doesn't make the trip to San Francisco. The 49ers haven't taken on many quality tight ends, but when they went up against Greg Olsen and Jimmy Graham, they allowed 14-plus Fantasy points. And as bad as the Niners' run defense is, the Patriots won't be shy about throwing it, too. In seven games with at least five targets Bennett has at least 10 Fantasy points in four of them. Expect him to come through this week.
Eagles at Seahawks
| Eagles | Seahawks | ||
| Carson Wentz | (3.8) | Russell Wilson | (9.0) |
| Darren Sproles | (6.6) | Thomas Rawls | (7.0) |
| Ryan Mathews | (6.5) | C.J. Prosise | (6.8) |
| Jordan Matthews | (7.0) | Doug Baldwin | (8.7) |
| Dorial Green-Beckham | (2.4) | Tyler Lockett | (6.0) |
| Zach Ertz | (5.3) | Jermaine Kearse | (2.9) |
| Eagles DST | (4.7) | Jimmy Graham | (7.7) |
| Seahawks DST | (9.0) |
Risky Starters
Doug Pederson admitted after last week's win that the game plan was designed around running the ball to control the clock and pace of the game. It worked. Pulling it off again, this time at Seattle, is going to be difficult. The Seahawks are allowing just 3.4 yards per carry to running backs this season and are probably sour after giving up three rushing touchdowns last week. This could be a week where the Eagles play from behind, necessitating Sproles to catch passes out of the backfield. Further, Mathews hasn't had double-digit carries in consecutive games yet this year for Philly and only once last year.
Start Them
Prosise proved two things last week: He's a heck of a receiving threat and, in a pinch, he can handle carries between the tackles. His willingness to take hits was received well by his teammates and coaches. But that's something Rawls has been doing since arriving in the NFL, and if he's truly healthy, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him get a minimum of 15 carries. Philadelphia hasn't allowed a touchdown to a rusher in four weeks in a row, yielding just 3.5 yards per carry in that time. But the Seattle offense seems to be hitting its stride and should pose a major threat to the Eagles. Rawls (a low-end No. 2 rusher) should be in line for a goal-line score and Prosise (good flex) should be good for at least five catches.
Packers at Redskins
| Packers | Redskins | ||
| Aaron Rodgers | (8.6) | Kirk Cousins | (8.1) |
| James Starks | (7.6) | Rob Kelley | (8.0) |
| Jordy Nelson | (9.1) | Chris Thompson | (5.1) |
| Davante Adams | (8.8) | Jamison Crowder | (8.4) |
| Randall Cobb | (8.1) | Pierre Garcon | (6.1) |
| Ty Montgomery | (2.6) | Jordan Reed | (8.3) |
| Richard Rodgers | (3.2) | Vernon Davis | (5.9) |
| Packers DST | (3.7) | Redskins DST | (5.7) |
Start Him
There will be a lot of passing, but the difference in this matchup could come down to Kelley. The Redskins have to be encouraged by his last two games and are sure to let Kelley roll against a Packers run defense that has regressed. In its past three games, Green Bay has allowed running backs to score four times and average 4.8 yards per carry. Kelley should get a crack at 100 yards (he just missed last week) and could be afforded a goal-line score to help push him into Top 15 running back territory.
Texans vs. Raiders in Mexico City
| Texans | Raiders | ||
| Brock Osweiler | (3.4) | Derek Carr | (7.1) |
| Lamar Miller | (7.8) | Latavius Murray | (8.6) |
| Alfred Blue | (5.0) | Jalen Richard | (5.7) |
| DeAndre Hopkins | (6.9) | DeAndre Washington | (4.8) |
| C.J. Fiedorowicz | (6.2) | Amari Cooper | (8.6) |
| Ryan Griffin | (3.0) | Michael Crabtree | (7.9) |
| Texans DST | (4.9) | Seth Roberts | (3.4) |
| Raiders DST | (6.5) |
Sit Him
Sitting Hopkins is something you've probably wished you've done the past few weeks. This is a good time to try it -- the Raiders pass defense has improved quite a bit over the last four weeks, holding No. 1 receivers like Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders, Mike Evans, Allen Robinson and Jeremy Maclin to under 60 yards each with no touchdowns.
Hopkins has struggled to shed tight coverage and quarterback Brock Osweiler isn't doing him any favors. Expect No. 3 receiver numbers from Hopkins in Week 10.
Saints at Panthers
| Saints | Panthers | ||
| Drew Brees | (8.2) | Cam Newton | (7.9) |
| Mark Ingram | (7.3) | Jonathan Stewart | (8.2) |
| Tim Hightower | (6.0) | Kelvin Benjamin | (7.7) |
| Michael Thomas | (8.5) | Ted Ginn | (4.2) |
| Brandin Cooks | (8.2) | Devin Funchess | (3.8) |
| Willie Snead | (6.8) | Greg Olsen | (9.0) |
| Coby Fleener | (4.8) | Panthers DST | (5.5) |
| Saints DST | (5.3) |
Risky Starter
Starting Snead has proven to be risky business. Last week he played a season-low 30 snaps, but that didn't hinder him from two short-area touchdowns. With only one game of over 60 yards receiving in his past seven, it's evident Snead is a touchdown-or-bust wideout. All of his scores have come in the red zone and three from 5 yards or closer.
If we know this, the Panthers probably do too, and their red-zone defense is among the stingiest in the league. Also, slot corner Leonard Johnson hasn't been a total liability yet. As tempted as you might be to chase Snead's stats from last week, it's better to think of him as a No. 3 receiver with limited potential even if he does score.
