Week 11! Byes are tough again this week, so let’s find some gems who can help keep you in the mix and out of danger!
We are in the thick of the fantasy season, with playoffs only a few weeks away. Whether you need a strong push or to maintain, we are here to help! This is a rough week for byes, with some superstars out along with some elite matchups on ice, so it is vital to find the best remaining matchups and trends. Let’s dive in and help you finish the run!
Disclaimers! In this series, we will not name the stars like Myles Garrett and Roquan Smith (unless something causes one to be a sit). I will also do my best to avoid an absurdly deep-cut former prospect that I love (if you follow the RoD PoD, you know I can tend to do this!) In this series I will be basing picks off of a balanced scoring system (like the IDP+ Invitational, which also boosts DTs and CBs to even their production out), to cover as many bases as possible! Please also note that mentions of previous finishes/points allowed come from the IDP+ data suite. If you have a more complex league scoring system, these suggestions may serve as a baseline. For a more degenerate breakdown, jump into Discord and chat with our stellar team! Now that the intro is done, let’s introduce the week 11 start-sit options!
Start: DT Jeffery Simmons, Tennessee Titans vs Minnesota Vikings
After an injury-plagued 2023 and a slow start to 2024, Simmons has broken back out in recent weeks. The Titan’s superstar has been DT9 over the past 3 weeks, with no game below DT16 in the span. He has 2 sacks and 14 total tackles within the same span, giving floor and ceiling. His pass rush metrics have not been elite overall, but steadily improving, to improve the ceiling as well. The Vikings, as part of their overall recent struggles, have given up many points to DTs lately. Only 3 teams have allowed a higher PPG total over the past 3 weeks to DTs, including two top-6 DTs in week 9 to Indianapolis. Simmons should be in most weekly lineups, but is a smash play this week especially!
Last week: Grady Jarrett, Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints. Finished with 5 points (IDPI scoring). 5 assisted tackles (a few solo tackles or converting on any of multiple pressures would have been cool, but oh whale, that’s fantasy some weeks).
Sit: DT Alim McNeill, Detroit Lions vs Jacksonville Jaguars
Despite being an absolute dumpster fire overall, the Jaguars have been surprisingly good against DTs. They have allowed the fewest points to them over the past 3 weeks while being a bottom-5 matchup overall. McNeill has been great on the field, inking a massive extension, but fantasy scoring has been less consistent. He has two game-winning weeks but has been replacement-level in the rest. McNeill’s potential should not be tested in an atrocious matchup barring bye-week hell.
Last week: Calijah Kancey, Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs San Francisco 49ers. Finished with 29 points. 5 tackles (2 for loss), a sack, and a forced fumble while finishing tied for DT4 overall. Week 11 IDP Start or Sit
Thank you all for taking the time and trust to read my start-sit article! I am honored and excited to go through this exercise each week and hope that I am able to help y’all win some matchups. I will not be perfect, but promise to give my best each week and give well-thought and backed information. Feel free to reach out to chat with me about this (or anything else!) in Discord or on X, where you can find me @JoeLow63. Please also check out my podcast, Ride or Dynasty (@RideorDynasty on X) with myself, Jameson Hutchison (@Jamesonrulez), and host JJ Wenner (@JJWenner) LIVE on X each Thursday at 6EST/4MT and in your podcast feeds Friday mornings! Week 11 IDP Start or Sit