Week 11 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Play or Bench Advice on Top Fantasy Football Stars

With the NFL set to kick off Week 11 on Thursday, most season-long fantasy leagues are approaching the final playoff push. Now is the time for managers to either solidify their spots or make one final bid for the postseason.

Unfortunately, the road to the playoffs has been littered with disappointing performances, injuries and brutal matchups. That trend will continue in Week 11, as several fantasy stars will face off against terrific defenses.

Here, you'll find a look at some of the toughest matchups of the week, along with start-sit recommendations based on point-per-reception (PPR) scoring.

We were on board with Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown last week, even against a stiff Baltimore Ravens run defense. The second-year back is regularly featured in Cincinnati's passing game, and he showcased his PPR ceiling against the rival Ravens.

Brown only rushed for 42 yards against Baltimore, but he found the end zone and caught a whopping nine passes for another 52 yards. Even with a lost fumble, Brown did enough to win a lot of fantasy matchups.

Managers should stick with Brown this week against the Los Angeles Chargers, even though they've allowed the second-fewest fantasy points to opposing RBs this season. Brown's PPR floor should push him into double-digit fantasy points, even if his yardage numbers underwhelm.

Last week, Tennessee Titans backs Tyjae Spears and Tony Pollard combined for seven receptions and 114 scrimmage yards. Brown should see the vast majority of the backfield work for Cincinnati.

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. returned to a fairly prominent role in Week 10. After logging just three carries the previous week, Etienne saw 11 carries against the Minnesota Vikings.

However, Etienne also had a single target in the passing game, which he caught, but this raises serious concerns about his PPR floor. Etienne is much more of a PPR producer when Trevor Lawrence is under center than he was with Mac Jones last Sunday.

Lawrence, who is dealing with an AC joint injury, will be out again this week, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

While Etienne should again see double-digit carries against the Detroit Lions, Tank Bigbsy remains a threat to steal some of the backfield touches. Etienne's PPR upside is limited, and the Lions have allowed the sixth-fewest fantasy points to opposing running backs.

It's fair to be concerned about star Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson. Quarterback Sam Darnold has been in a bit of a funk over the last two weeks and has committed six turnovers in that span.

Against Jacksonville, Darnold threw three interceptions in or near the end zone. If Darnold cannot throw touchdown passes Jefferson can't catch them. The highly drafted wideout caught five passes in Week 10 but tallied just 48 yards. This week, he'll face the Titans, who have allowed the fourth-fewest fantasy points to opposing receivers.

Tight end T.J. Hockenson is also back for Minnesota and is a threat to steal targets. Hockenson caught eight of nine targets for 72 yards in Week 10.

However, managers shouldn't be ready to send Jefferson to the bench. One down game isn't the sort of alarming trend we've seen from Miami Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill—who caught his first touchdown pass since Week 1 on Monday.

Jefferson has been targeted nine times in each of the past three games, so Hockenson's presence shouldn't dramatically impact his value. It's a bad matchup, but Jefferson can be trusted to come through.

It's much harder to trust Atlanta Falcons receiver Drake London in a bad matchup than it is to trust Jefferson. While Kick Cousins has force-fed London the football at times—the receiver saw 12 targets in Week 10—it isn't an every-week occurrence.

In Weeks 8 and 9, London saw a combined eight targets and six receptions.

Against the Denver Broncos, London's targets could be few and far between. Denver has allowed the third-fewest fantasy points to opposing receivers, and London is sure to draw a matchup with shutdown cornerback Patrick Surtain II.

Opposing quarterbacks have only thrown against Surtain 28 times in nine games this season, and the star corner has allowed a combined 18 catches for 149 yards and a touchdown.

London may spend much of Week 11 serving as a decoy, while the Falcons look to create plays for Darnell Mooney, Kyle Pitts and Bijan Robinson.

*Fantasy scoring information from FantasyPros.