1 week Ago By Maurice Moton
As fantasy football managers with borderline playoff teams prepare for NFL Week 11, they're either swinging for the fences with trade offers or digging through the free-agent pool for the biggest sleepers. We've reached the crucial part of the season in which your playoff run must start now if postseason spots are within reach. Fortunately for managers in that situation, teams have made midseason and post-bye-week changes that will prop up players who aren't rostered in a majority of leagues.
This week, all the skill players on our sleeper list are first-timers, and both quarterbacks could be fantasy starters for the remainder of the season. As always, our sleeper options are available in more than 50 percent of leagues based on FantasyPros' consensus roster percentages . DraftKings DFS Price: $6,200 Bo Nix's roster percentages have inched closer to the sleeper-streamer threshold, so this may be the last time he appears on this list.
We suggested starting Nix in Week 8, and he finished second among quarterbacks in fantasy scoring. The rookie quarterback could be a top finisher at his position again in Week 11. In his last outing, Nix threw for 215 yards and two touchdowns against the Kansas City Chiefs' 14th-ranked pass defense, though he didn't have much room to run on the ground, logging a net total of minus-five rushing yards.
Against the Atlanta Falcons, Nix should have a productive outing as a passer and ball-carrier. The Falcons' pass and run defenses rank 20th or worse. Moreover, Atlanta has the fourth-lowest pressure rate (17.
4 percent). Nix will have plenty of time to throw downfield for splash plays, though he can also get back to picking up yards on the ground. He's fifth among quarterbacks in rushing yards (290).
Nix has a shot to post a new career-high in passing and rushing yards combined for a single game. DraftKings DFS Price: $5,900 On nearly a weekly basis, quarterbacks have gone up and down the field on the Baltimore Ravens pass defense. It's Russell Wilson's turn to do the same.
The Ravens are allowing the second-most fantasy points to quarterbacks, and they may be without standout second-year safety Kyle Hamilton, who exited their previous game with an ankle injury. Last week, Wilson showed that he can still throw an accurate deep ball . He has two wide receivers in George Pickens and Mike Williams, who could haul in those downfield targets against a pass defense that's giving up the most yards and touchdowns.
Wilson has thrown for six touchdowns and just one interception in three games. Even with a 58.8 percent completion rate, he doesn't need to be efficient to gash the Ravens' secondary for a strong fantasy output.
DraftKings DFS Price: $4,400 Gus Edwards missed four consecutive games with an ankle injury, but the Los Angeles Chargers reintroduced him to their backfield rotation last week. He recorded 10 rush attempts for 55 yards against the Tennessee Titans' 13th-ranked run defense. In Week 10, J.
K. Dobbins (15) and Edwards logged double-digit carries. If that trend continues, the Chargers' top two running backs could both have a productive outing on the ground against the Cincinnati Bengals' 17th-ranked run defense.
Cincinnati's 31st-ranked red-zone scoring defense may allow multiple scores to Dobbins and Edwards. So far, Edwards has missed nearly half of the season, but he's handled 28 percent of the Chargers' carries in the red zone (inside the 20-yard line). Last week, Hassan Haskins vultured one of Dobbins' goal-line carries for a touchdown.
With Edwards' volume, he may steal a score from the Chargers' lead tailback too. DraftKings DFS Price: $4,500 The Denver Broncos have a new lead running back. In Week 10, rookie fifth-rounder Audric Estime led the team in carries (14), while Javonte Williams, who led the club in rushing through the first half of the season, recorded just one rush attempt.
During a media presser last week, Broncos head coach Sean Payton hinted that Estime would see more action, which played out at Williams' expense. This week, Payton told reporters that Estime will " continue to get more reps ." Managers must adjust how they view the Broncos' backfield with Estime at the top of the depth chart, though Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin will likely play complementary roles.
Still, Estime is the Broncos running back you want on your roster against the Atlanta Falcons, who rank 20th against the run and 18th in yards allowed per carry (4.5 yards). Based on Estime's touch volume last week, coupled with Payton's recent comments about his workload, he's a top sleeper option for Week 11.
DraftKings DFS Price: $3,600 Nick Westbrook-Ikhine quietly put together an impressive streak that ended last week. He scored a touchdown in four consecutive contests. Westbrook-Ikhine became a consistent scoring threat with Mason Rudolph under center, though he maintained a prominent role in the Tennessee Titans offense in Will Levis' return from a shoulder injury in Week 10.
In Tennessee's previous outing, Westbrook-Ikhine played 100 percent of the offensive snaps, catching all three of his targets for 31 yards. He went scoreless for the first time in over a month but has solidified himself as the Titans' No. 2 wide receiver following the departure of DeAndre Hopkins.
Westbrook-Ikhine could get back in the end zone against the Minnesota Vikings, who, along with the Cleveland Browns, are giving up the second-most fantasy points to the wide receivers. Following his best passing performance of the season, Levis may be able to find the Titans' receiving touchdown leader in the end zone on Sunday. DraftKings DFS Price: $3,500 Rookie quarterback Drake Maye doesn't have a go-to receiver, but he's targeted DeMario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte quite often over the past few weeks.
Since Week 8, Maye has targeted Douglas 14 times and Boutte 12 times. Rostered in 22 percent of leagues , Douglas is a more known commodity. Boutte isn't even on the fantasy radar right now.
Yet Boutte has been targeted six times in three consecutive outings. The Patriots' passing attack has shown signs of improvement, and he's a big part of it. Boutte hasn't taken a snap on special teams since Week 7, and he's played at least 96 percent of the offensive snaps over the last two weeks.
Maye could strengthen his rapport with Boutte as they light up the Los Angeles Rams' 22nd-ranked pass defense. The Rams are giving up the eighth-most fantasy points to wide receivers, so Boutte could have a breakout Week 11 performance. DraftKings DFS Price: $3,200 The Los Angeles Chargers field a run-dominant offense that's ninth in rush attempts.
However, they have operated with offensive balance over the past month, and Will Dissly has benefitted from it. Dissly has been the Chargers' primary pass-catching tight end over Hayden Hurst. He's second on the team in targets (42) and receptions (33).
In two of the Chargers' last three outings, Dissly has been targeted at least six times and finished with five or more receptions. As a key cog in Los Angeles' aerial attack, he should be rostered in far more leagues, especially ahead of a matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals are tied for third in fantasy points allowed to tight ends, and they've surrendered a touchdown to a player at the position in three of their last four contests.
Dissly has a good shot to score his first touchdown of the season in a Sunday Night Football matchup with the Bengals in Week 11. DraftKings DFS Price: $3,500 Every week, managers should start the tight end who faces the Kansas City Chiefs. Kansas City's defense is giving up the second-most fantasy points to players at the position.
This week, managers have a complicated situation to sort out, though. Last week, Buffalo Bills starting tight end Dalton Kincaid suffered a knee injury and returned to action, but he left again. Kincaid told reporters that he didn't feel comfortable playing through the injury.
Because Kincaid seems questionable at best to suit up against the Chiefs, Dawson Knox looks like a better and safer option in a favorable matchup for Bills tight ends. As the Bills' No. 2 tight end, Knox has seen limited opportunities in the passing game, but he could see an uptick in targets with Kincaid, Keon Coleman (wrist) and Amari Cooper (wrist) all banged up.
This week, Cooper has a chance to return from injury, but head coach Sean McDermott has already ruled out Coleman. Whether Kincaid pushes himself to play at well less than 100 percent or not, Knox could be in line for a busy day against the Chiefs. Eligibility restrictions apply.
See draftkings.com for details. Fantasy points scored against statistics are provided by FantasyPros.
Looking for more insight to prep for your draft or make some tough roster decisions? Check out all the latest B/R Fantasy Football essentials here . Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.
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