Start ‘Em or Sit ‘Em (2018): Wide Receiver Edition: Week 11: Corey Davis, John Brown, Allen Robinson & More

by Eric Stashin (aka The Rotoprofessor)

Trying to decide who you should start or sit this week? Let’s take a look at a few potential decisions owners have and try to sort through them:

Allen Robinson – Chicago Bears
vs. Minnesota

To say Robinson returned with a bang in Week 10 would be an understatement, as he torched the Lions for 6 receptions (8 targets), 133 yards and 2 TD.  While there is a few week void mixed in, he has now scored in three of the past four games he’s played as he’s showing flashes of being the team’s top receiving option like they signed him to be.

Of course things won’t be easy this week, as the Vikings have allowed the third fewest points per week to opposing wide receivers.  There’s also no guarantee that the targets go in his direction, as he’s going to share the opportunities with Tarik Cohen (7 targets in Week 10), Anthony Miller (6 targets) and Trey Burton (4 targets).

Verdict – Sit ‘Em (high risk, high reward WR3)

Corey Davis – Tennessee Titans
at Indianapolis

Just when it looked like the time had come for Davis to be written off, he’s been targeted 10 times in each of the past two games.  He’s turned those 20 targets into 13 receptions, 181 yards and 1 TD and there’s no question that he’s the team’s best receiving option.  Indianapolis has been fairly stingy against opposing wide receivers (23rd most points per week), but that’s hardly enough to deter you.  With this type of workload the upside is there, and there’s little reason to think anything is about to change.

Verdict – Start ‘Em (locked in WR2)

Larry Fitzgerald – Arizona Cardinals
vs. Oakland

It looked like Fitzgerald had been bypassed by Christian Kirk as the team’s best receiving option, but over the past four weeks the Cardinals have flipped the script.  Just look at the results:

• at Minnesota – 5 receptions (8 targets), 39 yards
• vs. Denver – 4 receptions (8 targets), 40 yards, 1 TD
• vs. San Francisco – 8 receptions (12 targets), 102 yards, 1 TD
• at Kansas City – 6 receptions, 50 yards

At least 8 targets against a poor Oakland defense is going to yield strong results.  While there were reasons to be skeptical earlier in the season, that time has come and gone.

Verdict – Start ‘Em

Devin Funchess – Carolina Panthers
at Detroit

We want to believe in Funchess, don’t we?  He should be the team’s top receiver, but he’s consistently failed to post viable results.  Over the past three games he’s been targeted a total of 13 times and he’s failed to eclipse 77 yards in a game (and that came in Week 2).  Instead of focusing on one receiver, Cam Newton has been spreading the ball around.  Last week no receiver was targeted more than 6 times (Greg Olsen) and there were six players targeted at least three times.

The offense is going to run through Olsen and Christian McCaffrey, and with DJ Moore and Curtis Samuel getting ample opportunities it’s becoming tougher and tougher to trust Funchess on a weekly basis.

Verdict – Sit ‘Em (he’s a dart throw WR3 if you are in need)

John Brown – Baltimore Ravens
vs. Cincinnati

Brown has shown the ability to make a big play, but it’s avoided him over the past two weeks (6 receptions for 43 yards total).  Would Lamar Jackson being under center help him or could the Ravens scale back the offense, at least a little bit, in his first NFL start?  That’s an intriguing wrinkle, though we’d have to expect Baltimore to take their shots regardless of who is playing quarterback.

The Bengals have allowed the fourth most points per week to opposing wide receivers this season (and the most over the past four weeks).  They’ve also allowed the second most passing plays of at least 20 yards (38), trailing only the Kansas City Chiefs.

Verdict – Start ‘Em (solid WR2, despite the boom/bust risk)

Sources – ESPN, NFL.com

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Make sure to check out all of our Week 11 rankings: