TNF Start 'Em Sit 'Em Week 11 Ravens vs Bengals: Gus Edwards, Tyler Boyd in the spotlight for fantasy football

Week 11 of the 2023 fantasy football season kicks off with a premier NFL matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals. This particular game is extremely important for many reasons, including the AFC North divisional race and the NFL playoff picture. It will also be crucial for fantasy players, as Thursday Night Football games set the tone for weekly matchups.

Both teams feature a ton of relevant fantasy options as both of their offenses have been highly productive this year, as they usually are. Managers should still avoid blindly starting any of them, but rather analyze the potential options against the rest of the Week 11 player pool.

Proper analysis often leads to higher fantasy scores each week. With this exciting matchup being played on Thursday, it will be even more important for managers to make the right lineup decisons.

The wrong moves on the first game of the week can be detrimental in fantasy football, potentially creating a difficult hole to climb out of. The following breakdown can help managers navigate these decisions.

Thursday Night Football Week 11 Start 'Em & Sit 'Em fantasy football

Week 11 TNF

Managers should consider every variable possible before finalizing any fantasy football lineup decisions.

In order to decide which players to target in fantasy football each week, a large number of factors should be taken into careful consideration.

Some of these include recent individual performances, injuries to relevant players, potential game scripts, expected offensive roles, direct weekly matchups, and projected team totals, among many others.

Weighing up all of these and many more plays an important role when finalizing lineup decisions to maximize a weekly fantasy score. The Start/Sit Optimizer makes this complicated process much easier. This useful tool considers all of the variables for any player in a given week to generate lineup suggestions and fantasy projections.

Official injury reports are always another crucial factor when making lineup decisions for players in any game. In this matchup, both the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals will have most of their usual players, with the exception of one major absence. Tee Higgins will be out with an injury for a second consecutive week.

Taking all of this and much more into careful consideration, here is a list of potential players to target and avoid in fantasy football on Thursday Night Football in Week 11 of the 2023 NFL season. It was created with the help of the Optimizer.

TNF Week 11 Fantasy Football Start 'Em Picks

Lamar Jackson

Despite the Ravens' decision to utilize Lamar Jackson as a rusher much less this year than in previous seasons, he has still been one of the best fantasy football quarterbacks. He has ranked among the top 20 quarterbacks in eight of his ten games this year, including five top-ten finishes.

Joe Burrow

After a slow start to the 2023 fantasy football season, Joe Burrow has looked like his usual self in recent weeks. He has proven that his struggles were mostly related to his early-season calf injury, and now thathe is healthy, he is once again among the best lineup options every week.

Gus Edwards

The Ravens have leaned on Gus Edwards after suffering multiple injuries to their running backs. He has been particularly effective in the red zone, totaling seven touchdowns across his past four games. He also led their backfield in carries during that same stretch.

Joe Mixon

Joe Mixon has been extremely consistent during the 2023 fantasy football season so far, ranking among the top 30 running backs in every game this year. This includes five top-20 finishes and two top-ten finishes in PPR leagues. He has done so by exceeding 15 touches in allbut one game this season. His production makes him a RB2 or better on most fantasy rosters.

Zay Flowers

Rookie Zay Flowers leads all Ravens wide receivers in most statistical categories, making himthe clear WR1 in their offensive scheme.

He has been a bit inconsistent this year, ranking among the top 30 wide receivers in just half of his games, but he has a fairly favorable matchup this week. The Ravens rank in the bottom half of the league, defending fantasy receivers.

Ja'Marr Chase

While Burrow was dealing with his calf injury, Ja'Marr Chase's fantasy production severely dipped. Since he has returned to health over the past few weeks, Chase has resumed his role as one of the most dominant wide receivers in any format. He is one of the few fantasy players who should be started every week, regardless of his matchup.

Tyler Boyd

With Tee Higgins ruled out again with an inury, Tyler Boyd will once again see an expanded role in the Bengals' offense. He recorded a season-best WR14 finish last week in a similar projected role to what he will have in Week 11. Despite the Ravens allowing the sixth-fewest fantasy points per game to wide receivers, Boyd deserves a roster spot.

Mark Andrews

With the exception of Travis Kelce, Mark Andrews has been the most consistently productive fantasy football tight end across the past three years. He has also led the Ravens in most receiving categories during that time, making him an elite tight end option, especially in a position that lacks depth. The Bengals allowing the third-most fantasy points per game to tight ends is just an added bonus.

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Managers looking to acquire any of these Week 11 targets should consult the fantasy football trade analyzer first.

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TNF Week 11 Fantasy Football Sit 'Em Picks

Keaton Mitchell

Keaton Mitchell has flashed his elite explosiveness over the past two weeks, recording 200 total yards on just 14 touches. This surely gives him upside in fantasy football, but until he can establish a larger workload, he is too risky to use in most starting lineups.

Odell Beckham Jr.

With Mark Andrews and Zay Flowers serving as the top-two targets in the Ravens' passing game, Odell Backham Jr. simply seen enough opportunities to emerge as a fantasy asset. He has finished among the top 30 wide receivers just once this season and can be safely dropped in most leagues, not just benched.

Trenton Irwin

While Tyler Boyd and Ja'Marr Chase are still starting options against the Ravens' elite passing defense, Trenton Irwin should probably be left on the bench. He has totaled more than 20 targets in two games where Tee Higgins was unavailable, but he doesn't have enough upside in such a brutal matchup this week.