Heading into the 11th week of fantasy football, some owners are once again stuck on who to start in their flex position. With so many players to choose from, it can make it tough to narrow down who to utilize each week. For any fantasy owner in this position, here are three flex players who are must-starts this week if rostered.
The story surrounding Jerry Jeudy in recent weeks has been that the Cleveland Browns’ offense has been playing so poorly that he can’t possibly be fantasy-relevant this season. This has been true for the most part, with weeks two through eight not amassing over 9.3 fantasy points or 51 receiving yards. Having endured this long stretch of bad games, it left a bad taste in the current owner’s mouth, forcing them to bench him after the bye in week ten.
This turned out to be the worst decision any current Jeudy owner could have made. In week 10 against the New York Jets, he had a breakout game, scoring 19.8 fantasy points, proving to owners he can still be relevant in the right matchup.
There will be many current Jeudy fantasy owners who say it was luck, and he won’t stay consistent. They are correct; being a wide receiver on the Browns with Dillon Gabriel as his quarterback, he will only shine in the right matchup. This is okay. Being consistent isn’t what an owner needs from Jeudy; all they need to do is utilize and start him in those right matchups. In week 11 against the Baltimore Ravens, he has the right matchup.
Starting Jeudy, hoping he can have back-to-back great fantasy weeks, might not sound like the best plan to an owner who has seen him be useless for seven weeks. To anyone who has lost trust in him, that’s fine; leave him on the bench for another week. You will be sorry.
The Ravens currently allow 249.5 passing yards per game and have given up 15 passing touchdowns in only nine games. They are in the bottom half of the NFL in pass defense, and with Jeudy averaging 7.3 targets per game, he will have another huge performance. Don’t be afraid and start Jeudy in the flex in Week 11.
As a fan of the Buffalo Bills, you may have wished the team had pushed for a wide receiver at the trade deadline. After a tough loss to a struggling Miami Dolphins team, it seems it would have been best for the organization to get an extra playmaker. On the other hand, for any Khalil Shakir fantasy owners, the Bills’ standing firm has been the best outcome possible.
Shakir averages five receptions and 50 yards per game, with three touchdowns, resulting in an average of 12.1 fantasy points per game. These aren’t elite wide receiver stats, but since the Bills didn’t add anyone, Shakir remains the primary option for Josh Allen, staying relevant as a flex in fantasy this season.
This week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Shakir will do more than stay relevant. The Buccaneers have had one of the worst passing defenses in the NFL while also having a top-15 rushing defense. Through the air, they have given up 233.2 passing yards per game with 13 touchdowns, but on the ground, they have only allowed 100.8 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. This will result in the Bills having to rely heavily on Shakir and the passing game, allowing him to exceed his projected fantasy points of 12.9.
If a current Shakir fantasy owner is on edge about starting him in the flex this week, don’t be fooled, put him in the lineup. When you examine how the Buccaneers’ defense has performed with the combination of him being the top receiving option, it’s a no-brainer. Put him in and expect a big fantasy week.
Heading into the season, not many fantasy owners knew what to make of the Houston Texans’ backfield. With no indication of when Joe Mixon would return from injury, most thought Nick Chubb would be the primary back. Little did they know, Woody Marks, a rookie selected late in the NFL draft, would play so well that he forced the Texans to have him split reps with Chubb.
If you were the lucky fantasy owner to claim Marks after his huge performance against the Tennessee Titans, where he scored 27.9 fantasy points, you have been cashing in. Since the big performance against the Titans, he has had three games above 12.5 fantasy points and only two games below that mark. For a random waiver claim in the middle of the season, he has shown incredible fantasy value, pushing for yet another flex start this week against who else, the Titans.
Some Fantasy owners disagree and believe that Marks is too risky to be a must-start after two weeks with less than three fantasy points in a five-week span. This might be partly true, given that he had a few tough weeks, but if you examine those games, you can see that it was just a few flukes.
In week five against the Ravens, C.J. Stroud performed so well that Houston relied solely on the passing game, with no rusher exceeding 61 yards or 11 carries. Against the Denver Broncos, it was a hard-fought defensive game, with neither team scoring more than 18 points, which limited any big fantasy performances.
You can say that scoring fewer than three fantasy points is quite a letdown, but when having the right matchup, Marks has proven to excel. This week, with a rematch against the awful Titans defense, he is set up to exceed his projection of 13.8 points. The Titans are the sixth-worst team defending the run this season, allowing 141.3 yards per game and 15 total touchdowns. If this doesn’t get a fantasy owner excited about starting a player, not much else will. With Marks dominating the Titans’ defense back in week four and with them still struggling against every team in the NFL, he is a must-start flex player in week 11.
If you’re a fantasy owner with any of these players on your roster, you must play them in the flex if you don’t have them starting already. Marks being in the best position, playing the worst team, and having a proven track record of already dominating the Titans, makes it an easy choice to start him. Shakir and Jeudy are also great options playing against well below-average passing defenses while also getting the most receptions of any wide receiver on their teams. I expect all three of these players to outplay their projections and score 15+ fantasy points apiece.
If you love sports, download Stadium Rant from the Apple App Store and join one of the fastest-growing social sports communities. Be sure to follow us on socials too — you can find all our profiles on our Linktree.
