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Higher or Lower? Fantasy Football Players We’re Backing or Fading in Week 11

By Published On: November 14th, 2025

by Optimus Staff

Published On: November 14th, 2025

Welcome one and all to the great fantasy football game show! Each week, our fabulous writers participate in the fantastic game of higher/lower and submit their predictions for player rankings. 

a man in a red shirt with the word vince on it stands in front of a crowd

This week, like most weeks (sadly), we have injuries galore. Week 11 has put some of you in a tough spot where you may have to start someone you would prefer not to. We are here to help give you a confidence boost to scream “HIGHER” for those players and not to fall victim to others that would illicit a “LOWER” response. I now invite you to “come on down” to Optimus Fantasy’s Week 11 Higher/Lower.

As a reminder, each of our analysts’ rankings can be found by simply clicking on their names below. We have linked them for you.

Higher or Lower? Fantasy Football Players We’re Backing or Fading in Week 11

Players We Are Higher On:

Brock Purdy, QB, San Francisco 49ers

Consensus Rank: QB25

Nate’s Rank: QB16 (+9)

Embed from Getty Images

They say distance makes the heart grow fonder, but apparently, that isn’t the case with 49ers QB Brock Purdy. Mr. Irrelevant, who, it turns out, is in fact very relevant, returns this week after missing eight games with a toe injury, and consensus is quite low on the veteran signal-caller.

Though Purdy has only appeared in two games this season, he was very good in both – his point-per-game average ranks as QB12. While one was against Jacksonville, which has been bad against QBs, his Week 4 performance (19.7 fantasy points) before reinjuring his toe was against a much better Seahawks unit.

If I were crazy, I would have Purdy as a top-10 QB this week. I’m not crazy. Usually, I would ding a QB more in their first game back from injury, but this is different. That Week 4 performance I mentioned? That was after sitting out for two weeks due to the same injury and reaggravating it during the game. Even against a Cardinals defense that is a top-six defense against the position (allowing 14.7 points per game), I have little doubt Purdy is more than startable in all 2QB and Superflex formats this weekend and moving forward.    

Marcus Mariota, QB, Washington Commanders

Consensus Rank: QB15

Bryan’s Rank: QB13 (+2)

Embed from Getty Images

I know I’m not wildly higher on Mariota than the field, but I do want to take this time to talk about how surprisingly good he’s been for fantasy. Outside of the difficult Kansas City matchup, Mariota has not dragged your team down in each of his starts. I think it’s safe to say you’re happy to get 15 points or more from a backup QB. Mariota is going to need to ball out to beat an explosive Miami offense, making him a good play for those missing out on Stroud and Daniels this weekend. 

Michael Wilson, WR, Arizona Cardinals

Consensus Rank: WR45

Lou’s Rank: WR24 (+21)

Did you hear Marvin Harrison is out?! I mean, of course, you did. You follow us here, you follow @new.optimusfantasy.com over on BlueSky, so you’re up to speed on all of that. Considering how effective a job Jacoby Brissett does at running the Arizona offense, it’s almost surprising Michael Wilson is this low. This is still very much Trey McBride’s offense, though, and while I like Wilson a lot this week with MHJ out, he’s still very much second banana to McBride.

But with that said, Michael Wilson is a much better play this week than I believe people are giving him credit for. For one, he has the body type, skill set, and ability to play the Harrison X WR role. This is significant as the X WR stays on the field almost all the time for the Cardinals, which means Wilson will run plenty of routes. He probably won’t get the same kind of target share that Harrison enjoys in the role, which is natural. After all, this is why Harrison starts and Wilson does not. But Wilson should still come up from the 4.2 targets/game he’s averaging this season. If he ends up in that 7+ target range, which is very possible, there’s no reason he can’t return a low-WR2 or high-WR3 value in Week 11.

Players We Are Lower On:

Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars

Consensus Rank: QB22

Nate’s Rank: QB27 (-5)

It wasn’t my intention to write up two QBs this week, but between players already taken (Wan’Dale Robinson) and my apparent agreement with consensus rankings, here we are. And of course it had to be Trevor Lawrence, right?

I’ve been down on the veteran Jaguars QB all season, and this week is no exception. In his fifth NFL season, he has again been mid, at best. Lawrence is currently QB15, mainly on the back of big games against weak defenses and two games with two rushing TDs. That’s not happening this weekend, friends.

Jacksonville hosts the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, who have been a shutdown unit against opposing QBs. They are currently giving up the fourth fewest fantasy points to the position (13.9), and they’ve been even tougher as of late. Since Week 6, the Chargers defense has allowed five passing TDs, no rushing TDs and a scant 17 rushing yards to QBs. 

I’m far enough down on him that I am actively benching him in 2QB and Superflex leagues where I can. The dream is over, and Lawrence is exactly who I thought he was. He’ll have weeks where he’s borderline startable, as indicated by his QB15 rank. But this isn’t one of them.   

Wan’Dale Robinson, WR, New York Giants

Consensus Rank: WR24

Bryan’s Rank: WR32 (-8)

Embed from Getty Images

Well, it’s looking like the rest of the experts are buying into the Jameis Winston hype more than I am. That’s not to say I don’t think Winston will find a way to sling the rock as he always does; I just think the targets will be a bit more spread out in this matchup. There isn’t a true WR1 on this team like Mike Evans or Jerry Jeudy, so we are left guessing as to who Winston really trusts when the 40th pass attempt is launched from the Giants’ third stringer. Admittedly, I do think Darius Slayton* and Theo Johnson benefit the most from a Winston start. Robinson is still a fine play if you’re staring down a shallow bench and need a nice floor.

*UPDATE: Slayton is out this weekend. Wan’Dale might prove me wrong just yet.

Rachaad White, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Consensus Rank: RB21

Lou’s Rank: RB31 (-10)

No, he’s not ranked this low because Bucky’s coming back. Yes, I want that too, but it’s not here. Not yet anyhow. The trouble with Rachaad is he’s still who he’s always been – a very good pass-catching RB, but one that will live in the 3 – 3.5 yards per carry range. It’s just who he is. And that’s fine; we applaud people who know who they are and who they are not, as that’s just good mental health practice.

However, White has a Sean Tucker problem. Tucker hasn’t played any more snaps in the last two games, but he’s outperformed White in both on the ground. Tucker was also the first RB all season to rush for over 50 yards against New England, and he did it on only nine carries. Buffalo’s struggles against the run are real and well-documented. Considering Tucker’s supremacy over White in that aspect of their skills, he’s the one set to benefit from the matchup with Buffalo. Not Rachaad White.

For more advice, head over to our Discord channel and ask our analysts! For breaking news and injury updates, follow Optimus Fantasy News on Bluesky!

Welcome one and all to the great fantasy football game show! Each week, our fabulous writers participate in the fantastic game of higher/lower and submit their predictions for player rankings. 

a man in a red shirt with the word vince on it stands in front of a crowd

This week, like most weeks (sadly), we have injuries galore. Week 11 has put some of you in a tough spot where you may have to start someone you would prefer not to. We are here to help give you a confidence boost to scream “HIGHER” for those players and not to fall victim to others that would illicit a “LOWER” response. I now invite you to “come on down” to Optimus Fantasy’s Week 11 Higher/Lower.

As a reminder, each of our analysts’ rankings can be found by simply clicking on their names below. We have linked them for you.

Higher or Lower? Fantasy Football Players We’re Backing or Fading in Week 11

Players We Are Higher On:

Brock Purdy, QB, San Francisco 49ers

Consensus Rank: QB25

Nate’s Rank: QB16 (+9)

Embed from Getty Images

They say distance makes the heart grow fonder, but apparently, that isn’t the case with 49ers QB Brock Purdy. Mr. Irrelevant, who, it turns out, is in fact very relevant, returns this week after missing eight games with a toe injury, and consensus is quite low on the veteran signal-caller.

Though Purdy has only appeared in two games this season, he was very good in both – his point-per-game average ranks as QB12. While one was against Jacksonville, which has been bad against QBs, his Week 4 performance (19.7 fantasy points) before reinjuring his toe was against a much better Seahawks unit.

If I were crazy, I would have Purdy as a top-10 QB this week. I’m not crazy. Usually, I would ding a QB more in their first game back from injury, but this is different. That Week 4 performance I mentioned? That was after sitting out for two weeks due to the same injury and reaggravating it during the game. Even against a Cardinals defense that is a top-six defense against the position (allowing 14.7 points per game), I have little doubt Purdy is more than startable in all 2QB and Superflex formats this weekend and moving forward.    

Marcus Mariota, QB, Washington Commanders

Consensus Rank: QB15

Bryan’s Rank: QB13 (+2)

Embed from Getty Images

I know I’m not wildly higher on Mariota than the field, but I do want to take this time to talk about how surprisingly good he’s been for fantasy. Outside of the difficult Kansas City matchup, Mariota has not dragged your team down in each of his starts. I think it’s safe to say you’re happy to get 15 points or more from a backup QB. Mariota is going to need to ball out to beat an explosive Miami offense, making him a good play for those missing out on Stroud and Daniels this weekend. 

Michael Wilson, WR, Arizona Cardinals

Consensus Rank: WR45

Lou’s Rank: WR24 (+21)

Did you hear Marvin Harrison is out?! I mean, of course, you did. You follow us here, you follow @new.optimusfantasy.com over on BlueSky, so you’re up to speed on all of that. Considering how effective a job Jacoby Brissett does at running the Arizona offense, it’s almost surprising Michael Wilson is this low. This is still very much Trey McBride’s offense, though, and while I like Wilson a lot this week with MHJ out, he’s still very much second banana to McBride.

But with that said, Michael Wilson is a much better play this week than I believe people are giving him credit for. For one, he has the body type, skill set, and ability to play the Harrison X WR role. This is significant as the X WR stays on the field almost all the time for the Cardinals, which means Wilson will run plenty of routes. He probably won’t get the same kind of target share that Harrison enjoys in the role, which is natural. After all, this is why Harrison starts and Wilson does not. But Wilson should still come up from the 4.2 targets/game he’s averaging this season. If he ends up in that 7+ target range, which is very possible, there’s no reason he can’t return a low-WR2 or high-WR3 value in Week 11.

Players We Are Lower On:

Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars

Consensus Rank: QB22

Nate’s Rank: QB27 (-5)

It wasn’t my intention to write up two QBs this week, but between players already taken (Wan’Dale Robinson) and my apparent agreement with consensus rankings, here we are. And of course it had to be Trevor Lawrence, right?

I’ve been down on the veteran Jaguars QB all season, and this week is no exception. In his fifth NFL season, he has again been mid, at best. Lawrence is currently QB15, mainly on the back of big games against weak defenses and two games with two rushing TDs. That’s not happening this weekend, friends.

Jacksonville hosts the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, who have been a shutdown unit against opposing QBs. They are currently giving up the fourth fewest fantasy points to the position (13.9), and they’ve been even tougher as of late. Since Week 6, the Chargers defense has allowed five passing TDs, no rushing TDs and a scant 17 rushing yards to QBs. 

I’m far enough down on him that I am actively benching him in 2QB and Superflex leagues where I can. The dream is over, and Lawrence is exactly who I thought he was. He’ll have weeks where he’s borderline startable, as indicated by his QB15 rank. But this isn’t one of them.   

Wan’Dale Robinson, WR, New York Giants

Consensus Rank: WR24

Bryan’s Rank: WR32 (-8)

Embed from Getty Images

Well, it’s looking like the rest of the experts are buying into the Jameis Winston hype more than I am. That’s not to say I don’t think Winston will find a way to sling the rock as he always does; I just think the targets will be a bit more spread out in this matchup. There isn’t a true WR1 on this team like Mike Evans or Jerry Jeudy, so we are left guessing as to who Winston really trusts when the 40th pass attempt is launched from the Giants’ third stringer. Admittedly, I do think Darius Slayton* and Theo Johnson benefit the most from a Winston start. Robinson is still a fine play if you’re staring down a shallow bench and need a nice floor.

*UPDATE: Slayton is out this weekend. Wan’Dale might prove me wrong just yet.

Rachaad White, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Consensus Rank: RB21

Lou’s Rank: RB31 (-10)

No, he’s not ranked this low because Bucky’s coming back. Yes, I want that too, but it’s not here. Not yet anyhow. The trouble with Rachaad is he’s still who he’s always been – a very good pass-catching RB, but one that will live in the 3 – 3.5 yards per carry range. It’s just who he is. And that’s fine; we applaud people who know who they are and who they are not, as that’s just good mental health practice.

However, White has a Sean Tucker problem. Tucker hasn’t played any more snaps in the last two games, but he’s outperformed White in both on the ground. Tucker was also the first RB all season to rush for over 50 yards against New England, and he did it on only nine carries. Buffalo’s struggles against the run are real and well-documented. Considering Tucker’s supremacy over White in that aspect of their skills, he’s the one set to benefit from the matchup with Buffalo. Not Rachaad White.

For more advice, head over to our Discord channel and ask our analysts! For breaking news and injury updates, follow Optimus Fantasy News on Bluesky!

Welcome one and all to the great fantasy football game show! Each week, our fabulous writers participate in the fantastic game of higher/lower and submit their predictions for player rankings. 

a man in a red shirt with the word vince on it stands in front of a crowd

This week, like most weeks (sadly), we have injuries galore. Week 11 has put some of you in a tough spot where you may have to start someone you would prefer not to. We are here to help give you a confidence boost to scream “HIGHER” for those players and not to fall victim to others that would illicit a “LOWER” response. I now invite you to “come on down” to Optimus Fantasy’s Week 11 Higher/Lower.

As a reminder, each of our analysts’ rankings can be found by simply clicking on their names below. We have linked them for you.

Higher or Lower? Fantasy Football Players We’re Backing or Fading in Week 11

Players We Are Higher On:

Brock Purdy, QB, San Francisco 49ers

Consensus Rank: QB25

Nate’s Rank: QB16 (+9)

Embed from Getty Images

They say distance makes the heart grow fonder, but apparently, that isn’t the case with 49ers QB Brock Purdy. Mr. Irrelevant, who, it turns out, is in fact very relevant, returns this week after missing eight games with a toe injury, and consensus is quite low on the veteran signal-caller.

Though Purdy has only appeared in two games this season, he was very good in both – his point-per-game average ranks as QB12. While one was against Jacksonville, which has been bad against QBs, his Week 4 performance (19.7 fantasy points) before reinjuring his toe was against a much better Seahawks unit.

If I were crazy, I would have Purdy as a top-10 QB this week. I’m not crazy. Usually, I would ding a QB more in their first game back from injury, but this is different. That Week 4 performance I mentioned? That was after sitting out for two weeks due to the same injury and reaggravating it during the game. Even against a Cardinals defense that is a top-six defense against the position (allowing 14.7 points per game), I have little doubt Purdy is more than startable in all 2QB and Superflex formats this weekend and moving forward.    

Marcus Mariota, QB, Washington Commanders

Consensus Rank: QB15

Bryan’s Rank: QB13 (+2)

Embed from Getty Images

I know I’m not wildly higher on Mariota than the field, but I do want to take this time to talk about how surprisingly good he’s been for fantasy. Outside of the difficult Kansas City matchup, Mariota has not dragged your team down in each of his starts. I think it’s safe to say you’re happy to get 15 points or more from a backup QB. Mariota is going to need to ball out to beat an explosive Miami offense, making him a good play for those missing out on Stroud and Daniels this weekend. 

Michael Wilson, WR, Arizona Cardinals

Consensus Rank: WR45

Lou’s Rank: WR24 (+21)

Did you hear Marvin Harrison is out?! I mean, of course, you did. You follow us here, you follow @new.optimusfantasy.com over on BlueSky, so you’re up to speed on all of that. Considering how effective a job Jacoby Brissett does at running the Arizona offense, it’s almost surprising Michael Wilson is this low. This is still very much Trey McBride’s offense, though, and while I like Wilson a lot this week with MHJ out, he’s still very much second banana to McBride.

But with that said, Michael Wilson is a much better play this week than I believe people are giving him credit for. For one, he has the body type, skill set, and ability to play the Harrison X WR role. This is significant as the X WR stays on the field almost all the time for the Cardinals, which means Wilson will run plenty of routes. He probably won’t get the same kind of target share that Harrison enjoys in the role, which is natural. After all, this is why Harrison starts and Wilson does not. But Wilson should still come up from the 4.2 targets/game he’s averaging this season. If he ends up in that 7+ target range, which is very possible, there’s no reason he can’t return a low-WR2 or high-WR3 value in Week 11.

Players We Are Lower On:

Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars

Consensus Rank: QB22

Nate’s Rank: QB27 (-5)

It wasn’t my intention to write up two QBs this week, but between players already taken (Wan’Dale Robinson) and my apparent agreement with consensus rankings, here we are. And of course it had to be Trevor Lawrence, right?

I’ve been down on the veteran Jaguars QB all season, and this week is no exception. In his fifth NFL season, he has again been mid, at best. Lawrence is currently QB15, mainly on the back of big games against weak defenses and two games with two rushing TDs. That’s not happening this weekend, friends.

Jacksonville hosts the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, who have been a shutdown unit against opposing QBs. They are currently giving up the fourth fewest fantasy points to the position (13.9), and they’ve been even tougher as of late. Since Week 6, the Chargers defense has allowed five passing TDs, no rushing TDs and a scant 17 rushing yards to QBs. 

I’m far enough down on him that I am actively benching him in 2QB and Superflex leagues where I can. The dream is over, and Lawrence is exactly who I thought he was. He’ll have weeks where he’s borderline startable, as indicated by his QB15 rank. But this isn’t one of them.   

Wan’Dale Robinson, WR, New York Giants

Consensus Rank: WR24

Bryan’s Rank: WR32 (-8)

Embed from Getty Images

Well, it’s looking like the rest of the experts are buying into the Jameis Winston hype more than I am. That’s not to say I don’t think Winston will find a way to sling the rock as he always does; I just think the targets will be a bit more spread out in this matchup. There isn’t a true WR1 on this team like Mike Evans or Jerry Jeudy, so we are left guessing as to who Winston really trusts when the 40th pass attempt is launched from the Giants’ third stringer. Admittedly, I do think Darius Slayton* and Theo Johnson benefit the most from a Winston start. Robinson is still a fine play if you’re staring down a shallow bench and need a nice floor.

*UPDATE: Slayton is out this weekend. Wan’Dale might prove me wrong just yet.

Rachaad White, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Consensus Rank: RB21

Lou’s Rank: RB31 (-10)

No, he’s not ranked this low because Bucky’s coming back. Yes, I want that too, but it’s not here. Not yet anyhow. The trouble with Rachaad is he’s still who he’s always been – a very good pass-catching RB, but one that will live in the 3 – 3.5 yards per carry range. It’s just who he is. And that’s fine; we applaud people who know who they are and who they are not, as that’s just good mental health practice.

However, White has a Sean Tucker problem. Tucker hasn’t played any more snaps in the last two games, but he’s outperformed White in both on the ground. Tucker was also the first RB all season to rush for over 50 yards against New England, and he did it on only nine carries. Buffalo’s struggles against the run are real and well-documented. Considering Tucker’s supremacy over White in that aspect of their skills, he’s the one set to benefit from the matchup with Buffalo. Not Rachaad White.

For more advice, head over to our Discord channel and ask our analysts! For breaking news and injury updates, follow Optimus Fantasy News on Bluesky!

By Published On: November 14th, 2025

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