As we get rolling today with football, there are plenty of factors that could lead to a loss or win during this critical time of the fantasy season. We are now in Week 11, and this is the time fantasy football managers have to make all of the right decisions if they want to ensure a playoff spot.
Receiver has been a tough position to pick all year, so let’s take a look at a couple of talented options and decide which one should be in your Week 11 lineup.
Nico Collins and Diontae Johnson are both receivers capable of having big games, but which one should be in your lineup today?
Should You Start Nico Collins or Diontae Johnson This Week?
In the Pro Football Network Start/Sit Optimizer, our Consensus Rankings say that Johnson is the player to start. His projected 12.7 points include six catches and 63 receiving yards. That projected stat line outperforms the consensus projections of Collins (12.1 points).
I am going with the Optimizer on this one as well, as Johnson is playing some excellent football as of late.
Fantasy Outlook for Collins This Week
If you would have asked this question early in the season, Collins would have been the no-brainer starting option.
He got the season off to a hot start by a 22-428-3 line over his first four games, and although his production has slowed since, he’s still offering some solid fantasy returns. Last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Collins had three catches for 54 yards and one touchdown.
Quarterback C.J. Stroud has continued producing at a historic rate, with the rookie having legitimately worked himself into the MVP conversation after throwing for over 300 yards on four occasions, including a 470-yard, five-touchdown tally in Week 9.
Stroud has been proficient, especially for a rookie, in spreading the wealth among his pass catcher. His rapport with all of his receivers is noticeable.
Look for Stroud to continue to distributing the ball among multiple targets against the Arizona Cardinals, and I especially like Tank Dell’s chances of a big game.
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Both Collins and Johnson are capable of rewarding fantasy efforts, and while Johnson has the tougher matchup on paper, I expect him to be targeted heavily in his game against the Browns.
Fantasy Outlook for Johnson This Week
Johnson has been the best receivers for the Steelers of late if you factor out Week 10. He had only one catch for 17 yards against the Green Bay Packers, but he was terrific in the previous three games. In that latter stretch, he parlayed 29 targets into 20 receptions, 254 yards, and one touchdown.
He missed a lot of time this year with an injury, but he is back and appears to be the No. 1 receiver for the Steelers.
The matchup against the Browns is not great, as Cleveland boasts one of the best defenses in the league. However, in the two Steelers-Browns clashes last year, Johnson had 10 catches on 21 targets. This shows that Kenny Pickett has a lot of trust in Johnson, and that will play a big role in this game.
While this figures to be a low-scoring AFC North slugfest, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Johnson produce something along the lines of a six-catch, 60-yard, one-touchdown tally.
Looking to make a trade in your fantasy league? Having trouble deciding who to start and who to sit? Setting DFS lineups? Check out PFN’s Free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer, Start/Sit Optimizer, and DFS Lineup Optimizer to help you make the right decision!