Mariota faces a Steelers defense that has given up the second fewest fantasy points to QBs. Andy Lyons/Getty Images
Below are my 1/2 PPR fantasy rankings for Week 11. Most leagues are using points per reception these days, so take that into consideration when looking at the ranks. Six points are awarded for every receiving and rushing TD, and four points for every passing TD. If you are playing in a non-PPR league, pass-catching running backs lose a bit of value and so do possession receivers. Make sure you check the status of players that have been limited or out of practice. The rankings will be updated on Sunday morning.
If you have any start-sit questions, feel free to hit me up at @jordanpfx on Twitter, and I will do my best to get to every question. Include your scoring system with your questions. Good luck!
QB
1 T. Brady NE
2 C. Wentz PHI
3 R. Wilson SEA
4 D. Carr OAK
5 M. Ryan ATL
6 M. Stafford DET
7 D. Brees NO
8 A. Smith KC
9 D. Prescott DAL
10 B. Roethlisberger PIT
11 K. Cousins WAS
12 J. Goff LAR
13 E. Manning NYG
14 P. Rivers LAC *Questionable
15 M. Mariota TEN
RB
1 L. Bell PIT
2 M. Ingram NO
3 T. Gurley LAR
4 K. Hunt KC
5 T. Coleman ATL
6 M. Gordon LAC
7 J. Howard CHI
8 A. Kamara NO
9 L. Fournette JAC *Active
10 L. McCoy BUF
11 J. Ajayi PHI
12 D. Murray TEN
13 C. Thompson WAS
14 L. Miller HOU
15 J. McKinnon MIN
16 M. Lynch OAK
17 D. Martin TB
18 R. Burkhead NE
19 J. Mixon CIN
20 I. Crowell CLE
21 A. Peterson ARI
22 A. Abdullah DET
23 K. Drake MIA
24 D. Lewis NE
25 D. Williams MIA
26 S. Perine WAS
27 D. Johnson CLE
28 A. Collins BAL
29 T. Riddick DET
30 J. Williams GB
WR
1 A. Brown PIT
2 D. Baldwin SEA
3 J. Jones ATL
4 M. Evans TB
5 A. Jeffery PHI
6 B. Cooks NE
7 S. Shepard NYG *Inactive
8 T. Hill KC
9 G. Tate DET
10 M. Thomas NO
11 A. Thielen MIN
12 A. Cooper OAK
13 S. Diggs MIN
14 D. Hopkins HOU
15 M. Crabtree OAK
16 D. Thomas DEN
17 J. Landry MIA
18 K. Allen LAC
19 M. Lee JAC
20 L. Fitzgerald ARI
21 A. Green CIN
22 D. Bryant DAL
23 J. Maclin BAL
24 J. Smith-Schuster PIT
25 M. Sanu ATL
26 D. Parker MIA
27 M. Jones DET
28 J. Crowder WAS
29 N. Agholor PHI
30 R. Woods LAR
31 E. Sanders DEN
32 D. Adams GB
33 D. Jackson TB
34 C. Davis TEN
35 T. Ginn NO
TE
1 T. Kelce KC
2 R. Gronkowski NE
3 Z. Ertz PHI
4 J. Graham SEA
5 E. Engram NYG
6 D. Walker TEN
7 J. Cook OAK
8 V. Davis WAS
9 K. Rudolph MIN
10 A. Hooper ATL
11 C. Brate TB
12 J. Witten DAL
DEF
1 Jaguars
2 Ravens
3 Cardinals
4 Eagles
5 Lions
6 Broncos
7 Saints
8 Chiefs
9 Vikings
10 Bears
11 Bengals
12 Rams
13 Seahawks
14 Patriots
15 Cowboys
Kicker
1 S. Gostkowski NE
2 J. Elliott PHI
3 J. Tucker BAL
4 G. Zuerlein LAR
5 W. Lutz NO
6 M. Prater DET
7 C. Boswell PIT
8 H. Butker KC
9 M. Bryant ATL
10 R. Succop TEN
11 J. Lambo JAC
12 N. Novak LAC
13 K. Forbath MIN
14 G. Tavecchio OAK
15 K. Fairbairn HOU
The Houston Astros closed out a powerful homestand with a statement series win over the Cubs, led by the continued emergence of Cam Smith and the lockdown stuff of Bryan Abreu. Smith, who seems to live for high-leverage moments, went toe-to-toe with Kyle Tucker and delivered again and again, further cementing his place in Houston’s growing offensive core. Meanwhile, Abreu was simply untouchable—striking out all four batters he faced in a lights-out appearance on Thursday and returning Sunday to toss two scoreless innings in front of Josh Hader’s 23rd straight save. The bullpen continues to impress.
As Houston heads west for a six-game road trip, starting with the Rockies and ending with the Dodgers, the rotation will remain under the microscope. On paper, the Rockies series should be a tune-up—Colorado owns the worst record in baseball. But even in a small three-game set, anything can happen. The Dodgers are a different animal entirely. They’ve been the class of the National League and pose a challenge that may mirror what the Astros saw from the Phillies and Cubs—but this time, Houston won’t have the advantage of home field. Considering the team’s elite pitching and recent play, the Astros should still feel confident, but they’ll need to prove they can sustain this level on the road.
Trade speculation is beginning to swirl, particularly around Baltimore’s Cedric Mullins. Mullins hasn’t lit it up this season—he’s hitting just .213—but his 12 home runs suggest some underlying pop. Houston may believe there's untapped potential in his swing that can be unlocked. It's a move that would fit the Astros’ track record: buying low on a talented player and letting their system do the rest.
Speaking of roster decisions, Christian Walker's bat is officially on watch. Despite showing flashes of life earlier this season, Walker hit just .221 in June and has been dropped to seventh in the lineup. Meanwhile, Jon Singleton has been crushing home runs in Sugar Land and waiting patiently for another big-league shot. The organization has to be thinking about giving Singleton a chance if Walker’s struggles continue.
But not every question has an immediate answer. Lance McCullers Jr.’s return from the injured list was rocky at best, surrendering eight runs in a short outing. Still, the reaction from fans calling for his release is premature at best and delusional at worst. Joe Espada left him in too long, and everyone knew it. It's still June, and McCullers is a proven postseason arm. He’s not going anywhere, not with that contract—and frankly, not with the upside he still offers.
More to the story
Then there's Jeremy Peña. The hope was that his sore ribs were nothing serious. That changed after the homestand, when further imaging revealed a small fracture and landed Peña on the 10-day IL. It’s a frustrating development, but credit the Astros’ medical staff for pushing for clarity—learning from the Yordan Alvarez situation this year. With superagent Scott Boras now representing him, it appeared negotiations were over. But Astros GM Dana Brown revealed on the pregame show this weekend that he’s already reached back out to Boras to reopen the conversation. Whether both sides can agree to new terms is a different story.
So while the Astros leave home riding a wave of momentum, the road ahead holds tougher matchups, key roster questions, and new injury concerns. They’ve shown they’re built to weather all of it. Now they’ll have to prove it.
There's so much more to get to! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.
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*ChatGPT assisted.
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