NFL Week 11 inactives and fantasy tips: Sam LaPorta out for Week 11, Davante Adams remains questionable

Welcome to the Week 11 NFL fantasy and betting cheat sheet, a one-stop-shop for The Athletic’s game previews, injury and weather updates, and expert analysis. Bookmark this page and check back often, as we offer regular updates to assist with fantasy lineups and betting decisions.

Player rankings referenced in this article are current as of 8 a.m. ET, Nov. 17. For updated rankings, see the “Fantasy football player rankings” section.

The latest NFL news and headlines

Last updated: 8 a.m. ET, Nov. 17

Injury news
Week 11 flex fliers | Fantasy football player rankings
Featured games | Next week’s waiver wire

Injury news

Updated through 8 a.m. ET, Nov. 17

Sunday 1 p.m.

Davante Adams, WR, Jets (illness / wrist) — Questionable
Adams hasn’t practiced this week as he recovers from an illness and a wrist injury. But Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reported that interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich said Adams is expected to play. In Weeks 7-10, Adams has been the Jets’ most-targeted receiver (39), but Garrett Wilson has the higher PPR total (82.7 vs. Adams’ 58.84). No other New York wide receiver has been in the ballpark of fantasy relevance since Adams joined the Jets.

Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jaguars (shoulder) — Out
Lawrence will not play in Week 11 but could return after the bye, according to The Athletic’s Rebecca Tauber. With Lawrence out, Jacksonville’s skill position players, including WR Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Etienne Jr., take a hit, considering Mac Jones’ Week 10 performance. Jones scored one touchdown, threw two interceptions, fumbled once, and finished with only 111 passing yards against the Vikings.

Tank Bigsby, RB, Jaguars (ankle) — Out
Bigsby is out in Week 11, and Travis Etienne Jr. could have a get-right game. The Jags had problems running in Week 10 with Jones under center, but Etienne averaged 4.0 yards per carry.

Michael Pittman Jr., WR, Colts (back) — Expected to play
After Joe Flacco’s Week 10 performance — when he threw a pick-six, two additional interceptions, and fumbled the ball — Anthony Richardson will again start for the Colts. Pittman did not play in Week 10 due to a lingering back injury but was a full participant in Wednesday’s practice and is expected to play. The Colts play a very beatable Jets team in Week 11, and Pittman was Richardson’s top target before the QB’s benching with 34 targets. Richardson’s other top targets include Alec Pierce (21 ), Josh Downs (18), and Adonai Mitchell (17).

Jaylen Warren, RB, Steelers (back) — Questionable
Warren missed practice late in the week and remains questionable heading into Week 11. Warren has been trending in the right direction, with 12, 9, and 14 carries in Weeks 7, 8, and 10, respectively. In the Steelers’ last two games, he’s averaged 4.9 yards per carry compared to 3.3 prior to that. But if Warren cannot play, Najee Harris likely sees more work in the backfield.

Sam LaPorta, TE, Lions (shoulder) — Out
LaPorta has been ruled out for Week 11. Brock Wright is next on the depth chart, followed by Shane Zylstra. LaPorta has been a fantasy letdown this year, considering his ADP, but in Week 10, he scored 15.6 PPR points on 66 yards receiving and a touchdown.

Michael Mayer, TE, Raiders (personal) — Questionable
Mayer returned to practice after missing seven weeks due to personal reasons and was activated from IR but remains questionable for Week 11.

Sunday 4 p.m.

Keon Coleman, WR, Bills (wrist) — Out
Amari Cooper, WR, Bills (wrist) — Questionable
Coleman has been ruled out ahead of Week 11, and Cooper remains questionable, which means Khalil Shakir should see more targets. Shakir is averaging 12.59 PPR points per game for the year and has more targets (54) than anyone on the team outside of Dalton Kincaid (59). In Week 10, Shakir had 58 yards receiving on six receptions. His best game came against the Seahawks in Week 8 when he had over 100 yards receiving and 19.9 PPR points.

Dalton Kincaid, TE, Bills (knee) — Out
Kincaid has been ruled out after suffering a knee injury in Week 10 during a win over the Colts. Dawson Knox is now a great Week 11 TE streaming option.

George Kittle, TE, 49ers (hamstring) — Questionable
Kittle is officially questionable for Week 11. Eric Saubert and Jake Tonges are behind Kittle on the depth chart, but the 49ers receivers may benefit the most from Kittle’s absence. Fantasy players know Deebo Samuel’s ceiling, but Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall have been productive this season as well. Pearsall has averaged 11.37 PPR points since returning from injury and had 17.3 in Week 10. Jennings had 16.3 PPR points in Week 10 and an unbelievable 46.5 in Week 3; however, he’s also had three games with under 6 PPR points.

Noah Fant, TE, Seahawks (groin) — Out
Fant has been ruled out ahead of Week 11. A fourth-round selection in the 2024 NFL Draft, AJ Barner is next on the depth chart, and maybe Seattle will see what they have in him. So far this year, he’s caught all eight of his targets and has a TD reception under his belt.

Harrison Butker, K, Chiefs (knee) — Injured reserve
Butker is heading to the IR after a successful meniscus trim, but Kansas City hopes he’ll be back for the end of the season and the playoffs. The Chiefs signed Spencer Shrader off the Jets’ practice squad as Butker’s replacement.

Sunday Night Football

Tee Higgins, WR, Bengals (quadriceps) — Expected to play
Higgins has only played in five games this year and hasn’t seen the field since Week 8, but he’s off the injury report, and head coach Zac Taylor told reporters that Higgins is expected to play in Week 11. Joe Burrow is putting up MVP numbers this year, and Higgins averaged 5.8 receptions, 68.2 receiving yards, and 16.22 PPR points per game before his injury, so when he returns, Higgins is a great WR2/flex option.

Monday Night Football

Nico Collins, WR, Texans (hamstring) — Expected to play
According to DJ Bien-Aime at ESPN.com, Collins is practicing this week with the expectation that he’ll play against Dallas on Monday Night Football. Collins is a no-brainer every-week fantasy starter when healthy, and with Stefon Diggs out, Tank Dell is a viable flex option each week.

CeeDee Lamb, WR, Cowboys (back) — Questionable
Lamb was added to the injury report on Saturday and is now questionable for Week 11. Prescott is on IR and underwent surgery for a partial avulsion of his right hamstring, according to Dallas Morning News. With Cooper Rush or Trey Lance under center, Dallas receivers outside of Lamb are very hard to trust, though newly acquired Jonathan Mingo has been impressive in practice.

Jake Ciely’s Week 11 fantasy football player rankings

Find out Jake’s top QB, RB, WR and TE for the week!

• There is no perfect widget out there, sadly, still. I know many view this on your phone, but 1) use the rankings widget on a PC/laptop/etc. if possible or 2) open in your phone’s browser, especially for Android users, to get the scrolling to work (or Android people can try a two-finger scroll).
• ECR = “Expert” Consensus Ranking (which isn’t updated by everyone consistently, so take with a grain of salt).
• Updated regularly, so check up to lineups locking.

Get Ciely’s full Week 11 analysis. Plus sleepers and projections.

Featured games

Game-specific previews and live updates are available on the day of the game.

Sunday afternoon

Kansas City Chiefs (9-0) vs. Buffalo Bills (8-2)

• Venue: Highmark Stadium — Orchard Park, N.Y.
• Time: 4:25 p.m. ET
• TV: CBS
• Streaming: Fubo (try for free)

The Chiefs are undefeated, but their wins haven’t always been pretty. Luck was on their side in Week 10 when they beat the Broncos by blocking a field goal in the game’s final seconds. But the Bills > the Broncos and are favored heading into Week 11 despite having two losses to Kansas City’s zero.

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes has been fallible this season. He ranks 34th in air yards per attempt (which hasn’t helped Xavier Worthy) and has thrown nine interceptions to 12 touchdowns. But he’s an accurate passer with the fifth-ranked completion percentage (69.5%) in the league, finds ways to win, and his chemistry with Travis Kelce is back in full force. Kelce has been targeted 40 times in the last three weeks, compared to DeAndre Hopkins’ 17 targets and Worthy’s 14.

The Chiefs’ running game is truly lagging, though. Kareem Hunt has been a welcome addition during Isiah Pacheco’s injury, but he’s averaging only 3.8 yards per carry (luckily, the Bills defense allows 4.9 yards per carry on average).

Steve Spagnuolo’s defense has kept the Chiefs in games all season. They rank fourth in yards allowed per game, third in rushing yards allowed per game, and second in yards allowed per rush, so cap expectations for James Cook and Ray Davis.

Given the Chiefs’ strong rush defense, Bills QB Josh Allen may pass a lot. If Amari Cooper returns from injury (and he almost did in Week 10), he’s Allen’s No. 1 target. With Cooper out in Week 10, Khalil Shakir had nine targets, followed by Curtis Samuel at eight and Dalton Kincaid with five. As noted above, now that Kincaid is out, Dawson Knox could have an expanded role.

Read the full preview (coming Sunday).

Sunday night

Cincinnati Bengals (4-6) vs. Los Angeles Chargers (6-3)

• Venue: SoFi Stadium — Inglewood, Calif.
• Time: 8:20 p.m. ET
• TV: NBC, Peacock
• Streaming: Fubo (try for free)

The odds are tight, but the Chargers are narrowly favored at home when they host the Bengals in Week 11. Jim Harbaugh has given the Chargers life in his first season as head coach, building an internet-viral connection with Justin Herbert. While Harbaugh relies on and favors the run, Herbert averaged 31.8 passing attempts in Weeks 4-9 compared to 20.5 in Weeks 1-3. His passer rating is 103.2, and his yards per attempt skyrocketed from 5.5 in Week 1 to 10.4 in Week 9 and 9.1 in Week 10.

Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston are the top two receivers in Los Angeles, averaging 12.24 and 11.60 fantasy points, respectively. McConkey is a good flex play averaging 4.11 receptions on six targets per game, and in Week 8, he had a 29.1 PPR day, so the ceiling is there. In Johnston’s return from injury in Week 9, he had over 100 receiving yards but only had 24 in Week 10. Johnston is a boom-or-bust player, while McConkey offers more consistency.

An early waiver wire stud, J.K. Dobbins now has to compete with Gus Edwards for touches following Edwards’ return from injury. In Week 10, Dobbins had 15 carries to Edwards’ 10, but Edwards was the more efficient runner with 5.5 yards per carry, while Dobbins had only 3.3 yards per rush. Both RBs may be flex-playable in a pinch, but Dobbins’ value suffers with Edwards back.

The Bengals are also loaded with talent, and their record does not represent their capacity to win. QB Joe Burrow has been excellent this season, throwing for the most yards in the league (2,672) with a league-leading (three-way tie) 24 touchdowns and only four interceptions. He also has the second-highest passer rating (108.1) behind only Lamar Jackson’s MVP-race rating of 123.2. As seen in Week 10, when Ja’Marr Chase finished with 55.4 PPR points, Burrow and Chase have chemistry with a capital “C.”

Read the full preview (coming Sunday).

Monday night

Houston Texans (6-4) vs. Dallas Cowboys (3-6)

• Venue: AT&T Stadium — Arlington, Texas
• Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
• TV: ESPN, ABC
• Streaming: Fubo (try for free)

C.J. Stroud has struggled since Nico Collins got injured, but Houston’s contest against Dallas is the perfect opportunity for the Texans to get their groove back. Heavily favored, Houston and Stroud should take down the ailing Cowboys with ease, especially with Collins’ expected return in Week 11.

Without Collins, Stroud has not exceeded 13 fantasy points in any game and had a 5.3-point performance in Week 7. Prior to losing Collins, Stroud averaged 16.8 points per game. Dallas is absolutely flailing right now and surrendering 362.9 yards per game, 152.1 of them rushing (31st). The Cowboys are also ranked last in opponent net yards per pass attempt, which gives Stroud the opportunity for redemption and to rebuild confidence in Week 11.

While Tank Dell has seen a lot of targets (26) in Collins’ (and, in the last two weeks, Stefon Diggs’) absence, he is not a WR1 and can benefit from a defensive focus on Collins. Dell’s sweet spot may come with Collins in (diverting coverage) and Diggs out (relinquishing air yards and red zone targets). As always, Joe Mixon is an every-week fantasy RB1 and Ciely’s RB2 this week.

It’s hard to muster excitement for Dallas in this one. The only viable fantasy starts on this team are Rico Dowdle (Ciely’s RB28) and CeeDee Lamb (WR30 — 30!) if he plays, with Cooper Rush under center. In Dak Prescott’s absence, Dowdle had 8.6 PPR points, Lamb had 8.4, and kicker Brandon Aubrey was third on the team with 7.0. What else is there to say? Literally, nothing.

Read the full preview (coming Monday).

 Flex fliers

Scott Engel’s weekly guide to last-minute free-agent additions.

Rashod Bateman, WR, BAL (48 percent rostered): Diontae Johnson may start to cut into Bateman’s production once he gets comfortable in the Baltimore offense, but Bateman is functioning as a downfield and touchdown threat for Lamar Jackson right now. The Ravens WR is averaging 16.2 yards per reception, and the Steelers rank 18th in fantasy points per game allowed to WRs over the last four weeks. Bateman has a 75.6 WR/CB matchup grade against the Pittsburgh corners for Week 11, which qualifies as “Good” on the Pro Football Focus grading scale.

— Engel

Discover all of Engel’s recommendations for Week 11.

Next week’s waiver wire

John Laghezza uses a patented, data-backed, formulaic approach to get ahead of next week’s waivers. 

Suboptimal RB options are the new norm if you whiff on the first waiver run this year. That said, it’s par for the course at this stage of the season, when it becomes more about identifying the crop of “next men up.” With RB committees as the new standard, you’ll be hard-pressed to find immediate production.

If I had to pick my favorite combination of payout for now and later, at only 25 percent rostered, I would go back to the well (again) to stash Bills backup Ray Davis. I still think Buffalo’s fourth-round rookie out of Kentucky represents the best case for a stash — standalone fantasy floor with league-winning upside in the case of a serious injury to James Cook.

For managers with immediate needs who were left empty-handed with their starting RB on the bye, check the availability of Tennessee backup Tyjae Spears. At only 40 percent rostered on Yahoo, Spears returned from injury to handle 43 percent of the Titans’ RB opportunities. He’s skilled as a pass-catcher and could see an expanded role in negative game scripts as a perennial underdog.

— Laghezza

Read all of Laghezza’s recommendations.

(Photo of Davante Adams: Luke Hales / Getty Images)