Week 11 Fantasy Basketball Start/Sit: Sleepers to Start & Players to Bench

Week 11 presents one of the busiest slates of the season, making lineup decisions in fantasy basketball more challenging than ever. With no teams on two-game weeks and heavy reliance on four-game schedules, managers must weigh volume against role security, recent performance, and the latest NBA injury reports. This Start/Sit guide blends schedule analysis with fantasy basketball news, projected NBA lineups, and recent NBA player stats to help identify sleepers to start and stars to sit.

Four Games: ATL, BKN, CHA, CHI, CLE, DEN, GSW, IND, MIA, MIL, MIN, NOP, NYK, OKC, ORL, PHO, POR, SAC, SAS, WAS

Three Games: BOS, DAL, DET, HOU, LAC, LAL, MEM, PHI, TOR, UTA

Two Games: N/A

Week 11 Fantasy Basketball Start/Sit Guide

Guards

Consider starting: Collin Sexton, CHA

Opponents: MIL, GSW, @MIL, @CHI

Sexton's success this season has typically come when other players are out. Based on that fact alone, this week might be a good opportunity to move him into your starting lineup. Kon Knueppel is currently sidelined with an ankle injury, something that could end up costing him multiple games. Although Sexton's overall fantasy value is largely reliant on points and threes, he does have the ability to rack up decent assist numbers when afforded meaningful playing time. Given that he may have been dropped in a lot of leagues, quietly slotting him into your lineup for the next seven days, while somewhat risky, could end up being a smart play.

Consider sitting: Jaylen Wells, MEM

Opponents: PHI, @LAL, @LAL

Despite continuing to start, Wells' production over the past two weeks has been highly disappointing. In seven games during that time, he has averaged just 12.3 points, 2.0 steals and 1.4 three-pointers. While there is no indication his role is going to change any time soon, the volume simply hasn't been there of late. As a player outside the top 150 in standard leagues, Wells is definitely a bench candidate this week, especially with so many other teams playing four games.

Consider sitting: Ryan Nembhard, DAL

Opponents: @POR, PHI, HOU

Another player who seemingly has a starting role locked down, Nembhard has cooled off significantly after what was an impressive run of early games. In seven games over the past two weeks, the rookie has been well outside the top 250 in standard leagues, averaging 7.9 points and 6.1 assists in 25.3 minutes per contest. He remains a viable asset, but only for those in need of assists. However, with only three games in the next seven days, there is a decent chance you can supplement his production with someone suiting up four times.

Forwards

Consider starting: Peyton Watson, DEN

Opponents: @MIA, @TOR, @CLE, @BKN

While Watson has been somewhat of an unexpected surprise this season, it does appear as though his window of value could be coming to an end in the near future. Denver is currently without three regular starters, meaning Watson's role is safe, for now. Both Christian Braun and Aaron Gordon could return at some point this week, albeit in a limited role. This means we might be able to squeeze one more week of value from Watson, a player who has averaged 12.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.3 three-pointers in four games over the past week. 

Consider starting: Jaylon Tyson, CLE

Opponents: @SAS, PHO, DEN, DET

Despite recently moving back to the bench, Tyson has been able to continue putting up solid production, averaging 19.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.7 three-pointers and 1.3 combined steals and blocks over his past three games. Even though the Cavaliers are starting to get healthy, Tyson should remain a key piece in the rotation, even off the bench. Cleveland is looking to turn around what has been a slow start to the season, with Tyson likely to play a meaningful role. While there is a small amount of risk given the small sample size, managers should feel relatively comfortable rolling him out for a four-game week.

Consider sitting: Ausar Thompson, DET

Opponents: @LAL, MIA, @CLE

Thompson's role continues to be a source of frustration for managers, with head coach JB Bickerstaff not afraid to mix things up on a nightly basis. Whether we agree with his decision-making or not, the fact is that Bickerstaff appears to have some trust issues when it comes to Thompson, limiting his overall upside. He is by no means a clear-cut bench candidate, especially for those simply looking for defensive contributions. However, in six appearances over the past two weeks, Thompson has averaged just 12.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals, including a woeful 51.9 percent from the line.

Centers

Consider starting: Maxime Raynaud, SAC

Opponents: @LAC, BOS, @PHO, MIL

With Domantas Sabonis still weeks away from returning from a knee injury, Raynaud's value continues to go up by the day. While he clearly has some things to work on, his touch around the basket is undeniable. In five games over the past two weeks, the rookie has been a borderline top 60 player, averaging 17.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 0.8 blocks, shooting 52.9 percent from the field and 84.6 percent from the line. His minutes have been a little underwhelming, having logged no more than 27 minutes in each of the past two games. With that said, he has very little competition at the moment, making him a safe addition to any weekly lineup.

Consider sitting: Daniel Gafford, DAL

Opponents: @POR, PHI, HOU

Anthony Davis is sidelined yet again, this time with a groin injury, meaning Gafford should be able to serve as the primary center, at least for the short term. On paper, this appears to be a straightforward decision for managers, especially given Gafford's proven ability to put up numbers in limited minutes. However, Gafford has been dealing with injuries of his own, specifically an ankle injury that has already cost him multiple games. He does appear to be healthy right now, perhaps putting managers' minds at ease for the time being. If you simply need rebounds and blocks, Gafford is worth considering, especially if we get some clarity regarding Davis' absence.