Week 11 is one of the more balanced weeks on the schedule, with just four teams deviating from the three-game standard. Still, we should be able to find value by streaming players on four-game weeks while avoiding certain non-stars on two-game weeks.
Teams with four games: LAL, POR
Teams with three games: ATL, BKN, BOS, CHA, CHI, CLE, DAL, DEN, DET, GSW, HOU, LAC, MIA, MIL, MIN, NOR, NYK, OKC, ORL, PHI, PHO, SAC, SAS, TOR, UTA, WAS
Teams with two games: IND, MEM
GUARDS
Considering starting: Kent Bazemore, ATL (83% owned, 42% start)Opponents: IND, MIN, CLE
After starting the first 19 games of the year, Bazemore was sent to the bench from Nov. 25 through Dec. 3. He's been re-inserted into the starting five over the past six games, coinciding with Taurean Prince's ankle injury. Prince isn't expected back until after Christmas, so Bazemore's role should be intact for Week 11. His latest stint with the starters has seen him average 16.2 points, 5.5 assists, 3.8 rebounds and a combined 3.1 steals/blocks. Bazemore finds himself as a top-40 player over the past two weeks.
Considering sitting: Evan Fournier, ORL (94% owned, 56% start)
Opponents: PHO, TOR, DET
Fournier has seen his Fantasy value plummet lately, which has been tied with a drop in assist rate. He handed out 4.3 dimes per game through the Magic's first 19 matchups. That number has dropped to 2.4 per game since then. Over this same 10-game stretch, Fournier has
Week 11 is one of the more balanced weeks on the schedule, with just four teams deviating from the three-game standard. Still, we should be able to find value by streaming players on four-game weeks while avoiding certain non-stars on two-game weeks.
Teams with four games: LAL, POR
Teams with three games: ATL, BKN, BOS, CHA, CHI, CLE, DAL, DEN, DET, GSW, HOU, LAC, MIA, MIL, MIN, NOR, NYK, OKC, ORL, PHI, PHO, SAC, SAS, TOR, UTA, WAS
Teams with two games: IND, MEM
GUARDS
Considering starting: Kent Bazemore, ATL (83% owned, 42% start)Opponents: IND, MIN, CLE
After starting the first 19 games of the year, Bazemore was sent to the bench from Nov. 25 through Dec. 3. He's been re-inserted into the starting five over the past six games, coinciding with Taurean Prince's ankle injury. Prince isn't expected back until after Christmas, so Bazemore's role should be intact for Week 11. His latest stint with the starters has seen him average 16.2 points, 5.5 assists, 3.8 rebounds and a combined 3.1 steals/blocks. Bazemore finds himself as a top-40 player over the past two weeks.
Considering sitting: Evan Fournier, ORL (94% owned, 56% start)
Opponents: PHO, TOR, DET
Fournier has seen his Fantasy value plummet lately, which has been tied with a drop in assist rate. He handed out 4.3 dimes per game through the Magic's first 19 matchups. That number has dropped to 2.4 per game since then. Over this same 10-game stretch, Fournier has shot just 39.5 percent and averaged 13.3 points. The all-around decline has resulted in him being outside of the top-200 during the past two weeks. He isn't a drop candidate, but he should be benched until his play shows signs of turning around.
Consider starting: Monte Morris, DEN (42% owned, 14% start)
Opponents: SA, SA, PHO
Even with Will Barton coming back (groin) coming back in the near future, Morris is not only worth picking up -- he's worth starting. He's especially valuable in leagues that account for turnovers, as he's sporting an elite 6.2 assist-to-turnover ratio. Even in eight-category leagues, his increased usage has vaulted him up the ranks. He's churning out top-50 value during the past 14 days, which places him ahead of Donovan Mitchell, among other bigger-name players.
Consider sitting: Jeremy Lamb, CHA (87% owned, 50% start)
Opponents: BKN, BKN, WAS
Lamb has lost Fantasy value lately due to a dip in efficiency and defense. A stretch of 12 contests from Nov. 1 through Nov. 26 saw him have a 47.1 FG%, hit 1.6 threes and swipe 1.4 steals. Yet since Dec. 7, he's down to a 43.6 FG%, 1.0 threes and 0.3 steals. Both the steals and three-pointers categories can vary greatly from week to week, so Lamb could easily bounce back. If you have other options, however, it may be better to ride with someone who's played better recently.
FORWARDS
Considering starting: Al-Farouq Aminu, POR (68% owned, 47% start)Opponents: UTA, GS, GS, PHI
Aminu has cooled off from his eight-game hot streak where he averaged 13.4 points, 8.6 boards and 1.4 assists. Still, in rostering Aminu, we understand his up-and-down play. The benefit is having him for four-game weeks when the sample size is larger. He's hovering around the top-120 for the year, and nearly anybody around that range is worth deploying on a four-game stretch. You might be able to get away with not owning Aminu in a 12-team league, but he shouldn't be on the wire in anything deeper.
Considering sitting: Thaddeus Young, IND (88% owned, 62% start)
Opponents: ATL, DET
We should acknowledge Young's strong play over the past eight games: 16.6 points, 8.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists and a combined 2.4 steals/blocks. And if this were a three-game week, I'd recommend starting him. But in a two-game situation, I worry about regression kicking in and, even if he continues playing well, just not putting up enough total stats to warrant a start. You'll probably have to bite the bullet in deep 14-team formats and beyond, but I'd hesitate with anything shallower.
Consider starting: Trevor Ariza, WAS (79% owned, 43% start)
Opponents: DET, CHI, CHA
Ariza has played two games since being dealt to Washington. I don't expect him to continue raking in 4.5 steals per game, but other parts of his debut have been encouraging. He's played at least 36 minutes and taken at least 15 shots during his first two games as a Wizard. He's also dealt seven total assists, which is on par with his rate with Phoenix. Ariza's usage may dip once Otto Porter (knee) returns, but that isn't expected to happen until after Christmas.
Consider sitting: Jaren Jackson Jr., MEM (93% owned, 59% start)
Opponents: CLE, BOS
For as good of a rookie season that Jackson is having (top-80 Fantasy player on the year), a two-game week makes risky to put him in your starting lineup, even if he reaches his average production. That main knock on Jackson has been his foul trouble, as he's committed at least four fouls in 18 games. On the chance he gets the early hook in one or both of the Grizzlies' games this week, I'd avoid deploying him in 12-team formats.
CENTERS
Considering starting: JaVale McGee, LAL (84% owned, 35% start)Opponents: GS, SAC, LAC, SAC
McGee's numbers have dropped since the addition of Tyson Chandler -- 10.5 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.1 blocks. That hasn't changed and shouldn't change moving forward. But on a four-game week, the quantity of McGee's production should be starting-caliber. Assuming he keeps up his averages, the big man should rack up 40 points, 24 boards and eight blocks during Week 11. That's difficult production to find elsewhere, and he could be worth putting in a utility spot if your team is otherwise loaded at center.
Considering sitting: Domantas Sabonis, IND (98% owned, 72% start)
Opponents: ATL, DET
Sabonis' per-game numbers are as enticing as they've been essentially all year, and he's averaging 13.6 points, 11.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists over the past five matchups. Still, with just a two-game week, and one contest against the imposing Detroit frontline, Sabonis may have to be benched in standard formats. To match Sabonis' expected production, players on a three-game week would need just to average 9.3 points, 7.3 boards and fewer than one assist.
