Start vs. Sit: Players to Start, Players to Bench for Week 11

It's been exactly the college football season we expected. Indiana is rolling. Vanderbilt is bowl-eligible. Business as usual. We're here in November, and we've hit Week 11. MACtion is beginning. Big games remain. What's the look for Week 11 in terms of players to start and players to sit for fantasy purposes? Let's delve in!

AAC Starts and Sits

START

Rahjai Harris, RB, East Carolina vs. Florida Atlantic

Tulsa is off this week, and UAB is playing UConn, leaving two of the best options unavailable for AAC players. So, I turn my attention to Thursday because the Owls have allowed 215.5 rushing yards per game. Harris is coming off a game where he tallied 130 yards and a touchdown. He's only had two games with over 100 yards and a score, but this matchup could lead to a third game of that ilk.

SIT

Roc Taylor, WR, Memphis vs. Rice

Last year Taylor had 69 catches for 1,083 yards, but with only four touchdowns. It seems his role has yielded the same kind of performance in 2024. Taylor has 46 catches for 658 yards, but only two scores. He may not even get his usual yardage against Rice. Though the Owls fired their head coach, they've only allowed 159.2 passing yards per game. Stopping the pass has not been the problem.

ACC Starts and Sits

START

Fernando Mendoza, QB, Cal at Wake Forest

Mendoza is coming off his best game of the season, throwing for 364 yards and two touchdowns and adding 25 yards on the ground. It was his third game in a row where he completed over 70 percent of his passes. The Demon Deacons have probably been the worst defense in the ACC. They have allowed 31.0 points per game but are also last in the conference at 287.8 passing yards per contest.

SIT

Jamal Haynes, RB, Georgia Tech vs. Miami (FL)

Haynes has tallied 598 yards and eight touchdowns, but his performance has been erratic. On four occasions, he's averaged under 3.0 yards per carry, including in each of his last two games. The Hurricanes have developed a habit of letting teams stay in the game longer than expected, but they have not allowed opposing backs to get going. Miami has only allowed 95.2 rushing yards per game.

Big Ten Starts and Sits

START

Evan Stewart, WR, Oregon vs. Maryland

Even if Tez Johnson wasn't questionable for this game, there'd be good reason to like Stewart in this matchup. Maryland has allowed 275.8 passing yards per contest. Plus, the usual post-September collapse has occurred for the Terps, who have allowed at least 28 points in each of their last four games. Whether as the top guy or the number-two option, Stewart has a real opportunity here.

SIT

Kalel Mullings, RB, Michigan at Indiana

A team that can't throw the ball is stuck facing one of the best run defenses in college football. Mullings had three games in a row with over 100 yards and two touchdowns. However, he only has 170 yards and a touchdown over his last four outings. The Hoosiers have only given up 72.6 rushing yards per game, which is the fewest in the FBS.

Big 12 Starts and Sits

START

Josh Hoover, QB, TCU vs. Oklahoma State

Hoover is turnover-prone, but he balances that out by posting robust numbers. Through nine games, he's tossed for 2,947 yards and 21 touchdowns, even with the eight picks. Hoover has also added four rushing scores, though they are of the short-yardage variety. I still mentioned them, though, because the Cowboys are having a disastrous year defensively. They have given up over 30 points per game but also over 245 yards per game, both through the air and on the ground.

SIT

Jalon Daniels, QB, Kansas vs. Iowa State

Daniels has stayed healthy, but with his former offensive coordinator now at Penn State, it has not been as dynamic of a season. Yes, he's thrown for 11 touchdowns while rushing for 255 yards and five scores, but he's also thrown 11 picks and lost three fumbles. Though Iowa State was just upset by Texas Tech, it also kept a high-flying offense in check. Even after facing the Red Raiders, the Cyclones have only given up 146.6 passing yards and 15.5 points per game.

Conference USA Starts and Sits

START

Elijah Young, RB, Western Kentucky at New Mexico State

With MACtion taking over the scene, Conference USA has ceded weekday football and has an all-Saturday slate lined up for Week 11. For many years, being a running back for the Hilltoppers meant you were an afterthought. Young has changed that. He's rushed for 489 yards and two touchdowns while adding 26 catches for 247 yards and a score. In a conference lacking for defensive prowess, New Mexico State is still the worst defense. Specifically, the Aggies have allowed 215.9 rushing yards and 36.6 points per game.

SIT

Tyler Huff, QB, Jacksonville State at Louisiana Tech

The Bulldogs have allowed 112.0 rushing yards and 20.0 points per game. Those are both round numbers, and they are both the best in the conference. Now, Jacksonville State's top back, Tre Stewart, has been so good he's basically matchup-proof, but the run-first Huff could be in trouble. He doesn't really have the acumen to turn to the passing game in a pinch. Through eight games, Huff only has 1,501 passing yards with eight touchdowns against four picks.

MAC Starts and Sits

START

Parker Navarro, QB, Ohio at Kent State

MACtion has been promised, and MACtion is being delivered. On Wednesday, Ohio gets a shot at perhaps the worst defense in FBS football. It's assuredly the worst against the run, as the Golden Flashes have allowed 264.5 yards per game on the ground and given up a whopping 46.6 points per contest as well. Navarro is a quarterback, but he's also a strong runner. In seven games he's rushed for 515 yards and four touchdowns.

SIT

Jaden Nixon, RB, Western Michigan vs. Northern Illinois

On the inverse end of things from Kent State, we find Northern Illinois. The Huskies have only allowed 110.1 rushing yards and 17.6 points per game, and that's with Notre Dame, memorably, on the schedule. Nixon has run all over the likes of Ball State and, yes, Kent State, but both Wisconsin and Ohio State completely kept him in check. Northern Illinois isn't that good, but this will definitely be Nixon's toughest challenge in a while.

Mountain West Starts and Sits

START

Nick Cenacle. WR, Hawaii vs. UNLV

Last week, Cenacle had 12 catches for 113 yards and two touchdowns against Fresno State. He was targeted 16 times, the fourth game in which he had double-digit targets. While UNLV is a really good Group of Five team, and strong against the run, it has allowed 270.0 passing yards per game, most in the conference. Plus, this game is taking place in Hawaii, which is always an intriguing variable.

SIT

Savion Red, RB, Nevada at Boise State

Red has rushed for 678 yards and eight touchdowns, but much of his production consists of two games. He ran for 117 yards and two touchdowns against Eastern Washington, an FCS school, and then 137 yards and four touchdowns against Oregon State. Boise State is an tougher opponent than either of those teams. The Broncos have held opponents to 115.4 rushing yards per game, and that's with the Oregon Ducks and also run-happy Washington State on the schedule.

SEC Starts and Sits

START

DeSean Bishop, RB, Tennessee vs. Mississippi State

Dylan Sampson is, of course, one of the top backs in college football, but I believe there's a chance Bishop can do some damage in this one as well. Though he's only gotten 54 carries, Bishop has averaged 6.9 yards per carry and scored three touchdowns. If this game turns into a blowout, Bishop should get more touches than usual, and this game could easily be a blowout. Mississippi State has allowed 211.7 rushing yards and 34.6 points per game, both comfortably last in the SEC.

SIT

Trevor Etienne, RB, Georgia at Mississippi

Etienne's ribs are banged up, so even though he's expected to play, a rib issue is precarious for a running back. That goes double in a matchup like this. Ole Miss's formidable defense has only allowed 82.2 rushing yards and 13.2 points per game. Even if Etienne's ribs don't limit his activity, he isn't likely to find much opportunity.

Sun Belt Starts and Sits

START

A.J. Turner, RB, Marshall at Southern Miss

In only 83 rushing attempts, Turner has racked up 766 yards and six touchdowns. Earlier in the season, he was only getting occasion touches, but over the last four weeks, he's gotten double-digit touches in each game. He also has seven touchdowns across those games. Porous run defenses are common in the Sun Belt, but Southern Miss's is the worst. The Golden Eagles have given up 225.8 rushing yards per game.

SIT

Corey Rucker, WR, Arkansas State at Louisiana

Rucker gets a ton of targets, but the results have been mixed. He's been targeted 83 times, but those targets have yielded 47 catches for 703 yards and three scores. Against Iowa State, Rucker was targeted six times without a single catch. Now, Louisiana is not on Iowa State's level defensively, but it is quite good against the pass. The Ragin' Cajuns have only allowed 170.6 yards per game through the air.