Week 11 of the 2023 fantasy football season featured big surprises. Who were the big winners and losers? Which players received "A" and "F" grades?
Matt Bowen and Tristan H. Cockcroft offer their analysis and Seth Walder provides his grades. We also asked NFL Nation reporters to answer questions about what happened in the Thursday and Sunday games.
Jump to a topic:
Ranking winners | Ranking losers
Who got an A | Who got an F
Biggest injuries and what's next
Top questions from Week 11
Ranking fantasy winners of Week 11
1. Trevor Lawrence, QB, and Calvin Ridley, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
Lawrence couldn't have looked much better than he did in this game, and his fantasy point total, a second-best-of-his-career 32.18, reflected that (not to mention topped all scores from the eight-game 1 p.m. ET block). He made good use of his deep-threat receiver Ridley, who converted two passing scores for a 31.1 PPR score (his best in 2023), and Lawrence got a pair of rushing scores to boot. It was a highly welcomed performance from both players' fantasy managers, especially as Lawrence had been dealing with knee issues before the Week 9 bye and had an awful outing last week against the San Francisco 49ers. The timing was good heading into a pair of favorable matchups (@HOU, CIN). -- Cockcroft
2. Tyreek Hill, WR, Miami Dolphins
His late first-quarter touchdown jump-started the slow-starting Dolphins offense, and despite a brief second-quarter absence for a hand injury, Hill quickly returned to finish his day with 30.6 PPR points. It's the fourth time in 2023 that he has reached the 30-point threshold, and with it, he has a position-best 254.9 points. That's the fifth-most by a wide receiver through his team's first 10 games of the season in history. Hill next faces his toughest matchup to date, the New York Jets on the road. -- Cockcroft
3. Tank Dell, WR, Houston Texans
Dell dropped 28.9 points on the Cardinals defense, catching eight of 10 targets for 149 yards and a score. That gives him three straight games with at least one touchdown catch and double-digit targets. Pair that consistent volume with Dell's sudden movement skills; that's stop/start speed to explode out of his cuts, plus the rapid acceleration to get loose after the catch. The rookie wide receiver is an emerging star in one of the NFL's most explosive passing games with quarterback C.J. Stroud: Dell's three games of 25 or more PPR points are tied for ninth best of all time. He gets the Jaguars defense up next in Week 12, where he'll be a high-end WR2 in my rankings.-- Bowen
4. Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants
For the first time since Week 1 of last season, Barkley reached the 30-point PPR threshold, a feat that's all the more impressive if you consider his early-game rushing contribution was minimal. He scored a pair of receiving touchdowns for the second time in his career, showing good chemistry with fill-in quarterback Tommy DeVito. Barkley next faces the New England Patriots, a defense that likes to key on the opponent's best player, but he's too talented to doubt in fantasy. -- Cockcroft
5. San Francisco 49ers offense
Can there truly be a single "winner" from an offense that saw four different players -- Brock Purdy (26.72 fantasy points), Brandon Aiyuk (26.6), George Kittle (22.9) and Christian McCaffrey (21.3) -- score 20-plus PPR fantasy points? Give this entire offense kudos, with Aiyuk, Kittle and McCaffrey each catching one of Purdy's three passing touchdowns, in a game that ultimately propelled the team into first place in the NFC West (coupled with the Seattle Seahawks' heartbreaking loss). Purdy has back-to-back games with three passing touchdowns. Kittle has scored 20-plus points in three straight games. McCaffrey began a new touchdown streak a week after his previous 17-game streak was snapped. Things are rolling for Kyle Shanahan's offense, which now gets a head-to-head match with the division-rival Seahawks on Thanksgiving night. -- Cockcroft
6. DJ Moore, WR, Chicago Bears
With Bears quarterback Justin Fields back in the lineup, we saw Moore used once again as a three-level target in the route tree. He finished with 22.6 points in Sunday's loss to the Lions, his highest total since Week 5, as he caught seven of nine targets for 96 yards and a score. Production after the catch here, midlevel targets and the deep throw from Fields on the touchdown. Moore will stay in the WR2 mix for next week's matchup versus the pressure-heavy Vikings defense. -- Bowen
7. Jayden Reed, WR, Green Bay Packers
Rostered in only 18.5% of ESPN leagues, Reed is a player to add this week after he scored 19.2 points in the Week 11 win over the Chargers. Redd didn't post high-end receiving totals here, catching four of six targets for 46 yards. However, we saw his ball carrier vision in the run game, as he logged three carries for 46 yards, with a touchdown on a reverse. Reed has posted back-to-back games of at least 19 points, with double-digit points in four of his past five. The rookie, who gets the Lions defense in Week 12, has the playmaking traits to produce as a WR3 in deeper leagues. -- Bowen
Ranking fantasy losers of Week 11
1. Jared Goff, QB, Detroit Lions
Goff boosted his final scoring total to 13.74 points during the Lions fourth quarter comeback win, which started with his touchdown pass to Jameson Williams. However, Goff threw three interceptions in this game and he has now registered at least one pick in three of his past four starts. With his inconsistent fantasy production this season -- four games with 20 or more points, five with fewer than 15 -- Goff will remain a matchup-dependent play at the position. Mark him down as a streaming option next week for the game at home versus the Packers. -- Bowen
2. Austin Ekeler, RB, Los Angeles Chargers
His 7.0 PPR fantasy points look all the worse if you consider that the opposing Green Bay Packers have been one of the most generous defenses to running backs, the eighth-best matchup using schedule-adjusted data. A fourth-quarter lost fumble didn't help matters, forcing the Chargers to the air for most of the rest of the game. Ekeler now gets a much tougher matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, though he's too heavily involved in this potent offense to bench. -- Cockcroft
3. Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans
4. Josh Jacobs, RB, Las Vegas Raiders
After back-to-back games with 26-plus carries, he saw that number shrink to 14 on Sunday, and his performance with them was lackluster to say the least. Jacobs' longest run went 9 yards, not one was clocked at a speed of 17-plus mph, per NFL Next Gen Stats, after three of them in Weeks 8-10 combined, and 10 of his attempts had negative yardage compared to expected. He might need the bye week to rest after the recent hefty work, and a Week 11 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs might be one to push him into the fantasy RB2 class. -- Cockcroft
5. Garrett Wilson, WR, New York Jets
Wilson scored just 0.9 points in the Week 11 loss to the Bills, catching two of six targets -- for only 9 yards. The Jets lacked any sense of offensive rhythm here. Tough watch. And quarterback Zach Wilson, who was eventually benched, really struggled with his accuracy, pocket poise and decision-making. This also snapped a four-game stretch for Garrett Wilson with double-digit fantasy production. The Jets will look to find some pass-game answers ahead of the matchup versus the Dolphins, which kicks off Friday afternoon in New York. -- Bowen
6. Stefon Diggs, WR, Buffalo Bills
With the Bills turning the play calling over to new offensive coordinator Joe Brady this week, I expected Diggs to be featured in the game plan. Play-action throws, screens, shot plays, seams, more. Sure, this was a tough matchup against the Jets defense. We know that. However, Diggs, who saw eight targets, finished with 6.7 fantasy points, catching four passes for 27 yards. That gives Diggs two straight games with fewer than seven fantasy points, after posting double-digit fantasy production in each of his first nine games of the season. Diggs will look to get back on track with a favorable matchup against an Eagles defense that has struggled to limit wide receivers this year. -- Bowen
7. Marquise Brown, WR, Arizona Cardinals
He has now scored 3.8 and 3.2 PPR fantasy points in Kyler Murray's first two starts following an ACL reconstruction. Worse yet, Brown has ranked fourth and third on the team in targets in those games, as Murray has leaned heavily on tight end Trey McBride (16 targets to Brown's nine) as well his own legs to make things happen on offense. Brown will probably still play a meaningful role as the deep threat in the coming weeks, but he's leaning too touchdown-dependent right now and needs downgrading to risk/reward WR3. -- Cockcroft
Injury impact
Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams
What we know: He left during the second quarter because of an ankle injury and was unable to return.
What's next: Kupp and the Rams don't play again until Sunday, so it's possible he'll heal in time, but in the event of his absence, Puka Nacua would presumably serve as the team's WR1 with Tutu Atwell sliding up to WR2. -- Cockcroft
Kenneth Walker III, RB, Seattle Seahawks
What we know: Walker left with an oblique injury in the first half of the game against the Rams and did not return.
What's next: If Walker is out for Thursday's game versus the 49ers, rookie Zach Charbonnet would move into the top spot in the Seattle backfield, with DeeJay Dallas backing him up. -- Bowen
De'Von Achane, RB, Miami Dolphins
What we know: Achane injured a knee in the first half against the Raiders and did not return.
What's next: If Achane is down next week, Raheem Mostert will jump back into the RB1 ranks, with Salvon Ahmed moving up as a potential streaming option for the Week 12 game versus the Jets. -- Bowen
Aaron Jones, RB, Green Bay Packers
What we know: Jones left on a cart with a knee injury in the second quarter versus the Chargers and did not return.
What's next: If Jones is out for an extended period of time, A.J. Dillion will be elevated to the lead back role for Green Bay. -- Bowen
Darius Slayton, WR, New York Giants
What we know: He was quickly ruled out for the day because of an apparent arm injury, suffered on a defensive hit in the second quarter.
What's next: The swiftness with which his day was declared done causes concern about his Week 12 availability. Jalin Hyatt will probably see the largest increase in routes run if Slayton can't play. -- Cockcroft
Who earned an 'A' this weekend?
Tyrique Stevenson, CB, Chicago Bears
The rookie corner had an unbelievably productive day in Chicago's loss to Detroit: zero receptions allowed on one target over 33 coverage snaps, per NFL Next Gen Stats. That alone would have been a great stat line, but Stevenson also had an interception and a forced fumble. He was a big reason the Bears were in it until the end. -- Walder
Jaylen Warren, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Warren, who was announced as a starter last week (but did not start Sunday), gave the Steelers' running game some juice in a game where they needed it. Warren ran nine times for 129 yards and a score, including 95 rush yards over expectation per NFL Next Gen Stats -- by far the most of any player in Week 11 through the early afternoon window. Warren added three receptions for 16 yards, too. -- Walder
Who earned an 'F' this weekend?
Marco Wilson, CB, Arizona Cardinals
Over 30 coverage snaps Sunday, Wilson gave up eight receptions on 11 targets for 145 yards and two touchdowns -- one to Dalton Schultz and another to Tank Dell. The latter, in particular, got the best of Wilson making multiple moves on his 40-yard touchdown catch. Wilson added a 10-yard penalty on special teams, too. -- Walder
Carolina Panthers' offensive line
Carolina had just a 23% pass block win rate and 23 plays with a pass block loss in the Panthers' blowout loss to the Cowboys. Yes, it was against Dallas' ferocious pass rush, but that only makes life harder for Bryce Young, who was sacked seven times in the loss. Ikem Ekwonu, Bradley Bozeman and Austin Corbett all individually had pass block win rates under 71% (read: very low). -- Walder
Lingering questions from Sunday's games
The return of Justin Fields had an immediate impact on DJ Moore's productivity. Do you expect Moore to continue to put up big games like this one as long as Fields is at QB?
Moore's best output in a month (7 receptions, 96 yards, TD) coincided with Fields' return from a dislocated thumb. Prior to Chicago's Week 11 loss at Detroit, Moore and Fields were in sync in a win at Washington that went down as both players' best games of the 2023 season. It's no coincidence that Moore's targets (9 vs. Detroit) rose with Fields back under center and resulted in a 39-yard touchdown in a gotta-have-it situation in the third quarter. Fields trusts Moore to be on the receiving end of big plays and will continue to look his direction in those moments. Coincidentally, before Fields connected with his No. 1 receiver on that touchdown, he went to Moore on the same play earlier in the game. "I just went up to him and told him that I wasn't going to miss him twice," Fields said. "We were all pumped up, pumped up for sure." -- Courtney Cronin
Tua Tagovailoa has eclipsed 18 fantasy points in a game only twice during the past seven weeks. Do you anticipate an uptick in passing production in the weeks ahead?
There should be an uptick, just look at the teams on Miami's upcoming schedule: a pair of games against the spiraling Jets bookending games against the Commanders and Titans. The Dolphins have struggled with turnovers over the past few weeks, Tagovailoa included, but he is still leading the NFL's top passing offense. He will bounce back over the next few weeks. -- Marcel Louis-Jacques