Footballguys Fantasy Football Show

Episode: Week 11 Running Back and Wide Receiver Rankings and Sleepers
Date: November 13, 2025
Hosts: Alfredo Brown, Dave Kluge
Theme: Week 11 RB/WR Rankings, Analysis & Sleepers as Playoff Races Heat Up

EPISODE OVERVIEW

This episode is a deep-dive into the Week 11 fantasy football landscape, specifically focusing on running back (RB) and wide receiver (WR) rankings, sleeper picks, tier breakdowns, injury updates, and strategic advice for the critical pre-playoff stretch. The hosts blend sharp insight with their trademark banter, making sense of a “weird week” full of cloudy injury situations and difficult lineup decisions. From must-start studs to risky flex plays, they assess every relevant “start/sit” scenario to help listeners optimize their rosters for a playoff push.

KEY DISCUSSION POINTS & INSIGHTS

Intro: The Fantasy Football Life & Social Media Pressure

(Timestamps: 00:49–03:16)

• Hosts riff on the social realities of being a fantasy football analyst, from awkward social encounters to answering dynasty trade questions at weddings.
• Dave Kluge on life as a fantasy writer:

  “I can just sit off to the side and answer Dynasty trade questions for random guys…” (01:50)

Injury News & Methodology: Setting the Week 11 Baseline

(03:16–04:36)

• Dave: Injury news is sparse heading into Week 11 — especially regarding key RBs Isaiah Pacheco, Trey Benson, and Bucky Irving.
• Players with no practice or clear-out projections are excluded from active rankings, but “trending” players are ranked as if they’ll play, with expectations adjusted (e.g., limited snap counts).

RUNNING BACK RANKINGS & TIER BREAKDOWNS

Tier 1 (RB1–6): Must-Starts, No Debates Here

(04:36–04:57)

• Christian McCaffrey, Devon Achan, Bijan Robinson, Jameer Gibbs, Josh Jacobs, James Cook
• "These are all auto starts every single week, regardless of opponent." (04:36–04:57, Alfredo)

Tier 2 (RB7–12): High-End RB1s, but Questions Loom

(05:42–07:24)

• Names: Ashton Ginty, Rico Dowdle, Javonte Williams, Saquon Barkley, Jalen Warren, Kyron Williams
• Dave highlights Kyron Williams: Despite a reduced snap share (due to Blake Corum), his explosiveness has returned, and he “just keeps producing”:

  "His production hasn't changed whatsoever… I'm just going to keep ranking him as if he is a backend RB1." (05:42–06:41)

• Alfredo flags Ashton Ginty as having “legit top three upside this week” due to volume and a favorable matchup vs Dallas.*

Tier 3 (RB13–20): RB2s/High-End Flexes, Rookies Emerging

(07:44–10:41)

• Names: Derek Henry, Chase Brown, Quinshon Judkins, Trevion Henderson, Aaron Jones, D’Andre Swift, Breece Hall, Travis Etienne
• Dave likes Trevion Henderson’s explosive potential vs. the Jets:

  "He is going to get the touches. This Jets defense is susceptible to big plays, so we're both ranking him as a high-end RB2." (07:58)

• Alfredo points out Aaron Jones’ “Vikings resurgence” and his historic success vs Chicago (over 18 PPR points/game in 13 career games vs Bears)*

Tier 4 (RB21–30): Questions Galore—Sleepers and Start/Sit Headaches

(11:40–17:14)

• Names include: Woody Marks, Kamani Vidal, Bucky Irving, David Montgomery, RJ Harvey, Tyrone Tracy, Zach Charbonnet, Ken Walker, Kareem Hunt, Trey Benson
• Bucky Irving and Trey Benson: Ranked as if “slightly limited” even if they play.
• Dave on RJ Harvey:

  "I do have a little bit of pause on this just because I expect [Tyler Badie] and [Jaleel McLaughlin] to be involved." (14:24)

• Alfredo likes Woody Marks but warns the Texans could "pull the rug out from under us."

Tier 5 & Beyond (RB31– RB41+): The Flex Zone & Deep Sleepers

(21:56–27:10)

• Chris Rodriguez Jr.: High-risk/high-reward vs Miami ("Fortune favors the bold," per Dave); could be “top 10 or finish outside top 40.” (22:45–24:38)
• Rashad White: Value depends on injury news for Bucky Irving/Sean Tucker involvement.
• Amari DiMercado: Would jump into flex territory if Trey Benson is out.

SLEEPER & FLEX RUNNING BACKS: Quick Calls

• Kareem Hunt: Calculated risk if Pacheco sits; game-script dependent (20:14–21:05)
• Najee Harris/Jaylen Warren: Back-to-back ranking, “just start both and hope one goes off” (19:24–19:44)
• Tyjae Spears: “Easy flex,” especially versus a defense that allows lots of RB targets (26:36)

WIDE RECEIVER RANKINGS & TIER BREAKDOWNS

Tier 1 (WR1–7): Clear Elites

(28:28–29:46)

• Jamar Chase, JSN, Puka Nacua, CeeDee Lamb, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Drake London, Rashee Rice
• Dave gushing:

  “Drake London, I love you so much. He's been playing so well… happy to see Drake London, like, back firmly in that top five conversation.” (28:45–29:46)

Tier 2 (WR8–16): Injury Questions, Upside Swings

(30:11–31:31)

• Names: Justin Jefferson, Emeka Egbuka, Jaylen Waddle, Nico Collins, Davante Adams, Tee Higgins, Ladd McConkey, George Pickens, Rome Odunze
• Davante Adams: Set to play; hosts trust player’s own assessment.

  “If a player at this stage in his career says he's good to go, I'm just going to trust them...” (31:21)

Tier 3 (WR17–23): Squeaky-Wheel Games and Shifting Hierarchies

(31:31–34:34)

• Devonta Smith, Zay Flowers, AJ Brown, Jameson Williams, Jauan Jennings, Stefon Diggs, DK Metcalf
• AJ Brown: Both hosts expect a “squeaky wheel” bounceback; Dave:

  “I think we could see … a squeaky-wheel game incoming where they just pepper him with 15 targets. He goes off for 180 yards...” (33:03–33:48)

• Jameson Williams: Emerging as a reliable target—top 15 fantasy WR in every game with six-plus targets; “We’re both buying in.” (37:10–38:34)
• Stefon Diggs: Still highly efficient, just not an every-down player (snaps capped at ~60%), capping his ceiling.

Tier 4 (WR24–32): Changing of the Guard and Flex Volume Plays

(38:34–45:20)

• Quentin Johnston, Tet McMillan, Jordan Addison, Khalil Shakir, Wan’Dale Robinson, Deebo Samuel, Romeo Doubs, Troy Franklin, Courtland Sutton
• Troy Franklin: Outproducing Courtland Sutton, trending as Denver's de facto WR1 (“Can’t ignore four straight games of 8+ targets, four TDs in four games”—Alfredo)
• Quentin Johnston: No longer the clear alpha due to Ariknda Gadsden’s role and Joe Alt’s injury affecting deep shots; now purely a boom/bust WR3.

  "We just need to kind of change how we're viewing Quentin Johnson from the player we thought he was early." (45:21)

Tier 5 (WR33–37+): Deep Leagues, Desperate Flexes, & Aggressive Streamers

(49:58–54:20)

• Parker Washington: Clarification—never intended to be a top-3 WR in Footballguys rankings; website glitch noticed.*
• Trey Tucker/Xavier Worthy/Christian Watson: All described as “the exact same person”—boom/bust dart throws.
• Trey Tucker: Has theoretical ceiling but unclear if Pete Carroll/Geno trust him to lead;

  “I think he could be the team’s WR1 but I just don’t know if I trust Pete Carroll and Geno Smith to treat him like the WR1.” (51:43)

• Alfredo jokes:

  “Having Tyler Lockett as top receiver for the Raiders here is like my dad being excited that Matlock is back on TV.” (51:43–52:14)

NOTABLE QUOTES & MEMORABLE MOMENTS

On the unpredictability of running backs right now:

“We’re working with an incomplete puzzle right now. There are a lot of pieces that we haven’t really been able to put together yet.”
—Dave (12:48)

On the perpetual “hope” for boom/bust WRs:

“You’re hoping Zach Charbonnet scores a touchdown. You’re hoping Kenneth Walker rips off a big play. When they don’t, you feel like an idiot. When they do, haha, I did it.”
—Dave (19:24)

On classic football coach tendencies:

“I think it’s just an old-man thing. … Having Tyler Lockett as top receiver is like my dad being excited that Matlock is back on TV.”
—Alfredo (51:43–52:14)

On Jonathan Taylor managers complaining about his BYE:

“I feel nothing for any of you. It’s going to be week 12. It’s fantasy football season. I feel nothing at this point.”
—Alfredo (56:02)

TIMESTAMP GUIDE TO IMPORTANT SEGMENTS

• 00:49–03:16: Life as a fantasy analyst, social interactions
• 03:16–04:36: Injury landscape and methodology for Week 11
• 04:36–11:40: RB tiers 1–3, key matchups, must-starts & pivotal RB2s
• 11:40–21:56: Deep RB tiers, upside picks, backfield battles, and injury pivots
• 21:56–27:10: Sleeper RBs, risky flexes, and deep-league stashes
• 28:28–31:31: WR tiers 1–2, elite plays, and injury optimism
• 31:31–38:34: WR tier 3, shakeups in Philly, and breakout WR2s
• 38:34–49:58: Tier 4–5 WRs, changing roles, Denver/Chargers/NYG analyses
• 49:58–55:00: Deep league/waiver options, website ranking snafus, Trey Tucker/Tez Johnson, humor
• 56:02–57:16: Closing words, Jonathan Taylor bye week pity/non-pity

FINAL THOUGHTS & TAKEAWAYS

• Injury uncertainty is higher than usual for Week 11, especially among RBs; monitor practice reports right up to kickoff.
• Several rookies are either stepping into massive roles or on the brink of breaking out—Ashton Ginty, Trevion Henderson, RJ Harvey, Woody Marks and Troy Franklin stand out.
• Must-start WRs are clear, but the WR2/3 tiers offer upside if you're willing to lean into risk (Jameson Williams, Quentin Johnston, Troy Franklin…).
• Don’t buy into social media “league winner” hyperbole without context; consensus (and Footballguys) see RJ Harvey et al. as useful but not RB1 material.
• Deep-league plays and aggressive flexes are essential in a week ravaged by injuries and late-breaking news—fortune indeed “favors the bold.”
• The hosts balance stats, trends, and coach/dev tendencies, but remind listeners: have fun, take smart swings, and don’t get stuck on old name value.

For a detailed snapshot of projected point ranges and specific matchup notes by player, check the Footballguys site (with Parker Washington ranking now fixed!), and tune in next week for post-Week 11 takeaways and Week 12 Waiver Wire picks.

Banter, breakdowns, and bold calls—you’re ready for the most pivotal week yet.