Fantasy Football: Week 11 Quarterback Rankings

MIAMI, Nov. 15 (UPI) -- While Philip Rivers and Matt Ryan might be the only usable quarterbacks shelved with a Week 11 bye week, you still need to put in some research at the position to find an edge against your opponent.

Second-half players like Russell Wilson and Cam Newton have emerged as top-10 options after starting slow, while gunslingers like Andy Dalton and Eli Manning still puzzle fantasy football team owners.

To help you judge who you should start or sit, take a look at my top 15 quarterbacks for Week 11. You can also view my add/drops for the week and more positional rankings in the links below.

TOP SHELF

New Orleans Saints stud Drew Brees is my No. 3 quarterback for Week 11. Brees has a divisional road test on tap against the Carolina Panthers. That Panthers secondary hasn't been the same this season, allowing the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks and 17 scores to the position. Brees has passed for three or more scores and at least 300 yards in four of his last five games. Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger should follow his big Week 10 performance with more fireworks while facing off with the Cleveland Browns. The Browns have allowed a league-high 25 touchdown passes and the third-most fantasy points to the position. Roethlisberger is coming of a Week 10 performance, which included 408 passing yards and three touchdown tosses.

SNEAKY PLAYS

When will Marcus Mariota's stellar run end? The second-year Tennessee Titans quarterback is red-hot, meaning you can't sit him against the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts are allowing the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks, making Mariota a top-10 option for Week 11. Mariota has thrown multiple touchdown passes in six consecutive games and has thrown seven touchdown tosses in the last two weeks. Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins is a fringe starter this week in deeper leagues. He faces a Green Bay Packers defense allowing the fifth-most touchdown passes to quarterbacks. Cousins has thrown for more than 1,000 passing yards in his last three games and has accounted for multiple scores and/or thrown for more than 300 yards in eight of nine games this season.

LONGSHOTS

Buffalo Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor is another option for those with the bye week blues. Taylor battles the Cincinnati Bengals, a unit struggling to stop anyone right now. The Bengals have allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks and 19 passing scores. Taylor has scored a rushing touchdown in three consecutive games. Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles isn't a great NFL passer, but he is a passable option for your fantasy squad this week. Bortles battles a Detroit Lions defense allowing the second-most fantasy points to quarterbacks. The Lions have also allowed 20 touchdown passes, the third-most in the NFL. Bortles has thrown multiple touchdown passes in three consecutive starts. He is a dart-throw in deeper leagues.