Tanner Hudson start or sit: Week 11 fantasy football advice

The Cincinnati Bengals face the Baltimore Ravens in an AFC North showdown on Thursday Night Football. Cincinnati could be undermanned when it comes to their receiving corps, with Tee Higgins unlikely to suit up on the short turnaround week. Tight end Tanner Hudson could be a name to monitor, as he’s slowly made a name for himself over the last two games after being called up from the practice squad.

Should fantasy managers take a gamble on Hudson? We look ahead to his matchup and assess whether he’s a starter, or better left on the bench for Week 11.

Fantasy Football analysis: Bengals TE Tanner Hudson

Hudson is averaging 6.7 fantasy points per game this season, which ranks him as TE45 in PPR fantasy leagues heading into Week 11. The fifth-year tight end has caught 14 of his 18 targets for 126 yards and is coming off back-to-back strong outings.

Start or sit in Week 11 PPR leagues?

Sit. The 12 targets over the last two weeks are encouraging, but it’s not a big enough sample size to confidently start Hudson in PPR leagues. It’s also key to note that much of Hudson’s 9.3 PPR fantasy points last week came early in the game when he was actively involved. He may be vying to be Joe Burrow’s favorite tight end, but that doesn’t mean he’s a lock to start in fantasy lineups this week.

Treat him as a TE2 in both smaller and larger fantasy leagues of 12 to 14 teams. Only in the case of desperation scenarios should fantasy managers entertain the thought of him as a risky TE1.

Start or sit in Week 11 standard leagues?

Sit. While Hudson has been tinkering on the fence of fantasy relevance when it comes to PPR leagues, he’s been far from impactful in standard leagues. He’s averaging just 3.2 fantasy points per game this season, and while that’s a personal career-best for him, it’s far from viable when it comes to starting-caliber tight ends. Hudson would need to find the endzone to be fantasy-relevant, and that has yet to happen this season.

Hudson is a TE2 in both smaller and larger fantasy formats and is only a desperation starter for Week 11 lineups.

Player(s) you would start ahead of Tanner Hudson

Fresh off securing the first touchdown grab of his career, fantasy managers would be wise to consider Las Vegas Raiders rookie tight end Michael Mayer. Mayer has a matchup with the Miami Dolphins on deck, who are allowing 7.7 fantasy points per game to this position, which ranks 14th in the league.