With the home stretch of the NFL season approaching, the fantasy football slate is also ramping up with the playoffs on the horizon. That makes every decision a manager makes that much more important, and this weekend’s games present some fun possibilities.
For example, look no further than Sunday Night Football. A pivotal NFC clash between the Eagles and Lions (8:20 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock) sees two well-known QBs, Jalen Hurts and Jared Goff, duke it out under the bright lights.
That begs the question: Is Hurts or Goff a better fantasy play? Let’s break down our Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em for NFL Week 11 and pit these QBs against one another.
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Fantasy rankings and 2025 point totals are courtesy of FantasyPros.
Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em Week 11: Jalen Hurts or Jared Goff?
Why Start Jalen Hurts?
- Hurts finished as Week 10’s fantasy QB19 thanks to a 183-yard passing performance against the Packers in a grind-it-out, 10-7 win.
- Dating back to Week 5, Hurts has a 119.7 passer rating and 12 total TDs. He’s QB9 in that span.
- The Super Bowl-winning QB does some of his best work on late downs, ranking fourth in total EPA, per SumerSports.
- The Lions’ defense is sixth in EPA/play allowed and ninth in EPA/pass, per SumerSports. On the other hand, only six teams have allowed more passing TDs than them (18).
- Detroit’s defense yields the 13th-most fantasy points per game to QBs (18.0) this season.
- According to Sharp Football Analysis, the Lions rank fourth in man coverage usage. Hurts boasts football’s third-highest average yards per attempt (9.1) in those scenarios.
- When blitzed (second-highest rate, per NFL Pro), Hurts has the second-most passing TDs and fifth-most yards per attempt. Detroit brings the heat more than all but 10 teams.
Jalen Hurts PrizePicks Projections: 207.5 Pass Yards, 28.5 Rush Yards, 1.5 Pass TDs
Why Start Jared Goff?
- Goff fared much better in Week 10, ranking as QB5 after throwing for 320 yards and 3 TDs in a 44-22 drubbing of the Commanders.
- Since Week 5, Goff has 1,306 passing yards with 11 TDs to just a single INT. He’s fantasy QB15 in that span, albeit with a bye week in the mix.
- In addition to being tied for the fewest passing TDs against them (8), the Eagles average the 10th-lowest EPA/pass at -0.04.
- Philadelphia’s defense is somewhat sturdy against QBs fantasy-wise, ranking 11th in fewest average points allowed (15.9).
- Philly enjoyed its best pass-rushing performance in Week 10’s narrow win, posting a pressure rate of nearly 49%.
- Per NFL Pro, Goff has the fifth-most yards (980) on quick passes. Can he replicate that success against the Eagles’ second-best defense on those looks (5.2 yards per attempt)?
- Play action may be Goff’s big ticket to any success. Philadelphia ranks 17th in TD rate against those passes at 5.7%, via Sharp Football Analysis.
Jared Goff PrizePicks Projections: 241.5 Pass Yards, 1.5 Pass TDs
Week 11 Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em Verdict: Start Jalen Hurts
With Jalen Hurts ranking as fantasy QB8 this year and Jared Goff not far behind him at QB12, both of these field generals are intriguing options. Only one can win this Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em matchup, however, and the nod goes to the former.
Hurts hasn’t been much of a rushing threat as of late, but his pure passing production remains impressive. Additionally, he’s got a better stylistic clash in the cards.
Goff deserves massive kudos for what he’s done in 2025, but although head coach Dan Campbell taking over play-calling duties helped in Week 10, more proof of concept is needed. The Eagles’ defense, while worse than the Lions’ on paper, presents some potential obstacles.
All of that makes Hurts the potentially wiser pick in this Week 11 Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em.
Looking for breakdowns on more Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em clashes for the 2025 season? The Playbook is the best route to season-long NFL analysis.
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