Puka Nacua Back on Top, Rashee Rice and Tank Dell Closing In

With Week 10 of the NFL season in the books, we’re continuing to focus on the best rookie playmakers leaguewide. The 2023 rookie wide receiver group is putting up big numbers early on. Week 11 is right around the corner, so here are our best rookie receivers in fantasy football for the upcoming slate.

Who Are the Best Rookie WRs for Fantasy This Week?

Our NFL Week 11 dynasty wide receiver rankings are courtesy of the PFN Consensus Fantasy Rankings.

1) Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams

The only thing that can stop Puka Nacua from reigning as our top rookie fantasy in a week is if the Rams don’t play. Coming off a bye week with QB Matthew Stafford looking likely to play in Week 11, Nacua is back on his perch as rookie WR1. It’s hard to argue as to why, considering the torrid pace he’s established with Stafford on the field.

With five top-11 finishes, Nacua has been revelatory for managers who were bold enough to draft and stash him. His Week 8 and 9 production took a massive hit, and there is more risk with Nacua anytime that WR Cooper Kupp is on the field. However, every lineup could use the upside of a WR1.

Seattle’s defense has been average against receivers in terms of scoring allowed, giving up 127 receptions for 1,416 yards and nine touchdowns to the position in nine games. It’s possible we see both Nacua and Kupp enjoy big games in a must-win contest for the Rams.

2) Rashee Rice, Kansas City Chiefs

Kansas City is also coming off a Week 10 bye, which means that Rashee Rice might benefit from Andy Reid’s gameplan adjustments for the second half of the season. Rice has been electric in limited touches, scoring three touchdowns since Week 5 and finishing as a WR34 or better in four of his last five games. This is despite seeing fewer than seven targets in all but one game this season.

Rice’s floor is a reasonable Flex play, but we’d love to see his ceiling explode. With more overall targets and red-zone looks, Rice could blossom into a terrific WR2 on any roster. We just can’t be certain if that’ll happen this season.

3) Tank Dell, Houston Texans

The Houston passing game is fascinating. Rookie QB C.J. Stroud is indiscriminate with his targets between WRs Nico Collins, Tank Dell, and Noah Brown. Brown exploded with Collins on the shelf last week, totaling seven catches for 172 yards.

MORE: PPR Rankings

Dell still had a great outing, catching six passes for 56 yards and a touchdown. His ability to separate makes him a red-zone priority for the offense, and managers need that type of upside every week. Dell may not always have the yards, and he’s rarely Stroud’s first read, but he can still be a starter on your roster.

4) Jordan Addison, Minnesota Vikings

The last two weeks haven’t been great for Jordan Addison’s managers, and there’s a direct correlation to his production dip with QB Kirk Cousins’ injury. Addison was on a hot streak from Week 5 through Week 8, finishing between WR1 and WR26 in standard leagues. He’s still been fine in PPR leagues, despite catching only nine passes over the last two weeks, but the quality of targets is noticeable.

Minnesota pivoting to QB Josh Dobbs may bode well for the rest of the season, even with WR Justin Jefferson nearing a return. But Addison’s upside as a bonafide star in any week is tougher to project. The offset of playing with Dobbs doesn’t quite make up for Jefferson’s return.

5) Zay Flowers, Baltimore Ravens

Baltimore’s passing game came to life more than expected against a loaded Cleveland Browns defense. Veteran WR Odell Beckham Jr. scored his second touchdown of the season. Rookie Zay Flowers was still the bigger priority, though, as he caught five of six targets for 73 yards.

Flowers needed the bounce-back week after two uninvolved outings. Flowers has seen his targets drop significantly from the first five weeks, settling into about six or seven looks a game. That’s fine, but it’s not good enough to start Flowers with major confidence that he’ll provide more than decent Flex production.

6) Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks

There’s no question that Jaxon Smith-Njigba has seen growth within the Seahawks’ offense and is a bigger priority on a weekly basis. Some of that stems from the struggles that WR DK Metcalf and QB Geno Smith have endured this season. But Smith-Njigba has found a home as a possession threat when Smith needs him the most. The issue with this role is the lack of volume and red-zone opportunities.

The former Ohio State Buckeye has a consistent role now, seeing between four and seven targets in all but one game this season. He’s finished in the top 38 receivers in each of the last four weeks, but his scoring upside is low and the offense isn’t scheming explosive opportunities for him.

7) Quentin Johnston, Los Angeles Chargers

Finally, Quentin Johnston had a week that opened the door for him to be a fantasy option for managers. Finishing as WR27 with four catches, 37 yards, and his first career touchdown, Johnston is trending upward. It’s unlikely the Chargers will have as much success on offense against the Green Bay Packers this week, but if you need a receiver, Johnston isn’t a hopeless option.

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