Monday night this week brings about another battle of teams going in opposite directions: The New York Giants (3-6) travel to Tampa Bay to team on the quarterback they gave two Super Bowl losses to: Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-3).

Tampa Bay however has lost two in a row, while the Giants are trying to make a winning streak. With the Tampa Bay defense more banged up than we are used to, what does this all mean for your fantasy football teams? Well, while Sully has you covered for the offensive side of the ball I am here to walk you through the sits and starts on defense.

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Start or Sit These IDP Players on Monday Night to Win Week 11 Fantasy: Interior Defensive Linemen

Start or Sit These IDP Players on Monday Night to Win Week 11 Fantasy: Interior Defensive Linemen
Start or Sit These IDP Players on Monday Night to Win Week 11 Fantasy: Interior Defensive Linemen – Leonard Williams

Leonard Williams – New York – Start

Tampa Bay is 28th in points allowed to defensive ends and 29th in points allowed to defensive tackles. Williams is mainly a defensive end, but he is the #5 IL on the year so far. With how IL plays are I don’t think you can sit him in most leagues, but if you have roster room to bench him for a waiver play that will have similar playing time with a great matchup I would consider it.

Dexter Lawrence & Austin Johnson – New York – Sit

Dexter Lawrence (66% snap share) and Austin Johnson (57% snap share) are poor options this week given the match-up. Austin does have a lot of tackles for a DT (15 solos, 24 assists, 6 TFL, and 3 sack) if you are desperate, but I would be looking elsewhere. Dexter has had less production (16 solos, 17 assists, 3 TFL, and 1.5 sacks), so Austin is the better play if you have to choose one.

Vita Vea – Tampa Bay – Sit
Rakeem Nunez-Roches – Tampa Bay – Sit

Veta is injured and likely not playing. Don’t start him, will be limited even if he plays. Rakeem is his back-up, sit him as well.

Ndamukong Suh – Tampa Bay – Sit

The Giants give up the 13th most points to opposing defensive tackles this year but Suh’s best game this year was 2 solos, 1 assist and 1 sack. There are better options out there for fantasy production.

William Gholston – Tampa Bay – Sit

William has played in all of Tampa Bay’s games this year, but only has three games with a TFL or sack. Three other games he failed to record a stat, and in seven of nine games this year he has two or fewer tackles. He is a sit for me even with the Giants giving up the 10th most points to opposing defensive ends this year.

Start or Sit These IDP Players on Monday Night to Win Week 11 Fantasy: Edge

Start or Sit These IDP Players on Monday Night to Win Week 11 Fantasy: Edge
Start or Sit These IDP Players on Monday Night to Win Week 11 Fantasy: Edge – Shaquil Barrett

Shaq Barrett – Tampa Bay – Start

Our #11 Edge this year, the Giants are 22nd in combined QB hits, sacks and hurries allowed. He is the most likely player to get a sack in this game I think, although the potential for a dud game exists.

Jason Pierre-Paul – Tampa Bay – Sit

Currently questionable to play, JPP has had a down year. He has one game with double-digit points in seven games played, and only has sacks in two of seven games. He has been dealing with nagging injuries much of the year as well. I expect to him start against his former team, but given his status and not great matchup I am looking elsewhere for an Edge starter.

Azeez Ojulari & Quincy Roche – New York – Sit

Tampa Bay is dead last in combined QB hits, sacks and hurries allowed. Neither of the rookies is likely to have a good game, but are worth keeping an eye on in dynasty leagues. Ojulari was a highly touted second round draft pick, and both have played well overall since Roche started getting significant playing time in Week 7.

Start or Sit These IDP Players on Monday Night to Win Week 11 Fantasy: Linebackers

Start or Sit These IDP Players on Monday Night to Win Week 11 Fantasy: Linebackers
Start or Sit These IDP Players on Monday Night to Win Week 11 Fantasy: Linebackers – Devin White

Devin White & Lavonte David – Tampa Bay – Start

Both qualify as stud linebackers and are getting 100% of snaps. You are not sitting either despite the Giants not giving up a lot of points to opposing linebackers this year; they are 24th in points allowed.

Tae Crowder – New York Giants – Lukewarm Start

Tampa Bay is 23rd in points allowed to opposing linebackers and Crowder will get you a handfull or more of tackles but not much else. In big play leagues he probably isn’t worth starting, but in tackle heavy or balanced he is a flex play this week.

Reggie Ragland & Bernardrick McKinney – New York Giants – Sit

They are splitting time as the #2 ILB for the Giants and neither are doing much of anything as a result. Sit them both.

Start or Sit These IDP Players on Monday Night to Win Week 11 Fantasy: Defensive Backs

Start or Sit These IDP Players on Monday Night to Win Week 11 Fantasy: Defensive Backs
Start or Sit These IDP Players on Monday Night to Win Week 11 Fantasy: Defensive Backs – Xavier McKinney

Adoree’ Jackson & James Bradberry – New York – Decent Starts

Both are decent starts, although Tampa is not a great match-up being 19th in points allowed to opposing cornerbacks. Both should get you a handful of tackles but I would not expect more than that this week.

Cornerbacks – Tampa Bay – Sit

The Giants give up the 22nd most points to the opposing cornerbacks. The cornerbacks for the Buccaneers are a mess with Jamel Dean, Pierre Desir, Ross Cockrell and Dee Delaney all potentially starting and/or having a lot of playing time. If you absolutely have to start one, it would be Dean, but none of them are good starts this week.

Antoine Winfield & Jordan Whitehead – Tampa Bay – Start

Both get around 100% of the snaps each week when healthy and the Giants are middle of the road (17th) in points allowed to opposing safetys. Both are good for a handful of tackles with a good chance at a TFL or two and a turnover, especially with how the Giants offense has been.

Julian Love – New York – Sit

Julian Love likely gets the start with Peppers out for the year and Logan Ryan on the COVID list. He is an admirable fill in, and should get about 100% of the snaps, but with Tampa Bay giving up the 26th most points to opposing safetys, I am sitting him this week.

Xavier McKinney – New York – Start

I am starting McKinney even with him mainly playing at free safety and the poor matchup. He has been getting a handful of tackles each game this year and is starting to make some plays beyond that. The linebackers for the Giants are not great as discussed above, and he should do well for you with tackles this week.

Thank you for reading Start or Sit These IDP Players on Monday Night to Win Week 11 Fantasy

For all your IDP start/sit questions be sure to reach out to me on Twitter @RotoHeatKraig.

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