Fantasy Football Week 11 Waiver Wire
By Brandon Lane
QUARTERBACK
Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns
Roster Percentage: 37%
Watson will be allowed to return from suspension in Week 13 but is eligible to practice with the team this week. Regardless of what we might think of Watson and his legal issues no other quarterback rostered in under 50% of leagues has as much upside. The Browns will travel to Houston in Week 13 making him a strong starting option upon his return.
Marcus Mariota, Atlanta Falcons
Roster Percentage: 33%
Its hard to get excited about Mariota from a fantasy stand point as the Falcons continue to want to be a run first offense. But in Week 10 he completed 19 of his 30 passes for 186 yards and added two touchdowns and three rushes for an additional 43 yards. If you are looking to stream at the QB position this week Mariota is someone to consider. The Falcons take on the Bears who have given up the 17th most fantasy points to quarterbacks this season.
Jameis Winston, New Orleans Saints
Roster Percentage: 10%
The Saints offense has been a mess and much of that has to do with the play of Andy Dalton. The Saints likely have no choice but to switch things up and give Jameis Winston another shot under center. While he should inspire the skills positions around him I’d hold off on starting him vs a Rams defense that has given up the 8th fewest fantasy points to Quarterbacks.
Matt Ryan, Indianapolis Colts
Roster Percentage: 11%
The Colts flipped the switch and went back to veteran QB Matt Ryan in Week 10. He completed 21 of his 28 passes for 222 yards and a touchdown. But the bigger surprise was that he rushed four times for 38 yards and found the end-zone on the ground. While this was one of his better games of the season he will be hard to start in weeks to come with match-ups against the Eagles, Steelers and Cowboys over the next three weeks.
Others to Consider:
Ryan Tannehill (13% @ GB), Kenny Pickett (12% vs CIN), Taylor Heinicke (11% @ PHI), Baker Mayfield (3% @ BAL)
RUNNING BACK
If available:
Jeff Wilson Jr. (78%), Elijah Mitchell (58%)
Rachaad White, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Roster Percentage: 45%
Last week I had White at the top of the running back waiver list and we saw why. White started the game over veteran Leonard Fournette rushing 22 times for 105 yards. Although Fournette did enter the game in the second series the Bucs went with the momentum White provided on the ground. Uncle Lenny did suffer a hip injury in the game which likely led to White seeing some extra run. Tampa Bay is on Bye this week but White is a must-add in all leagues.
Isiah Pacheco, Kansas City Chiefs
Roster Percentage: 25%
The Chiefs backfield has been a tough one to predict but we saw a decline in usage for Clyde Edwards-Helaire and this week his usage came to a screaming halt receiving not a single carry. The Chiefs instead handed the keys to rookie Isiah Pacheco who rushed 16 times for 82 yards. Whether his usage will continue or be game script dependent is still TBD but Pacheco should be picked up everywhere. And with a fire match-up against a Chargers defense that has given up the 3rd most fantasy points to running backs he becomes an immediate plug-and-play.
Gus Edwards, Baltimore Ravens
Roster Percentage: 50%
Ravens announced they expect Gus Edwards to return this week after having been held out due to a hamstring injury sustained in Week 8. If that is the case he should immediately step into the 1A role in the Ravens backfield. His return comes at a great time with a match-up vs a Carolina defense that has given up the 5th most fantasy points to running backs.
Jaylen Warren, Pittsburgh Steelers
Roster Percentage: 26%
Another upside rookie we discussed last week should still be given a hard look again this week as Najee Harris continues to struggle with knee discomfort. In Week 10 Warren rushed nine times for 37 yards and hauled in all three balls for 40 additional yards. While Harris will continue to be the teams lead back when healthy, we did see an uptick in snaps (43%) for Warren. He’s a player that should be rostered in most leagues in case Harris misses time in the future.
Others to Consider:
Alexander Mattison (40%), Kyren Williams (40%), Latavius Murray (26%), Jerick McKinnon (18%)
WIDE RECEIVER
If available:
Garrett Wilson (66%), George Pickens (62%), Allen Robinson II (62%), Kadarius Toney (51%)
Christian Watson, Green Bay Packers
Roster Percentage: 10%
Aaron Rodgers finally got a new toy to play with as rookie Christian Watson returned to health in Week 10. Watson caught 4 of his 8 targets for 107 yards and THREE TDs. This offense badly needed a boost and Watson gave them just that running on 85% of drop-backs resulting in a whopping 42% target share. Volume is key for fantasy and that makes Watson a must add in all leagues. Lets see if he keeps that momentum rolling against a Titans defense that has given up the 3rd most fantasy points to Wide Receivers this season.
Odell Beckham Jr., Arizona Cardinals
Roster Percentage: 47%
Many reports had accelerated the timeline for Odell Beckham who was not expected back until December but reports have surfaced indicating that he could be “fully cleared” to practice by the end of last week. Beckham tore his ACL in the Super Bowl while playing for the Rams. Many teams have been linked to landing this veteran free agent but I have him landing with the Cowboys (we shall see). Yet to be signed at this point and likely to be eased into things on a new team we might not reap the benefits for fantasy purposes until leagues get into the fantasy playoffs.
Nico Collins, Houston Texans
Roster Percentage: 13%
Returning from a groin injury which caused him to miss two games Collins caught five of his 10 targets for 49 yards and a touchdown. Houston’s skill makers are generally hard to trust but its possible the team starts to feed their young receiver moving forward. He could be considered as a Bye week fill-in as the Texans take on a Commanders defense that has given up the 9th most fantasy points to Wide Receivers.
Others to Consider:
Donovan Peoples-Jones (33%), Treylon Burks (19%), Jarvis Landry (19%), Corey Davis (12%), Darius Slayton (6%)
TIGHT END
If available: David Njoku (67%)
Tyler Conklin, New York Jets
Roster Percentage: 14%
If you are looking for a TE steamer Tyler Conklin could be your man. Conklin lost some of his early season luster when QB Zach Wilson returned under center but the Jets travel to New England where we saw the CONK go off in Week 8 catching 6-of-10 targets for 79 yards and two touchdowns. If you are looking to stream this week or for a Zach Ertz replacement this could be your best bet.
Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints
Roster Percentage: 14%
Andy Dalton consistently looked Johnson’s way in Week 10 and he reeled in 5 balls for 44 yards and a touchdown. The Saints will likely move back to quarterback Jameis Winston this week possibly changing the dynamic of the team but Johnson should continue too see the bulk of the targets from the TE position.
Foster Moreau, Las Vegas Raiders
Roster Percentage: 17%
With both Darren Waller and Hunter Renfrow landing on IR its likely time to take a hard look at Foster Moreau who caught 3-of-4 targets for 43 yards and a touchdown in Week 10. While not likely to put up huge week-to-week numbers (but what TE is?) he can still be considered a high-end TE2 moving forward. The Raiders take on a Denver defense that has given up the 16th most fantasy points to Tight Ends.
Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals
Roster Percentage: 1%
It was announced in that veteran TE Zach Ertz will miss the remainder of the season with a knee injury. The arrow points straight up for rookie Trey McBride who was ranked by most to be the top TE in his class. Once Ertz went down McBride became an every-down player. While he didn’t do much on the day he is someone to consider rostering moving forward as the Cardinal have time to scheme him into the offense.
Others to Consider:
Austin Hooper (12%), Jack Stoll (0%), Tre’ McKitty (0%)
DEFENSE
New York Jets @ NE
Cincinnati @ PIT
Washington @ HOU
Green Bay vs TEN
*Roster percentages based on Yahoo
