Fantasy Football ‘24: Waiver Wire, Week 11 edition

Welcome to the Fantasy Football Waiver Wire for Week 11! A not-so-funny thing is happening over the next couple of weeks. It’s the push for the fantasy playoffs, and at the same time, half of the teams in the league still haven’t had their Bye. Four teams are on Bye this week, then six in Week 12, then everyone plays on Thanksgiving weekend, and then the final six have Byes in Week 14, which for many is the final week before the fantasy playoffs start. Thanks, Rog. Throw in the constant stream of NFL injuries and navigating the next month is going to be a challenge. The Waiver Wire is there to help, and so am I. For those who’ve saved some free agent budget dollars, it’s time to use that to your advantage.

As a reminder, a good strategy to employ for Bye weeks is to look ahead a week in order to get what you need and especially at the “onesie’ positions (QB, TE, PK, D/ST). It’s better to get the player you want when there isn’t as much competition. That’s harder to do for Week 12, since four teams are also off this week.

As for this week’s crop of free agents, there are some players who can definitely help you this week, and down the stretch. Keep reading.

The Process: Each week, I try to identify the top Waiver Wire targets and evaluate the short- and long-term prospects of those players. I also do my best to reveal which players who are coming off a big week are fool’s gold. Finally, I look at streamers who might help you in a pinch (this is usually more important during Bye weeks). Note that I’m writing this column BEFORE the Week 10 Monday night game (MIA@LAR).

Some players discussed won’t be available in your league. I try to list players who are available in more than 50% of leagues. But what does that even mean? A 10-team league with six bench spots will have a much larger Free Agent pool than a 14-team league with eight. Most leagues fall somewhere in between. This isn’t “one size fits all.” By way of example, I won’t list Justin Herbert, Jaylen Warren, Cedric Tillman, Jauan Jennings, or Taysom Hill this week, among others who probably aren’t available in any of your leagues. All would be priority adds this week, with Warren at the top of the list given the injury to Najee Harris.

WEEK 11 BYES: ARI, CAR, NYG, TB

Week 11 Waiver Wire

Quarterback:

Need a second quarterback for a Superflex league, a streamer for this week, or another starting option in a 1-QB league? There are again some appealing choices this week.

Bo Nix and Drake Maye. I’ve listed these two rookies so many times in this column that I’m tired of typing their names. I’m lumping them together because the case is the same for both. They’re each averaging between 16 and 17 points per start and that puts them ahead of a whole bunch of veterans who you might be playing (especially in a Superflex). They’re outscoring the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Jared Goff, Kirk Cousins, and C.J. Stroud, among others. It helps that they both can scoot and are scoring points as runners. More good news: they both have favorable schedules upcoming.

Russell Wilson. He’s been pretty solid since returning from injury (a 19.3 point average over this three starts) and taking over for Justin Fields. The addition of Mike Williams should help the entire passing game, as defenses will need to account for his ability to make big plays. His next three matchups (BAL, CLE, CIN) are all division games, but all three of those defenses have been very generous to opposing QBs.

Matthew Stafford. As long as his top two WRs are healthy, Stafford slots in as a borderline QB1 with upside. He won’t earn any points as a runner, but he can still whip the ball around as well as just about anyone, and the Rams can get into high-scoring affairs. Add him.

Others to consider, as needed: Derek Carr and Jameis Winston. Jameis is a roller-coaster, so if you have issues with motion sickness, bear that in mind.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Running Back:

For this first time in a few weeks, there are some backs that could be poised to get meaningful workloads down the stretch.

Gus Edwards. Where did that come from? Before Edwards got hurt, J.K. Dobbins had taken over the Chargers backfield, and was doing much more with his touches. Edwards returned on Sunday and it was pretty close to a 50/50 split, with Edwards on the field when the Chargers got in close. That’s a promising sign, and this team runs enough to support two fantasy-relevant backs, IF they’re both going to see at least 10 touches per game, as was the case Sunday. Dobbins should continue to see the bulk of the pass-caching work, but if Edwards can get a chunk of early down work and some run at the goal-line, he’ll be Flex-worthy, at least. Throw in the injury history of Dobbins and he’s a borderline priority add.

Audric Estime. Where did that come from (part deux)? After logging just 15 carries all season, the rookie from Notre Dame led the Broncos’ backfield with a 45% snap share and 14 carries on Sunday. The Chiefs are the NFL’s top rushing defense, so I wouldn’t be scared off by his 3.8 yard rushing average this week. He’s a power runner who doesn’t figure to see much receiving work (the next pass he catches will be the first of his NFL career), but if this is a sign of his workload to come, he must be rostered.

Khalil Herbert. With Zack Moss done for the season, the Bengals traded for Herbert on Tuesday and he dressed on Thursday, but the one attempt to hand him the ball resulted in a fumbled exchange that could’ve spelled disaster (Cincinnati recovered it). He didn’t see the field again, and Chase Brown saw a ridiculous workload in a frenetic game. My guess is they’ll work Herbert in more as he gets acclimated. He’s always been an efficient runner, and would likely be in line for a lot of work on a very good offense if anything happens to Brown. Brown managers should grab Herbert if they can.

Here is my updated weekly list of running backs to grab if you need depth: Tyler Allgeier, Cam Akers, Ray Davis, Jr., Braelon Allen, Tyjae Spears, Trey Benson, Jaylen Wright, Roschon Johnson, Devin Singletary, Justice Hill, and Blake Corum. All are one injury away from what could be a significant role. I’ve said it over and over: You want a couple of these guys on your roster at all times.

Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Wide Receiver:

Jerry Jeudy and Elijah Moore. I mentioned both players last week, but with the Browns on Bye, they might still be out there for you. Both are seeing a lot more volume now that Jameis Winston is under center, and the Browns are going to be playing from behind a decent amount.

Ricky Pearsall and Xavier Legette. I’ve listed these rookies several times. Pearsall scored on a long catch-and-run this week, which should make him a popular name. The Panthers are on Bye, so Legette won’t help you this week. While we’re here, his teammate Jalen Coker is also decent bench depth. Bryce Young is playing a little better, and the Munich game was an anomaly. Expect the Panthers to be trailing in most games.

Marquez Valdes-Scantling. His performance on Sunday is hard to trust. How do I know that? Because throughout his career, his spike weeks have been hard to trust. He’s a legit deep threat, and Derek Carr loves taking shots. He managed two TDs on Sunday on just three catches, and he’s never been a volume play. But if you’re at that point in the season where you need to swing for the fences, MVS is worth considering. If that’s not you, I’d probably pass.

Quentin Johnston. His good weeks have usually been followed by periods of quiet, so chase the performance if you must. The Chargers are playing really well, and that includes Justin Herbert. Johnston has a nose for the end zone and is definitely a good depth play who can stream for you when needed.

Others to consider for wide receiver depth: Romeo Doubs, Demario Douglas, Rashod Bateman, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Ray-Ray McCloud, and Mike Williams.

Tight End:

Mike Gesicki. Gesicki was surprisingly quiet in the Thursday night track meet, but as long as Tee Higgins is out, he’s worth starting and even when Tee is back, he should 100% be rostered, given how Burrow is throwing (and throwing TDs) and the kinds of games Cincinnati keeps playing.

Dawson Knox. They’re running out of healthy bodies in Buffalo, and with Dalton Kincaid leaving Sunday’s game with a knee injury, Knox is a very attractive choice, and especially if your tight end is Kincaid or Sam LaPorta, who also got hurt (shoulder) Sunday. It’s possible that Buffalo could be without some or all of Amari Cooper, Kincaid, and Keon Coleman for their big matchup with Kansas City this week.

Jonnu Smith. I’ve listed Smith many times this season, and I’ll put him in here again as he’s earned a pretty consistent target share in the 15-20% range, in what is hopefully an offense that will score more going forward.

Theo Johnson and Ja’Tavion Sanders. These two rookies are both on Bye this week, but are potential depth adds if you need a body.

PK and D/ST Streamers, Week 11 (ranked outside the Top-12 for the season):

PK: J. Sanders (vs. LV), B. Grupe (vs. CLE)

D/ST: GB (@CHI), HOU (vs. DAL), MIA (vs. LV)

That’s all I’ve got. Good luck with your waiver claims!

***This column appears each Monday right here at Big Blue View. Each Thursday, my weekly fantasy preview with my rides, fades and sleepers (start/sit) appears here, and on Fridays you can find my weekly Giants Props of the week, also right here.

Note: no columns next week; it’s MY Bye week! ***