Waiver Wire Pickups: Week 11 (Fantasy Football)
Each week, my colleague Joe Beldner helps the FootClan prepare for the week ahead with his Waiver Wire column. It is the first article I read every Tuesday morning, as I prepare my bids and snag the players I want ahead of my unsuspecting league mates. It’s an honor to fill in for him for this week and hopefully provide the community with some valuable insight as we prepare for the Week 11 gauntlet ahead. We have reached the point in the fantasy season where rest-of-season starters are hard to come by on the wire. Teams start hoarding defenses, and the last remaining gunslingers are few and far between. There is always help to be found, however.
Here is a look at some of the players to keep an eye on as we continue to tinker and set our team up for a successful run ahead.
Catch the weekly Waivers episode of The Fantasy Footballers Podcast!
Running Back Waiver Rankings
| Player | Rank | Andy | Jason | Mike |
KC (@ DEN)
|
1 | 1 | 6 | 2 |
ARI (vs SF)
|
2 | 6 | 1 | 1 |
DEN (vs KC)
|
3 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
ATL (vs CAR)
|
4 | 5 | 3 | 5 |
JAX (vs LAC)
|
5 | 4 | 7 | 3 |
LAR (vs SEA)
|
6 | 7 | 4 | 4 |
NYG (vs GB)
|
7 | 3 | 8 | 8 |
SEA (@ LAR)
|
8 | 8 | 9 | 9 |
TB (@ BUF)
|
9 | 9 | 10 | 10 |
PHI (vs DET)
|
10 | 12 | 5 | 7 |
TB (@ BUF)
|
11 | 10 | 11 | 11 |
LAC (@ JAX)
|
12 | 11 | 12 | 12 |
Emari Demercado, RB, Arizona Cardinals – This late in the season, it is nearly impossible to find an RB you can start in a pinch, but Emari Demercado represents just that, an emergency start if you need one. Since returning from a two-game injury absence, Demercado has played 40% of snaps and has been the only effective runner for Arizona. He’s got more juice than the other RBs on the roster, as evidenced in Week 10 when he broke off a 55-yard run. Plus, he’s the pass-catching back, allowing for the opportunity of more fantasy production. Trey Benson is still going to be out another week, most likely, making Demercado playable in Week 11 if options are limited.
Tyler Allgeier, RB, Atlanta Falcons – Tyler Allgeier already carried a lot of fantasy weight as one of the premier insurance backs in case anything happened to Bijan Robinson. But what if I told you Allgeier has four games with double-digit fantasy points and is in the top 10 in rushing TDs with six? To top it off, he is coming off his best game of the season (RB7 this week), and he continues to get the goal-line work ahead of Robinson. In the past four games, Allgeier has five carries inside the 10-yard line, while Robinson has just one.
Blake Corum, RB, Los Angeles Rams – Second-year RB Blake Corum already has more rushing attempts and yards than he did all of last year, and he is coming off a season-high 27 snaps on Sunday (39%). Corum got a lot of work in the second half of a blowout, but looked reliable nonetheless, totaling 56 rushing yards on 13 carries. It marked the third game in a row he’s had double-digit carries. Corum remains an insurance option more than anything, but one of the most important ones without a doubt.
Kenneth Gainwell, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers – It really does feel like Arthur Smith is messing with us. Kenneth Gainwell didn’t have a single carry on Sunday, but played the most snaps out of any RB. His 52% snap count was the highest total he has played since Week 4. Like most of the RBs on this list, Gainwell is more valuable to the manager who rosters the incumbent, Jaylen Warren, in this instance.
Wide Receiver Waiver Rankings
| Player | Rank | Andy | Jason | Mike |
JAX (vs LAC)
|
1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
IND (N/A)
|
2 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
NYG (vs GB)
|
3 | 2 | 4 | 3 |
TB (@ BUF)
|
4 | 5 | 1 | 5 |
GB (@ NYG)
|
5 | 4 | 7 | 4 |
CLE (vs BAL)
|
6 | 9 | 8 | 6 |
NE (vs NYJ)
|
7 | 10 | 5 | 9 |
SEA (@ LAR)
|
8 | 7 | 6 | 12 |
CHI (@ MIN)
|
9 | 8 | 11 | 7 |
NYG (vs GB)
|
10 | 6 | 9 | 8 |
GB (@ NYG)
|
11 | 12 | 13 | 10 |
LV (vs DAL)
|
12 | 14 | 10 | 11 |
BUF (vs TB)
|
13 | 11 | 12 | 15 |
FA (N/A)
|
14 | 13 | 14 | 13 |
LV (vs DAL)
|
15 | 15 | 15 | 14 |
Parker Washington, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars – Over the last three games, Parker Washington has totaled 37.6 fantasy points (WR23 in that span) and is coming off a team-high seven targets on Sunday, more than double the next receiver. Washington has built a rapport with Trevor Lawrence, and with injuries to Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter, Washington is an absolute necessity for the offense. Jakobi Meyers made his Jacksonville debut and played 44% of snaps. That number should go up, but Washington should still be the alpha until BTJ returns.
Jerry Jeudy, WR, Cleveland Browns – Jerry Jeudy has been absolutely irrelevant for fantasy football this year. There was a stretch of games in the middle of the season, six straight, where he put up just 20.5 total fantasy points. So naturally, coming off the bye after a goose egg, Jeudy finished with 78 receiving yards and a TD on a team-high 12 targets, good enough for a WR1 finish on the week (WR12). It feels like we have been down this road before, so tread lightly, but it definitely feels like he belongs on rosters. Maybe Dillon Gabriel exceeds expectations and is able to provide more fantasy production than we have grown accustomed to coming out of Cleveland.
Tez Johnson, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – It’s surprising that Tez Johnson is available in nearly 50% of leagues on Sleeper, because he has been fantasy relevant for a few weeks now. Johnson has three top-24 WR finishes in the last four games and just racked up 18.2 fantasy points on Sunday (WR8). With Mike Evans and Chris Godwin out, Johnson has cemented himself as the WR2 opposite Emeka Egbuka in one of the most high-powered offenses in the league. Not only should Johnson be rostered in the majority of leagues, but he has weekly starting potential for the rest of the season.
Christian Watson, WR, Green Bay Packers – Christian Watson is still getting his feet under him, but thankfully, he’s come out unscathed so far since his return to action three weeks ago. Watson is slowly establishing himself as a reliable target for Jordan Love, especially when it comes to deep balls. The Packers’ WR room has been banged up all year, with Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, and, most recently, Matthew Golden all missing time. Also, Romeo Doubs got hurt at the end of the Monday night game, so it’s important to monitor his status. Watson could be a good start if Doubs were to miss next week’s game, and could be in play regardless.
Tight End Waiver Rankings
| Player | Rank | Andy | Jason | Mike |
TB (@ BUF)
|
1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
CHI (@ MIN)
|
2 | 2 | 5 | 1 |
CLE (vs BAL)
|
3 | 5 | 1 | 4 |
NYG (vs GB)
|
4 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
NO (N/A)
|
5 | 3 | 3 | 5 |
FA (N/A)
|
6 | 7 | 6 | 6 |
GB (@ NYG)
|
7 | 6 | 7 | 7 |
Cade Otton, TE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Mr. Reliable was at it again on Sunday, catching nine passes for 82 yards on a whopping 12 targets. A dozen targets for a TE who plays nearly 100% of the snaps each game, sign me up every time. And when those targets are from a QB as good as Baker Mayfield, there are not many TEs I am starting ahead of Cade Otton. Whenever Tampa Bay is dealing with WR injuries, which is almost always, Otton becomes a go-to, high-volume target for Mayfield. If you need a safe option, Otton is your guy.
Theo Johnson, TE, New York Giants – Since Malik Nabers went down in Week 4, Theo Johnson has been the TE5 with 70 total fantasy points. He has just two games below four fantasy points and has five receiving TDs in that seven-game window. Johnson should not be slept on anymore, and his schedule over the next three weeks is delectable for TEs. Two things to be mindful of are Jaxson Dart‘s status, as he left Sunday’s game with a concussion. Also, Brian Daboll was let go, and Mike Kafka has taken over as interim coach. Johnson might be a hold in Week 11 to see how things shake out, but he has been more reliable than most at the position of late.
Quarterback Waiver Rankings
| Player | Rank | Andy | Jason | Mike |
CIN (@ PIT)
|
1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
WAS (@ MIA)
|
2 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
CIN (@ PIT)
|
3 | 2 | 7 | 2 |
HOU (@ TEN)
|
4 | 5 | 6 | 3 |
KC (@ DEN)
|
5 | 6 | 3 | 6 |
PIT (vs CIN)
|
6 | 7 | 5 | 4 |
MIN (vs CHI)
|
7 | 4 | 4 | 7 |
Check out Javier Manzanera’s weekly article on QB Streamers to Consider.
Team DST Waiver Rankings
| Player | Rank | Andy | Jason | Mike |
NE (vs NYJ)
|
1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
HOU (@ TEN)
|
2 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
BAL (@ CLE)
|
3 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
GB (@ NYG)
|
4 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
Catch the weekly Waivers episode of The Fantasy Footballers Podcast
Final Thoughts
When we get this late into the season and the playoffs near, being diligent, calculated, and strategic with waivers is more important than ever. If you sit atop the standings in your league, now is the time to scout defenses ahead or roster an extra insurance back or two. If you are playing catch-up in the standings, you can’t keep holding onto the rookie you are hoping breaks out if you need a start and a win this week. Also, keep an eye on the remaining FAAB of the other managers in your league. If you know your opponent needs a TE this week and you have more FAAB, drop a little extra on a TE even if you don’t need one, just to play some prevent defense. We are getting down to the nitty-gritty of the fantasy season, folks.
It’s time to lock in.